this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2024
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During WWII, America shocked the world when they revealed their nuclear capacity by dropping not one, but two atomic bombs on strictly civilian targets. Since then, they have maintained a first strike policy, meaning, their plans for their nuclear arsenal are not defensive, but aggressive and the highest form of escalation.
During the Korean War, Dugless MacArthur asked the joint chiefs of staff for approval to use nuclear weapons on China, to the tune of 30, to 50 nuclear strikes. They approved. MacArthur's goal was to create a radioactive no-mans land across Russia and China to act as a buffer zone between after the war was "won".
During the JFK Administration, they drew up plans for nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union if conflict in Berlin turned violent.
The Nixon administration drew up plans to drop nuclear bombs on North Vietnam.
Just this week, news broke that the Biden administration is considering giving Ukraine nukes. "Several officials even suggested that Mr. Biden could return nuclear weapons to Ukraine that were taken from it after the fall of the Soviet Union." You'll tell me this is strictly defensive, then I beg you to consider reading why the Soviet Union was giving Cuba nuclear weapons during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The only place threatening a Nuclear Holocaust is the United States. They remain today the only country on earth to have dropped not one, but two atomic bombs on war targets (read civilian populations).
There were some anecdotes I remember reading (that I'd really appreciate some sources on, if ever I get around to investigating) about how the Soviet Union during the Cold War maintained a steely eyed, ice cold resolve as the US was doing everything they could to spark a nuclear war. Pieces I remember are times the US flew bombers at Moscow, watching for Soviet reaction, hoping to find out the range ability of Soviet radar.
And then the Cuban Missile Crisis of course