How Important is the Reduction and Control of Nuclear Weapons?

[John1234]

How important do you view the Reduction and Control of Nuclear Weapons?

In my opinion this topic is the most important issue that mankind ever has faced, and ever will face.
Our survival and continuation as a species is directly dependent upon how we address these Nuclear Weapons as we move into the future.

There are multiple directions that i intend to go with this topic.
First I want to cover "Close Calls".
I was unaware of both of these incidents until recently:

Nuclear Weapons - Global Issues

[In 1995] President Boris Yeltsin was informed that a nuclear missile was speeding towards the heart of Russia. Russian nuclear forces, already on a hair-trigger alert, were put on even higher alert, ready to launch at his command.

The fate of the planet hung in the balance as hundreds of millions of people were going about their daily lives.

Russian policy called for a “launch on warning.” “Use them or loose them.”

Yeltsin wisely waited. And within those fateful moments, the Russians were able to declare a false alarm. An unimaginable nuclear disaster had barely been avoided.

... “Instead of giving us the lights that said the test had begun, it said, ‘Launch OK’ and ‘Launch Sequence Go’ which means you're actually in the launch sequence,” Mosely said. In desparation, Winsett shut the missile down—pulled the plug. It was the only way to keep the thing from taking off, he said. The incident was confirmed by both men. Mosely said they couldn’t be absolutely certain the missile’s guidance system would have steered it to a target in the Soviet Union, which would have invited certain retaliation. But he said that “it probably would have gone north”. It was a close call that still gives Mosley the tremors. As he puts it, he and Winsett “saved the world” that day.

These are merely 2 close calls out of dozens.
Direct nuclear action is not even a consideration. (Things such as the Cuban Missile Crisis etc)
And there are also the close calls that we will simply never know about.
Not to mention the personal thoughts of world leaders and military generals that have pondered the idea of actually trying to "win" a nuclear war.
In the initial phases of the Nuclear Arms Race, both American and Russian Leaders often considered a first strike.
(The object being to win a nuclear war before the opposition had too many nuclear weapons)
We barely made it out of the initial stages when a first strike actually did have a military advantage.

It amazes me to look back at 1995 when i was 25 years old and really doing great with my life at the time.
Clinton had been President for a couple years.
It amazes me to think that the radio waves and TV channels almost went dead. Mushroom clouds were almost visible in all directions.
And as over 20,000 nuclear detonations almost blanketed the earth, I almost took my last breath as i watched in horror, the end of my species.

If the exact same scenario took place 20 years prior during a time when the Russians were completely convinced that an American first strike was imminent, the human race would be nothing but a memory that no one would be around to even remember.

---------
Now we are faced with an even larger threat.
Russia has over 10,000 nuclear warheads with a downgraded status.
Some are completely disarmed, some are simply not on high alert.
And over 5,000 nuclear warheads still on "high alert".

Try to imagine just how difficult it is for a country like Russia to secure 15,000 different nuclear warheads.
Try to imagine securing 15,000 of anything.
Its hard to even count them all and come up with the same number each time.
Imagine that you are responsible for counting 15,000 of anything.

The reason that the threat is even larger today, is because while the threat of a massive nuclear war is reduced, the threat of a nuclear detonation occurring has increased 100 fold.
Any such detonation guarantees a response.
One thing that politicians avoid like the plague is explaining what would happen if a Russian Nuke fell into the wrong hands.
They stop the discussion after covering the fact that a terrorist could acquire and use one of these nukes on America.
They do not make it clear as to whether or not this means we would respond against Russia.
But one thing is clear... Russia would not even be aware that it was their nuke. All they would know is that someone nuked America and we blamed Russia and nuked them.
And if we do this, Russia will let it all fly. We will let it all fly.
And it will be the end.

How we respond to this type of crisis is of the utmost importance.
And due to neglect by both Democratic and Republican Administrations over the last 20 years, we have been moving backwards.
Within Bush's administration we have started to move backwards at a very fast pace.

-We have broken several treaties.
-We are disregarding MAD and placing the Russians in a position where they must launch a first strike if they do not want to find themselves in a position without MAD.
-Rather than pursuing diplomacy that could reduce and control these Nuclear Weapons, our leaders have shut down diplomacy and even gone as far as to personally insult the Russian Leader without provocation or reason.

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Before spending the time on this thread that it would require, I wish to see if people are interested in this topic.
Eventually though, I would like to see this thread cover a wide variety of issues ranging from Presidential Candidates and how they will effect Nuclear Proliferation to discussing the long term future of 3rd world countries trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

We know all of the talking points about Iran and the immediate future.
What this thread is about are the long term results of multiple Nations that seek to acquire nuclear weapons.
And how American Politics in the present and immediate future will effect the long term overall picture.

 

[Gipper]

Greetings Professor Falken

Would You Like To Play A Game?

 

[bhkad]

People who have become so amped up by video game and Sci Fi movie violence may welcome a nuclear exchange as a way to prevent boredom and to satisfy their ever increasing thrill addiction thresholds.

But only when the reality hits them will they understand that life after Nuclear War ain't no God damned video game or cinema special effect.

No matter how limited the initial blast area is, there will be nasty consequences for us all.

 

[John1234]

Greetings Professor Falken

Would You Like To Play A Game?

So does this statement mean that you simply do not take this seriously at all?

Or did you post it merely because the discussion reminded you of this movie?

And if the answer is the latter, why does it remind you of this movie?

Movies of this type are entertaining. But it is good to keep in mind that they are fiction.
The "real" close calls that we've had are equally as severe as the outcome in these movies, but they are not fiction.

 

[John1234]

People who have become so amped up by video game and Sci Fi movie violence may welcome a nuclear exchange as a way to prevent boredom and to satisfy their ever increasing thrill addiction thresholds.

But only when the reality hits them will they understand that life after Nuclear War ain't no God damned video game or cinema special effect.

No matter how limited the initial blast area is, there will be nasty consequences for us all.

This reminds me of a completely separate point I've made in the past.
My fear is that due to living under the Nuclear Threat for so many decades combined with the science fiction, video games, and etc...
That we as a society have become numb to this reality.
That we as a society simply do not take it seriously anymore.

This is incredibly dangerous because generally our leadership reflects at least some element of what our society wants.
And if our people do not take this seriously, it is not logical to expect our Leaders to.

 

[John1234]

Could the person that voted for "Its not really that Important" give an explanation?

I'd really love to hear it.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

To wipe ourselves out in an act of nuclear warfare would be an unforgivably foolish way to end our civilization. Listen to what Carl Sagan had to say about the matter:

YouTube - Carl Sagan, "We are one planet"

 

[TOJ]

It doesn't really matter how important anyone thinks it is. That horse has already left the barn. The knowledge and materials to produce them is available to any group with enough time, money, and determination.

 

[obvious Child]

It's hard to say that it is the most important, but it's pretty high.

Terrorism at its root doesn't cause that much damage. But nuclear armed terrorism is by far the only real threat to most nations. Much of the damage caused by a conventional terrorist attack is the reaction to it. Conventional terrorists cannot destroy cities or kill millions without nukes. Thus, it is damn important that they not get nukes.

As for the state based weapons, how much do you trust Russian CIC?

With your life? With your childrens' lives?