Originally Posted by
jmmoric
My though is that countries around the world, that either has or are attempting to aquire nuclear weapons, are mostly doing so to get others off their back.
North Korea for instance, their military spending has been through the roof for decades, to an extend where they spend every dime on it. By having cuclear weapons they'll be able to cut down their military spendings and hopefully divert finances to things that actually make peoples lives better. We could hope they'll get things like education and information into the country from abroad as wealth increases, and eventually change things themselves. This may be a long shot, but still.
Same goes for Iran. A country that's been on the bad list in the US for decades, eventhough there was a reason the poeple threw the previous regime out. They have a huge population, the middle class is well educated, and they have the access to information from abroad, hence the people can make a change..... if the US would just get off their back. Their reason for nuclear weapons is just that, they want to be able to raise living standards through trade etc. and they're relatively tired of having the US always pointing at them as bad people.
then there is a state like Israel.... I don't really know if they have them... they at least won't admit to it. But still the notion that they could have them, is also keeping their neighbours off their back.
Then there is ofcourse Pakistan and India... they're kind of locked into the same situation as the rest of the world was during the Cold War". Eventhough sounding stupid to the core, it assures the other party does nothing stupid.
Interesting that this is still the perception. I spent some time there 30+ years ago; it was an open secret domestically - "Everybody knows we have them". Of course, fostering such a belief within Israel would undoubtedly aid a propaganda campaign aimed at the wider world.