Is our government responsible enough to handle being in the nuclear club?

The following descriptions are from a book entitled: Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader ISBN: 1-879682-74-5. (An admittedly humorous book full of little tidbits of info for your porcelain throne time)



So now for some more incidents (including some of the ones listed above)

U. S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS ACCIDENTS
Missing Nukes: Treason of the Highest Order
U.S. Military Nuclear Weapon Parts Lost, But Not Missing

I wonder how many of these "lost" nuclear weapons and weapons parts will mysteriously be found in Iran or North Korea? Some of the most devastating weapons in the world are being routinely mishandled, lost, misplaced all without the general population knowing about it.

Even John Kerry had to wonder about the missing nuclear weapons parts. Kerry, Casey Demand Gates Explain Missing Nuclear Weapon Parts

Pentagon: Over 1000 Nuclear Weapon Parts Missing?

For 50 Years, Nuclear Bomb Lost in Watery Grave

This kind of thing should scare people more, the US Government can't keep track of nuclear bombs? They misplace sensitive nuclear components? They "accidentally" drop nuclear devices in populated areas? I don't know about you but this is not a good track record for the some of the most devastating devices known to man. I wonder if they are able to tell us about these missing nukes and missing parts, what aren't they telling us?

Is the government actually selling these components to other countries? Perhaps Iran, North Korea have gotten a hold of nuclear components from the United States military?

[edit on 7/11/2008 by whatukno]

Missing Nukes, mis-launched nukes, missing nuclear components. This kind of thing doesn't scare the lot of you?

To let you know a Mark 15 Thermonuclear bomb has a yield of 1.69 Mt (Castle Nectar), 3.8 Mt (Redwing Cherokee). So this in the thermonuclear bomb world is a small bomb, however, "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" were 21kt and 15-16kt respectively. So one of these bombs is more powerful than the bombs that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki*. This Mark 15 Thermonuclear bomb has not been found.

So again I ask the question, is the United States responsible enough to be in the nuclear club? Remember we still are the only nation to use a nuclear weapon in an act of war against another nation.

Edit:*Graphic images of the devastation, please be advised.

[edit on 7/11/2008 by whatukno]

I think that history, should it be fortunate enough to survive us, will demonstrate that no governmental body, state, country, nation has the proper mindset or socialogical awareness to have been in posession of a nuclear weapon. I believe that human technology has far surpassed our ability to understand it and the ramifications of same, along with the responsibilities to the world that come with manufacturing, storing, transporting, and using nuclear weapons. We are akin to infants with loaded guns, and just the parameters of most nuclear testing has, IMO, been apalling in regard to an awareness of global impact -- even CARING about global impact might've been thoughtful.

We, as human beings, have historically constantly sought a more powerful, more effective weapon and I believe that is our nature, and our downfall, for not having devoted more of our precious insight and energies toward living within the means of the planet. I think the planet will be fine. It will recover from whatever horrors we inflict upon it. Perhaps it already has before, but, alas, history died along with them. Will organized and evolved creatures excavate a tattered remenant of yellow plastic golden arches at some indeterminant point in the future, and ponder if it is an artifact of an earlier civilization? Will there be a half-burned plastic menu touting "two all-beef patties, special sauce, special cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun" and will they wonder what these curious symbols mean, perhaps assign some dogma to it, coming to the conclusion that we worshipped orange-haired clowns?

Personally, I don't think that's a huge stretch.



[edit on 11-7-2008 by argentus]

reply to post by argentus


I think your right, these weapons of mass destruction are too much for effective use. the devistation is not only horrific, but long lasting. If your not fortunate enough to be in the blast radius you may die several hours latter from radiation burns which is a horrid terrible way to die. Besides these weapons are not selective. They kill women and children just as fast as they kill the enemy.

In short nuclear weapons as a combat tool are far too powerful for any good use. Any use of them like the US's use of them during WWII should be considered a crime against humanity.

To answer the question if our government is responsible enough to handle nuclear weapons, the answer is no. The answer is no because of a multitude of factors. Given, most nuclear incidents (Broken Arrows/Bent Spears) happen when the bomb or bombs in question are involved in an accident while in transit. One good case of this is of the missing nuclear bomb from Barksdale Air Force Base. I mean, how can something like that just disappear? Some cases that come to my mind are of the bombs that were either destroyed in an accident or were never found.

I also noticed a few good cases that are not on this list that should be.
I found the following two cases while browsing through Global Security's Website

February 5, 1958/B-47/Savannah River, Georgia:

The B-47 was on a simulated combat mission that originated at Homestead AFB, Florida. While near Savannah, Georgia, the B-47 had a mid-air collision with a F-86 aircraft at 3:30 a.m. Following the collision, the B-47 made three attempts to land at Hunter AFB, Georgia, with a weapon aboard. Because of the condition of the aircraft, its airspeed could not be reduced enough to insure a safe landing. Therefore, the decision was made to jettison the weapon rather than expose Hunter AFB to the possibility of a high explosive detonation. A nuclear detonation was not possible since the nuclear capsule was not aboard the aircraft. The weapon was jettisoned into the water several miles from the mouth of the Savannah River (Georgia) in Wassaw Sound off Tybee Beach. The precise weapon impact point is unknown. The weapon was dropped from an altitude of approximately 7,200 feet at an aircraft speed of 180-190 knots. No detonation occurred. After jettison the B-47 landed safely. A three square mile area was searched using a ship with divers and underwater demolition team technicians using Galvanic drag and handheld sonar devices. The weapon was not found. The search was terminated April 16, 1958. The weapon was considered to be irretrievably lost.

October 15, 1959 /B-S2/KC-135/ Hardinsberg, Kentucky:

The B-52 departed Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi at 2:30 p.m. CST, October 15, 1959. This aircraft assumed the #2 position in a flight of two. The KC-135 departed Columbus Air Force Base at 5:33 p.m. CST as the #2 tanker aircraft in a flight of two scheduled to refuel the B-52s. Rendezvous for refueling was accomplished in the vicinity of Hardinsberg, Kentucky, at 32,000 feet. It was night, weather was clear, and there was no turbulence. Shortly after the B-52 began refueling from the KC-135, the two aircraft collided. The instructor pilot and pilot of the B-52 ejected, followed by the electronic warfare officer and the radar navigator. The co-pilot, navigator, instructor navigator, and tail gunner failed to leave the B-52. All four crewmembers in the KC-135 were fatally injured. The B-52's two unarmed nuclear weapons were recovered intact. One had been partially burned but this did not result in the dispersion of any nuclear material or other contamination.

Going back to the case in Savannah, Georgia. Since 1958, people who lived in Savannah at the time of this accident have lived in fear that one day the bomb might detonate. The reason why the United States government called off the search was because "The weapon was considered to be irretrievably lost."

January 21, 1968, Thule, Greenland

Four nuclear bombs were destroyed in a fire after the B-52 bomber carrying them crashed approximately seven miles southwest of the runway at Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. The B-52, from Plattsburgh Air Force Base in New York, crashed after a fire broke out in the navigator's compartment. The pilot was en route to Thule AFB to attempt an emergency landing. Upon impact with the ground, the plane burst into flames, igniting the high explosive outer coverings of at least one of the bombs. The explosive then detonated, scattering plutonium and other radioactive materials over an area about 300 yards on either side of the plane's path, much of it in "cigarette box-sized" pieces.




The bomber had been flying the Arctic Circle route as part of the Strategic Air Command's continuous airborne alert operation, code-name "Chrome Dome." One crew member was killed in the crash.




The government of Denmark, which owns Greenland and prohibits nuclear weapons on or over its territory, issued a strong protest following large demonstrations in that country. A few days after the crash, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the removal of nuclear weapons from airborne alert. The alerts themselves were later curtailed and then suspended altogether.