Complete and total nuclear annihilation. Just imagine it — a vast gray wasteland as far as the eye can see. Crumbling and charred remains of what was once a major world power is all that is left, remnants of a time before nuclear war. Not a pretty picture is it?
It’s truly remarkable to see how far technology has come. We live in the Digital Age, the age of computers, and to see the way every aspect of daily life has changed since the time of our forefathers is unbelievable. Our Founding Fathers probably never dreamed of the joys and miracles that computers and related technology have brought about, nor the horrors.
We’ve come a long way from the time of muskets and cannons. No longer do soldiers wait to fire until they “see the whites of their eyes.” Instead, we can wipe entire nations off the map from halfway across the world. It’s undeniable the true marvel and terror that modern warfare has become. If war is so horrendous, so unfathomably awful, then why does it even exist? To me, the answer is simple. It exists because of human nature.
Now, I wouldn’t go as far as Thomas Hobbes and say all humans are innately evil. Instead, I believe only some people, not all, are born evil. Unfortunately, sometimes these very same people come into positions of power. Maybe it’s not that they’re evil, per se, but that their own goals and values don’t coincide with mine. The forces that drive them allow them to take the lives of those that stand in their way, allow them to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals, always believe that the end justifies the means. It is this drive, this ambition, and this willingness to do all that it takes that allows these people, the very people that should never hold a position of power or influence, to command entire countries. In today’s world, sometimes these counties have weapons, nuclear weapons.
The United States was the first country to develop nuclear weapons, and remains the only country to use them in war. During the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union stockpiled nuclear weapons in an arms race. Eventually, former President Ronald Reagan led the U.S. to a victory (if you can call “winning” a cold war a victory), and the Soviet Union collapsed. Today, North Korea seems to be the biggest threat against us, as far as nuclear war is concerned. North Korea recently launched a missile that has brought the entire world to arms.
According to the Associated Press, “The U.S. and its allies sought punishment Sunday for North Korea’s defiant launch of a rocket that apparently fizzled into the Pacific, holding an emergency U.N. meeting in response to the ‘provocative act’ that some believe was a long-range missile test.”
This launch is a testament to how far the missile program in North Korea has come. I’m scared. Are you?
In response to this launch, President Barack Obama gave a thrilling speech in Prague to thousands of screaming Czechs. By screaming, I mean more like preteen girls to the Jonas Brothers rather than Ivy League students to Ann Coulter. In this speech, Obama made a number of key points, the foremost being he wants to see the U.S. lead a global arms-control campaign. In other words, he would like to see the world’s nuclear weapons arsenal shrink. Fortunately, he isn’t so blind as to throw away our only means of self-defense as a sort of good faith effort to the North Koreans. And for that, I am very grateful. It appears a missile defense system that will be based in the Czech Republic may still be in the works.
Under the Bush administration, there was talk of basing missile-interceptors on Czech territory to guard against the threat from Iran and other nations. When asked about the condition of this strategy, the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek replied, “President Obama spoke very clearly; he said the missile-defense project is not finished.” This program reminds me of a similar concept from the Cold War, known as Star Wars, a popular name for the Strategic Defense Initiative. At the time, there was talk that the U.S. possessed an intricate system of satellites that could shoot down incoming missiles. It was an interesting concept at the time, but it did the job of instilling fear and doubt in the heart of our enemies. In one meeting between Gorbachev and Reagan, the leader of the Soviet Union even requested that America dismantle the Star Wars program.
In the end, it is probably Mutually Assured Destruction, and not missile defense systems reminiscent of a Star Trek episode that will ensure the survival of all nations possessing nuclear warheads. MAD is the concept that if any one nation fires a nuclear missile on another, the retaliation will be more than enough to destroy the aggressor as well. Dr. Strangelove did a fantastic job of satirizing the idea of nuclear war and MAD.
I guess it’s not really up to us, the average American citizens, to worry and wonder about nuclear war. The safety and wellbeing of our nation is in the hands of our leader. As the Roman general Vegetius said, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” Amen to that. I just hope that he doesn’t get too caught up in the idea of peace, that he removes our defenses and makes us a target for that crazy Kim Jong-il.
Ryan Rougeau is a junior majoring in computer engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].