Nuclear war may be the only way to deter Putin
There are a few Holocaust survivors still alive, most of whom experienced the horrors of the extermination camps as children. Today, Jews may live and prosper in Israel, a country of their own, or here in the United States, or in many other countries.
There are also survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who still harbor disturbing memories of the atom bombs that destroyed their cities and brought World War II to its end. Both cities rose from the rubble and today thrive and prosper, even attracting visiting tourists, some of whom seem unaware of a fading past.
People are resilient; they pick up the pieces and move on. And, with time, they also forget. Is nuclear war unthinkable? Vladimir Putin suggests its possibility if Western nations, especially the United States, persist in their support of Ukraine. So what response should President Biden give? Should we back off, fearing the dire consequences of continuing to aid Ukraine?
If we do, will Putin be encouraged to continue his efforts to restore Russia to some imagined past glory? Will Poland and the Baltic nations, once parts of Greater Russia, be next to suffer destruction or annexation? What will happen to Finland, where one summer long ago I lived, and which once was part of Imperial Russia?
In the terminology of the baseball season now in full swing, President Biden, should step up to the plate, accept the challenge. We, too, have nuclear weapons. Let us hope that we are not forced to do so, but if we are, let us be willing to use them.
We survived the Holocaust. We put World War II behind us. We have survived the sacking of Rome, the destruction of Baghdad and even the fall of Moscow. We survived the depredations of Caligula, Ghengis Khan, Napoleon and many others.
The world will also survive Putin and the nuclear war he might force upon us. Let us pause to consider what a post-nuclear world might be like.
I’ll paint one possible picture; of course, there are many other possibilities. Let me immediately dismiss one low probability outcome. We will not disappear
from the earth as once the dinosaurs did.
If war should come, it will not be World War III. China and
India will wisely choose not to take active sides. The African nations will not participate. So, too, the South American nations will remain neutral.
Australia and New Zealand may be protected by their isolation. A major portion of the world’s population will not be involved. Of course, nuclear clouds will affect us all, but, most certainly, many of us will survive.
Much of Europe, including Russia, may be destroyed. The
United States, no longer isolated and protected by two oceans, will likely wave goodbye to New York and Washington. Distance may not offer sufficient protection for Los Angeles.
The Lehigh Valley, unfortunately, is too close to New York; but, some of us may survive. Of course, a nuclear war might be limited to only tactical weapons. Let’s not be too pessimistic.
China may emerge as the dominant power in the world, a role to which it has for many years been aspiring. People of color might well dominate the new world.
For a while, before memory
fades, people will say, “Never again.” But human nature will eventually come to prevail; we can count upon it. We seem incapable of getting rid of envy and greed and the conflict that ensues from those deadly sins.
Of course, we do not want a nuclear war, but the willingness to contemplate the unthinkable, the willingness to act upon it if necessary, is likely the best, perhaps only, way to deter Vladimir Putin.
Don’t get overly concerned by the musings of an old man. I’m sure President Biden will not take my confrontational advice. Be reassured, the nuclear war option will not be on his agenda.
I suspect, as noted above, President Putin, encouraged by Western hesitancy and our unwillingness to provoke him, will continue to pursue his Greater Russia dreams. After a while, we’ll come to accept higher prices at the gas pump. Life goes on and we will adjust to it.
So, let’s be optimistic, at least for a little while.