That's an interesting post, teribus, and I find much in it to agree with. It is true that the strong tend to govern the weak. It's also true that the strong, if they are also wise, protect the weak and show them mercy.

I think people often confuse aggressiveness with strength, and that leads to problems. I think aggressiveness is a byproduct of fear and lack of confidence, not of strength.

If I were in the leadership of a nuclear power, I would be inclined to work hard on preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons, so it doesn't surprise me that they are doing that. Nor does it surprise me that some smaller countries are trying to get around it and acquire their own bombs. It's typical human nature.

I think you'll find that the more fearful a country is, the more inclined they are to try to acquire nuclear weapons. Whether their fears are justified is another matter...

Canada, for example, is not a very fearful country...and accordingly has not armed itself in a very aggressive manner (to say the least). That's partly because of geography, partly because of national character and past history. Pakistan is definitely a fearful country, has been since its inception, and accordingly arms itself in a very aggressive manner. That, again, is partly because of geography, partly because of culture and past history. I'm not separating things into "right" and "wrong" here, I'm just describing the situation. Canada has historically been in a fortunate situation.

The USA is by nature a pretty aggressive country, and always has been, if you look at its history. That is fundamentally why American policy worries me...I believe it springs out of an overly aggressive mindset. I think the USA is a country that tends to feel lost unless it has an "enemy" to fight...either internally or externally (frequently both). I'd describe that as a form of emotional illness on a national basis. Of course, like the saying goes, even those suffering from paranoia sometimes have real enemies! But the question is, from where did those enemies come and why? Do the paranoid tend to create self-fulfilling prophecies as time goes by? I believe so.

Troll had mentioned that a country could use nuclear weapons as a form of blackmail on its neighbours, as well as a form of defense. Well, YEAH! Definitely. I'd say, in fact, that ALL countries with nuclear weapons do that...to a certain extent. We've all suffered fear on account of it.

You could have said the same about cowpokes carrying guns in the Wild West. It's partly defense, it's partly intimidation.

I hope that as time goes by the strong in this world use their strength more to assist the weak, rather than to terrorize them into unwilling obedience.

We'll see how it goes.

- LH