To be fair, the bombings were among the worst things that have happened in modern history

I wouldn't call what I said avoidance. I'd characterize the atomic bombings as necessary evils, considering that the Japanese were unwilling to surrender under any unfavorable terms and planned to continue their futile, suicidal combat operations indefinitely if given the chance. I don't consider the act an unjustified one given that the only real avenues to the defeat of Japan were these:

• Conventional invasion - which would have taken millions of lives between both sides, given that the Japanese knew exactly how the Allies would have to invade and planned defense to the last man as they had done during virtually the entire Pacific campaign, and almost certainly would've included absurd numbers of civilian casualties/suicides

• Continued total blockade/bombing campaign - almost certainly resulting in the complete destruction of Japan and starvation of its populace, extending the war for as long as they'd be able to hold out and again likely costing millions of lives

• Dropping the atomic bombs - 200,000 lives and two cities in exchange for the end of the war and no further hostilities

It's a false equivalence regardless. The Japanese murdered, directly or indirectly, tens of millions as part of a continent-wide war of aggression in pursuit of ethnocentric dominance. The atomic bombs were a solution of last resort to resolve the conflict they had begun and refused to end in spite of overwhelming defeat. Japanese atrocities are incomparable to the atomic bombings both in terms of scale as well as moral and practical justification.