The Psychological Impact of the Atomic Bomb

August 6th was the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Many people posted about it. Many people pointed out that it was a heinous act because an estimated 39,000 to 80,000 people, most of whom were civilians, were killed.

Meanwhile the firebombing campaign against Tokyo, which resulted in the death of approximately 100,000 civilians, is seldom mentioned.

My point here isn't to judge people for mentioning one without mentioning the other. It's to illustrate that the psychological impact of the atomic bomb was so great that we still feel compelled to discuss the matter today even when we don't have the same compulsion towards other acts that lead to even great losses of life.