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Opinion

Editorial: 76th anniversary of Hiroshima A-bombing—Breaking down the myth of nuclear deterrence

Today marks the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the United States. The city was turned into a scorched plain, with between 130,000 and 150,000 people estimated to have died by the end of that year. Even those who survived into the next year were forced to live with concerns about their health.

No one else should have to endure the same kind of suffering, and abolishing nuclear weapons is the only way to achieve such a goal. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) came into effect in January this year in a reflection of A-bomb survivors’ hopes and pleas. The TPNW—the first such international agreement to ban the use, first and foremost, as well as the development, possession, and threat of use of nuclear weapons—has been ratified by 55 countries and regions as of the end of July.

Capacity to wipe out humankind

Two ideas have been in constant conflict to this point in time.

One of the ideas is held by the side that dropped the atomic bomb. Those adherents only work to calculate the extent of the destructive power of the bomb and underestimate the reality of the damage caused by the bombing’s radiation.

The other idea derives from the perspective that observes what actually happened to people under the bomb’s mushroom cloud in an effort to issue warnings about such weapons including damage from radiation. That side does not recognize nuclear weapons as being merely a conventional weapon with enhanced destructive power, but rather a dangerous weapon capable of wiping out humankind altogether. The thinking of that side is also reflected in the TPNW.

Conflict between the two points of view began immediately after the atomic bombing. Some people, for example, worked hard to reveal the truth at the same time the U.S. government was working to hide the actual consequences of the atomic bombing. One such individual was American journalist John Hersey. Mr. Hersey visited the A-bombed city slightly more than nine months after the bombing and interviewed six survivors, including Kiyoshi Tanimoto, who served as a minister of the Hiroshima Nagarekawa Methodist Church, about their A-bomb experiences. His account Hiroshima was published 75 years ago this month.

The New Yorker magazine devoted an entire issue to the account authored by Mr. Hersey, which revealed the realities of the atomic bombing, selling out 300,000 copies on the first day of release. The work was later reprinted in 130 American newspapers and has been translated into 10 languages.

Hiroshima has at times topped the “Top 100 Works of Journalism in the United States in the 20th Century,” compiled by New York University faculty and others. Last year in the summer, the modern significance of Hiroshima was once again highlighted when Fallout, a new work of nonfiction written by American journalist Lesley Blume, was published.

The nonfiction work touches on how Mr. Hersey entered Hiroshima and successfully reported on survivors while avoiding the restrictions put in place by the U.S. military and the General Headquarters of the Allied Occupation Forces (GHQ), which were working to hide the devastation caused by the atomic weapon. The book has gained popularity in the United States, receiving high marks for its behind-the-scenes approach to the creation of Mr. Hersey publication, considered one of the world’s finest works of journalism. A Japanese translation of Fallout, titled Hiroshima wo Abaita Otoko, was published last month, in July.

Mr. Hersey was consistent in his opinions regarding the atomic bombing. When he heard about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he was overwhelmed by a sense of despair. This appeared to be derived not from feelings of sympathy toward or guilt about the victims, but because he feared for the future of the entire world. He must have felt the potential for the continued existence of all humankind to be determined by nuclear weapons. His unwavering view about the atomic bombing allowed his portrayal of the situation in a way that won the hearts and minds of people around the world.

Memories protected the world

Revisiting Hiroshima in 1985, Mr. Hersey left words akin to the following. ‘Humanity’s memories of what had happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have protected the world from the catastrophe of nuclear war since 1945. It was not the nuclear deterrence myth that brought about peace and stability.’ This view held by Mr. Hersey seems to be shared by the A-bomb survivors.

In the epilogue of Fallout, Mr. Blume wrote that the worst tragedy of the 21st century might be that we have learned little from the worst tragedy of the 20th century, that is, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His hypothesis results from the reality that the nuclear weapons crisis has yet to be resolved.

Naturally, many people listen to the appeals made from the A-bombed cities and learn from them. The spread of sympathy for and understanding of the idea that the only way to prevent humans from destroying themselves is to abolish nuclear weapons led to the establishment of the TPNW.

The problem is that some politicians and others in various countries persist in their adherence to the theory of nuclear deterrence. They have turned their backs on the TPNW. Such people seem to maintain the dangerous act of making efforts to obtain more powerful weapons than everyone else, thinking only about now and themselves. Fragile are the peace and stability gained from such a concept, and they are at the very least ephemeral. This concept falls far short of the “peace that will never end” enunciated by the A-bomb poet Sankichi Toge, an A-bomb survivor.

Now that the TPNW has come into effect, it might be time for the nuclear weapon states and those countries relying on a “nuclear umbrella” to break down the myth of nuclear deterrence. They should reject the idea of caring only about now and themselves and shift to a consciousness that considers all of humanity.

Military spending waste of money on global scale

Nevertheless, leaders of world powers, which are the key to the problem, lack a global mindset and self-discipline. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in Sweden, the estimated world military spending in 2020 reached a record 1.981 trillion dollars (213 trillion yen), up 2.6 percent from last year, even amidst the coronavirus pandemic. That number represents a 1.4-time increase over military expenditures in 1990, the year following declaration of the conclusion of the Cold War between the East and West.

Such profligate military spending is nothing but a waste of money on a global scale at a time when all of humanity needs to join the battle together against the coronavirus pandemic. Such a situation can only be described as insanity.

The human race took the first step on the path to destruction of all civilization the moment Hiroshima was destroyed by a single atomic bomb. The author Kazutoshi Hando, who died this past January, issued a sharp warning about nuclear weapons. “There is no future for humanity if we do not abolish nuclear weapons, uncontrollable ‘weapons of death’ that we have made with our own hands.”

Because they have experienced the A-bombing tragedy, the people of Hiroshima have a special responsibility to all of humanity. They must take the lead in breaking down the illusion of the myth of nuclear deterrence to prevent humankind from destroying itself.

(Originally published on August 6, 2021)

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