Risk of nuclear warfare rising

Risk of nuclear warfare rising

news.yahoo.com

The world's top military powers are gradually dismantling their stockpiles of nuclear arms, but all are developing new missiles and warheads with smaller yields that could increase the risk of atomic warfare, a Swedish research institute said Monday.

In its annual report on military forces around the globe, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute also said the rising number of nations with nuclear weapons is raising the risk such arms could be used.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 11-6-2007 by fooffstarr]

[edit on 12-6-2007 by UM_Gazz]

I really think we are beginning to enter another Cold War, with the comments from both Bush and Putin of late.

I wasn't alive during the majority of the last Cold War, but from what i've been told from relatives, the fear of nuclear war was that real, that it could happen any day.

I couldn't dream of feeling threatened by nuclear war to that extent, but by the way things are going it may not be too long before world relations reaches another chaotic climax.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I couldn't agree more.

The more often I hear the term "tactical nuclear strike" the more chance I think it will happen and where Iran and (less so) North Korea are involved the chances of it being used are greatly increased.

Feel the chill blowing in. I sure do.

Watch that CIA budget start going balistic.

That is very worrying.

Even a small nuclear exchange of a dozen small nuclear devices could/can have a global
climatological affect.


I do have to wonder, perhaps a live test, that is on an uninhabited area, of a thermonuclear
fusion device with live feeds, both en site and from orbital feeds broadcast all over
the world would make people realize just how terrible and destructive nuclear weapons
truly are.

[edit on 6/12/2007 by iori_komei]

yea, for anyone wanting to see the effects of a nuclear detonation, Google the "Nuclear test footage" that was released by our military years ago and watch what happens on those clips, you'll have a new sense of awe for these weapons, on some of the ones I've seen you can actually see the atmosphere crack into pieces. at least that what it looks like. I've seen every piece of released footage out there. I wonder what classified footage that has not been released would look like? the older clips are enough to scare the "DooDy" out of you.

well if there is a nuclear war we dont have to worry about global warming...hehehe but in seriouness it would not be fun

sure, make them smaller and thus "safer"

that is until some yahoo just figures that more is better....again

I think you hit the nail on the head! We are facing a serious, and largely ignored threat here! People feared the Cold War with it's large arsenals of Strategic Nuclear warhead, because of the MAD concept. However, I believe the TACTICALnukes are the Greater threat to our world. People falsely believe tactical nukes are less of a danger then the large strategic ones, so they have less reservation about their use. It's his foolishly flawed logic that is a threat to everyone of us.

The Problem is the threat of Escalation! Once the unspoken taboo on using nukes in war is broken, things could rapidly spiral out of control into a full blown nuclear war. This is a classic example of Pandora's Box! Once it's open, you can't close it!

Tim

Good point Ghost01. I was an anti nuclear protester during the Regan era. Back then Mutual Assured destruction actually made nukes a weapon which you could not use. Vietnam proved that. USA had a huge nuclear arsenal but it was impotent against little men in black pyjamas with AK-47s.

During the Cold war the world fell into mainly two blocks, Soviet, or American.

China was relatively insignificant then. The beauty of those two blocks was that all the little tinpot dictators around the world had to huddle up to one superpower or the other.

Now there are lots of little rouge states with nuclear programs, ballistic missiles and nowadays nuclear warheads too. Some of these countries are quite determined to use them aswell. They are often led by irrational nationalistic leaders. the situation is thus far more dangerous.

That is why I am so worked up over Iran. In some sense, sooner or later a superpower will be forced to prove that their nuclear arsenal is good for more than just fancy paperweights. It will happen but I don't think it will cause all out nuclear war.

It may actually cross the rubicon and force mankind to legislate all nuclear warheads out of existence. I take a positive view that good things can come come out of bad.

[edit on 12-6-2007 by sy.gunson]

Ghost is right. I did live through the Cold War and the government's belief (on both sides) was that it might be possible to launch a preemptive nuclear strike and survive. The Cold War was, in effect, an attempt for each side to produce SO many weapons that the possibly of a preemptive strike became a non-starter. Each side came to know that even in the best scenario there would be enough weapons that would survive and be successfully launched to make 'winning' anything but. And so, MAD worked.

Today we are seeing a shift in thinking that is ominous and exceedingly dangerous. The concept of highly accurate targeting and 'tactical' nukes makes their use more palatable. The mere fact that the U.S. government has openly discussed using nukes to destroy Iran's nuke sites is very troubling. That kind of thinking is irresponsible in the extreme and will only foster similar positions in other countries. We are entering dangerous, dangerous times.

what we really have to worry about is countries like pakistan and india both have nukes and both hate each other. if they duke it out with nukes other countries will get involved and it would spiral out of control

The whole nuclear armageddon scenario.. it will NOT happen. Whilst we are getting near to the situation where it could potentially happen, there is more going on behind the scenes than we realise. We will not be allowd to destroy ourselves and, just as importantly, Earth.

Nuclear weapons have been disabled by "other" forces before, amoungst many other things

Whether you believe that or not, there is NO point in being afraid of a nuclear doomsday scenario. When you become fearful, you become putty in the hands of the elite, who will mould you all as they see fit. Fear is their only controlling factor, and they know that the public fear nuclear weapons above all else..

Don't play into their hands.

I agree with your attitude shrunkensimon, even though we probably disagree on who "they" are.

There are multiple globalist agendas being pursued on this planet. All of them use the threat of nuclear war as a tool for manipulation. But none of them want it because noone wants to dominate a glowing hunk of smoldering rock.

LOL...omfg you think aliens are going to come down to the rescue? Or is it angels...perhaps almighty himself? I don't mean to sound rude, but come on...did any of that intervene during the two previous world wars or any war before that? Not that I can tell. WW3 is inevitable...the tension is extremely elevated. There is a great conflict of egos that is blatantly obvious, especially between nations and their leaders. The U.S. and nations alike have tried to stop the growing forces of terrorist jihadists, determined to rule the world under Islam. Iran is now supplementing that notion in a very noticeable manner. An who knows...perhaps Russia is just seeking an opportunity to test its arsenal...by supplying it to the enemies of America. They would probably feel more secured being indirect like that, wouldn't they?

To me, the whole "new Cold War" argument is fallacious. The Cold War was a distinctly unique period of time that was cultivated by some very time-specific and unique characteristics, ones that we may never see again. One thing I have discovered in my study of military history is that the period of 1815 to 1991 was, with some exceptions, an anomaly.

Instead of a new Cold War, it is more accurate to say Bush and Putin are using Cold War rhetoric.

However, here's what I do see: Hot War. This next decade may be marked not by the day-to-day prospect of annihilation via nuclear war, but rather a day-to-day prospect of perpetual war. In one of my pieces, I say the U.S. and Russia will go at it in the middle of the next decade. Nuclear waepons may not be used, but boy, it'll be violent.

I would respectfully disagree with the majority of posters here; I think the evidence suggests that the possession of nuclear arms makes a state more careful and cautious in thier relationships with thier adversaries.

The larger concern in my mind is the rising tide of anarchy in the world, particularly Africa, but in southwest Asia as well, that threatens the existance of nation-states themselves, and thus any semblence of order.

I'll have to raise the "BS FLAG" on all of this.
So far nothing but talk. and Our current president won't be in office much longer.

They probably won't do it.

I really hope they do though, I hope that we go and do everything we feared; so that we can get it over with without it having to temp our thoughts and fingers. Get it over with and those who survive will just live in the "cleansing" period of life on earth. Tired of hearing all these "prophecies" and 2012 stuff.

These "aliens intervening" i'm beginning to think they are possibly a higher elite establishment of people who watches over the steps that each higher ups are taking and clean up the mess.
pretty much they are like the "navy seals" elite. never really seen or heard of much, but they are there and they are active. and if there were to have some sort of all out nuclear showdown they would be the "aliens" that step in and disarm all or most of these nuclear attacks.

idk..trying to explain..not sure if i did it right..but thats what i think is going on..

Originally posted by shrunkensimon
Whether you believe that or not, there is NO point in being afraid of a nuclear doomsday scenario.

The only way NOT to fear a nuclear doomsday scenario would be to believe something
like that, so yes, unless one believes something like what you do, they have reason to worry.

When you become fearful, you become putty in the hands of the elite, who will mould you all as they see fit. Fear is their only controlling factor, and they know that the public fear nuclear weapons above all else..

That wholly depends, while fear can lead to an 'elite' class forming and a nation losing its
democracy and freedom, fear can also lead to violent revolution.

We didn't make them just to rust...We will use them sooner or later bet on that... Iran's leader is looking for the Mahdi who is suppose to rise up after a global catastrophe... Christians are looking for the Antichrist who will start out well enough but end up destroying the world... Revelation in the bible written over 2000 years ago uses first century terminology to describe 20th century tech... One of the chapters even says that God destroyed them that destroyed the earth... Now how could a man conceive of man destroying the earth back then with there weaponry? Even an ancient Indian (India not red skins) manuscript describes what could only be a nuke attack... With mans lust for power and religious beliefs someone is going to self fulfill a prophecy about the Mahdi or Antichrist and get it all rolling...

what we really have to worry about is countries like pakistan and india both have nukes and both hate each other. if they duke it out with nukes other countries will get involved and it would spiral out of control

I doubt it Proteus33, however an islamic revolution in Pakistan might change things.

If anything the relationship between these countries has become more respectful and co-operative since both countries got the bomb.

SweetmonicIdo is correct about a coming Hot War.

I see Iran as the single biggest threat to world peace. I believe in peaceful co-existence, but as my dad fought in WW2 against a tyranny which enslaved half the world and built extermination camps, I also believe that where there is no other choice, you have to confront and destroy evil.