it was not necessary or justified to use nuclear weapons against japan. it was a reprehensible crime

even those who think nuclear bombs were necessary - which is not true - have no defensible explanation for why two had to be dropped on two civilian population centers

japan was ready to surrender and the US knew it. read american prometheus or something. in the months prior to the bombing, they discussed inviting japanese diplomats to a nuclear test and using it as a threat, dropping one on an explicitly military target first, etc

nearly all truman's advisors, and truman himself, thought the war would be over before an invasion was necessary. they knew japan was looking for peace prior to the bombs being dropped