70 years ago today, the first atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands, instantly. Three days later, another such bomb was dropped over Nagasaki.

US schools teach 'Japan nuclear attacks ended WWII’
RT
Aug 6, 2015
http://on.rt.com/6ojo

[snip]

Lessons not learned: US wants Tokyo’s help in isolating China & Russia

“President Obama and the US are pressuring Japan to be an ally to the US and the Asian region and in isolating perhaps China and Russia,” Madelyn Hoffman, executive director of the New Jersey Peace Action, told RT.

RT: Do you think that the consequences of the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 are still affecting the country today?

Madelyn Hoffman: Yes, absolutely, the consequences remain today. You simply need to walk through the streets of Hiroshima and see many memorials and monuments to see the devastation that happened 70 years ago. And then also you need to talk to the people, their exhibits here about what happened in the lead up to the WWII and beyond; paintings by people who lived through the dropping of the atomic bomb. And then you go to rallies. I was at an all-woman’s rally last night. Thousands of people talking about how it is still important for them to see WWII without nuclear weapons, and also to see that Japan remains a pacifist nation under Article 9 of their Constitution. So they are very concerned here in Hiroshima and throughout Japan about some of the changes that are being discussed for Japan by Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe.

RT: There is a widespread opinion that the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan contributed to putting an end to World War II. Do you think this view corresponds to the reality?

MH: It is a very tough question to ask of someone who had relatives or knows people who served in WWII. I don’t want to delegitimize what the veterans themselves felt about the dropping of the bombs, but at the same time history, I believe, has shown that Japan was ready to surrender, that the dropping of the bombs was not necessary and that they were dropped more to show US strength towards the former Soviet Union than anything that was going on in the war. And having been here now for five days and talking to people and going to the museum, and looking and studying what went on - the devastation, the utter devastation and destruction of lives and culture and everything else was not at all worth a flex of the muscles, a show of strength. The bombs should never have been dropped in my opinion. No matter what you think about whether they should or shouldn’t have been, they should never ever be used again.