Noam Chomsky: If Iran had nuclear weapons most Arab people would feel safer

The Arab dictators may be in America's pocket but, says Noam Chomsky, polls show repeatedly that it is the United States and Israel that are viewed as the greatest threat to the vast majority of the Arab populations. This is why when asked they say they would feel safer if Iran did have nuclear weapons.

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  News & Politics

[galatisnik5]

no idiot, Japan had been defeated before the US bombed them

[MaukkamusMaximus]

United States did not nuke Japan to end the war, they nuked Japan because they wanted to have a show of force to the Soviets. The Japanese civilians were just a convenient opportunity.

[MaukkamusMaximus]

Even IF the Japanese goverment had gone on resisting they would not have resisted far longer as the Soviets were knocking on their back door. They would have surrendered as soon as the Soviets had taken over Korea, but that is exactly why U.S dropped the bombs - they wanted Korea for themselves.

[Keith Spivey]

That is one reason. Additionally, although Japan was essentially defeated militarily, the country's Government refused to surrender. The bomb would be used to how that without surrender Japan would be totally annihilated. As testament to their defiance, they continued to deny surrender until about a week after both bombs were dropped (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and only did so when the Emperor personally intervened.

[faustoc4]

Anticapitalists are the new barbarians

[Seymour Buttz]

Sure, that's what they said. Maybe it's true. Or maybe they wanted to show the world what happens when you use one on a city.

[BIBLO BAGGINS]

This is saying the US killed 100's of thousands of people because they are narcissistic bullies.

[Kebil Friesen]

The danger of nuclear weapons has never stopped us from putting the American arsenal in the hands of it's own madman. C'mon, if Cheney had not been having so much fun authorizing torture and seeing how much money him and his buddies could make from the war on "terror" you don't think he would not have been toying with the idea of sending out a few nuclear strikes just to see what the world tries to do about it.

[Kebil Friesen]

Actually, by the time of the bombing the tide of the war had taken a dramatic turn and the US was totally dominating the Pacific. Japan was running out of supplies, running out of bullets (most of the anti aircraft ammunition were actually blanks, they were running out of iron). Just think about it - an air force winning the war does not send out its pilots to run kamikaze missions. Japan was on fire from US fire bombers, the bombed Japan to scare the Soviets.

[Anthony Plaza]

They nuked japan for experimental purposes. They admit now that the purpose was to implement a live test site with real towns to see the full power of their new weapon. Basically they nuked Japan just for fun.

[scott edgar]

That was all in the past and was a necessity of the time. Things were different back then, just like they are different now, and the best everyone can do is to stop looking out and blaming one another.