Should The UK Retain Nuclear Weapons?

Question

Hi,

Just read a UK paper...

It states that the country is contemplating its nuclear future...

What do you good people on YAHOO THINK?

Cheers!!

Answer 1

Hey EBP, welcome to my fair country! Yeah lots of stuff about nuclear s*it at the moment, Tony Blair thinks it is our next big source of energy and there's a lot of arguing going on.

As for nuclear weapons I really don't know what's going on, but I don't really see why we need them- if we didn't have them, nobsoy would suddenly think, 'Hey! The UK have scrapped their nukes- let's bomb them!', because we still have friends overseas who would step in and push the button for us.

Nuclear weapons are a thing of the past. My opinion, for what it's worth, we all learned from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nobody will ever have the balls to push the button again as I think it really would mean the end of the world.

Answer 2

I think that the likes of you or I have no say in the matter,
unless you find a political party that is anti! then vote for them.
The idea of nuclear disarmament word wide is great, but never really likely is it?
So let us assume the UK go on their own and have no nuclear weapons, therefore no threat to any one else, will that make the UK safe from attack?? I think not!
I would like to see the answer to this, (except for the usual crap about the world should all disarm, that is just not going to happen).
Good question, my only (pathetic) answer is The UK should 'go with the flow'!!

Answer 3

Coming from an an American here so I have selfish reasons for them to retain all nuclear weapons. I don't wish to see anymore countries establish nuclear weapons programs. The global economy is interdependent on stability. Its a road we cannot turn around on, the course is set. My pipe-dream is to see the whole planet with a strong economy so that all can prosper as much as we in the USA have. I am considered the working poor here. I do see even though I'm not rich I live far better than most of the people in the world do.

Answer 4

There are some really superb arguments here, most of which I agree with.

I would like to express a couple of my own views, contrary though they may be.

Firstly, our nuclear deterrant is just that, a means of showing that we can if necessary respond to a serious threat situation.

The term is MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction, i.e you throw your rubbish at us, and we will respond in kind.

It is that promise of retaliation that keeps the majority of fingers ' off the button'

Secondly, certain countries seem to have this strange idea that their particular way in the world is right and has the blessing of their Gods to impose this on other lesser countries.

We have to protect ourselves against these possible threats as and when needed.

I will give you an instance -

Country 'a' intends to restart a nuclear programme in order to provide energy for its people, unfortunately country 'b' takes offense to this and immediately issues ultimatums to county 'a' to desist in this action or there will be repercussions.

Country 'a' exercises its right to participate in a current energy programme, and ignores 'b'.

'B' Already has a large nuclear arsenal and has already used it when an argument could not be settled by more civilised means.

I would like to ensure that my country ( neither 'a' or 'b') has some protection against those that will try and impose their wills on others.

Answer 5

As long as any other nation in the world has nuclear weapons then the UK has to retain them. The only other way out is unilateral disarmament and that's not gonna happen in our lifetime!

Tony Blair recently stated that Britain will be embracing nuclear power as the future energy source to replace fossil fuels. It makes sense for Nuclear power to move up the agenda for us in both spheres.

Answer 6

The UK is over the hill and long, long gone with regard to being a world power in anything and/or contemplating nuclear re-armament. It was time years ago for the UK Govt to divest itself of such grandiose past and concentrate upon and solve all its growing domestic problems that woefully embrace the country.
Hundreds of immigrants arrive daily ignoring our culture laws & murder - prositute our way of life as they roam free and wild across the realm without let or hinderence.Terrorist organizations etc reside here without fear of impediment and Islamic extermists march in unison carrying banners of hate depicting behead those who insult Islam & march without challenge. Laws enacted by parliment serving to protect such minorities. What price our future? The UK's only forward movement is its disappearance - as it sinks back into the abyss of the dark ages!

Answer 7

No. And by stepping away from the nuclear threat after having been a nuclear power would send a very positive signal to the rest of the world.

Answer 8

It would be a good idea for UK to disarm its nuclear weapons, they serve no useful purpose, and if deployed would invite escalation into an all-out nuclear war, which would amount to the end of civilization as we know it.

Answer 9

I think they shouldn't contemplate anything nuclear related. However, I'm sure they will do as they wish and this will continue to be a never ending controversy.

Answer 10

So hang on.... we're trying to prevent Iran from developing Nuclear weapons, yet on the other hand we're talking about renewing ours!!

Nonsense.
If thats not power tripping i don't know what is.

I've never seen the point of nuclear weapons anyway. Once ones fired and exploeded - everyones lost so who cares who initiated it