The Nuclear question

[yesdachi]

Honestly, that is one of the dumbest things I ever heard.

What did I write that is the dumbest thing you have ever heard? Do you think that an elected official doing the biding of the people negates the people’s responsibility of the official doings? Or that nukes are not best used as a deterrent? Or maybe you think we are a bunch of hug offering burocrates?

Seriously, if you are going to call what I have written dumb at least try and point out why. Besides, if you are convincing enough I may just change my mind.

[Joker85]

What people here are forgetting is the obvious. Future deterence. All the "moral sympathetics" here are ignoring that.

If tomomrow Iran passed a nuke to a terrorist group, or (obviously hypothetical as they won't have this capability for some time) launched a missile at an American city and once struck we did not respond with nukes, that sets a dangerous presedent for future attacks from ANYONE. Have people heard of MAD? You know, that whole idea that kept the US and Russia from going to war for 50 years. Mututally assured destruction.

If a country or leader knows he can nuke us and we won't nuke back because "we won't punish your civilians for your actions", then what deterrent is there for them and most importantly future whackos?

Sorry, but that's the way of the world. It's not an easy place to live. If it's a choice between it being nuclear open season on my countrymen (which again, it would be if anyone with nukes who wanted to knows they can nuke us and we won't nuke back because people would cry "but the civilians didn't do it!!!") or a retalition sorry but it's not up for debate with me.

The whole cold war was based on the premise of "you nuke our civilians we nuke yours" and oddly enough the fear of that prevented two nations with more combined desctructive power than all other nations of the world combined -who both hated each other bitterly- from even a conventional war.

Now, with that said I'm talking purely intentional acts. During the cold war there were numerous instances on both sides where accidental launch was narrowly averted. If a soviet sub had malfunctioned or sank in American waters and it's cargo gone off, that's different and it would be wrong to retaliate because it would serve no purpose and protect no future American lives. You can't "deter" against an accident.

But if any nation on earth, either covertly or overtly intentionally causes the detonation of a nuke against America, anything BUT a retaliation in kind would show weakness to an enemy that would no doubt view it as that, and lead to many more American lives lost.

"To pardon one offense encourages the commision of many".

[JimBob]

No. If a father came and killed your kid would you kill his kid?

Should Iran launch some form of nuclear attack on any nation I will fully support targeted attacks on the leaders who perpetrated the attacks. But I will not and cannot support attacks on people whose only crime is not revolting against their leaders.

Saying 'no' to nukes doesn't mean saying 'no' to blowing the **** out of those responsible.

[rory_20_uk]

And so if terrorists detonate a nuke in the USA, how would you know where it came from? Pakistan, N. Korea, stolen from Russia? Iran is hardly going to tell you, are they?

[Upxl]

What did I write that is the dumbest thing you have ever heard? Do you think that an elected official doing the biding of the people negates the people’s responsibility of the official doings? Or that nukes are not best used as a deterrent? Or maybe you think we are a bunch of hug offering burocrates?

Seriously, if you are going to call what I have written dumb at least try and point out why. Besides, if you are convincing enough I may just change my mind.

My apologies,
I know you are entitled to an explanation but sometimes I lack the energy in these kind of situations.
I know you wont change your mind on the subject because reading this I see that you and I have a completely different view on the issue.
Trying to bring black and white to a more grey is very time, energy and nerve consuming.
Sometimes not even worth the trouble.

But like I said, your entitled to an explanation.


Hypothetically, if they were to attack the US with a nuke I would consider the civilians just as guilty as the decision makers of their country.

I don’t think that you can blame civilians for the decisions that the leaders of state make.
Just because you voted for a man or party doesn’t mean you can control its feelings and actions.

In 1933, the Nazis managed to achieve 44% of the votes.
So by your definition this means that 44% of the German public sought war, slave camps and extermination of ethnic minorities.


f the US were to want to make a nuclear strike against another country our leaders would have to get the people to agree (or at least the people who represent the people). Therefore we (the citizens of the US)…

Yes, let me remind you you’re speaking of the US.
Besides, I’m not so sure about this yet.

[JimBob]

And so if terrorists detonate a nuke in the USA, how would you know where it came from? Pakistan, N. Korea, stolen from Russia? Iran is hardly going to tell you, are they?

How did we find out who perpetrated 9/11, or any other terrorist attack? Why the hell else do we have intelligence agencies, other than to collect intelligence?

[Papewaio]

Why the hell else do we have intelligence agencies, other than to collect intelligence?

Well based on past events in Vietnam the precursor to the CIA was used to destablise the local government to the point that it required outside intervention. (creating terrorists)

And Ronald Reagan was in charge of the White House while the Iran Contra affair happened. (creating terrorists)

Osama Bin Laden was working with the same gentlemen as the CIA was in Afghanistan, now depending on wordplay they were freedom fighters when they were fighting the SU and terrorists when fighting the US. (creating terrorists)

So at least 3 cases that have been exposed where USA intelligence agencies have spent money on people who later on turn out to be terrorists.

So why not the possibility of the CIA buying a dud nuke from the former SU and setting up Iran with another one of their patsy terrorist groups? Similar things have happened in the past why not in the future?