In the world, there are currently over 140 nuclear-powered ships, each of which is powered by more than 180 miniaturized nuclear reactors. Although most of them are submarines, they can also range from icebreakers to aircraft carriers. While there have been many people to contribute to the research and development of nuclear propulsion, none of them have been more influential than Admiral Hyman George Rickover, known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” Accomplished in his naval career, he was a staunch defender of freedom from all who sought to undermine the sovereignty of the United States, or who would threaten our security. Though a controversial issue at the time, Admiral Rickover was passionate in his insistence for the development of …show more content…
Gradually the amount of radiation that was present reduced, and life was able to begin. The use of nuclear power, according to him, was counterproductive to what had taken nature billions of years to achieve, and that every time you produced radiation, that radiation would have very long-term effects, in some cases billions of years later. He further said that he believed that the downfall of humanity would be our own doing, which was why it was so terribly important that we get control of what he called “this horrible force” and terminate it before it has any irreversible and long-term effects. (Economics of Defense Policy, 1982). Admiral Rickover said, “I do not believe that nuclear power is worth it if it creates radiation” (Rickover). The only reason he condoned the use of nuclear power, was for the protection of the United States of America and had it been for any purpose other than that, he would not have stood for it, especially not as strongly as he did. Later, in a discussion with the President, who at that time was Jimmy Carter, he admitted that he would be willing to forgo all of his life’s …show more content…
A controversial figure, who while was a staunch defender of the development of the Nuclear Navy, also was aware of the possible and likely detrimental effects of it. He believed that the risk of radiation was enough to not use nuclear power, and he honestly would’ve undone his entire life’s work, and all the positive outcomes of nuclear power, just so that atomic weaponry could have been avoided. However he was dedicated to the protection of the United States of America, and he saw that as the only reason strong enough to condone the use of nuclear power. He put lots of time and effort into nuclear ships and was able to quickly develop ships by using certain uncommon methods such as making sure he knew everything that he was required to know, always looking for mistakes, and acting as if he were to stay in the same job forever. He put value into getting the job done, no matter the cost, and into making sure it was completely safe for everyone as well. It is thanks to him that we have the nuclear power that we do today. If he had not put so much work into it, we would not be as protected from threats with similar technology. He was aware that each country uses the best weapons that they have, and with a number of nuclear ships going up in the world, America needs to stay at all the
The Trident Submarine houses twenty-four nuclear warheads with each having a range of 4,600 miles over land. If a nuclear war were to break out between the Soviet Union and the United States, virtually every major city could be destroyed in a matter of hours. The origin of these major players in modern day warfare lies in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
In Prompt and Utter Destruction, J. Samuel Walker provides the reader with an elaborate analysis of President Truman’s decision behind using the atomic bomb in Japan. He provokes the reader to answer the question for himself about whether the use of the bomb was necessary to end the war quickly and without the loss of many American lives. Walker offers historical and political evidence for and against the use of the weapon, making the reader think critically about the issue. He puts the average American into the shoes of the Commander and Chief of the United States of America and forces us to think about the difficulty of Truman’s decision.
Most writers take sides, either for or against the atom bomb. Instead of taking sides, he challenges his readers to make their own opinions based on their personal meditations. One of the key questions we must ask ourselves is “Are actions intended to benefit the large majority, justified if it negatively impacts a minority?” The greatest atrocity our society could make is to make a mistake and not learn from it. It is important, as we progress as a society, to learn from our mistakes or suffer to watch as history repeats itself.
The U.S. Navy nurtured into a challenging power in the years previous to World War II, with battleship construction being revived in 1937, commencing with the USS North Carolina . It was able to add to its fleets throughout the early years of the war when the US was still not involved, growing production of vessels both large and small. In a conflict that had a number of amphibious landings, naval superiority was important in both Europe and the Pacific. The mutual resource...
Truman, Harry S. "Statement by the President of the United States." SIRS Decades. ProQuest, 25 Apr. 2005. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. . This source is a statement given by President Truman to the people of the United States. In the statement he discusses the use of atomic energy in order to ensure US safety in the war. This source is valid because it is a primary source from a trusted research database, SIRS Decades. The article's bias is evident because it is pro-US and does not show alternative viewpoints. I will use this document to show how the use of atomic energy brought the US into the forefront of global politics and made the US a superpower.
Imagine a society where everyone has a different opinion about dropping an atomic bomb to country that they are fighting with. What is an atomic bomb? An atomic bomb is a bomb which derives its destructive power from the rapid release of nuclear energy by fission of heavy atomic nuclei, causing damage through heat, blast, and radioactivity. The atomic bomb is a tremendously questionable topic. Nonetheless, these literary selections give comprehension on the decision about dropping the atomic bomb for military purposes. For example, the “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists” by Robert Oppenheimer, argues that we should have drop the atomic bomb, “A Petition to the President of the United States” by 70 scientists, asks President
In addition to the prevention of communism, President Truman’s decision was also influenced by the apprehensive environment during The Cold War. The Soviet Union was able to ruin the United States as the monopoly of nuclear bombs in 1949 when they successfully detonated their firs...
In today’s society, many countries and even citizens of the United States question the U.S. government’s decision to get involved in nuclear warfare. These people deemed it unnecessary and stated that the U.S. is a hypocrite that preaches peace, but causes destruction and death. Before and during World War II the U.S. was presented with a difficult decision on whether or not to develop and use the atomic bomb. The U.S. decided to develop the atomic bomb based on the fear they had for the safety of the nation. In August 1939 nuclear physicists sent manuscripts to Albert Einstein in fear the Germany might use the new knowledge of fission on the uranium nucleus as way to construct weapons.
...nce World War II to the present day, the technology of nuclear power has increased significantly in terms of energy output and safety. The energy efficiency of nuclear power is far superior to its counterpart fossil fuel and renewable energy. Compared to fossil fuels, tiny amounts of fuel used by nuclear reactors is equivalent to a large sum of coal. This is a no brainer. Why mine a ton of coal when a little uranium can be used to gain the same amount of energy? Not only is it efficient, it’s safe to use. Used fuel is packed away in storage safely, so there isn’t any chance of radiation leaking out. In the present day, nuclear power incidents haven’t been occurring lately. Advancements in technology and equipment used have made nuclear energy a very reliable and safe source of energy. With today’s energy needs, nuclear power has the ability to keep up in the race.
The Revisionists and the orthodox views are different opinions on President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb. The revisionists believed that Truman’s decision was wrong and there could have been alternatives. They say that the Bomb was unnecessary and it was only used as a “diplomatic tool” and to show the power of th...
Maddox, Robert. “The Biggest Decision: Why We Had to Drop the Atomic Bomb.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 280-288.
From the creation of nuclear weapons at the start of the Cold War to today, the world has experienced struggles fueled by the want of nuclear power. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s nuclear weapon program are some of the most important conflicts over nuclear weapons. Thanks to the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 to end World War II, the world has come extremely close to a nuclear war, and more countries have began developing nuclear power. Unmistakably, many conflicts since the start of the Cold War have been caused by nuclear weapons, and there are many more to come.
The application of nuclear power systems to the strategic defense was predicted on assumptions and increasingly were subject to question:
Thanks to the development of nuclear fission and the nuclear reactor, our society has seen many changes over the past 65 years. Nuclear energy has helped to take our country into the next era. From medical uses to powering submarines, nuclear energy has provided us with a much more advanced and efficient way of creating electricity and power.
Nuclear power, although relatively new, is one of the most productive major sources of energy. It has been readily embraced by France, Russia, the United States,and initially Japan, four of the world’s leading nations. Of course, as with every energy source, there are some drawbacks, the bulk of which have to do with safety concerns. For this reason, this particular source faces enormous opposition. Yet, the negatives are so heavily outweighed by the positives (i.e. high economic efficiency and low environmental impact), that they do not in any way draw from the fact that nuclear energy should definitely continue to be used, and more so.