The Struggle for Nuclear Power

2791 Words6 Pages

Nuke’em The struggle for nuclear power has been a problem since the dawn of the nuclear age. Governments continue to use the threat of a nuclear attack as a deterrent. However, small terrorist groups may not feel threatened by a nuclear attack due to their mobility. Thus, the question remains; are nuclear weapons a necessary safety, or a danger. The solution is therefore to observe the pros and cons of nuclear capabilities, and to look at some precautions that can be taken to help protect people. The benefits of having nuclear weapons may not be quite as obvious as some of the downfalls of having such capabilities. The entire purpose of nuclear weapons is to act as a deterrent--the countries possess these weapons but hope to never have to use them. Even though the usefulness of a nuclear deterrent is usually only considered in the scenario of negotiations between countries with second-strike capabilities, multiple studies show that the possession of only a few nuclear weapons could help deter even a country with second-strike capabilities from doing something against the wishes of the smaller country. The general logic behind nuclear deterrence is that the guarantee of either mutual destruction or a high level of damage can help keep adversaries from trying to intimidate a country on important issues. Even though critics have challenged the logic, it is generally applicable (Sobek 150). This means that countries can make decisions without the looming threat of an attack from another country. Nuclear weapons act as a deterrent, because even the thought of having a single nuclear weapon used against them keeps an adversary from thinking about intimidating other countries. This benefit allows for a more just and uniform platf... ... middle of paper ... ...(2007): 563-578. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Neu, Donald. Interview. Nye, Joseph S. "From Bombs To Bytes: Can Our Nuclear History Inform Our Cyber Future?." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 69.5 (2013): 8-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Perrow, Charles. "Nuclear Denial: From Hiroshima To Fukushima." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 69.5 (2013): 56-67. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Robock, Alan, and Owen Brian Toon. "Self-Assured Destruction: The Climate Impacts Of Nuclear War." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 68.5 (2012): 66-74. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Sobek, David, Dennis M. Foster, and Samuel B. Robison. "Conventional Wisdom? The Effect Of Nuclear Proliferation On Armed Conflict, 1945-2001." International Studies Quarterly 56.1 (2012): 149-162. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.

Open Document