The Effectiveness of Nuclear Weapons for Deterrence

810 Words2 Pages

'Nuclear weapons protect our country. The very fact we have them means no-one will ever use them' In this account, I am going to discuss the diverse arguments which concern the issue of nuclear weapons, and whether or not their ownership actually voids use. Exploring both contrasting arguments, I will discuss both sides to the subject; arguments which support this statement contrast a great deal to those who rebut it, yet both sides have their valid reasons to their case; those who favour the statement believe that the weapons are somewhat of a taboo, however, those who support the opposing view look at the matter a lot more practically, after all nuclear weapons are extremely destructive. Supporting arguments have a legitimate cause to believe that their theory is right; there is a profound degree of responsibility which goes in hand with owning a weapon of this calibre, which taking into account the potential destruction they can cause extinguishes any possibility of usage. In support of this is a substantial measure of evidence, the cold war, for example. This was a 'war' which spanned across forty years, and staged the greatest collective development of nuclear weapons to date. Following the second world war, tensions between the United States and the U.S.S.R erupted after different interests led to mutual suspicion and hostility, in an escalating rivalry rooted in suspicion, rooted in ideology. The dangers inherent in the precarious US- Soviet relationship gave rise to 'the arms race'. The development and deployment of weapons and technology, most significantly nuclear weapons and other mass destruction saw the US and Russia to compete in acquiring a greater nuclear arsenal. Considering the mass hostility that was escalating between the two nations, direct military conflict did not occur, mainly because of mutual fear. It is clear to perceive now how one can be party to supporting this statement: a nuclear war is far too absurd to be considered in modern warfare. However the statement also says that 'nuclear weapons protect our country'.

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