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November 27, 2007

Fallout

A New Era of World History: The Nuclear Age

According to the Brookings Institution, from 1940 to 1996, the United States spent $7 trillion (in 2006 dollars) on nuclear weapons . This represents only 29% of ALL U.S. military spending for the period. According to the Federal Bureau of the Public Debt, on November 23, 2007 the U.S. national debt stood at $9,130,889,561,057.31.

Cost aside, nuclear weapons also pose numerous other problems: long-term radioactive contamination and other ecological consequences, proliferation dangers, terrorism potential, Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), and brinksmanship to name a few. And yet, from its inception, the nuclear age has also tantalized us with "the peaceful atom" of nuclear reactors that would produce electricity "too cheap to meter." Nuclear medicine has opened new vistas for the medical profession.

For many ordinary people, the nuclear age evoked a fearful bravado?not unlike whistling past the graveyard?as forces seemingly beyond their control threatened annihilation at a moment's notice. The resultant wave of bomb and fallout shelters, "duck and cover" drills, and civil defense preparations were more psychological defenses against the unthinkable than reasonable, realistic, rational responses.

Nevertheless, since the apparent end of the Cold War in 1991, many insist that the very presence of a huge nuclear arsenal kept the peace for more than half a century?World War III did not follow World War II (at least not yet).

Given the unprecedented calamities of the world wars, has the nuclear age been a blessing or a curse? Is the verdict still to be determined? Do you feel safe or does the spectre of global thermonuclear war sometimes haunt you?

Posted by

William M. at 12:51 AM CST

Comments:

Brooke W.

says:

Nations with a standing in the nuclear age seem to be torn. They do half of the research on nuclear weapons and the other half on positive aspects of nuclear power that would help millions. With this divide, I think that that we are too close to the nuclear age to have a vision of what this time frame means in the long run. Hopefully, our looking at new forms of energy will win out and nuclear power will be used for the good of mankind. However, with the "war on terror" still being carried out, I'm terrified that our country will do something stupid that will kill thousands, permanently injure more, and completely destroy an area on the globe--not to mention inspiring a wrath that we may not be able to handle. Basically, my fear of nuclear war is more about the consequences of what may happen if we have to result to such a force more than other people using it on us.

Posted on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 8:30 AM CST by Brooke W.

astin p.

says:

The nuclear age has been both a blessing and a curse. We have learned to harness an awesome force, but at the same time we don't exactly know what to do with it. The thought of a nuclear war between the United States and some other country is scary, but we still cannot deny that nuclear power is definately a step forward in scientific technology. There is even talk of one day using nuclear power to fuel rocket ships that could reach Mars. Discovering this new power most certainly has been a blessing, but there does exist a small nagging voice in the back of the social consciousness that worries if this amazing energy would be used for evil instead of good. I don't really worry about it because I think we will make the right decision and allow it to be used to benefit society.

Posted on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 8:35 AM CST by astin p.

Bessie J.

says:

The nuclear age has been and is a blessing--used in a sensible manner. It can become a deadly weapon if handled improperly. Nuclear energy is a blessing as far as electricity is concerned. I can?t imagine living in a society by candle lights or lanterns. On the other hand exposure to radiation can be harmful or even deadly. Nuclear medicine has already done so much to relieve sufferings and conquering diseases, and with continued development of nuclear medicine further cures are inevitable. I think the verdict is still to be determined, depending on who is holding the political reigns in nuclear capable countries. The thought of a global thermonuclear war is something to be concerned about, because whoever launches first will probably win--briefly. The United States has been known for jumping the gun or over reacting to certain situations; so more than likely if a global thermonuclear war started, the US would probably launch first.

Posted on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:03 AM CST by Bessie J.

Lindsey C.

says:

I think the nuclear age has been a curse. Yes, there hasn't been another world war, however, that doesn't mean there still aren't wars and fightings. I think the radioactive threats to the planet, its animals and ecosystems and to the human race are becoming a huge problem due to the nuclear age. The ozone layer is slowly disappearing, which in return the weather is drasticly changing. With the weather changing animals and organisms are losing their enviroments and/or dying. Humans are being affected by having reations to the radioactive contaminations by cancer, tumors, or people starting to have birth defects. I think its good that we have weapons that will scare off other countries, however I believe we need to create something that won't harm the environment nor the people.

Posted on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:04 AM CST by Lindsey C.

Lisette W.

says:

The nuclear age has been a blessing. Because nuclear weapons do exist, and they have the potential to devastate the world, no one will actually be willing to use them for fear of destroying their country as well as the enemy they are trying to destroy. In addition, nuclear energy has created other resources such as power and electricity. I also don't think the verdict has yet to be determined. I believe we are too smart to actually attempt some of the things that are often threatened that could lead to a nuclear World War III. I also do feel safe. I don't think we are in any immediate danger of a thermonuclear war.

Posted on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:11 PM CST by Lisette W.

Melanie L.

says:

The nuclear age has been a blessing as well as a curse. The nuclear age has afforded us all of the conveniences of electricity along with nuclear power. However, the flip side to that coin is that nuclear power in the wrong hands is a very frightening thought. The fact that the fate of millions and millions of people lies in the hands of a few gives great cause for some uneasiness. A few that may or may use that power responsibly. For the most part I feel are safe. But with other factors taken into consideration I feel as if sometimes our level of safety is questionable.

Posted on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 1:45 PM CST by Melanie L.

Cordelia G.

says:

I fell that the nuclear age can be a blessing and also a curse. We have benefited a lot from nuclear power. Things like advancements in medical technology to advancements in electricity have been accomplishments in our society. Now as far as the nuclear age being a curse, we have seen throughout history where having governmental power has been abused. Therefore, I feel that a thermonuclear war can become a reality at some point in the future.

Posted on Sun, 2 Dec 2007 3:28 PM CST by Cordelia G.

Amy C.

says:

When considering nuclear medicine advances, the nuclear age seems possibly to be worth the cost. The clean and cheap electricity is great for the environment and the pocket book as long as there is not a disaster like Chernobyl. At least some good came from the creation of nuclear weapons, which caused widespread paranoia around the world. I don?t know if the years of fear between the superpowers was worth the debt that the U. S. alone acquired. I believe only time will tell the long term effects of the nuclear age. I feel safe in the U. S., and I don?t worry about something I have no control over. Life has enough for me to worry about that I can actually make a difference in.

Posted on Sun, 2 Dec 2007 6:43 PM CST by Amy C.

Allison S.

says:

I think the nuclear age has been both a blessing and a curse. It has brought amazing new technologies, but also a kind of fear that the world has never known before. This can be seen today by looking at the Iraq war that the United States is involved in. The entire reasoning for going into that nation, according to the current administration, is due to weapons of mass destruction. The threat is very real, and if they fell into the wrong hands, could be used for very evil reasons.
Because of this, everyone probably thinks about the threats of nuclear war occasionally. In the United States, especially, this thought has been more prevalent in recent years because of the war and events like 9/11. The threats from enemies like Al-Qaeda make this horrific thought a possible reality, and that is something that cannot be ignored.

Posted on Mon, 3 Dec 2007 4:53 PM CST by Allison S.

lerico m.

says:

i think the nuclear age is a curse. it has brought amazing new techonlogies due to weapon of mass destruction. At leas some good came from the creation of nuclear weapons, which caused widespreads. i feel safe being in the U.S. just for technology reasons. We have the best technology here. So this is something i cant ignore

Posted on Wed, 5 Dec 2007 7:22 PM CST by lerico m.

demia f.

says:

I?m not sure if the nuclear age is curse or blessing. We are living in the times of great evils. I believe people are more corrupt and evil now than they were during the 1945s. Look at 9/11. Many people lost their lives as a result of the hatred against Americans. Who?s to say that they won?t return this time with a nuclear attack? It?s scary to think about and honestly I try not to think about it. Technology is advancing more and more everyday, not only in the United States, but in all countries around the world. Thinking about this, I?m almost leaning to this as being a curse. I?ve never really thought about it until now, but who?s to say that Japan won?t one day seek revenge for the many lives that they lost due to the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. You never know what someone else is cooking up.

Posted on Thu, 6 Dec 2007 9:35 PM CST by demia f.

Adam N.

says:

I think the future is yet to define the nuclear age as either a curse or a blessing. Althought the fear of being attacked by a nuclear weapon has subsided compared to previous generations, the threat still exists whether it is acknowledged or not. The fear of a nuclear attack can easily be reignited in a short amount of time as a result of increased conflict between the U.S. and a number of other nations. There's no telling where that increased threat will come from. We can only guess...

Posted on Fri, 7 Dec 2007 8:38 PM CST by Adam N.

Lafonda B.

says:

I think so far it has been a blessing. If not for nuclear weapons we probably would have had WWIII by now, but no country is sure about what the next country has and don't want to take a chance. I feel that the nuclear war issue is alway a curent topic because you just never know what is going through people's mind's.

Posted on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:31 PM CST by Lafonda B.

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