Mahatma Gandhi on the Perils and Possibilities of Atoms

In the months and years after the atomic bombing of Japan, many in the United States sought to assuage fears about nuclear energy by arguing that nuclear technology could not only be used for peaceful ends, but that the mere existence of such a terrible weapon might end war altogether. But many throughout the world were not convinced. Here, Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Ghandi expresses skepticism that lasting peace is possible by deterrence alone, and that  good can come out of such an evil weapon. How can we understand Ghandi’s statement as reflective of ambivalence about American power in the wake of World War II?