Why the Bomb Is Bad for Democracy
Documentarian Jon Else explores the moral dilemmas of the nuclear age in his new book, 'Frenchman Flat'. The work shifts focus away from the typical narrative surrounding J. Robert Oppenheimer to examine the broader implications of nuclear secrecy.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing cultural and political debate regarding the ethics of nuclear weapons and government transparency.
A famous documentarian’s new book suggests that secrecy is a major impediment to sensible nuclear policy.
Illustration by Colin Hunter. Sources: CSA-Printstock / Getty; wenjin chen / Getty. September 17, 2026, 7:30 AM ET Share Save “In August of 1945, the city of Hiroshima was destroyed in about nine seconds by a single atomic bomb.” So begins the 1981 documentary The Day After Trinity , in a voice-over against a black background. “The man responsible for building the bomb was a gentle and eloquent physicist named J. Robert Oppenheimer.”
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