Debate: Abolition of nuclear weapons
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Should Nuclear Weapons be abolished?
The nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 forever changed the face of war, and the half-century of Cold War which followed was dominated, above all, by the threat of nuclear destruction.
Both superpowers raced to produce a greater arsenal than their opponents, leading to the point where they had the ability to destroy the world several times over. Added to the direct destructive power of the weapons was the consensus growing among scientists from 1970s onwards that a major war would plunge the world into a 'nuclear winter', destroying life even in places that had escaped attack. This led to the concept of 'Mutually Assured Destruction', a stalemate in which both sides knew that the use of their weapons would lead to their own destruction as well as their enemies'.The global situation has, however, changed substantially since the end of the Cold War. Nuclear Weapons have ceased to dominate world politics; however, the fear of proliferation – the spread of weapons of mass destruction to many more countries – is also on the rise.The Proposition in this debate will focus on the total abolition of the world's nuclear arsenals as a realistic goal to aim for. The opposition is more pragmatic, not defending the weapons per se but insisting that they remain a necessary evil.
1. Should Nuclear Weapons be abolished? |
3. Moral: Is abolishing nuclear weapons a necessary moral act? | | | |
4. Security: Do nuclear weapons make the world less secure? | | | |
5. Deterrence: Is nuclear deterrence irrelevant today? | | | |
6. International law: Is abolishing nuclear weapons consistent with international law? | | | |
7. Economics: Are nuclear weapons a major economic drain? | | | |
8. Feasibility: Is full denuclearization feasible? | | | |
9. Support: Is the abolition of nuclear weapons widely supported? | | | |
10. Pro/con resources | | | |
11. References: |
12. Motions |
13. In legislation, policy, and the world |
14. See also on Debatepedia: |
16. Books |
Moral: Is abolishing nuclear weapons a necessary moral act?
Those that seek nuclear weapons are more likely to use them. The people that are most likely to use nuclear weapons are the people that are most likely to want to target civilians. It is commonly accepted that any responsible, accountable government will refrain from using nuclear weapons against a civilian population. It is naive to believe that someone who resorts to using this type of weapon would discriminate.
Nuclear weapons immorally threaten mass murder. Over the past fifty years, we have seen a general tendency towards limited warfare and precision weapons, allowing military objectives to be achieved with minimal loss of civilian life. The entire point of nuclear weapons, however, is their massive, indiscriminate destructive power. Their use could kill tens of thousands of civilians directly, and their catastrophic environmental after-effects would harm many more all around the world. These effects could never be morally acceptable.
The use of nuclear weapons is undemocratic The decision to use nuclear weapons is made by a very small group of people at the top of a nation's leadership. Given the fact that the use of nuclear weapons can affect millions of people and even civilization itself, the use of nuclear weaponis can be seen as highly undemoctractic.
Many states that could build nuclear weapons haven't Many states are technically capable of building nuclear weapons, but have made a moral choice not to. Nuclear states should respect the responsibility this demonstrates on the part of non-nuclear stats, and should correspondingly take action to reduce their own stockpiles.
Using nuclear weapons would be a tragedy; but so is using any weapon in war. The reason for maintaining an effective nuclear arsenal is in fact to prevent war. By making the results of conflict catastrophic, a strategic deterrent discourages conflict. The Cold War was in fact one of the most peaceful times in history, particularly in Europe, largely because of the two superpowers' nuclear deterrents.
Nuclear deterrence is a superior to doctrines of preventive war On the basis that nuclear weapons can help deter even rogue states from using WMD, it becomes unnecessary to implement a preventive war doctrine to prevent rogue nations from ever acquiring WMD; nuclear deterrence is sufficient.
Nuclear umbrellas are the only reason why some state are non-nuclear While some argue that some modern states have opted not to develop nuclear weapons, making it unfair that other states have opted to create them, this ignores the fact that these non-nuclear states often only have the luxury to be non-nuclear due to their protection under the umbrella of a nuclear state.
Nuclear deterrence need not target civilian populations While critics of nuclear weapons often cite the targeting of civilian populations as morally repugnant, this civilian targeting need not be included in the theory of "nuclear deterrence". It is possible to target assets of a country's leadership, ensuring the dislocation of the leadership.
Security: Do nuclear weapons make the world less secure?
Nuclear weapons make the world less secure With the many risks associated with nuclear weapons, including accidental firings and mis-calculation, the risks may very well be higher than the presumed benefits.
Nuclear weapons must be abolished to avoid nuclear accidents Accidents are a common occurrence with nuclear weapons. Nuclear submarines have sunken many times in history. Military airplanes holding nuclear weapons have crashed in history has well. Nuclear missiles in silos, too, have exploded unexpectedly. These accidents can be minimized by never fully eliminated. The chances are good that at some point in the future a catastrophic nuclear accident will occur.
Nuclear submarine accidents are a global hazard Numerous nuclear submarines have accidentally sunk. Some of these have fallen to the bottom of the ocean where they are never to be recovered. The problem with this is that the nuclear missiles on board are likely to leak radioactive materials into the environemnt, causing significant harm.
Nuclear weapons tests are a global hazard
Nuclear weapons have not reduced the risk of war Nuclear state through the Cold War and beyond have been nearly five times as likely as non-nuclear states to be engaged, at any given time, in an international conflict.
States that have abandoned nuclear weapons have remained safe While there are often fears about the result of a country abandoning nuclear weapons, all states that have remained safe in the international system. The possession of nuclear weapons does little to secure a state.
Nuclear weapons encourage further nuclear proliferation To be a part of the so-called 'nuclear club' is seen as a matter of great prestige; when India and Pakistan recently declared their nuclear capability, it was seen in both countries as increasing their international status. Also, nations opposed to a nuclear power feel that they need to develop their own capability in order to protect themselves. The declared nuclear powers must therefore take the lead in disarmament, as an example for the rest of the world.
Nuclear weapons could fall into terrorists' hands. This is particularly true in Russia, which now had control of all of the nuclear weapons which were distributed around the former Soviet Union. The military is disastrously underfunded; technicians and officers who were used to a high standard of living are now finding themselves without pay, sometimes for years. At the same time, other states and extremist groups are willing to pay substantial sums for their services, and to gain access to nuclear weapons. The danger of a weapon being stolen, or - in consideration of the current political instability in Russia - a nuclear base being taken over by disgruntled members of the military or other extremists, can only be ended by destroying the weapons.
Nuclear deterrence helps prevent conflict Nuclear deterrence can increase the risks associated with armed conflict, elevating fears that small conflicts can rise into nuclear conflicts with intolerably high costs. This can forestall the outbreak of violence.
US nuclear weapons reduce the intensity of international conflicts The nuclear arsenal of the United States creates a nuclear deterrence umbrella for its allies that helps protect them against various international threats.
US nuclear weapons help deter and constrain Russia Russia's foreign policy under President Putin became highly ambitious and potentially expansionary. Nuclear weapons, particularly those of the United States, play a role in constraining Russian power in this way.
The plutonium in nuclear warheads cannot simply be destroyed. Instead, they must be stored in special facilities; in Russia, there are some thousand sites were military nuclear material is stored. It is producing this plutonium which is in fact the most difficult stage in building a weapon - by dismantling missiles, you are therefore not destroying their most dangerous part, and hence the risk of theft does not decrease. In fact, it may increase: missile silos in Russia are still the most heavily funded part of the military, whereas in recent years it has become clear that security at storage facilities is often inadequate. Moreover, it is far easier to steal a relatively small quantity of plutonium than an entire Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Ironically, the safest place for plutonium in present-day Russia may be on top of such a missile.
Deterrence: Is nuclear deterrence irrelevant today?
Terrorists are not deterred by the threat of nuclear weapons Terrorists are frequently willing to kill themselves to commit acts of terrorism. Therefore, the threat of retaliotory death and destruction against terrorists will not create a level of fear within them that will "deter" them from committing an initial terrorist act.
The idea of a so-called 'nuclear deterrent' no longer applies. Peace during the Cold War was maintained only by a balance of power - neither superpower had an advantage large enough to be confident of victory. This eventually became the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction: both sides had sufficient weaponry to totally annihilate one another, and potentially the whole world. However, there is no longer a balance of power. With the proliferation of nuclear weapons, some rogue states may develop the ability to strike at enemies who have no nuclear weapons of their own. It is not clear that the major nuclear powers would then strike back at the aggressor. This is further complicated by the fact that most of the emerging nuclear threats would not be from legitimate governments but from dictators and terrorist groups. Would it ever be acceptable to kill thousands of civilians for the actions of extremists?
Great power rivalries maintain importance of nuclear deterrence Great power rivalries persist between such countries as the China, Russia, and the United States, even though the United States' is more powerful at this time. Nuclear deterrence remains a factor in the relative stability that persists between these great powers, and the abolition of nuclear weapons would eliminate this stability.
Nuclear deterrence remains important in the post-Cold War era Many believe that the end of the Cold War spelled the end of the notion of nuclear deterrence. Yet, nuclear deterrence remains relevant and an important element of international stability. As mentioned above, great power rivalries between China, United States, and Russia seem to persist, and nuclear weapons help maintain the level of sobriety between them.
Nuclear weapons deter even rogue states Rogue states are often thought to be irrational, making it impossible to deter them with the threat of nuclear weapons. But the leaders of rogue states are focused primarily on maintaining power, and will not jeopardize that power by taking actions that could lead to a retaliatory response by a nuclear power.
Nuclear weapons deter rogue states from giving WMD to terrorists Rogue leaders are unlikely to give WMD or nuclear weapons to terrorists if it will jeopardize the existence of their country or their grip on power. And, they are highly unlikely to trust terrorists to take measures to reduce the risk that the source of their weapons is revealed.
Small states benefit from having a small nuclear deterrent For small states, even a small nuclear deterrent can be very beneficial to their national interests.
The deterrent principle still stands. During the Gulf War, for example, one of the factors which prevented Iraq from launching missiles tipped with chemical weapon warheads against Israel was the threat the USA would retaliate with a nuclear strike. Although there is no longer as formal a threat of retaliation as there was during the Cold War, the very possibility that the use of nuclear weapons by a rogue state could be met a retaliatory strike is too great a threat to ignore. Moreover, although the citizens of the current nuclear powers may be against the use of force against civilians, their opinions would rapidly change if they found weapons of mass destruction being used against them.
International law: Is abolishing nuclear weapons consistent with international law?
Abolishing nuclear weapons is part of fulfilling existing obligations
The threat or use of nuclear weapons is illegal The deterrent effect of nuclear weapons depends on the threat of nuclear weapons to civilian populations of an opposing country. Yet, even the implicit threat of the use of force against civilian forces violates all international legal protections provided to civilians in time of war.
The threat or use of nuclear weapons is legal in desperate defense. If a country has no other means to defend itself against an imminent threat than by the use of nuclear weapons, a defensive nuclear strike may be legally defensible. If, for example, the United States initiated a large-scale nuclear attack against Russia, Russia would be legally justified in launching a large-scale nuclear strike against the United States in an effort to eliminate the threat and defend itself.
Economics: Are nuclear weapons a major economic drain?
Nuclear weapons are a drain on resources Nuclear weapons are very expensive to build and expensive to maintain. countries should not waste their energies and finances on these weapons.
Nuclear deterrence is important in protecting economic interests Nuclear deterrence, by helping limit the potential for large-scale armed conflict between states, is important to protecting national economic interests.
Feasibility: Is full denuclearization feasible?
A nuclear abolition treaty is feasible with worldwide unanimity The only way nuclear abolition can succeed is if it is unanimous and obligatory worldwide. It cannot be like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty where it is optional and non-unanimous.
A binding nuclear ban treaty could work
States could be compelled via guilt to sign a nuclear weapons ban
A nuclear weapons ban could work with a rigorous inspection system
A nuclear weapons ban could accompany a chem and bio weapons ban This would help address the concern that, without nuclear weapons, the threat of chemical and biological weapons could not be deterred.
Israel could be compelled to sign a nuclear weapons ban
Modern nuclear powers are unlikely to denuclearize There is a clear strategic foreign policy advantage offered to nations with nuclear powers. Denuclearization threatens to reduce these strategic advantages. It is, therefore, unlikely that nuclear powers will opt to eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
Nuclear powers may reduce stockpiles but won't fully denuclearize Many nuclear powers such as the United States and Russia have huge nuclear weapons stockpiles and are willing to reduce them. But, the are only willing to reduce them to a point where their ability to deter adversaries is still maintained.
Nuclear abolition could not prevent covert nuclear programs While it may be possible to, at one point, achieve the abolition of all nuclear weapons, it is not possible to ensure that some states would not attempt to engage covert nuclear weapons programs. It's not possible to implement sufficient enforcement mechanisms to prevent a rogue state, for example, for covertly developing nuclear weapons. And, without nuclear arsenals, "well-behaved" states would be less capable of compelling rogue states to comply with the ban.
Abolition can't uninvent nuclear weapons The world knows how to create nuclear weapons. In fact, after over fifty years since the invention of the atomic bomb, the technology is fairly well known and old knowledge. This knowledge and the ease of constructing a nuclear weapon makes it difficult to attempt to constrain states from attempting to build the weapon, particularly when the incentives would be so high to "go nuclear" in a nuclear-weapons-free world.
It's too tempting to build a nuclear weapon in a non-nuclear world In a non-nuclear world, a state that builds even a single nuclear weapons achieves an enormous leap in geopolitical strength. The first dozen or so nuclear weapons would carry a substantial amount of geopolitical power in the international system. Therefore, the incentive to build these first nuclear weapons would be very high and hard to resist, particularly for rogue or historically less powerful countries.
It's not possible to abolish nuclear weapons now that the are at large. Nuclear technology exists, and there is no way to un-invent it. Much as the ideal of global disarmament is fine, the reality is that it is impossible: it takes only one rogue state to maintain a secret nuclear capability to make the abolition of the major powers' deterrents unworkable. Without the threat of a retaliatory strike, this state could attack others at will.
It's not possible to stop nuclear weapons now. They are in too many places and those that are out there aren't going to be found easily, we don't even have a comprihensive list of what countries have them so enforcing it will be hard to do. And do you really think that North Korea will give them up?
Support: Is the abolition of nuclear weapons widely supported?
Many leaders support abolishing nuclear weapons An impressive list of historic international leaders support the abolition of nuclear weapons. These leaders include Sam Nunn, Henry Kissinger, and Michail Gorbachev among others. Given that many of these leaders were heavily involved in the Cold War and nuclear deterrence national security formation, and that many of them are hard-core security "realists", their calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons is certainly significant.
Pro/con resources
George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger, Sam Nunn. "Toward a Nuclear-Free World". Wall Street Journal. January 15, 2008
Mikhail Gorbachev. "The Nuclear Threat". Wall Street Journal. January 31, 2007
"Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett: A World Free of Nuclear Weapons". FCO, London. June 25th, 2007
David Krieger. "Ten Reasons to Abolish Nuclear Weapons". Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Retrieved 2.11.08
"Abolish nuclear weapons". Greenpeace. Retrieved 2.11.08
"Six Arguments for Abolishing Nuclear Weapons". Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. 1999
General Lee Butler. "Are Nuclear Weapons Necessary?". International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation. March 11, 1999
James Doyle. "U.S. National Security and Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century". Proliferation Analysis. August 23, 2007
Baker Spring and Kathy Gudgel. "The Role of Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century". Heritage Foundation. April 13, 2005
Jon Kyl, Chairman. "Maintaining Nuclear Deterrence in the 21st Century." US Republican Policy Committee. June 16, 2005
Avery Goldstein. Deterrence and Security in the 21st Century. 2000
Stephen M. Younger, Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Weapons Los Alamos National Laboratory. "Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century". June 27th, 2000
"National Security and Nuclear Weapons: Maintaining Deterrence in the 21st Century." Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State. July 2007
Jeffrey Record, former staffer of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Nuclear Deterrence, Preventive War, and Counterproliferation". Policy Analysis. July 8th, 2004
"Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Terrorism". The Yankee Sailor. April 28, 2006
Paul Robinson, President and Director, Sandia National Laboratories. "A White Paper: Pursuing a New Nuclear Weapons Policy for the 21st Century". March 11, 2001
This House would abolish nuclear weapons
This House would ban the bomb
In legislation, policy, and the world
See also on Debatepedia:
Abolition 2000
Trident Ploughshares 2000
Co-operative Threat Reduction
Federation of American Scientists: Nuclear Forces
The Nuclear Threat Initiave
Nuclear Disarmament in International Law : Haralambos Athanasopulos
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