What were the different views of the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

The
Americans did not understand the power of the atomic bomb until it was actually dropped. It was
just another weapon of war, a bigger bomb. It wasn't enough to say they had such a bomb without
using it. They had to prove that they had it and would use it. No doubt there was an intention
to impress the Soviet Union. No doubt the Americans knew it would force Japan to surrender
without an invasion or further bombardment with tremendous casualties--but that was doing them a
favor by giving them a chance to "save face." The Americans had to drop two atomic
bombs to demonstrate to Japan and to the world that they had more than one of these weapons and
could build more. Japan may have been willing to surrender before the two bombs
were...