Do nuclear weapons make the world a safer or more dangerous place?

Answer 1

Its pure logic. Dangerous, BUT it helps countries to maintain a "power balance"

Answer 2

The countries who have them at the moment yes the world is a safer place with nuclear weapons.
But certain countries who are trying to obtain them at the moment like Iran, then we are in a different ball game, we would definitely all be in grave danger.
It is five years since India and then Pakistan conducted underground nuclear tests in 1998. They triggered howls of international protest.


India's Prithvi missiles - not just pointed at Pakistan, India says
Amid dire predictions that the world had moved one step closer to a nuclear holocaust, the United States and other western countries imposed sanctions and demanded the two countries disarm.

But the politicians in Delhi and Islamabad had another view.

They argued that nuclear deterrence had kept the peace between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and that it could do the same in South Asia.

Both countries had possessed nuclear weapons long before 1998.

India first tested a nuclear bomb in 1974.

Pakistan, by contrast, maintained a policy of deliberate nuclear ambiguity.

Nevertheless it had first built a workable nuclear device in 1982 and by the end of the 1980s it was widely accepted by the international community that Islamabad had become a de facto nuclear power.

'Significant constraint'

So has the nuclearisation of South Asia deterred war between India and Pakistan?

The last full-scale war between the two countries was in 1971.

The Indians have come to the conclusion that the military solution is just not there

Khursheed Kasuri
Pakistan foreign minister



While it is impossible to prove that the risk of a nuclear conflict has been the overriding factor preventing another all-out conflict, there is good reason to believe that it has been a significant constraint on policy makers in both countries.

Fearing attack, Islamabad mobilised large numbers of troops and there were genuine fears that war could begin.

According to Indian officials, at the height of the crisis a Pakistani minister threatened the use of nuclear weapons.

A few days later, when Rajiv Gandhi was considering launching a conventional strike, an adviser from his Ministry of Defence urged caution.

"India and Pakistan have already fought their last war'" he said, "and there is too much to lose in contemplating another one."

Answer 3

There should be no nuclear weapons, because if one missile were fired it causes a chain reaction and the other countries do the same thing, becuse they do not know where the missile will eventually hit. Radiation poison is something I would not want anybody to suffer with, it causes deformity to new born babies...hair fall-out and more. Japan had two dropped on its country to shorten the war...it caused such devastation that some of the people on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still suffering today.
Why should America be the most powerful country in the world, who are they to dictate terms to other countries. Did you know that if all the Nukes in the US over 2000 went off due to an accident, the world would almost split in two. One country should not have overall say, let them set the example.

Answer 4

Personally I think it makes the world more dangerous because of 'might for might' meaning I have a knife you get a knife, I get a gun, you get a gun, I get a bazooka, you get a bazooka... when does it stop? Now, do all our world powers just continually build bigger, better and more powerul weapons to destroy each other with? I hope not because (now here I just may have watched one too many futuristic movies) when do the weapons take on minds of their own? is it possible that they might/could mutate? Is it really more possible that we don't respect what we have built? Having powerful weapons by no means give us powerful knowelege and common sense.
Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where we didn't want to kill each other all the time. I know I am not alone in thinking that but it sometimes it feels it everyday when I open the newspapers and read about wars and personal tragedy's. Could we have 1 day of peace??

Answer 5

Both, because some countries are not confidence on their own security, so they try to develop the nuclear weapon in order to be the same as other countries. This is also to show to others that they also have nuclear weapon to protect themselves, if they are in a threat that they will use the nuclear power. Thats why we have the non-proliferation of nuclear arms, this is a treaty signed by most of the countries that they use the nuclear for non-army use.

Answer 6

Would having a Gun in your house make it a safer of more dangerous place ? As always it aint the weapon that's dangerous it is the person using it.

Answer 7

The imbalance of nuclear power makes the world a dangerous place.

Answer 8

Hey every coin has two sides!Nothing in this world is all right or wrong,it depends on your perspective.Coming to nuclear weapons,if used for the useful and beneficial purposes like electricity it serves a cause otherwise if it is used for destructive purposes then it's very purpose is lost and it reflects a sad picture of mankind.

Answer 9

Their actual existence obviously makes the world a more dangerous place.
Because of their existence it is safer for countries to have them as a deterrent.

Answer 10

defenatley dangerous...i read once in a textbook a small story in which there was an alien king or something...that had many planets in his alliance...and kept a register with all the planets...and one day...another alien came at him...and told him...that another planet has discovered nuclear power...that planet`s name was Earth...the alien king was enthuziastic ...opened the register...and when he wanted to write the planet`s name...asked the other alien on which of their moons did the earthlings test the nuclear power...and the alien replyed..that they didn`t test it on any moon...they tested it on theyr own planet...then the alien king`s face became sorrow....closed the register and said : "too bad...they had a good start" ... think about it

Answer 11

I believe it would make it better. This is because if we both are equal we would be friends if one of us is stronger than the one would take advantage of the other. Think Russia and USA even it was a cold war and they were like on the edge of destroying each other. They did not just because both of them knew what destruction would be done by either side.