The threat of nuclear weapons being used against the United States exists because countries are building up nuclear power. These weapons are the most dangerous and have the potential to destroy many people and even entire countries. The danger occurs in the explosion area, and as the wave spreads, high levels of radiation persist over long distances. It is not only dangerous in the range of the actual blast, but various miles away – the radiation damages the body, and if a person cannot move away from it, the fallout will kill them. Radiation can destroy any rules and orders, and societies and politics will not exist as a result. Some countries pose a potential threat to the U.S., so the military needs to be wary of nuclear weapons.
During the Cold War, the United States took the position of the most powerful country, presenting nuclear weapons and mildly threatening others with their potential usage. Since then, the number of nuclear weapons has declined, and the U.S. has ceased to consider them as the first option for use. During the wars in Serbia and Iraq, the U.S. did not intend to use nuclear weapons. Still, recently, China and Russia have been competing over the world power with the US, bolding nuclear capabilities as the primary strategy for fighting the United States (Colby, 2018). Colby suggests that if China and Russia turn Europe and Asia against the US, its networking alliances within the country will suffer significant damage in the less defended states (2018). The countries that possess nuclear arsenal have never discussed the destruction of all nuclear weapons in the world to protect the Earth.
Over the past decade, the U.S. has been building up its military strength, which has led to interest from other countries. For example, there is a threat from the Russian Federation, which could launch a nuclear strike against the United States. Russia’s atomic warhead capability is considered to be the largest in the world (Schultz, 2022). In the context of the war in Ukraine, Russia poses a danger not only to Europe but also to the United States. Scientists argue that if the nuclear war between the US and Russia emerges, the nuclear winter will stop being only a threat and will become a reality (Coupe et al., 2019). They say that during the nuclear fallout, the atmosphere will be damaged, and the climate will be changed (Coupe et al., 2019). There are estimations, as the effect on nature depends on the number of fired weapons. Since the U.S. is an economic and political leader, there are high risks of using nuclear weapons, regardless of the consequences.
Threats to use nuclear weapons also exist from relatively distant countries. North Korea is another potential threat that requires the U.S. Army to be trained in the event of a nuclear strike. Since Kim Jong-un came to power, the number of training launches has increased, and in 2017 Donald Trump even proposed a preventive war against North Korea (Osnos, 2017). The particular spread of this news is due to the July 4 ballistic missile launch and later fall launches. Kim Jong Un is perceived as a paranoid leader who holds power by violently eliminating unrest in the political arena. The U.S. should be careful because the same thing is happening in Russia. It means that there is a need to train the U.S. military to counter nuclear threats from oppressive leaders and countries.
The use of nuclear weapons leads to severe consequences that cannot be dealt with through urban emergency services. The use of military forces by the army will reduce the effects, which are in the form of severe climate change, radiation sickness, and high mortality (Loretz, 2018). The military can react in time and help as many people as possible to evacuate to a safer place. Soldiers will be more exposed than other people to radioactive dust, which could weaken the U.S. when attacked by other countries. In the first seconds of a nuclear explosion, the danger will be most significant and result in many deaths.
The long-term aftermath is even worse because the radioactive fallout will result in the complete abandonment of the region. The people who survived would need to leave the place as soon as 48 hours after the blast passed, and even with minimal chances of being alive, they would not be able to return to the active region (Loretz, 2018). A radioactive atmosphere would slowly kill everyone stepping in the area in hours to years. For a country as large as the U.S., the death of most of its population is a tragedy that will worsen over time. Loretz argues that large numbers of nuclear weapons would immediately cause a critical temperature drop, leaving many people dead and without food (Loretz, 2018). At this point, the army and city services will no longer be able to prevent the consequences, so U.S. authorities must pay more attention to strategic planning. After a nuclear strike, the firepower and vehicles that could stop unfriendly countries from acting will be reduced. Consequently, the threat of nuclear war, despite the stockpile of equipment and weapons, is a threat to the U.S. military.
The use of nuclear weapons is a threat to all of society, but it is the most significant potential danger for the U.S. and its military because of its stockpiles. The number of nuclear weapons has been gradually decreasing since the end of the Cold War, but it has become more destructive due to advances in technology (Roser, 2022). America’s large territory is of interest to other countries (mainly China, Russia, and North Korea), so weapons are an opportunity for security. However, it is not secure because nuclear weapons are a blow to other countries and their own, as the consequences will affect the whole world. The U.S. needs to be careful about atomic energy because even its stockpiles pose a threat. For the military, these weapons are most dangerous because they work with radioactive elements that easily damage vital organs.
Thus, for the U.S., the nuclear threat is the main threat in the next ten years. This is due to China’s policy toward the territories and their growing atomic power. In addition, North Korea and Russia’s policies and their cooperation were given incompetent leaders are also a threat to U.S. territory and its people. The consequences of a nuclear war would affect the entire world, so the build-up of nuclear weapons must not be tolerated. Only the army can cope with the first effects of their use, but it will still not be enough to deal with the long-term effects of radioactive dust.
References
Colby, E. (2018). If you want peace, prepare for nuclear war: A strategy for the new great-power rivalry.Foreign Affairs, 97(6), 25–34.
Coupe, J., Bardeen, C., Robock, A. & Toon, O. (2019). Nuclear winter responses to nuclear war between the United States and Russia in the whole atmosphere community climate model version 4 and the Goddard Institute for space studies ModelE. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124(15), 8522-8543,
Loretz, J. (2018). Consequences matter: Why nuclear weapons had to be banned.Medicine, Conflict and Survival, 34(4), 238-246.
Osnos, E. (2017). The risk of nuclear war with North Korea. Pulitzer Center, 2-33.
Roser, M. (2022). Nuclear weapons: Why reducing the risk of nuclear war should be a key concern of our generation.Our World Data.
Schultz, T. (2022). What would Russian WMDs mean for NATO’s ‘red lines’? DM.