The power of choice in nuclear weapons has been removed for the super powers of the world. There, at this moment, is now way that these larger countries can abandon their most powerful weapons. As long as another country has the ability to produce and use nuclear weapons or smaller countries have the same ability, then there is no way to do away with an equal attack method. Whether there are more pros or cons to these weapons does not change the necessity to have them.
Pros of Nuclear Warfare
One may question how there can be any “pros” to nuclear warfare. However, there has been one event that will point to just how effective the fear created by nuclear weapons. Atomic weapons ended the Second World War. It is that simple. There is no doubt that World War 2 could have lasted another and many more people would have lost their lives, as opposed to the vast loses in Japan. It is not pretty and many people regret that part of the war, but it worked.
Cons of Nuclear Warfare
The cons are also straight forward. Just three nuclear weapons can end life on this planet. The side effects that are caused by the use of these weapons have the potential to end all life that we know of. The weapons themselves spread enough debris into the air to block out the sun for years. That is in addition to the remaining radiation and the obvious initial attack. The human race and everything that lives, including the smallest organisms could cease to exist.
At the moment, these weapons are in the hands of what are considered to be the most responsible members of our race. Even these leaders are kept in check by the fact that many other leaders in the world have control over equal weapons. Even as you read this, smaller countries, with more volatile politics are developing the very same weapons. The larger powers attempt to curb this development, but it is happening.
While the pros and cons may point in one direction or another, there can be no real choices made until the entire set of countries that hold the ability to create these weapons find a common ground. As long as one major power has the ability to use a nuclear weapon, no other country can stand down from the same ability. This will take time and there will always be a smaller country that comes along starts making their own progress with nuclear weapons.
