If we had a magic wand to make them disappear, Id wave it.
And as more countries get it, 10 and counting, we're guaranteed to have an exchange at some point. The exchange will at best break the taboo on using nuclear weapons. Or it could lead to a global exchange.
And it only makes sense to get acquire them. Not getting them, or giving up a nuclear project, is dumb geopolitics.
But we dont have a magic wand. So should the US (or any large power) unilaterally give them up?
Of course not! Thats incredibly stupid because the other super power would trample on you.
Should the super powers agree to give them up? It was tried, it failed miserably. Besides, you cant get the top N nuclear powers to give them up because then the N+1 power now is the world's eminent super power.
Even if you got all ten to agree to give them up, nukes aren't that hard for a semi modern state to acquire. Pakistan and N. Korea have them! 1970s India acquired them. That an eleventh country (out of the 50-60 or so that could build one) will acquire them is basically guaranteed.
The list of countries that are turn key capable or renounced a probably successful program is very long.
So no. We're stuck with them. And we'll probably end the world because of them. On the bright side, global warming is a much smaller concern once you accept this.
And as more countries get it, 10 and counting, we're guaranteed to have an exchange at some point. The exchange will at best break the taboo on using nuclear weapons. Or it could lead to a global exchange.
And it only makes sense to get acquire them. Not getting them, or giving up a nuclear project, is dumb geopolitics.
But we dont have a magic wand. So should the US (or any large power) unilaterally give them up?
Of course not! Thats incredibly stupid because the other super power would trample on you.
Should the super powers agree to give them up? It was tried, it failed miserably. Besides, you cant get the top N nuclear powers to give them up because then the N+1 power now is the world's eminent super power.
Even if you got all ten to agree to give them up, nukes aren't that hard for a semi modern state to acquire. Pakistan and N. Korea have them! 1970s India acquired them. That an eleventh country (out of the 50-60 or so that could build one) will acquire them is basically guaranteed.
The list of countries that are turn key capable or renounced a probably successful program is very long.
So no. We're stuck with them. And we'll probably end the world because of them. On the bright side, global warming is a much smaller concern once you accept this.