« Trump, Emails, Russia and Nonsense. Kenneth Ellman Replies.
WHEN the subject of Nuclear Weapons arises in public or private discourse, it is a reminder of how long in our post World War 2 debate this mythology of Nuclear War has continued. Since the question is again in the “News” due to recent statements by President Putin and President Trump I now Reply. I ask the reader to keep in mind during this discussion that radiation exposure from “safe” medical and dental procedures and diagnostic examinations, kills or injures a certain number of patients every year. There is no safe radiation exposure. As to survivability of Nuclear Catastrophe/War the most interesting examples are the Chernobyl Reactor disaster and the destruction done to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those three look you in the face and never forget them. Then think about a Nuclear War and know the truth. For a closer picture of reality think about a more realistic detonation of a Nuclear Device in your City and see the result. Keep this all in mind as we continue. Also keep a picture of your children and grandchildren wanting to live.
Certainly to the extent President Trump can protect the ability of our Nuclear Triad to remain effective as a deterrent, that must be done. Our rational potential enemies such as Russia and China must believe that if they attack us with Nuclear Weapons it is an act of suicide for them to do so, that is all. We do not have to convince them that we can destroy their nation two or three times over. We do not have to convince them that our Nuclear ability is greater than theirs. We only have to convince those rational nations who might attack us that after or during such attack they will be utterly and completely destroyed. Such Nuclear Force is relatively easy for the United States to maintain. Keep in mind that while life may survive on some parts of our planet after a full Nuclear War, it would not be life or a world we would recognize, Nor is there reason to believe that in the long run human beings could survive such an event. The evidence strongly indicates that a Nuclear War could end human biology due to destruction and radiation exposure and the lack of human ability to adapt and survive in a post Nuclear war environment. So in reality discussion of possible Nuclear War between China or Russia or the United States, other than madmen taking over their governments (which I do not believe could happen), is extremely remote. An accidental or unauthorized launch of a Nuclear Weapon is however a possibility which haunts all planning by the Big Three ( Russia, China and the United States).
NOW, let us talk about what is real and not fantasy.
What President Trump, President Putin, President Xi Jinping, Israel and the Western World NOW must prepare for if they are to avoid a Hiroshima or Nagasaki level type attack on their people is the concern. What is real is that as the years pass on the odds of a Nuclear Attack by a nation such as North Korea or Iran or their proxies or a Terrorist Organization continues to statistically increase and under certain conditions is almost a certainty. This is the danger to humanity that must be immediately and collectively addressed by those nations whose people want to live and not die in Nuclear fire. This is the only, I say only, very real threat. Our behavior up to this point in working together, as collective rational nations and peoples, to make sure this type of limited but catastrophic Nuclear Attack never occurs is a failure.
It is a failure for two reasons.
First, we have allowed nations such as North Korea to develop both Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Delivery Systems. This is something that I and many others simply do not understand. It verges on the incredible. Most important, nations such as North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, etc., have ability to make small concealed Nuclear Devices for use on a small scale Terrorist type attack. Pakistan is a nation that is continually having difficulty maintaining Government control over the nation. A stronger plan must be implemented by the Big Three with Pakistan, to protect the Nuclear Ability of Pakistan from being accessed by those who would kill us. Such small scale Nuclear Devices can be distributed to those who will use such to attack us by infiltration and detonation into the United States or Russia or China. We must accept the fact that the damage from a small scale Nuclear Device is so great that while our biology will continue our way of life may not. This applies not just to the United States but to Russia, China and Israel who have their own enemies who may very well use such small scale Nuclear Devices against them if they could. President Trump, President Putin and President Xi Jinping must decide they will not allow possession of Nuclear Ability by North Korea, Iran and others who threaten the existence of their nations and the peace of the World. A vigorous Military solution or other method must be implemented to terminate the Nuclear ability of North Korea and Iran in a permanent manner. Pakistan must be given all possible aid and assistance to protect its Nuclear ability from being accessed and used. If Iran can be taken over by madmen (as it was many years ago), Pakistan can be taken over by such, G-D forbid.
Second and perhaps most important, we must develop and implement Anti-Nuclear weapon technology as a primary effort of the nation. There must be an Anti Terrorist Nuclear Triad (for lack of a better expression) that includes vigorous Anti Missile Defense, reliable surreptitious Nuclear Weapon Detection and investigation of all theoretical and practical methods to neutralize a detected Nuclear Device .
I write the above because I am afraid of the very, very real danger and fact that there are those who hate us and would actually use a small scale Nuclear Device against us and the fact that currently we do not have sufficient defenses in place to totally prevent a Terrorist Nuclear Attack. The Big Three (Russia, United States and China), along with Israel and the Western Nations must put aside all disagreements and conflicts and unite to protect themselves. The alternative is simply not acceptable. We will never forgive ourselves if we fail. Never.