Why is it only ok for the United States to have nuclear weapons?

Question

I didn't say we were the only ones who had nuclear weapons, I asked why we were the only ones who it was OK to have them. Stop embarrassing yourself by answering questions you don't fully understand.

Answer 1

Its not okay. I have this debate with my parents all of the time. Sure the United States claims that we won't use ours so do many other countries. But when it comes down to it I don't think that the US would have any problems pushing the button. I think it is basically because the United States has an ego problem. We have to believe that we are the biggest baddest country out there and what we says goes. Its kinda of like the bully in the school yard. If you don't do what he wants you pay the price. The United States does the same thing with other countries. If the other countries don't do what we tell them to do we sanction them or cut off funding to them. So no it is not okay for the USA to be the only ones with nuclear power but until someone stands up to the US they will remain the bully of the school yard

Answer 2

Lot's of other countries have nuclear weapons. Personally, I don't think any nation should have them, but that's another issue.

However, to answer your question, perhaps the US feels it's okay, because we are the only nation that has used them in a time of war. Perhaps because we have that first hand knowledge of knowing how destructive they are we know that just because we have them we don't necessarily have to use them.

Other countries such as India and Pakistan have them too and have almost used them on each other. It would be tragic for them to learn the hard way that it was a mistake.

Moreover, the point of nuclear weapons, at least during the cold war years was to be used as a deterrent and help us achieve our foreign policy goals. I'm not saying it was a good idea, but that's the way it was.

Answer 3

Are you assuming Iraqis are terrorists? They are citizens fighting off invaders if you want to get technical. There would be absolutely no difference if the UN or Russia or China invaded the US for getting into everyone's business and staging a war against right wing conservatives. Just because we have a different philosophy on things does not make us right. Saddam needed to be killed and he is dead. His government needed to be overthrown and it was. Now we are occupying Iraq and it will be very costly but necessary to stabilize the area. Now for first strike nukes. If we are nuked then I would support a nuke attack if you could determine where the nuke came from or what country financed it. Same goes for chemical or biological weapons. If we were invaded by another country, such as mexico is doing right now in a very subtle way, I would support nukes being used. If russia or china invaded or attacked the US or its allies we would use nukes and I would support that. Basically anyone we could not overthrow in a short time with little loss of life I would support the use of nukes. However, think of the consequences. A single megaton has never been dropped and we have multimegaton warheads. This crap they taught us during the cold war is just that, crap. A small nuke would vaporize everything in a 10 mile radius. 10 miles past that everything would die immediately from the heat storm. 20 miles past that everything in that area would be dead in a matter of a couple of days from the radiation, 50 miles past that everything would die within 6 months from the radiation. past that the number of deaths drop from 100% gradually outward from the blast site depending on direction of the wind. That is just one nuke. One small nuke. Imagine, if you can the destruction.

Answer 4

Because the U.S. can maintain and manage their nuclear arsenal better than most any other nation on Earth.

That being said, NO ONE should have nuclear weapons. All nuclear weapons should be made illegal and nations having or developing them should be seriously censured by the international community and 'forced', if necessary, to relinquish those weapons. Unfortunately, as was the concern with Iraq, such weapons can be developed clandestinely with the help of sympathetic governments.

After all, it only takes one to ruin your whole day. Just one of these weapons could wipe out all of New York, Philidelphia, most of Los Angeles or Washington DC. Okay, so maybe Washington wouldn't be so bad, but you get the point.

Answer 5

The US developed Nuclear weapons, first.

You cannot put the genie back into the bottle.

Any responsible country who doesn't call for the destruction of other countries are fine having nuclear power. The gold jackets of the Nuke club aren't just American Decided.

Take a look at the UN security counsel. They are the ones who ultimatly decide who gets nuclear power in the world. America doesn't own that either. Russia and China are also two permenate memebers and they are stauncy against American intrest in the world.

Answer 6

It's gotta be said, some of the stupid responses on here make the fact they feel they're the most responsible country in the world even scarier...

The US takes for granted that it's supposed to be in charge, and that they're "the good guys". It's never that simple.

The US is the only country who have proven they will use them. So it's not just a deterrent- the US will happily strike first. That's scary.

Referring to Dragon Knights statement- I'd love to know what you think a nuclear weapon's "righteous purpose" is. As far as I know the only purpose they have is to give hundreds of innocent people slow, torturious deaths. About as far from righteous as I could ever imagine.

Answer 7

The least countries that have nuclear weapons, the safer we are from a nuclear holocaust. It would only take one idiot psycho to ignite a world wide nuclear war.

Answer 8

"Why is it only ok for the United States to have nuclear weapons?"

Only refers to just only United States according to your wording. Which you also give no other reference to other countries like France, India or Russia for example since they have them too. And we have them to protect ourselves. We even have nuclear submarines. As does Russia I am sure. It is called defense. And we are obviously a sane country to have them, unlike say, Iran. Who the dictator says wants to destroy the West (America) and destroy the Jews. This is why we don't allow everyone to have nuclear weapons. Some people just can't handle that much power.

Answer 9

the US isnt the only that has nukes...England has them, Russia has them, i believe France has them, and China has them too...there was actually a pact made in the 80's regarding countries that have nuclear weapons cant give the information to other countries to develop them b/c it just might end up in WW3 and end the world so yeah all of the top powers in the world signed off on this

Answer 10

Its the 'last resort' against a total military defeat. Rather than being captured they prefer to commit a global suicide by launching the bomb. Also they constantly use it as a big stick to threaten other countries with the phrase, 'the nuclear option is not off the table'.