HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

[AuburnAlumni]

Did anyone else see this?

It's a documentary about survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. First hand accounts from the only people in world history to ever actually experience a nuclear attack firsthand.

Absolutely fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

After watching it, it makes you realize that Nuclear Weapons should NEVER be used under any circumstances...EVER.

They said that when the bomb hit, winds reached 1000 miles per hour and a wall of fire expanded from ground zero at 9000 degrees farenheit.

140,000 dead at Hiroshima. 70,000 dead at Nagasaki. 130,000 more died after due to radiation sickness and other related symptoms.

Important film to see IMO.

[fishepa]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

I can forsee this getting political, but we'll give it a shot.

[fsquid]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

It was necessary to protect American lives. Should be a last resort, but available to our country.

[MassNole]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

It was necessary to protect American lives. Should be a last resort, but available to our country.

I concur, especially after the cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor.

[SPTO]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

It was necessary to protect American lives. Should be a last resort, but available to our country.

True, it's kind of a complicated issue tho. I believe the US gave Japan the choice to surrender or face the "worst consequence" which is what happened. You are right tho, that while it's controversial that the Bomb fell on Japan the US at that time was running on empty in terms of war morale. The conventional tactic of island hopping would've prolonged the war for another 3-5 years and caused more deaths then they felt necessary.

Personally tho, i'm against nuclear weapons as a deterrence or as an offensive weapon. If one of those nukes were to be used you bet your arse that the country being attacked would launch their own barrage of nukes in retaliation. It would only lead to massive suffering on a planetary scale.

[AuburnAlumni]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

True, it's kind of a complicated issue tho. I believe the US gave Japan the choice to surrender or face the "worst consequence" which is what happened. You are right tho, that while it's controversial that the Bomb fell on Japan the US at that time was running on empty in terms of war morale. The conventional tactic of island hopping would've prolonged the war for another 3-5 years and caused more deaths then they felt necessary.

Personally tho, i'm against nuclear weapons as a deterrence or as an offensive weapon. If one of those nukes were to be used you bet your arse that the country being attacked would launch their own barrage of nukes in retaliation. It would only lead to massive suffering on a planetary scale.

Like I said...if you saw the film, and saw what those two bombs DID to those people..you would NEVER...NEVER want those things used.

350,000 people were killed by 2 bombs....TWO.

That was in 1945. The nuclear weapons of today are much more powerful. The idea that a group like Al Qaeda could eventually get a nuke, set it off in Times Square, etc. The result would be catastrophic.

It's just interesting because as much as we may debate about it..the only folks who ACTUALLY know what they are talking about are those American pilots that dropped the bombs and the Japanese survivors on the ground. And both of those groups agree in the film that Nukes should NEVER be used.

[SPTO]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

Well I never said I'd want the bombs dropped on anyone. I was just giving the rationale at the time. Like I said i'm against nukes in any capacity as they're the most destructive force of mankind.

You know you have a pretty dangerous and maybe even slightly evil thing when Einstein couldn't live with the fact that he helped in the creation of the nuclear bomb with his theoretical equations and such. I believe he even wrote a letter to FDR before he died imploring him not to use the nukes at all.

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

I wanted to watch this special but I don't have HBO.

I believe it's coming out on DVD next week though. Hopefully one of the local video stores has it for rent.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the innocent victims and their family and friends.

[RockyTop1]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

is it 'on demand' now?

[ODogg]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

Like I said...if you saw the film, and saw what those two bombs DID to those people..you would NEVER...NEVER want those things used.

I don't think anyone ever wants them used either. But sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do.

[rockchisler]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

I was fortunate to Goto Japan when I was working for Ford Motor Company in 2000, I was sent to Hiroshima to their Mazda plant (Escape/Tribute launch Joint Venture) I was able to go to the Musuem dedicated to the bombing and at the Hotel I was staying at was 1 block from the epicenter. I am amazed that the city is Thriving, I use to think that nothing would grow when somthing like that happens for centuries.

[Skerik]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

It was necessary to protect American lives. Should be a last resort, but available to our country.

Not only did their use save tens of thousands of American lives, it saved millions of Japanese lives and, possibly, Japan itself. The Japanese had been trained, to a man, down to their children, to fight until the very last breath of that nation and they would have done so.

Given the global climate in 1945, Truman had no good options. The nuclear attacks were the least bad option and they prevented innumerable casualties on both sides compared to those they caused. It was a tough choice, but one that had to be made, imo.

[ODogg]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

Not only did their use save tens of thousands of American lives, it saved millions of Japanese lives and, possibly, Japan itself. The Japanese had been trained, to a man, down to their children, to fight until the very last breath of that nation and they would have done so.

Given the global climate in 1945, Truman had no good options. The nuclear attacks were the least bad option and they prevented innumerable casualties on both sides compared to those they caused. It was a tough choice, but one that had to be made, imo.

Well typed!

[SoMiss2000]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

is it 'on demand' now?

no, it's coming back on at 5:30 today and 12:30 saturday.

[DirrtySouth78]

Re: HBO Special: White Clouds/Black Rain

I saw that with the G/F last week and we were like OMG...

After seeing what it did and what the surviviors went through it was awful. Me & the G/F had a deep conversation after we watched it, but I won't do that here, just cause I ain't tryin to go there, but it was a very good documentuary, done rather well

Couldn't believe that some of those kids did'nt even know the date the bomb was dropped.