USA bombing Japan
By: Derian Parker
Who, what, when, where, why ?
August 6th, 1945, American B-29 bomber introduced a weapon of absolute destruction to Japaneses city- Hiroshima. A bomb of unparalleled catastrophic ability and lethal potency succeed in instantaneously ending 80,000 lives and destroying 90% of Hiroshima spontaneously. 3 days later another bomb of the same capacity was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people, thus concluding World War 2...
Perspective #1 media portrayed event
The perspective of the media determined that the bombing saved lives by ending the war more quickly and without a land invasion. And in hindsight the perspective presented by the media stated that- although excessive- the bombing of Japan served to send a message to the rest of the world. The inertial responses from the attack focused more on the idea that the World War was over and that bombing was a necessary action rather than the brutal annihilation of millions
First news on the event.
Media portrays little sympathy for the actual event- instead justifies it as a part of war.
Ground Zero Nagasaki.
Picture of Nagasaki after A-bomb.
Ground Zero Hiroshima.
Picture of Hiroshima after A-bomb.
Perspective #2 media portrayed event (modern perspective- 70 years later)
The medias perspective of the bombing of Japan has changed drastically since the initial responses. Almost as if it were a world renown fact, the bombing of japan is now seen as a unnecessary act of brutality. This new perspective also has been motivated by the events that have taken place since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thanks to the problems attributed by long lasting issues, like the problem with weapons of mass destruction and the near apocalyptic outcome of the Cold War, many people consider the very creation of the Atomic Bomb as a unintelligent choice.
Media Bias Explained
The United States media interpretation of the bombing is almost hilarious. It's almost as if the entire nation had been in denial about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The media perspective of the event now is a more reliable one considering the bias of "It was necessary" has faded over time. (Image below is a victim of the bombing).
Criticism #1 (marxist criticism)
The events of Pearl Harbor caused U.S.A to jump into the fray of World War 2 in the first place. This eventually lead to the creation of the Atomic Bomb and the introduction of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear weapons). The whole justification of the entire bombing was the fact that we needed to take a stance and demonstrate our power as a nation. America and the media viewed Japan as instant enemies causing the disregard of life demonstrated in the initial responses of the bombing.
Criticism #2 (historical criticism)
The perspective necessary to understand the decision to drop the bomb on japan can only be decided though use of historical criticism. The idea that U.S.A was in war and was trying to defeat a enemy by any means necessary as revenge for an attack on us (Pearl Harbor) is a main component of comprehending the event.
Hiroshima atomic bomb: Survivor recalls horrors - BBC News