Are America right to demand North Korea stop nuclear weapon testing?

Question

I don't agree with any form of nuclear testing and think the world would be a much better place without it, however, I don't feel that it is up to America to demand that North Korea stop their testing. I'm sure they have their own nuclear testing programmes so why is it OK for them and not anyone else? Does anyone else feel that it is becoming, as the film title suggests, Team America: World Police! Their government seems to be slowly trying to take over the world! (I don't in any way mean to cause offense to Americans - they are not all bad!)

Answer 1

You are quite right when you say that not all Americans are bad. In fact very few are; the majority which we view as bad are in fact simply misguided. This happens to many humans many times. The Germans were generally misguided, the North Koreans are misguided, the list goes on. As to your query ref Nuclear testing. It is a moral pit which is far too complicated for someone like me to answer. I hate nuclear weapons. I hate the idea of more nations developing nuclear weapons. However, until the nations who already have the technology honestly destroy their stockpiles I am not clear what right they have to demand other nations do not develop it. Always of course bearing in mind that the only nation ever to use nuclear force in anger is America, I am utterly sure at any sign of threat they would do it again. Finlay, and my apologies for the ramble but yours is a very important question, I equally do not want North Korea, or Iran or any other fundamentalist state (I include USA as a fundamentalist state) to develop nuclear weapons. If you do come across a viable solution, please do let me know.

Answer 2

I don't think it's a matter of right or wrong, It just makes sense for them to request this. Look at it this way, North Korea are testing nukes, and America have an agreement with South Korea. North Korea has a standing army of 2 Million.
North Korea is a dictatorship.
Add in the factor of that we are all ment to be disarming, so North Korea getting a nuclear arsenal is just possibly the most suspicious thing this side of Skeletor.

Nuclear weapons are the single most useless things ever created. Russia has nuclear bombs so powerful that four of them spread out could wipe out the UK, so what deterent is that? About five minutes after an ICBM is launched there will be a few phone calls going on, then some more of the same going in the other direction. They may aswell fire missiles at themselves to save time. Pointless.

On the perspective of America being the worlds police force, well, the only question you need to ask is do you trust the American government to do the right thing(When I say trust, I mean like the the actual government, the few people who make the decisions, not the one depicted in cartoons and 24 and by that guy you know that shouts a lot when he's drunk) Because if you do, then they are doing the right thing by you, and if not they are going to do it anyway.

"So who will put the bell round the cats neck?"

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Answer 3

I agree with you - the US are from the ethnic point of view NOT in the position to tell NKorea to stop anything. Same with Iran - and Irak, where everyone can see what comes out.
Imho it's the wrong way to tell other countries/cultures - NKorea and Iran are both very different to the so called "Western Culture" - what to do and what to leave. Sometimes I wonder if the politicians know at least something about the people, the life, the background in these contries.
The vision of the world police is been created, because the Communism is dead. Every big martial nation needs an enemy to keep the own people alerted and with that influencable. Now we have terrorism instead. This is perhaps the best cultivated enemy in human history. Listening to Bush it seems to me, he fears, terrorists could stop. What after ? The US citizens would aware that the country is down on the ground.
NO, America is NOT right.

PS: Some of my best friends are American, we also have politicians that should be rather shot to the moon, but in a small country they can't harm the world that much.

Answer 4

America should lead by example, if we want to effectively end North Korea's nuclear program we must first end our own. The United States feels the only way we can keep being a super power is to control technology. But we shouldn't use the technology as a threat mechanism. If we are to make the world peaceful we must have a balance of world power, not have one super power that controls the actions of every country around them. And this shouldn't be offensive to any Americans out there. This question was in regard to making the world a better place and if that means to question the actions of your own government then so be it. The world is more important.

Answer 5

It is really mind boggling that some nations are allowed to own nuclear weapons while others aren't.It is better for all nations to be equal.If North Korea destroys its weapons and a war is declared with a nation which has,what would stop the other nation using them if the war is turning against them.Let us have a fair world.

Answer 6

UN should be doing the demands - however the UN are so out of touch with the world, so non-committal, and no longer good for anything. Probably should be called Useless Nuisance.
This is why somebody else needs to step up and take the stand. It shouldn't have to be USA all the time. Maybe the UN should be disbanded and a new world order started.

Answer 7

I do not think it is fair.

If a country like North Korea or Iran do not want to be the next conquest, they know what they have to do, make nukes.

Just because we (the western world) think our ways are the best and should apply the world over, does not make these priniples right.

As it stands the only country to ever use nukes in anger is the USA.

Answer 8

Please take the time to study all sides of the spectrum before you ask politically based questions and make statements based upon conjecture. For one thing, North Korea is communist country that's being led by an insane mass murderer, with that fact alone you should be wise enough to realize that such an insane subhuman would use nuclear weapons at the drop of a hat, so if that's okay with you then it must be okay to attack and murder millions of people for the sake of socialism, I think not.

Answer 9

The Americans like to police the world and put pressure on the UN (cos it is in their country) to follow their lead...

They feel that only they have the right to have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world twice over... And have the King of Village Idiots holding the button!!!

Answer 10

Bloody typical of the Americans. DO WHAT WE TELL YOU BUT NOT WHAT WE DO.!!!!!!!
I do not remember any other country using its nuclear arms in anger except the USA (Japan 2nd. war)
Sure the world would be a better place if noone had nuclear weapons,but we cannot undo what has been done. Nuclear arms are here to stay.
The USA is just a big bully. They still think that the whole world is still playing cowboys(USA) and the red indians.(The rest of the world)