Nuclear Terrorism
I am scared. I am very scared. I am scared about something that most people try to forget. I am terribly frightened about the possibility of a nuclear war between the super powers or by rogue terrorists getting into some other country’s nuclear silos.
What worries me is our technology. If a computer accidentally tells the military to fire its missiles, will someone check first to see if this is accurate or will they simply start pressing buttons? None of the general public knows exactly what the safeguards are for our nuclear arsenals, but I pray each day that they work. Having said that, what do we know about Russia’s nuclear silos? Who is calling the shots over there? Is Vladimir Putin the sole figure to make the decision to start a war or is there some sort of hierarchy of management for the missiles?
What is also very worrisome is a country like Pakistan. They have plenty of nuclear warheads. However, it does not have a stable government and there are scores of terrorists in that country. We should be demanding to know what safeguards the Pakistani government is using to protect their arsenal of nuclear weapons. The world does not need terrorists getting a hold of these weapons.
Perhaps the United Nations or some other world organization needs to start investigating safe checks for nuclear weapons around the world. I don’t have the answers, just the concerns. I used to worry about leaders pressing the nuclear trigger, but I worry more now about a crazed terrorist who doesn’t give a darn about human life. So I believe it is the terrorist factor that is most dangerous at this time. Yes, North Korea and Iran are worrisome, but I don’t think they have developed weapons yet that could devastate the world.
Albert Einstein once said, “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones as that is all that will be left after World War III.” I find his words chilling. We need to continue diplomacy with all nations and work together as a global community to contain the nuclear threat.
What we truly need is a charismatic person who could tackle the problem and make it their personal project. President Obama could appoint someone like Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Angelina Jolie or Christiane Amanpour. It doesn’t matter who takes up the cause. We need someone who is passionate about saving the world from nuclear destruction. I believe that one person can make a difference. The bottom line is we need to start acting now to prevent a nuclear accident, terrorist attack or accidental war.
Ray M. Smythe is an author and retired history teacher from Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage. He can be reached at Rayme49@aol.com
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