Nuclear Proliferation Pros And Cons

While deterrent strategies have proven successful, especially during the Cold War, the recent emergence of international terrorist organizations reveals a major flaw of the deterrence theory. It cannot be assumed that terrorists will worry about the negative consequences they will suffer if they bomb another country with nuclear weapons; on the contrary, it is not unsafe to assume that they will readily bomb other countries to instigate terror in people. Therefore, it is irrefutable that extreme measures need to be taken to prevent terrorist organizations laying hands on these weapons. The proliferation of nuclear technology or weapons to countries with high terrorist activity is thus highly risky. If proliferation to Iran is successful, “the likelihood that …show more content…
Although it is true that proliferation may prevent wars through deterrence, and that eradicating nuclear weapons will lead to a lower sense of security, the negative consequences outweigh the benefits. Nuclear proliferation can lead to catastrophic devastation to the entire human population through the deaths of millions of people and losses of trillions of dollars in property. The chances of nuclear terrorism and the growth of a nuclear black market will increase significantly if proliferation occurs in new countries. Furthermore, the deterrence theory does not apply to terrorists and dangerous proletariats such as North Korea due to the huge role psychological mindset plays for the success of the deterrence theory. The growth of nuclear weapons can be countered by a policy of conservative internationalism. Finally, the gradual eradication of nuclear weapons will only engender a safer world- a world where people are not continuously fearing a nuclear attack, a world where devising plans for nuclear retaliation and deterrence is no longer necessary, and a world where governments are not paying billions of dollars to ensure