Terrorism: The Flaw of Peace Through Superior Firepower

[JohnPaulus V Arcangel]

 

   After reading my blogs over again to see how much I’ve contributed to this ning website, I found a flaw in one the the things I blogged about. To understand this blog, this blog must be understood. 

 

   The Manhattan Project was the project that kicked off the nuclear age. Some of the finest minds of the 20^th century, including numerous Nobel Prize winners, worked on it.  Over two billion 1940’s dollars was spent on the entire project, and it culminated in the successful nuclear test at Alamogordo on July 16, 1945. A few weeks later, it was used in combat.  August 6, 1945 – Hiroshima. August 9, - Nagasaki.  On a stretch you could say the war ended because of those bombs.

   When I was in 7^th grade, a Japanese student transferred to my class. She showed me photos of Hiroshima after the bomb., and I couldn’t believe my eyes.  A city of over 300,000 people reduced to a giant scorch mark on the ground-by one atomic bomb. Entire houses, and buildings blown off their foundations, burned to ashes. Only things standing were steel-framed buildings, and blackened corpses on the side of the road. Survivors covered head to toe in severe burns. Within a few month’s 70,000 had died in Nagasaki, and double that for Hiroshima, just from the after effects of the bomb itself.  The bomb have at least one megaton warheads. The fireball from the blast would be about  one mile in diameter. Everything within the vicinity of ground zero will be vaporized by heat rays. The blast itself would travel at hundreds of miles per hour. The worse part would be the huge doses of radiation from the initial nuclear reaction, and the fallout. Otherwise known as the cloud of death.    I don’t think I have to explain any further just how devastating these bombs were.

   A while ago, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. Just over the side of the Caribbean.  I felt apathetic about the news that the people at the time would read.  It seemed clear to me that as long as people understood the concept of nuclear deterrence, there was nothing to fear. Unless they were fanning that fear on purpose.  But if it was then that plan backfired because it ushered an era of Détente between East and West.  Now I’ve already blogged about Nuclear Deterrence, but to remind you, the idea is when all sides are armed with the destructive power of nuclear weapons, they’ll avoid nuclear war in order to prevent mutual annihilation.

   It’s so simple in principle, but because it’s so simple, whether or not it works properly depends on the people involved. The world now faces flaws in nuclear deterrence theory.  Terrorism has been on the rise within the past several decades, from separatist movements, to far-left extremists. What would happen if nuclear weapons fell into terrorist hands? Without a state-or a territory of their own- the chances of having nukes used against them are slim. They have no reason to fear a nuclear strike. Conversely, they have no reason to hesitate to use nukes against their enemies.  Of course this is all hypothetical. Countries keep their nukes under tight watch, and there’s no immediate danger of terrorists getting their hands on them.  Unless they made their own.  They day may come when the proposition of nuclear terrorism, makes nuclear deterrence theory useless.

 

With that in mind, what do you think of the future now? Do you still think it will be peaceful, or does this confirm your belief that war is inevitable?

[Joaquin Zuniga]

War. War never changes...until you bring out a new technology that is capable of turning the tide of battles, of wars, or bring down empires to their knees. The addition of nuclear firepower changed warfare, the fact that one wrong move in the wrong direction could me massive destruction by your enemy. This is why there cannot be another World War, for it would mean the death of not only soldiers, but civilians and possibly governments and cultures. This is why we cannot have crazy countries with extremist leaders have nuclear firepower, such as Iran. Even more, terrorists.

[Michael McWilliams]

War is to me the last and absolute answer to a problem but that dose not mean just because I don't agree with something that having a fight over it is worth it. War is one of those strange things that happen and people want to help out when they think that what they are fighting for is right.

 

[JohnPaulus V Arcangel]

Devil's advocate, I can say that the use of nukes has prevented world war. Sure proxy wars here and there, but ultimately it has kept the powerful countries in check.

[Ben Luke]

War will always break out, just because there are some people that love to watch others suffer. Who knows when the next Hitler or Stalin will come along. However, I feel that nuclear weapons are a totally unfair advantage. I've been to Hiroshima and seen that in some places plants still can't grow because of the bombing. I think it's terrible that we can push a button and kill hundreds of thousands in an instant, and that nuclear weapons should not be used.

However, this means that every country has to agree to not have nukes, and no one will do that in the chance that there is a different country that has secret nukes.

[Alex Konrath]

I agree that war is inevitable, whether it be a war in the middle east or a war world wide. There will always be people that dislike America and want to bring it's people harm. We are no longer neutral or trying to keep our neutrality and we displayed that in the middle east. I think full blown war is near.