Vannevar Bush on nuclear proliferation
From MIT Science Reporter: Looking Back At The Bomb - Interview with Vannevar Bush · · Luke
“I also think that it's well that the bomb came into effect in our hands, not in the hands of some other country, perhaps Russia.”
On , Vannevar Bush, Cofounder at Raytheon, spoke about nuclear proliferation during MIT Science Reporter: Looking Back At The Bomb - Interview with Vannevar Bush on Luke.
About Vannevar Bush
In a 2023 interview on MIT Science Reporter, Vannevar Bush reflected on the development and use of the atomic bomb, stating that his first reaction was "great relief that the program had been successful." He expressed support for President Truman's decision to use the bomb, saying it "saved 100,000 or more American casualties and saved the lives of Japanese for that matter." Bush also remarked that it was "well that the bomb came into effect in our hands, not in the hands of some other country, perhaps Russia." He described the post-war situation as a "stalemate" between the U.S. and Russia, adding that "that deadlock is preferable to continual warfare." Bush also discussed the relationship between scientists and government, noting that "scientists and Engineers are getting along with Congress a lot better than they used to" and that "mutual respect" has developed. He cautioned against German errors such as "complacency, deterioration of interest in pure science, and regimentation in the administrative control of science." On automation, Bush said it "creates skilled jobs and obsolete unskilled jobs," causing "temporary dislocations," but argued it is "not a calamity" if society gains "greater leisure time." He praised the American public for backing the Marshall Plan, calling it "a magnificent thing to do."