Nuclear Necessities
Nuclear weapons have shaped the way that people live their lives. Since nuclear weapons were first used in Word War II there has been the looming threat the nuclear weapons will be used again. However, the threat of nuclear weapons is one of the only things that actually prevent them from actually being used. Many people say that nuclear weapons should cease to exist. But do countries really have the ability and trust to dismantle their nuclear arsenal? Many countries lack transparency, which is a major concern for countries like the U.S. In reality, possessing nuclear weapons may be the best way to ensure safety. Due to the effectiveness of deterrence and impracticality of disarmament, nuclear weapons have become a necessity to maintain global security.
Deterrence establishes a sense of fear that prevents the use of nuclear weapons. Deterrence basically states that if one country fires a nuclear weapon at another country, then the country that is being attacked will fire nuclear weapons back. The idea of deterrence makes countries hesitate to get into conflict, because they know that a nuclear war could result. Robert Spalding, a member on the council of Foreign Relations, says that, “nuclear weapons have probably saved lives.” Nuclea
r weapons have certainly prevented conventional wars and even nuclear wars, because of the fact that everyone is so scared of them. Because of deterrence there has also not been any major war between c
ountries with nuclear weapons, since they were first invented. Since countries have so much fear for nuclear weapons, countless lives have been spared from wars that could have happened without nuclear weapons existing. Almost a year after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped, a strategic analyst, by the name of Bernard Brodie, says that, "Thus far the chief purpose of our military establishment has been to win wars. From now on its chief purpose must be to avert them." What he is really pointing at is the deterrence of nuclear weapons, and how they should be used to prevent their own use. The only way to insure that nuclear weapons are not used is for countries to have nuclear weapons. As you can see, the effectiveness of deterrence makes nuclear weapons crucial to the preservation of global security.
The lack of communication between countries makes the complete disarmament of nuclear weapons unattainable. There is one thing that is needed for countries to get along with each other. That thing is trust. If one country does not trust the other, then why would they even consider deactivating their nuclear arsenal when they may be at risk. Dalai Lama, a world renowned buddhist monk says that, “ the lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” When people look at countries like Iran and North Korea they see a country that has secrets. Both Iran and North Korea have very little transparency when it come to their nuclear programs. This is what makes
countries like the U.S. very uneasy about these situations. According to atomic scientists, for the
complete disarmament of nuclear weapons, “they (countries) will have to find solutions for many political and legal problems that are highly sensitive for all nuclear-weapon states.” With all of the tension between countries now, not just involving nuclear weapons but many other things, it is highly unlikely that each and every country will be able to settle their differences with each other. All of these problems and obstacles to eliminating nuclear weapons makes it seem as if using nuclear weapons to prevent them from actually being used is clearly the way to go. It is evident that the implausibility of disarming nuclear weapons causes them to be essential to preserve global security.
Through the success of deterrence and absurdity of total disarmament, it is seemingly shown that nuclear weapons have become vital part in the safekeeping of the world. Nuclear weapons have certainly caused many conflicts over whether countries should obtain them or not. But to move one from here, countries must accept the fact that nuclear weapons are crucial to keeping peace throughout the entire world. Countries can also begin to workout their major conflicts with each other, and maybe be more open about their nuclear programs. Who knows, maybe one day we can put an end to the existence of nuclear weapons. But for now, they are critical to building a better and more secure world.
