Hiroshima Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Cover-Up – 80 Years Later
The Atomic Bowl and the Lingering Threat of Nuclear Weapons
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The new documentary, The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground zero – And Nuclear Peril Today, revisits a chilling moment in history: a college football game played just weeks after the bombing of Hiroshima, shockingly close to the devastation in Nagasaki. director Greg Mitchell joins Democracy Now! to discuss the film, the suppressed reporting from the immediate aftermath of the bombings, and the alarming lack of a true “nuclear taboo” in today’s world.
Suppressed Stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The film highlights a disturbing pattern of censorship surrounding the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombings. While the world knows the broad strokes of the tragedy, the full extent of the suffering and the attempts to control the narrative remain largely unknown.
Mitchell points to the experiences of journalists on the ground. George Weller, the first U.S. reporter to enter Nagasaki, filed dispatches mirroring the accounts coming from Hiroshima – detailing the horrific realities of the devastation. However, these reports were intercepted by General MacArthur’s office in Tokyo and suppressed for a full decade.
“The same thing that happened in Hiroshima happened in Nagasaki: another famous reporter, and his material was killed,” Mitchell explained. this suppression wasn’t accidental; it was a intentional attempt to shape public perception and justify the use of the atomic bombs. Even Leslie Groves,the military head of the Manhattan Project,reportedly suggested the bombings were a “pleasant way to die” – a chillingly detached outlook.
A lack of Nuclear Taboo and Contemporary Dangers
Mitchell’s central argument is that a genuine taboo against the use of nuclear weapons doesn’t exist. He attributes this to the continued support for the bombings among historians and within the media, which normalizes the idea of their potential use.
“there is not a real taboo on using nuclear weapons, because so many historians, so many in the media continue to support the use of the atomic bomb against Hiroshima and even Nagasaki,” he stated. This normalization, coupled with emerging technologies, creates a perilous situation.The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) integrated into nuclear systems is a notably pressing concern. Mitchell describes this development as “very scary,” highlighting the potential for automated decision-making in a crisis.
Adding to these anxieties, the recent proposal by former President Trump to build a nuclear reactor on the moon underscores a disturbing lack of restraint. “nuclear reactor on the moon… So, to me, there’s certainly no nuclear taboo, as far as I can see, and that makes it scary for possible use again,” Mitchell warned.
Why revisiting the Past Matters Today
The Atomic Bowl isn’t simply a past recounting; it’s a stark warning about the present and future. Mitchell emphasizes that revisiting these events is crucial to understanding the ongoing risks.
“It’s very engaging history. It’s horrifying history. but it’s also the lessons for today and the warnings for today,which includes a possible use of nuclear weapons again today,” he explained. The film serves as a potent reminder of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear war and the urgent need for renewed efforts towards disarmament and de-escalation.
The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero – And Nuclear Peril Today is currently streaming on PBS.org.