by Alexander Jackson

Created on: December 12, 2006   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The idea of any use of nuclear weapons is scary in itself, but certainly it's not all beyond hope. Just because people get the idea to use a nuclear doesn't mean that it's already the end of the world. At that point, it's still just an idea.

Take for example the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a large scare, and the whole world was on edge. The way this situation worked out in the end was through intense negotiation, but ever since then, people have had massive concerns about the potential of what a single nuke can cause.

The effect goes far beyond a couple thousand deaths.

Back when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened, a nuclear device could mean massive destruction on a scale of cities. Over time, and thanks to the evolution of weapons of mass destruction, a single missile can mean the absolute obliteration of a smaller country or state. Carpet bombing techniques have more so replaced single large missile strikes and bombs, but with the weapons technology that we have developed, who is to say that such an attack is out of the question?

It clearly isn't. With our current nuclear capability, a single warhead could be generated with enough power to easily level an entire large land mass. The fallout wouldn't be of any help to the situation, and of course, it only takes one missile firing to cause a large amount of hostility across many countries.

Lets take a realistic look at the situation then. Country A (assumed as a nuclear powerhouse) launches an aerial strike at Country B (which is likely not a powerhouse, and has affiliates with more powerful countries). In this strike, some kind of nuclear device is used, causing massive damage to Country B, and leaving fallout. This raises issues of death, survivors who will die or suffer for years thanks to radiation poisoning, and Country B's allies having to retaliate against Country A because of affiliation.

Does this sound at all familiar? It's very similar to many conflict situations in the past. Probably the scariest part of this scenario is that not only could it very easily happen, but on top of that, it's a realistic possibility for our near future. Even scarier is that this situation isn't even the least bit destructive compared to what COULD happen. Far worse situations are possible than this, with even less work, and the right political involvement.

All someone has to do is push the button.

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