DisgruntledVirus
Lifer
- Dec 26, 2007
- 11,782
- 2
- 76
Originally posted by: Skoorb
DisgruntledVirusI'm laughing because he and apparently you miss the bigger picture. Tell me: how many nuclear weapons did NK have in 2001? How many does it have in 2008? Do you think the country is a better place to live in for its inhabitants? Do you think it's a more or less stabilizing force in the region?
Okay, I misunderstood what you were laughing at then.
I realize NK has nuclear weaponry, but as Fermi (IIRC) said once the nuclear genie has been released it cannot be put back in it's lamp. So it doesn't matter if they didn't have them in 2001, and do now. The point is they have them. NK was unstable as it was, and since they are new to the nuclear arena they are very unstable. Nuclear weapons have a way of making a country feel more powerful, and until they are able to learn that using them is a bad idea they will be a destabalizing force.
While I am all for limiting nuclear proliferation, I also don't think it is the best choice. It creates a divide between the countries with nuclear weapons, and those without. This results in animosity from those without, and when they get them they get nuclear happy. Eventually they realize that using them is a horrible idea*. It is no different than the divide between the rich and poor that is widening. The ones without feel jaded, and powerless. It is only a matter of time before every nation has nuclear weapons IMHO. The real question is how do we allow them into the nuclear arena? Do we help them become a nation that has nuclear programs and use them productively, or do we let them do it in secret allowing situations like NK to happen.
Nuclear weapons scare people. As they should, but it isn't until we start trying to divide humanity that issues arise*. I believe that given a few years for the "ZOMG WE HAZ NUKEZ" to die down, NK (and other nations like Iran) will realize that having them is useful for defense and retaliation but not to use them offensively. Any nation that uses nuclear weapons without international consent will face the wrath of the world.
Also NK/Iran having nuclear weaponry doesn't bother me much. They don't have the ability to attack us with them. That being said, nations they can attack should be worried and we should back any nation that gets attacked/threatened by a nuclear country. The US/Russia can destroy the world many times over with each of their arsenals. NK having 5 nuclear weapons doesn't bother me all that much. Yes they could give them to terrorists, but once again if they look long term this is a bad idea. The rest of the world would come crashing down on them in a way never before seen if it was ever linked to them (I mean actually linked, not GWB's Iraq linking....).
*excluding terrorists, rogue factions, crazy leaders, etc.