Why do we have Nuclear Weapons?
Why do we have Nuclear Weapons?
Author
Discussion

plasticpusher

Original Poster:

132 posts

208 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
A weird dream last night got me thinking....

Can we not all just get rid of them?

There should be an international ban because, if ever actually used, the effects would be disastrous.

I know there is the self-defense argument but if nobody had any then there is no need to defend with them.

Clearly this would result in the last couple of bombs being dropped on Iran, North Korea... perhaps Russia (hopefully not) who will refuse but is that actually a bad thing to do?

Looking at the bigger picture here.



Eric Mc

123,953 posts

281 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
They're cool.

And people are reluctant to messs with you if you have them.

Good enough for me.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

220 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Would you trust the americans to actually get rid of them despite saying they have

I wouldn't

Fort Jefferson

8,237 posts

238 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
And people are reluctant to messs with you if you have them.
We've had them for years, and people still mess with us.

So who out there, would have messed with us, who didn't, because we had nuclear weapons?

daveenty

2,372 posts

226 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Would you trust the americansany country to actually get rid of them despite saying they have

I wouldn't
EFA

Ordinary_Chap

7,520 posts

259 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
I think the weapons are more relevant than ever with countries like Iran and North Korea in the process of moving their weapons programs along.

The threat of them is more important than anything else.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

300 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Few years down the line and we are all cosy with no nukes and a little upstart in North Korea starts spouting off about getting S Korea or he will nuke Japan. Oh dear, someone not playing by the rules. We could use harsh language?

DrTre

12,955 posts

248 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Bit of a moot point now that they are around, they're here to stay in one form or another.

Swilly

9,699 posts

290 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
I imagine nuclear weapons will be junked when we have found something... better !!

plasticpusher

Original Poster:

132 posts

208 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
jmorgan said:
Few years down the line and we are all cosy with no nukes and a little upstart in North Korea starts spouting off about getting S Korea or he will nuke Japan. Oh dear, someone not playing by the rules. We could use harsh language?
Thats why we Nuke them and take over the land.

We can do the same with Iran.

Then we will have a happier world, have nice places to live/go on holiday and not live in fear of nuclear attack.

patmahe

5,886 posts

220 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
The biggest problem I have with them is that it only takes one lunatic to decide to use them and before we'd know it we'd be in a nuclear world war.

Imagine if Mugabe had nuclear weapons!! I wasn't too pleased about George Bush having control of them either.

I know its a cliche, but why can't we disarm (at a nuclear level) and just share the planet without having to threaten each others existance constantly. Its a very sad reflection on mankind that we cannot.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

220 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
plasticpusher said:
jmorgan said:
Few years down the line and we are all cosy with no nukes and a little upstart in North Korea starts spouting off about getting S Korea or he will nuke Japan. Oh dear, someone not playing by the rules. We could use harsh language?
Thats why we Nuke them and take over the land.

We can do the same with Iran.

Then we will have a happier world, have nice places to live/go on holiday and not live in fear of nuclear attack.
I think Iran is quite far down the list of countrys that should be nuked

Eric Mc

123,953 posts

281 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Fort Jefferson said:
Eric Mc said:
And people are reluctant to messs with you if you have them.
We've had them for years, and people still mess with us.

So who out there, would have messed with us, who didn't, because we had nuclear weapons?
There's "messing" and there's SERIOUS messing.

I was thinking of the "serious" variety.

Hedders

24,460 posts

263 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
We have them for the same reason as we have all the other weapons.

Politicians.


jmorgan

36,010 posts

300 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
plasticpusher said:
jmorgan said:
Few years down the line and we are all cosy with no nukes and a little upstart in North Korea starts spouting off about getting S Korea or he will nuke Japan. Oh dear, someone not playing by the rules. We could use harsh language?
Thats why we Nuke them and take over the land.

We can do the same with Iran.

Then we will have a happier world, have nice places to live/go on holiday and not live in fear of nuclear attack.
Ah, attack the best form of defence? How do you know they cannot get one off in return? Doesn't have to be by rocket, ship it in.

Mst007

472 posts

238 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Simple, we wouldnt be able to nuke anyone from orbit if we didnt have them. How could we "be sure"?

theboyfold

11,175 posts

242 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
plasticpusher said:
Thats why we Nuke them and take over the land.

We can do the same with Iran.

Then we will have a happier world, have nice places to live/go on holiday and not live in fear of nuclear attack.
I'm not sure if places that have been nuked are that much of a holiday destination really. Hiroshima and Nagasaki didn't have a boom (excuse the pun) of package holiday deals after the bomb was dropped. Also the land that is left after an attack isn't that useful wink

The simple reason we have them is that it's the safest way to ensure that they will never be used by a semi-rational leader. The day one falls into the hands of a terrorist organisation is the day we should worry about having them.

madala

5,063 posts

214 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
plasticpusher said:
A weird dream last night got me thinking....

Can we not all just get rid of them?

There should be an international ban because, if ever actually used, the effects would be disastrous.

I know there is the self-defense argument but if nobody had any then there is no need to defend with them.

Clearly this would result in the last couple of bombs being dropped on Iran, North Korea... perhaps Russia (hopefully not) who will refuse but is that actually a bad thing to do?

Looking at the bigger picture here.
.simple answer is no....'cos ther will always be some other cumt that has them.....

LD1Racing

7,385 posts

234 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
Ok, lets look at 2 scenarios,

1. Iran or North Korea successfully develop a missile deliverable nuclear warhead but do not dare use if for fear of total annihilation by one of the nuclear club, instead they use it as a bargaining tool.

2. Iran or North Korea successfully develop a missile deliverable nuclear warhead which makes them the worlds only nuclear power and are free to use it in which ever way they see fit.

This is of course assuming we can convince every nuclear power to decommission all of their existing warheads (and not secretly develop new ones). The fact is that nuclear weapons have worked. They shortened WWII and prevented WWIII so one could argue they have made a valuable contribution to society.

Swilly

9,699 posts

290 months

Saturday 7th March 2009
quotequote all
plasticpusher said:
jmorgan said:
Few years down the line and we are all cosy with no nukes and a little upstart in North Korea starts spouting off about getting S Korea or he will nuke Japan. Oh dear, someone not playing by the rules. We could use harsh language?
Thats why we Nuke them and take over the land.

We can do the same with Iran.

Then we will have a happier world, have nice places to live/go on holiday and not live in fear of nuclear attack.
scratchchin Maybe this is why Iran and N Korea believe they have to develop Nukes