Indian Nuclear Program

[Geoffrey S]

Plus, rationality doesn't seem to afflict our friends in North Korea. If that regime was about to be overthrown, I could see them launching nuclear weapons just for the fun of it, to take a bunch of people with them.

Western Democracies tend not to fall into that mindset.

Much as I dislike countries such as North Korea, it makes no sense to accuse them of such a lack of rationality. If the people in charge were so irrational I'd find it hard to imagine them staying in power for so long. Were such a strike to happen, it would be coldly calculated murder, not irrational.

Stating that Western democracies don't fall in that mindset is absurd. Whereas North Korea is constantly facing the threat of a large military force, having it's leadership removed as a consequence, and essentially have their back to the wall, no western nation is in that situation (aside from perhaps Israel). Were say France in such a situation I could well imagine nukes being used as a threat, and perhaps also used.

Uh, so what?

Money can better be invested in building up a decent infrastructure to supply the needy with electricity.

That said, more reliable power to the cities of India is important if they want economic growth.

Which nation ahd a "first strike" nuclear policy during the Cold War?? Any guesses?

US, but that means nothing. Although the USSR stated they would never launch a first strike, who knows what their actual strategy was. All this says is how much more open the US were about their (nuclear) policies.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Geoff, old bean, you are correct. Developing a nuclear weapons program for your country is quite rational. Every country that has nuclear weapons is treated differently than those that do not -- and usually to their political power advantage.

Moreover, the "dictators and assorted fruitbats" -- thanks Mac -- aren't necessarily irrational when they behave as brutal thugs. Some degree of paranoia is rational when you are running a dictatorship -- Stalin's model works smoothly if you set aside the evil thing.