If the alternative to nuking was an all out ground invasion, you are right. But i think a peaceful solution could have worked if the US put more work to it. Nuking was the easiest solution, and it meant many Americans were able to keep their lives at the cost of Japanese civilians. Although it is probably what i would have done in power at WWII, it doesnt make it justified.

The Japanese were not only suicidally determined, but utterly despised the concept of "surrender" - the only way you could make them submit is to show them that you (USA) can wipe them out of existence. You simply could not have ended the war any other way - you can't reason with cults, and all of Japan was essentially a cult.

Japan were not "suicidally determined". They were bound by a strict code of honour. An honour where they would follow their leader's instruction to the letter and the civilian population of Japan were instructed to commit suicide before capture or defeat. If an [b]agreement[/b] was worked out with Japan and the US, note how i said agreement rather than an unconditional surrender, then peace could have been worked out. I am not stating this as a fact as it was never explored, no one can be certain, but i believe it would have worked.