A Can of Man
Je suis aware
Okay well, this is a break off from the Where will World War III Start thread.
There was a discussion about nukes just forcing a stalemate etc. But have people considered how hard it is for a war to actually go nuclear?
Consider this, during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, both the "West" and the "East" were armed with nuclear weapons.
In Korea, both sides had a turn where things looked dangerously hopeless. Yet neither side ever got the nod to use the nuke. Even demand for nuclear strike by America's most celebrated general at the time wasn't enough to make the war go nuclear.
Right now, both Pakistan and India are armed with nuclear weapons, and ironically, that may be what's by in large keeping the peace between the two countries.
Also despite the expansion of the USSR into Hungary and Czechoslovakia (in terms of use of force), NATO never considered even going to war.
So the question is: How likely is a war going to go nuclear?
I say, very unlikely. For one, any side desperate enough to use the nuclear weapon, will know the retaliation for using it will surely mean *the end* for them. There could very possibly be an equally devestating counter strike and if the leadership is captured, any hope of lessening their sentences will pretty much be vaporized. This is of course assuming that they're not hung on a meathook in the city square before the trial begins.
Contrary to a few people here who simply blurt out "nuke" like throwing a cent into a pond, I think in reality, a conventional war going nuclear is very unlikely.
Please note: This is not a discussion about terrorists and nuclear weapons. This is a discussion about countries, conventional warfare and its escallation into nuclear warfare.
There was a discussion about nukes just forcing a stalemate etc. But have people considered how hard it is for a war to actually go nuclear?
Consider this, during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, both the "West" and the "East" were armed with nuclear weapons.
In Korea, both sides had a turn where things looked dangerously hopeless. Yet neither side ever got the nod to use the nuke. Even demand for nuclear strike by America's most celebrated general at the time wasn't enough to make the war go nuclear.
Right now, both Pakistan and India are armed with nuclear weapons, and ironically, that may be what's by in large keeping the peace between the two countries.
Also despite the expansion of the USSR into Hungary and Czechoslovakia (in terms of use of force), NATO never considered even going to war.
So the question is: How likely is a war going to go nuclear?
I say, very unlikely. For one, any side desperate enough to use the nuclear weapon, will know the retaliation for using it will surely mean *the end* for them. There could very possibly be an equally devestating counter strike and if the leadership is captured, any hope of lessening their sentences will pretty much be vaporized. This is of course assuming that they're not hung on a meathook in the city square before the trial begins.
Contrary to a few people here who simply blurt out "nuke" like throwing a cent into a pond, I think in reality, a conventional war going nuclear is very unlikely.
Please note: This is not a discussion about terrorists and nuclear weapons. This is a discussion about countries, conventional warfare and its escallation into nuclear warfare.
