At the end of World War II, the world saw nuclear weapons used for the first, and so far only time, as Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. Many thousands were killed or injured, and it was horrifying. As Russia developed nuclear weapons, the world shuddered at the thought of a nuclear war.
Fortunately, both sides recognized the danger and a detente was reached. Treaties were signed to control the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons.
But the safeguards reached are now beginning to disappear. The last of the detente treaties (Start treaty) will expire in February of 2026, after which there will be no restraints on the manufacture and/or use of nuclear weapons by either Russia or the United States.
Add to this the fact that China has increased its manufacture of nuclear weapons. After being content to have only a few hundreds for decades, China is expected to have at least 1,500 nuclear weapons by 2035.
The danger doesn't stop there. At least six other countries also have nuclear weapons (United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea) -- and Iran is on the way to having a nuclear arsenal.
It makes me wonder -- have today's leaders forgotten the horror a nuclear war would bring? I'm sure that have read about Hiroshima and Nagasaki in history books, but reading about something is not the same as seeing the horror of it. And the weapons used on Japan are small potatoes when compared to today's nuclear weapons.
Decades ago, these weapons were kept to keep others from using them against any nation. That no longer seems to be. It seems that some now thing a nuclear war would be winnable, and maybe even justifiable to spread their own political or religious beliefs.
That is insane, but leaders sometimes do insane things. The continued proliferation of nuclear weapons and the disappearance of treaties regulating them is making the world a much more dangerous place.
There needs to be new talks, new treaties, and new controls on nuclear weapons -- and these talks need to involve the entire world (both the current nuclear countries and those who may develop them in the future). A nuclear strike by any country could kill millions, and could be the match that ignites a world war of nuclear strikes (which could be end end of civilization).
A nuclear war is not winnable, and it's time to make sure one never happens.
