Choose Your Weapons, Gentlemen

The global cost to date of nuclear weapons systems is well over a trillion dollars, and climbing fast. (One single new submarine of the Trident class will cost more than a billion dollars.) It is a sum worthy of the belief that nuclear devices are, as we have often been told, “the ultimate weapon.” Nevertheless, in spite of all the money spent on them, only two of them have ever been used in combat— have, that is, become actual rather than merely potential weapons. And that was 28 years ago.

The forbearance has not been due to a metamorphosis of this world into the Peaceable Kingdom, or of men into angels. During these same 28 years men have been as disputatious as usual. The earth has been the arena for frequent conflicts, large and small, that have resulted in larger transfers of real estate than brought about by any war of prior history. Rule of the world’s two most populous nations changed hands. History’s most extensive empires were dismembered. Dozens of civil and revolutionary wars were fought long and ferociously. More new nations came into being than existed at the end of World War II. In these conflicts a great many weapons of many kinds have been used, but not nuclear weapons. Most of those persons directly engaged have altogether disregarded the existence of nuclear weapons. The conduct even of the armies of the nuclearized states, when they have actually been using weapons, has not been appreciably influenced by their nuclear arsenals. For an ultimate weapon, nuclear devices have been remarkably bashful about public performance.

JB

About the Author

James Burnham

Featured Tags

The global cost to date of nuclear weapons systems is well over a trillion dollars, and climbing fast. (One single new submarine of the Trident class will cost more than a billion dollars.) It is a sum worthy of the belief that nuclear devices are, as we have often been told, “the ultimate weapon.” Nevertheless, in spite of all the money spent on them, only two of them have ever been used in combat— have, that is, become actual rather than merely potential weapons. And that was 28 years ago.

The forbearance has not been due to a metamorphosis of this world into the Peaceable Kingdom, or of men into angels. During these same 28 years men have been as disputatious as usual. The earth has been the arena for frequent conflicts, large and small, that have resulted in larger transfers of real estate than brought about by any war of prior history. Rule of the world’s two most populous nations changed hands. History’s most extensive empires were dismembered. Dozens of civil and revolutionary wars were fought long and ferociously. More new nations came into being than existed at the end of World War II. In these conflicts a great many weapons of many kinds have been used, but not nuclear weapons. Most of those persons directly engaged have altogether disregarded the existence of nuclear weapons. The conduct even of the armies of the nuclearized states, when they have actually been using weapons, has not been appreciably influenced by their nuclear arsenals. For an ultimate weapon, nuclear devices have been remarkably bashful about public performance.