Obama's Hiroshima Visit Is a Reminder that Atomic Bombs Weren't What Won the War

Obama's Hiroshima Visit Is a Reminder that Atomic Bombs Weren't What Won the WarGAR ALPEROVITZ is a political economist and historian.He is the author of two major studies of the atomic bombings: "Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Potsdam" and "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb," where references to the key documentary sources in this piece can also be found.United States President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima in May offers an opportunity to reconsider some of the myths surrounding the historic decision to use the atomic bomb.Such reconsideration also helps focus attention on how we can avoid any future use of weapons that are now thousands of times more powerful than the ones used in 1945.A good place to start is with an unusual and little-noticed display at The National Museum of the US Navy in Washington.A plaque explaining an