In class, Raj said that the US has defended our ability to possess nuclear weapons by reasoning that we are more rational in our use of these weapons. Who has decided that we are one of the most rational countries? Ourselves. Isn't this the same argument brought up in class about the bible validating itself? How is one country able to determine that they are the most rational? I do not understand why the US feels the need to control other countries' use of nuclear weapons because we are afraid these weapons will be used against other humans. Last time I checked, the United States was the only country to EVER use a nuclear weapon against another human being. Does that really make us rational? Doesn't that make us the biggest threat to the rest of the world because we are the only country who has already resorted to the use of nuclear weapons?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Nuclear Weapons
The United States has long tried to contain the use of nuclear weapons among other countries. When refering to other countries, these weapons are refered to as "Weapons of Mass Destruction." When we speak of our own country, we call them "Nuclear Weapons." Which one of these terms portrays a more negative image in our minds? Because of this, many people in our country feel strongly against other countries possessing nuclear weapons.
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Here, here. I like how you used Raj's bible story in comparison w/your topic. Very good point.
ReplyDeleteI believe that being the only nation in the history of the world to have used nuclear weapons in combat, we were justified in using them. We were facing our fourth year of World War II, and the Allies had just defeated the vicious Third Reich in Europe and contrary to Raj's conspiracy theory about how the United States wanted to test the strength of the two sizes of atomic weapons we possessed, I believe that President Truman ordered the use of the weapons to prevent a mass invasion of the Japanese mainland and thus avert the loss of an estimated one million American lives. The president knew the risks of an invasion and the creation of the atomic bomb as a tool for the defense of our nation has insured our strength for much of the 20th century and into the 21st century. We have had multiple chances to use those weapons once again in combat, but being the rational nation we are, we understood what a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union meant. It meant what they called M.A.D. in the 1960s. M.A.D. stood for Mutually Assured Destruction. Should a nuclear ballistic missile be fired toward the United States from the Soviet Union or visa versa then the other would launch their missiles and would ensure the destruction of the world many times over. So I am thankful that we had the leaders in Washington that were smart enough to not use nuclear weapons again. I am, however, not so optimistic about other nuclear powers such as neighbors India and Pakistan, China picking on Taiwan is a potential nuclear war between China and the United States, North Korea's nuclear program is a threat to the stability of the whole world as is Iran's. It helps me sleep at night knowing that we can be the "rational" nation and keep the rogue nations that possess nukes at bay.
ReplyDeleteWow. To think so simply as "we are smart so we have the right" is loony. I have heard that it would only take about 8-10 nuclear weapons to destroy most civilization as we know it. after all of that we still run the risk of all the unknowns, how long this planet Earth would be a dead planet from all the radiation that would be dropped into the atmosphere. Back to the point, 8-10 nuclear weapons would end life as we know it. We have produced over 70,000 nuclear weapons, we have over 2,000 megatons ready to be deployed at any given moment right now. After WWII the US did a study and calculated it would take 10 Megatons (400 Hiroshima-size bombs) to destroy the US. There are now tens of thousands of bombs of 10 Megatons. Why has it been so easy for us to create these thousand upon thousand of weapons when we know that we could do as France has done and power the country forever using our stockpile? Why is it so easy for us to harness the energy for weapons, but not for peace or for the needs of humanity? The only reason we have appointed ourselves the watcher is because of this thought that we must always stay on top. the whole thing is a misuse of power. And is sees that as the nation "on top" we should be more hospitable, giving, charitable, with the knowledge, technology and tools we possess. We might be on top right now, but what would have happened if the Russian, German, or Chinese countries had come up with the first or more powerful weapon would things be different now? How? just something to ponder.
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