Why the Bomb Is Bad for Democracy
A famous documentarian’s new book suggests that secrecy is a major impediment to sensible nuclear policy.
In August of 1945, the city of Hiroshima was devastated by an atomic bomb in just nine seconds. The man behind the creation of the bomb was J. Robert Oppenheimer, a skilled physicist known for his gentle and eloquent demeanor. The 1981 documentary "The Day After Trinity" highlighted the contradiction of Oppenheimer, a pacifist who gave the nation its most powerful weapon of war.
This film, along with the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography and the 2023 film adaptation, have helped shape Americans' view of Oppenheimer and his bomb through the lens of Jon Else's interview transcripts and approach.
Frenchman Flat: The Rise and Fall of Atomic Bombs, a book authored by Else, examines the collective journey of human society towards the brink of annihilation and the individuals and movements that have prevented us from reaching that point. The book delves into the heroism and absurdity of our atomic present and nuclear policy, emphasizing the crucial role secrecy has played in maintaining nuclear stockpiles.
The U.S. government has long denied the public basic facts about atomic weapons, hindering effective democratic debate. During the Manhattan Project, hundreds of scientists and their families were brought to New Mexico to build an unprecedented weapon, with the U.S. military deciding that the decision to develop a bomb could not be subject to public debate. Only about 1 percent of U.S. Congress members were informed about the project.
After World War II, hundreds of Manhattan Project scientists called for free and enlightened public discussion of atomic power. Oppenheimer and liberal members of Harry S. Truman's administration proposed placing control of nuclear materials and weapons in the hands of the United Nations. Many scientific community members even sought a global government to regulate the bomb.
At that time, this idea enjoyed support from notable figures such as Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. However, U.S. leaders waffled, and in 1946, Congress passed the Atomic Energy Act, giving control of the bomb solely to the president.
Written by urgent.news from The Atlantic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
