The U.S. is the only nation whose moral example demonstrates its worthiness to be entrusted with nuclear stockpiles. Moreover, unlike a world filled with rogue regimes, the U.S. has not threatened deploying nukes to ensure other nations' adherence to its constructed world order. Or, so said Ronald Reagan in 1984 which was also the year he declared it was "morning in America."
[1]
This video shows Reagan in either a delusional or deceptive moment. Maybe a mix of early myopia sprinkled over early signs of Alzheimer's. His statements are so inaccurate and reckless that its difficult to discuss this subject without resorting to parody. He ignores historical truth. But my larger purpose here is not to issue recriminations against Reagan but to point out the U.S. self-serving view of itself as some kind of benevolent nuclear power. Reagan's comments are noteworthy not only because they are false, but also because much of the U.S. public hasn't collectively condemned such rhetoric. We should't ignore our history of threatening use of nuclear weapons.
First, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in the Europe during WWII, attempted to express his opposition to dropping atomic bombs to President Truman:
On July 20 (1945), at Potsdam, General Eisenhower had urged Truman 'not to use the bomb," as he had argued earlier with Stimson (Secretary of War 1940-45) [2].
Eisenhower's moral opposition to using atomic weapons underwent nuanced shifts upon his becoming President.
Rather than his expressing his opposition in unequivocal language, President Eisenhower believed if handled properly he could feign an insanity thereby convincing "communist" leaders to cease questioning the legitimacy of U.S. hegemony. In effect Ike's transformation occurring from 1945 to 1953 during which his opposition to the bomb morphed into accepting it as a tool of diplomacy to some degree anticipated Kubrick's satirically and gloomy "Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." Ike's example of wielding coercive power from just bluffing the use of nukes sets a dangerous precedence that we should not gloss over as an established practice in modern diplomacy. But, we can only guess if Ike believed such bluffing generated a long lasting peace, thus justifying its implied insanity:
Did Eisenhower really believe that nuclear explosives were just another conventional military tool, as he indicated at a March 1955 press conference when asked if he might consider using them during a confrontation with China over two tiny, obscure islands in the Formosa Strait? 'I see no reason why they shouldn't be used just exactly as you would use a bullet or anything else,' Eisenhower announced..........After the president's nuclear 'bullet' statement, White House press secretary Jim Hagerty nervously asked his boss how he planned to handle follow-up questions about the atom bomb option. Ike smiled and said, "Don't worry, Jim, if that question comes up, I'll just confuse them." [3]
With a rhetorical gaffe you can demystify the bomb. Thus, its presence alone is enough to scare "communists" and banana republic demagogues into adhering to their imperial masters.
From the time Ike was elected leader of the Free World 8 years following the U.S. dropping of the Little Boy and the Fat Man, the U.S. had already established the trend of considering the use of nukes. As the U.S. prepared to end its involvement in the Korean War, Ike pondered the possibility of using nuclear weapons against China's army:
Formerly secret materials illustrate that in May and June 1953 the Eisenhower administration sought to show that it would stop at nothing to bring the war to a close. In mid-May Ike told the National Security Council that using nukes in Korea would be cheaper than conventional weaponry, and a few days later the Joint Chiefs recommended launching nuclear attacks against China. [4]
They weighed the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons using a cost-benefit analysis. No nukes were used in this case. Ike's threat to deploy nukes were probably just a psychological tactic used to scare the Chinese. Nonetheless, the U.S. threat to use nukes even if to gain a psychological or tactical advantage in diplomatic negotiations certainly encourages other nations to develop their own nuclear arsenals.
And, the ease with which the U.S. considered resorting to dropping nukes should trouble those possessing even the mildest conscience. Also, the U.S. possessing nuclear weapons could encourage their invading nations because if they fail to win a decisive victory using more conventional weapons, they can weigh the nuke option. These are common observations and concerns. But, Reagan didn't consider them opting instead to promote the U.S. as the only nation whose moral example justifies it being the sole possessor of nukes.
Empires never shed their compulsive habit of creating false narratives of moral superiority. The need for such prudence is even more critical in a nuclear age. Laypersons should resist identifying with such false narratives. Empires offered images of glory awaiting the masses who would sacrifice themselves 100 years ago at Verdun, Somme, and Gallipoli. Many other mass graves as well are cleansed of tragic stains once the Empire christens them with the names of glorious-sounding battles. We as laypeople need to create our own narrative not corrupted with Reagan's or any other "leader's" historically fraudulent rhetoric.
1. President Reagan Speech on US-USSR Relations 250165-02. Speech delivered Jan 16, 1984. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_yUID5uO4E FF footage farm. see their website at http://footagefarm.co.uk/
2. Dennis Wainstock. The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 1945. Enigma Books. New York. 2011. Kindle version. page 90 of 217.
3. David Talbot. The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government." Harper Collins. 2015. Kindle version. pp. 242-43.
4. Bruce Cumings. The Korean War: A History. Modern Library Edition. 2010. New York. Kindle version. locations 705-713 of 4360.
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