Hillary, Hiroshima, and Hubris

Justifying mass murder
The anniversary of the U.S. bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is, perhaps, a good time to note that arguments rationalizing and even valorizing the use of nuclear weapons, once considered beyond the pale, are now back in fashion. Here we have yet more evidence of the Bizarro Effect, which, ever since 9/11, has stood everything – especially our traditional concept of morality – on its head, not only repealing the laws of logic and common sense but also ensconcing evil in the place of good.

Why, just the other day, U.S. presidential aspirant and sometime antiwar candidate Barack Obama was asked by a reporter if he would authorize the use of nuclear weapons against al-Qaeda. Instead of looking at the man as if he were more than half-crazy and pointedly asking to see his press credentials, Obama ruled out the possibility… or, maybe not. I'll leave it to my readers to make the call:

"'I think it would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons in any circumstance … involving civilians,' he said, appearing uncomfortable with the query.

"A moment later, he seemed to retract the entire response, saying: 'Let me scratch that. There's been no discussion of nuclear weapons. That's not on the table.'"More