In today's world, nuclear weapons are far more effective when used as attention grabbers and bargaining chips than they are as actual doomsday devices.

Kim Jong Ill of N. Korea wields his country's nuclear capabilities like a Jack-in-the-Box - yet we all still jump every time he gleefully pops up brandishing his latest threat. There is no small amount of power in being able to cancel a summit of world leaders on a whim or to throw a wrench in decades-worth of diplomatic works. It makes him feel important, in a "Look Ma, I'm playing with the big boys!" kind of way. He'd deny it with his dying breath, but he has probably figured out by now that he can't take over the world. He sure gets a kick from annoying the heck out of it, though. In the process, he might be able to chip away at those pesky little sanctions.

And then you have President Ahmadinejad of Iran - the upstart despot with a serious case of nuclear envy. He's definitely out to steal some of N. Korea's thunder. Unfortunately, Ahma is slightly more frightening than Ill because hasn't yet realized that he, um, won't be ruling the world or anything. He's certainly tasted the power of going nuclear, though. No one knew Iran even had a President until he used the N-word and was launched onto the world stage. With nothing but "yes-men" in sight, however, he has a false sense of his own credibility - as is evidenced by that whole Faux-locaust travesty. Ahma-boy is still enraptured with his new nuclear toy though, and is not about to give it up. Not even to deploy it.

According to my eleven year old daughter, these blow hards won't use their weapons because "they want to take over land" and, as she so succinctly put it, "those things could blow up half the world!" With the result that there would be nothing left for them to take over. (Or anyone for them to impress.)

It might not be quite that simple, but I think she's got the gist of it. We don't have much to fear as long as Ill and Ahmadinejad need enemies to point their warheads at and nukes to fuel their egos.

The problem is finding someone to call their bluff.

Learn more about this author, J. Audet.
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