We truly believed that by building that bomb there’d never be another war.

[Opusnone]

Quote by Ralph Gates, one of the Manhattan Porject engineers on his naive feelings developing the atom bomb.

In the NY Times:
Atomic Pioneers Gather Again to Recall Manhattan Project
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06project.html?ref=us

When those bombs were dropped Japan was already beaten. All remaining atomic weapons should be dismantled and erased from human history before we are.

[hpot]

1. I don't like war or atomic bombs but...

Unfortunately, we wouldn't have peace without mutually assured destruction.

[Opusnone]

3. Conversely, there would be no MAD without nuclear weapons!

In this riddle- which came first the bomb or the MAD? the answer is THE BOMB.

[SaveElmer]

2. I disagree on Japan...

By the time the bombs were dropped it was apparent Japan would lose in the end...but they were by no means bowed...they could have kept fighting for a year or more, racking up 100's of thousands of casualties!

Truman made the same move any leader at that time and place wouldh ave made, with the opportunity to end the war in days rather than months!!!

[soothsayer]

4. The military was itching to use it the second it was conceived.

Are you kidding me? Some of those bastards LOVE carnage.

[leesa]

5. Yeah. The military-industrial complex really had us going on that one

until someone had that bright idea of disarmament and took all the fun out of it.

[LostInAnomie]

6. What revolutionary weapon wasn't going to be...

... the "end of war"?

The guy that developed the gatling gun thought it would be the key to ending wars. He thought that if generals would see the casualties that such a weapon could produce they would come to their senses and want peace, instead of sending scores of men to their deaths.

When it comes to man's will for conquest and glory sending countless men to their deaths is a small price to pay.

[No Exit]

7. ... boy, are we stupid.