tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959510284276401188.post3797536481335835695..comments2014-01-08T02:26:41.941-05:00Comments on A Somnambulist is Reading on the Group W Bench: 50. Our Endangered Values: America's Moral CrisisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959510284276401188.post-46332788421477842512010-06-04T10:54:11.835-04:002010-06-04T10:54:11.835-04:00Yeah, I struggle with the scenarios for use of nuc...Yeah, I struggle with the scenarios for use of nuclear weapons myself.<br /><br />I think about scenarios and try to put myself into a position where I would be the one making the decision to launch. I just can't reach the point where I can say that any rational person would do it. Would an irrational person? Sure, but they probably won't be the ones with the power to execute the command.<br /><br />As for the correlation to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs I think there are a few differences.<br />One... we didn't really know all that much about what these weapons would do.<br /><br />Two... we designed them specifically to drop on the Japanese cities. We did not want a land battle on main-land Japan where we would suffer heavy losses. That scenario would be vastly different with todays technology.<br /><br />Three... we have weapons that are multiple times more powerful and have a darned good understanding of what a detonation would mean.<br /><br />Four... there would be unanimous condemnation from the world.<br /><br />Five... it would be political suicide here at home once the trailer trash red-necks and the anti-everyone but America crowd stopped cheering and passed out on a Budweiser drunk, again.<br /><br />Six...one detonation would render a huge part of the earth unusable and uninhabitable. That alone is not in the interests of our National Security. Every place where we could have a potential conflict has some resource we need in the area. Every place has historical and cultural value that would be gone forever. <br /><br />(If we nuke Iran then Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Khazakstan, all the other stans, China, etc etc...all get fallout that will cause problems on a global scale. Agriculturally alone would be a huge catastrophe globally)<br /><br />Seven...Launching these weapons could be the trigger that causes fanatical religious zealots to claim the apocalypse is upon us and cause riots and anarchy in the streets of American cities. That would suck.<br /><br />Eight...Diplomacy could never be used again. Nobody would believe us or trust us. All other nations would think we are blowing smoke in their butts and do whatever we want anyway. Oh, wait...I forgot...we ARE doing that. Disregard Eight. :-)<br /><br />Anyway, I still think that there are scenarios where the use would be discussed and contemplated, but that the actual decision to launch would never be made.<br /><br />Also...if we don't have them then we can't use them. That would be nice. :-)Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02135133920953164911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5959510284276401188.post-74187256461398098322010-06-04T06:07:49.404-04:002010-06-04T06:07:49.404-04:00Great review. Although I disagree with your point...Great review. Although I disagree with your point that we would never use nuclear weapons. Only 65 years ago we dropped two atomic bombs on two Japanese cities. Few ever imagined our leaders would do that. We are still capable of extraordinary horrors.Crumbolstnoreply@blogger.com