America’s nuclear weapons composite is large and complex. The organizations and departments involved in the various phases of nuclear weapons consist of the Departments of Energy, Defense, State, Commerce, and Homeland Security. The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration is the primary U.S. Government agency that is in charge of the proposal, manufacture and upkeep of U.S. nuclear weapons. The Department of Energy was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 in reaction to the energy predicament troubling the country during his term in office. Even though many Americans will classify nuclear weapons with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy has control over all nuclear energy linked matters. The universally known federal agency responsible for nuclear weapons is the Department of Defense, which of course, supervises the nation’s armed forces, as well as those military units qualified to control nuclear weapons and their means of delivery; for example, the missiles, bombers and submarines that are used to “deliver” the weapons to their intended targets. Within the Office of the Secretary of Defense are a number of agencies that deal with nuclear weapons concerns from erratic …show more content…
viewpoints, including the Missile Defense Agency, their task is the development of equipment for shooting down homeward bound nuclear missiles fired up by unfriendly governments. The U.S. Army, while not infatuated of tactical or long-range nuclear weapons, was armed with thousands of strategic or short-range nuclear weapons, which were small enough to be carried in a backpack, and used for blowing up mountain passes, and for additional purposes. The Department of State, as the official political arm of the United States, is responsible for the intervention of nuclear arms control arrangements, it works diligently, if not always harmoniously, with the above-mentioned Defense Department and military officials. The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security also has a role in the nuclear weapons field, mostly in terms of authorizing trades by U.S. businesses seeking to ship merchandises to certain foreign destinations that have authentic commercial claims, but which also have military uses. Many such items consist of nuclear weapons equipment. Certain kinds of metals and electronic devices that can be used for the production of nuclear warheads and airborne and cruise missiles used to deliver those warheads to their targets. It is the responsibility of the Commerce Department to inspect all uses submitted by American businesses to export delicate items and either accept or discard those requests. It does not do this alone, as the Departments of Energy, Defense and State all play a part in that procedure as well, but Commerce is the main agency and final negotiator. The fairly new Department of Homeland Security, created in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, consist of a number of minor agencies that are involved in one way or another in nuclear weapons topics; including Customs and Border Protection, which monitors incoming travelers and cargo – very important for guarding against the smuggling into the United States of a nuclear weapon by terrorists – and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for organizing the U.S.
Government reactions to disasters, including the explosion of nuclear weapons on U.S. soil. The Department of Homeland Security oversees the advance of technologies intended to distinguish the presence of nuclear materials at the nation’s
ports.
In today’s society many countries and even citizens of the United States question the U.S. government’s decision to get in involved in nuclear warfare. These people deemed it unnecessary and state that the U.S. is a hypocrite that preaches peace, but causes destruction and death. Before and during World War II the U.S. was presented with a difficult decision on whether or not to develop and use the atomic bomb.
“The atomic bomb certainly is the most powerful of all weapons, but it is conclusively powerful and effective only in the hands of the nation which controls the sky” (Johnson 1). Throughout World War II, the war was in pieces. The Germans were almost at world domination along with their allies, the Italians and Japanese. The Japanese and United states had remained at combat with each other since the bombarding of the Pearl Harbor ("U.S. Drops Atomic Bomb on Japan "1). There was abundant controversy as to whether the United States should have used the atomic bombs or not. There were many factors as to the argument relating to the atomic bombs leading to the United States final decision. Many people had arguments for the bombing and others had arguments against the bombings but it is still not determined if the United States made the right decision.
“With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces”- President Truman. In the 1945, President Truman was faced with an atomic dilemma in the most destructive war that mankind has seen so far. His choices were to either bomb Japan or let more American soldiers die. He chose to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He chose the most likeable choice in America at the time. If I was able to tell President Truman one thing, it would be, drop the atomic bombs on Japan and end the four year war for America. Japan started the war on America with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, America repaid the debt back to Japan many fold(top secret).
August 5, 1945. A day that the entire world will remember, as it was the day that the first of two nuclear strikes against Japan ended World War Two. Although at the time “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” were the lesser of two evils, they started an arms race like the world has never seen. The Soviet Union, America, Great Britain, France, and later China, all started to produce nuclear weapons. The arsenals of these countries would soon number in the tens of thousands. Recently there have been pushes to rid the world of these weapons that can kill an entire city with a single push of a button. Although these weapons are in the eyes of several governments a necessary tool to have, the public, however, disagrees. The Americans in particular have been debating the issue for several years. But for America to still pose a threat to other countries, the nuclear arsenal of the United States of America should not be completely depleted but upgraded and decreased to where our enemies still fear us. But we have to make sure that we do not break the bank in the process.
Analyzing the Argumentative Article “Let’s Be Clear, There is No Surviving a Nuclear War” The debate over if humans can survive a nuclear war or not is an interesting topic. The article, “Let’s Be Clear. There is No Surviving a Nuclear War,” is written by James E. Doyle and Ira Helfand. The article was posted on Newsweek.com on August 20, 2015.
On August 6, 1945, the first bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later on August 9, the second bomb hit Nagasaki. Whether the United States made a moral and ethical decision is still an ongoing debate. President Truman was faced with a difficult choice. The U.S. chose to adopt a stance that seemed to limit the amount of casualties in the war, by significantly shortening it with the use of atomic weapons. It was certainly a reasonable view for the USA to take, since they had suffered the loss of more than thousands of lives, both military and civilian. To the top rank of the US military the death toll was worth it to prevent the “many thousands of American troops that would have been killed in invading Japan.” This was a grave
During last 50 years of development, the nuclear bomb, as the ultimate weapon became the peacekeeping force on the earth. The nuclear bomb was developed in Manhattan project during the WW II and was successfully tested in the New Mexico on July 16 1945. At this point started the change of nuclear weapon from ultimate weapon to political weapon. USA decided to use the atomic bomb to defeat Japan in order to save around 500.000 lives of American soldiers that were needed to end the war and in the summer 1945 the USA dropped two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear weapon raised the confidence of USA but president Truman did not ordered its mass production because at that time he saw no explicit political function for the bomb. USA even tried to internationalize control of the bomb under the UNITED NATIONS but the Soviets were reluctant to support American plan for two reasons. To stop soviet nuclear program before developing the first soviet bomb would give Americans permanent lead in nuclear weapons technology. Soviets believed that instruments of force always have political capabilities. For the Kremlin weapons were political tools. This led Americans to the same conclusion. The beginning of Cold War created several political functions of nuclear weapons: nuclear deterrence, alliance building, and international prestige.
The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military, political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a single strike. The bombs’ effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen if these terrible forces where unleashed again. The technology involved in building the first atomic bombs has grown into the creation of nuclear weapons that are potentially 40 times more powerful than the original bombs used. However, a military change in strategy has came to promote nuclear disarmament and prevent the usage of nuclear weapons. The technology of building the atomic bomb has spurred some useful innovations that can be applied through the use of nuclear power. The fear of a potential nuclear attack had been heightened by the media and its release of movies impacting on public opinion and fear of nuclear devastation. The lives lost after the detonation of the atomic bombs have become warning signs that changed global thinking and caused preventative actions.
Nuclear weapon is a new kind of technology that gives us an unprecedented power over nature and humanity. The technological decisions regarding nuclear weapons will have a huge impact upon all nations around the world and even future generations. “Of all the unprecedented powers in our hands, none is potentially more destructive than nuclear weapons. For forty years we lived with the threat of a nuclear holocaust that could wipe out a large part of humanity and other forms of life” (Barbour, 200). This technology increases the power of one nation, or a small group of nations, over other nations and nature. Corruption, a shadow of power, lurks around the corner where power is present. With the advancement of nuclear weapons technology, the chances of a “master race” wanting to dominate the world is not far fetch. The possibility of a second Adolph Hitler is high, and this time the existence of humanity is at risk. We need to approach this area of technology with caution and with modesty because these devices have incredible destructive power. As the technology advances and the devices become more powerful, we need to become more careful to use them wisely or the extinction of the human race and other life forms are at stake.
Adrian Shocks Mrs. Daniels English 3B 1/23/14. Why Was the Bomb Dropped The United States dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a decision with immense thought behind it. To this day, there are arguments that support both sides of the decision. In the end, dropping the bomb was the best option for the United States. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an abundance of options and dropping the bomb was the most appealing in all aspects.
...knows the United States has the power to use fission bombs. “It was not the bomb itself that caused surrender but it was the experience of what an atomic bomb does” (Stimson).
Our world is filled with a constant threat of Nuclear detonation and the ensuing fallout of such an attack. This Leads to the question would the world be safer without nuclear arms? Nuclear weapon is defined as “A bomb or missile that uses nuclear energy to cause an explosion.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2016) Nuclear weapons are one of the most destructive devices known to man, and as such the masses have cried for their use to be abolished following the Cold War. Two nuclear bombs have ever been dropped during a war, both on Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during World War II by the United States. While these bombs were devastating for their time they are easily outclassed by current Nuclear technologies. The Tsar Bomba, the most powerful bomb ever created and tested by man, was limited to 50 megatons or 50 million tons of Dynamite. The Tsar Bomba’s yield was limited for its testing however, with sections being replaced with lead instead of weapons grade nuclear material halving its explosive power. These weapons are apparent
From the creation of nuclear weapons at the start of the Cold War to today, the world has experienced struggles fueled by the want of nuclear power. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s nuclear weapon program are some of the most important conflicts over nuclear weapons. Thanks to the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 to end World War II, the world has come extremely close to a nuclear war, and more countries have began developing nuclear power. Unmistakably, many conflicts since the start of the Cold War have been caused by nuclear weapons, and there are many more to come.
Since its origin in 1948, North Korea has been isolated and heavily armed, with hostile relations with South Korea and Western countries. It has developed a capability to produce short- and medium-range missiles, chemical weapons, and possibly biological and nuclear weapons. In December 2002, Pyongyang lifted the freeze on its plutonium-based nuclear weapons program and expelled IAEA inspectors who had been monitoring the freeze under the Agreed Framework of October 1994. As the Bush administration was arguing its case at the United Nations for disarming Iraq, the world has been hit with alarming news of a more menacing threat: North Korea has an advanced nuclear weapons program that, U.S. officials believe, has already produced one or two nuclear bombs. As the most recent standoff with North Korea over nuclear missile-testing approaches the decompression point, the United States needs to own up to a central truth: The region of Northeast Asia will never be fully secure until the communist dictatorship of North Korea passes from the scene. After threatening to test a new, long-range missile, Pyongyang says it is willing to negotiate with "the hostile nations" opposing it. But whether the North will actually forgo its test launch is anyone's guess. North Korea first became embroiled with nuclear politics during the Korean War. Although nuclear weapons were never used in Korea, American political leaders and military commanders threatened to use nuclear weapons to end the Korean War on terms favorable to the United States. In 1958, the United States deployed nuclear weapons to South Korea for the first time, and the weapons remained there until President George Bush ordered their withdrawal in 1991. North Korean government stateme...
In 1945, when the Americans bombed Hiroshima, Japan, approximately 140,000 men and women were instantly killed by the effects of American nuclear defense. With such extreme brutality and force how many people must die for one to finally realize the strengths of nuclear bombs and what damage they can cause. Nuclear weapons should be outlawed because they kill thousands of innocent humans at a time, destroy the environment, and inviolate human’s right to moral and personal freedoms.