Mini-nukes on US agenda

[Proteus_MST]

And giving the Military things to play with, Elijah, which makes the people at Pentagon happy.

I always have the feeling, that the US Military likes to get new toys and if the political Situation is the right one, they won´t complain about geting more toys to ülay with

[Whaleboy]

Theyre nothing more than boys with toys like you and me eh Proteus?

To be honest, can you really blame them... mmm red button...

[Nubclear]

Yeah, we should collapse our treaties so that EVERYONE can have nukes What a GREAT idea. Bush has done it again!

I'm sure nuclear powers such as North Korea and soon-to-be-nuclear-powers such as Iran are rejoicing at this decision

[sickntired]

But is there such a thing as a real deterrant to a terrorist? I don't think so. You can't say anything hasn't worked, because nothing can.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by elijah
Theyre nothing more than boys with toys like you and me eh Proteus?

To be honest, can you really blame them... mmm red button...

Of course they aren´t to blame.
These things make a great lightshow.
I also like to have one for Silvester

[Whaleboy]

sickntired: Agreed, I doubt anything will work, except changing the conditions that force people into that desperate situation. Remember its as much a social phenomenon as political.

I'd rather the USA, and the major powers have nukes, to maintain a state of equilibrium, even if that is MAD. Of course, no-one having any nukes is preferable to either!

[Agathon]

Originally posted by elijah
sickntired: Agreed, I doubt anything will work, except changing the conditions that force people into that desperate situation. Remember its as much a social phenomenon as political.

I'd rather the USA, and the major powers have nukes, to maintain a state of equilibrium, even if that is MAD. Of course, no-one having any nukes is preferable to either!

At least MAD makes some sense because no one with any modicum of sense will initiate it.

It's this mini nuclear war that is worrying.

[Whaleboy]

It's this mini nuclear war that is worrying

Agreed, as soon as they start getting used as conventional weapons, we're in the ****. Not least the environmental effects, but also possibility of escalation, and no better way to piss someone off than by nuking them .

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by sickntired
But is there such a thing as a real deterrant to a terrorist? I don't think so. You can't say anything hasn't worked, because nothing can.

Áside from creating a society worldwide in which Terrorists are considered the Scum of the Scum and therefore have no backing in the general Populace there seems to be no deterrent.

Especially no Weapon. And especially not against fanatical religious Terrorists who believe that they get to heaven for fighting those Unbelievers and have a couple of virgins there who fulfill all of their wishes
I think they even would welcome if the US bombed some islamic Cities with A-Bombs, as it could lead to a general uprising of muslimic Countries against the Unbelievers and therefore to the long awaited Jihad.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Again this talk that somehow we are going to use these weapons! What basis do you have for that? We've had tactical nukes for a while and we've never used them!

[Agathon]

Originally posted by elijah

Agreed, as soon as they start getting used as conventional weapons, we're in the ****. Not least the environmental effects, but also possibility of escalation, and no better way to piss someone off than by nuking them .

Makes sense doesn't it.

You should have seen the trouble I had trying to convince the uranium breathing right-wing "blow 'em up" neanderthals on this forum of this simple fact.

[Whaleboy]

Again this talk that somehow we are going to use these weapons! What basis do you have for that? We've had tactical nukes for a while and we've never used them!

I believed I answered that question. Thrice!

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Again this talk that somehow we are going to use these weapons! What basis do you have for that? We've had tactical nukes for a while and we've never used them!

These are designed with pre-emptive strikes in mind. They aren't really a deterrent. That's the problem I have with them.

I don't like nuclear weapons at all, but I can see the, albeit warped, logic behind deterrence.

[Whaleboy]

I had trying to convince the uranium breathing right-wing "blow 'em up" neanderthals on this forum of this simple fact

Lay off the neanderthals! They may have fallen off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, but like every species we made extinct, they were fun while they lasted!

I guess most people see "terrorist bad, us good, nuke kills terrorists, nuke good".

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Again this talk that somehow we are going to use these weapons! What basis do you have for that? We've had tactical nukes for a while and we've never used them!

If you refer to those Nuclear Artillery Shells,
I think the Answer is, that it makes only sense against large Concentrations of Troops and of course, if you expect that your own troops will suffer heavy losses, if you attack them the conventional way.
AFAIK there was no Situation for US-Troops where the Use of those nuclear Shells would have been tactically advisable.

With those nuclear Bunkerbusters things will be different,
as the Military would have less Problems arguing, that the Use of the Bunkerbuster is necessary (although this may not be the truth and these Bunkers could also be taken by conventional means)