I've taken my time thinking about this and...............
Firstly: One only has to look back to the days of the cold war, Russia, America and Britain new full well what would happen to their countries and what the lasting effects would be should the nuclear button be pressed......... and the fear of knowing that, I believe, only prevented a nuclear war.
Secondly: Today the word deterrent should be consigned to past tense, why? It would only need a radical country to develop or obtain by dubious means, a nuclear weapon........Any extremist country who has access to nuclear weapons or even biological warfare could pose a risk to world peace, they would not for one moment stop to think that if they were to launch an attack..... the consequences for them or their country would be catastrophic........Their beliefs may differ far greatly from those of ours and I would go as far as to say that, to the extremist or radicals, to face death against an enemy is an honour that would be bestowed upon them.
For me, life is short and fragile, we have to look to find ways to ease any threats from any country but again........... the word deterrent means nothing in this day and age!!!!
I used to be an optimist but with age I am now a grumpy old pessimist.
jonesey2k wrote:Isnt there only 2 lawfull uses of nuclear weapons? Something like planetary defence or to control something like a major virus outbreak?
Planetary defence against meteors I get, but I don't understand a nuke be used to would be used to control a virus outbreak.
I have been thinking of a response but that just about summarises my view as well.
Still in the days of deterrence (1983), I recall seeing a movie where the US ICBMs were launched from the centre of the US (Nebraska, Iowa). The residents of the base watched them launch knowing that the USSR ones were on their way.
That concept scared the sh*t out of me - probably why I had a premature midlife crisis. :madhead:
But nowadays who are the nukes pointed at? Just suppose that 9/11 had been a nuclear explosion. Who would Dubya have nuked in response?
And don't forget the fallout afterwards. Chernobyl was bad enough in countries downwind.
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