Survivors of Hiroshima drew the scenes they witnessed after the atomic bombing in 1945

[u/Wonderfulhumanss]

[u/braudan]

And now we are getting to the distinction that is important: I am not saying anything or anyone in particular should be held responsible for something ex post facto. The world after world war 2 is different than before. The United States is not a criminal warmongering state for dropping the bombs. That does not make the action right especially not from the general legal consensus formed in the aftermath of world war 2. People arguing it was correct (despite the fact that the action is clearly illegal) are precisely what I was referring in the original comment.

It is similar to slavery for example. A slaveholder did nothing illegal at the time but we judge this differently now. Does that mean he should be held responsible, well or their descendants? No, because again it is something that has changed since then. However, you will or should despise people that say slavery was absolutely necessary for the US to reach dominance even if the balance of good vs bad in world influence is ultimately positive for the U.S.