Nuclear explosion effects....

[Capri306]

Originally posted by silver_pilate
However, I do earnestly fear that some little Hitler or Ben Laden will unleash limited, politically significant attacks with the belief that they are doing good in killing millions.

--nathan

I agree. That's exactly why we shouldn't wait another second to smoke Saddam right up the pooper while we have the chance. I'm going to be saying "I told you so!" to so many people, if/when he decides to strike us -- or our interests -- either personally or through bin Laden.I say screw 'em, where's the dang red button?!?!?!

On the contrary to what you've said, Nathan, I do honestly believe that Einstein, and the scientists at the Manhattan Project, had an very clear picture of what would happen with nuclear proliferation. I guess the old addage "desperate times call for desperate measures" is well used when trying to explain why they came about in the first place. Can you imagine a war so intense as WWII lasting as long in modern times? Imagine that scale of a war, today, lasting from September 2001 until about May of 2005! (That's the duration we were envolved in WWII, much less than the entire duration which started September 1939 in Poland.) It would be unheard of, nor tolerated by modern warfare or leadership. If the scale were that great, the ICBMs would be flying overhead within a matter of weeks, not months or years. We simply wanted an end to the war, quickly and with the least number of Americans losing their lives.

In hindsight, who knows if it was the "right" decision? I mean, thanks to nuclear proliferation, we're all on more of an "equal footing" now (at least in the civilized world), your victory or defeat no longer decided by your strength or numbers, but by your arsenal and technology. Good thing, too. Can you imagine if China decided to invade somewhere?!?! With 20% of the Earth's population within Her borders, you'd better believe it would be a helluvan assault!

I agree also that no one wants to make a first strike, and to do so would mean your own annihilation. Alas, we must keep an ample and ready stock of nuclear ICBMs to guard our own butts. How quickly would Iraq, Iran, the Saudis, or any other country that thinks America is the incarnation of the Devil, try to destroy us if the US and Russia all of a sudden decided to completely dismantle ALL nuclear weapons? We would all be dead before the ink dried on the treaty.