What Were We Thinking?

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Exploding one-third of a mile above the heavily populated city, it instantly wiped 80,000 humans off the Earth. It destroyed miles of a once vibrant city, and its effects linger today.

I won't discuss the politics involved in the determined need to use this horrific weapon. No one really knew, despite tests, what the destruction would be like, or even if the 5-ton weapon would work as designed. It did, stunningly, shockingly, overwhelmingly, horrifically, so that they have not been used again. Yet.

Over seven decades later, mankind has walked backwards from that day of alleged advancement. The opening of the Atomic Age is perhaps the biggest single mistake humans have made since evolving from where and whatever. 

We looked at the massive damage, destruction, and amount of death, and instead of vowing to head in another direction, we pushed on to develop weapons of mass destruction probably 100 times worse.

What is wrong with us? What have we been thinking? Post WW-II Americans were cited in the early 60s as stating that their greatest fear, was living in the nuclear age. It has become much worse since.

Audaciously, it was determined by American leaders that only we, and eventually the Russians, should have such weapons and that both nations were certainly capable of controlling/limiting their use. We could be trusted, but no other country could.  How silly. How stupid. How wrong we were.

Below is the list of proliferation we humans around the globe have allowed to happen:

:

• Russia, 6,850 nuclear warheads
• The United States of America, 6,185 nuclear warheads
• France, 300 nuclear warheads
• China, 280 nuclear warheads
• The United Kingdom, 215 nuclear warheads
• Pakistan, 145 nuclear warheads
• India, 135 nuclear warheads
• Israel, 80 nuclear warheads
• North Korea, 15 nuclear warheads

A nuclear weapon is defined as an explosive that has such an intense power behind it that the form of weaponry can cause massive amounts of damage in faraway places.

There are two types of explosives, including fission bombs and thermonuclear bombs. Fission bombs are detonated by way of a fission nuclear reaction, hence the name. However, this is not the only method of activating a nuclear weapon. Bombs that are detonated through a combination of fission and fusion are called thermonuclear bombs. Both of these types of explosives fall under the category of nuclear weaponry.

This list is probably, sadly, not totally inclusive. Countries diametrically opposed to our way of life may have them without our knowing. Having them, and being able to deliver them, are separate entities. 

The sad horrible truth, is that today the entire world lives in the dark shadows of the nuclear threat. It hangs over all our heads, no exceptions, although I presume Antartic polar bears are safe for the moment.

The top goal for all countries, despite a long list that obviously varies, is to remove this nuclear threat once, and for all.

Our future, and the one planet we know that can sustain us, depends upon it.