Why did we build so many nukes if we never use them?

Question

The USA has 12,070 nuclear warheads. It cost millions and millions of dollars to build them. It costs millions more simply to maintain them. But the last time we used any atomic weapons was over 60 years ago. This does not seem like an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. We have enemy nations that are ripe for a good nuking like North Korea, Iran and Venezuala. Why aren't we using them?

I arrived at the 12,070 figure from a respected jourlam called Time Magazine.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,988382,00.html

PLEASE NOTE that 12,070 warheads does not mean 12,070 missiles. Many missiles are designed to carry multiple warheads at once. This may explain your confusion.

Answer 1

Because its all about showing off your muscle to prevent other countries from attacking you. Honestly,lets say you co9nsider doing something to america. Those 12000+ warheads might change your mind.....

Answer 2

They're a deterrent. Hopefully, they will never be launched.

If Nuclear powers didn't have nukes, then it would be open season on us. Terrorists would create them, as they're not difficult to actually make (It's just the plutonium that's hard to get hold of), and then they would hit America or Britain etc with the nukes, knowing full well that there would be no nuclear retaliation.

The Cold War was this philosophy. The Americans developed nukes, followed shortly by the Soviets. The Americans got worried when the Soviets made more nukes than them, so they built more, because of this, the Soviets built more, etc etc. We can never Un-invent nuclear technology, so we'd have better have a few in reserve to stop an enemy using them on us.

If we decide to use them, then the not so friendly nuclear nations may use them on us. Besides, we can't use excessive force (they didn't nuke us, so we can't nuke them: Rules of Engagement, and the Geneva Convention) with a device that would cause extremely excessive collateral damage. Too many civillians would be killed, and the Infrastructure of the Country would have collapsed. It's simply overkill.

Answer 3

Two words for ya:

DETERRENT FORCE

The point of nukes is that they are so devastating that no one wants them used under any circumstances, and there aren't any "enemy nations ripe for nuking", regardless of whether we're on friendly terms with the political leadership of those nations or not. Even Iran doesn't fall into this category- there's a huge pro-western segment of the population (especially among university students) who want greater democracy. We've been trying to support the reformers and hoping they gain political clout. Start bombing a sovereign nation (even with conventional weapons) and any pro-American voices will be silenced.

Dropping the A-bomb on Japan during WWII was a terrible tragedy, but in the end it saved hundreds of thousands of Japanese and American lives because it ended the war, and prevented the land invasion of Japan which was otherwise inevitable. No situation we face today is even remotely close, so abandon any idea of wiping out millions of civilians.

Answer 4

Wow, do some research. Where did you get your numbers?? They are way high. Check out the START treaty if you want some accuracy. I performed the on-site inspections spelled out in the START treaty. Essentially, we escorted the Russians when they came to inspect our nukes, and we traveled to the four nuclear former Soviet republics and inspected their nukes.

In answer to your question, our nuclear buildup was a deterrent force in response to the Soviet buildup (see Cold War). US policy has always been (and hopefully will always be) no first strike. We will use nuclear weapons only in response to a nuclear assault.

Answer 5

First of all, your number is wrong, and way off, and I am wondering how you came up with it since that is classified information...
We aren't using them, because they are a deterrent force, and frankly, I pray we never have to use them. That would be a sad, horrible day for us all.
Considering if we shot one off, there are at *least* 8 other powers who could fire them too, then where would we be? Then, could you imagine the precious millions of tax dollars you'd be shelling out (if you were still around that is) to deal with the after effects of radiation and other problems?

Answer 6

real, the rustic is extra threatening than the different u . s . a . in the international it is why many worry the Nuke, so they build nukes to discourage nukes. only examine the history of u . s . a . conflict, only approximately each and every u . s . a . in the international has or had in one component to handle a bully.

Answer 7

u.s.a has so many nukes because it was somthing that was created called the manhatten project what they started to prevent war.and if used can have devastating results you may even destroy your own country.the u.s is simply just dumb buliding that many nukes.they are very useful for the future if we ever get attacked by a metiorite or an astroid,the idear would be to fire them at the object before it hits earth.

Answer 8

It is better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
It's a safeguard. It's a show. It's a threat. It's a promise.
Call it what you will, but the fact remains, It's nice to know that they're there for our protection/defense, even if we never use them.

Answer 9

We are not using them because they are so devistating and dirty. We could never justify their use against entire civiliian populations just to combat the leadership of a nation we dont approve of.

Answer 10

The idea behind building them was to never have to use them.
It was a nuclear arms "race" with the USSR.

Pray that no nukes are ever used.