Should the use of nuclear weapons be off the table?

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Robert Ringer

Font:

Over and over again Republican candidates, especially Donald Trump, have said things that have brought a torrent of criticism from the media that have left me scratching my head. The brouhaha over the use of nuclear weapons was especially interesting, because Trump’s words mirrored what has been my position as long as I can remember.

Specifically, Trump said (not what the media said he said, but what he actually said) that his first option would be to have Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, et al pay the United States much more for defending them. Anyone who thinks that’s an unreasonable request is hopelessly trapped in the 21st century mind-set that rejects anything remotely connected to either reality or common sense.

The second part of this issue is Trump’s suggestion that, if necessary, we should let other countries develop their own nuclear arsenals. The media is still having a field day with this one, which only magnifies their stupidity.

Granted, it’s sometimes hard to tell what Trump’s positions are, but, just in case I decide to run on a third-party ticket, here are my three main thoughts on the issue — clearly stated:

First, it’s none of America’s business if any country — especially peaceful, civilized countries — decide to build nuclear weapons. We are not in charge of the world.

Second, in keeping with his anti-American agenda, Obama has already, in effect, made a pledge to Iran that it can continue its program to develop a nuclear arsenal. Thus, that country’s rulers are continuing to do just that, and there’s a 101 percent chance they will use those weapons shortly after they are built. (Unlike the U.S., however, Israel will be ready — and will not hesitate to act preemptively.)

Third, in addition to France, the U.K., and other crumbling Western societies, Pakistan, China, Russia, and India already have large nuclear arsenals. Further, it’s a certainty that many other countries, many of them hostile to the United States, will develop nuclear weapons at some time in the future. To think otherwise is not only naïve, it goes against the indisputable historical evidence.

So let’s get real here. Speaking for myself, I’d feel much safer if Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia had nuclear weapons. They would serve as a deterrent to the crazies and evildoers like North Korea, Iran, and Muslim terrorists groups, because, unlike the U.S., the bad guys would know that such countries would actually use them if they felt it was a matter of “us or them.”

The bottom line is that, even though I’m a pacifist at heart, it seems odd to me that any country would ever announce that using nuclear weapons is off the table. If they are truly off the table, what’s the point in bothering to have them in the first place?

Ringer Dealmaking Rule No. 287: Never take anything off the table until the deal is closed. And in a world saturated with nuclear weapons, the nuclear deal is never closed.

Next subject.

Robert Ringer

Robert Ringer is an American icon whose unique insights into life have helped millions of readers worldwide. He is also the author of two New York Times #1 bestselling books, both of which have been listed by The New York Times among the 15 best-selling motivational books of all time.