Tag: Nuclear Weapons

Member Post

Respondeo EtsiMutabor
Respondeo EtsiMutabor
149
 

Russia now has five reasons for suspending their compliance with the New START Treaty. Chief appears to be a complaint taken out of the Iran playbook and that is Iran’s refrain that the US ‘rules’ re the international system are an example of the “great arrogance.” As in who gave the US the right to […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

The Power of the Atom

Internet's Hank
Internet's Hank
2212
 

When the atom bomb flattened Hiroshima, the whole world changed. Already the belligerents in the Second World War had been far too happy bombing civilian targets to subdue the foe. From the poison gas of the First World War to V2 rockets and jet-powered fighters of the Second, the world witnessed science’s willingness to provide newer and more deadly weapons. Today I’m exploring not the weapons but the way we understand and react to them, the minds of all of us haunted by nuclear war.

When Nagasaki followed Hiroshima, the Second World War ended. Immediately we began to confront the specter of the next. If the Third World War was fought along the pattern of the Second, none of us would survive. Mankind had developed the ability to commit suicide. Have you ever stood at the edge of a cliff and felt the wild impulse to throw yourself off? Even more horrifyingly, it needn’t be an intentional choice.

Preview Open

Eight Important Lessons on Deterrence from Ukraine

Jailer
Jailer
62172253
 

There’s nothing that complicated about deterrence theory. To successfully deter potential adversaries from doing bad things to you and your friends, they need to believe you are willing and able to do unacceptably bad things to them and their friends in response. The degree to which they believe this is the degree to which deterrence is effective. Hence, successful deterrence employs the tactic of ambiguity to create doubt in adversaries’ minds over how far you may be willing to go, which is where the phrase “all options are on the table” has often been employed through past conflicts and crises.

So, what lessons have we learned about deterrence over the past two months?

Preview Open

Nuclear Rumors from Ukraine

Internet's Hank
Internet's Hank
20152004
 

This is a brief compilation of a couple of different rumors I’ve heard out of the Ukraine war and what they mean. Now I don’t know much but I know a little bit about nukes and how they work and some of these things are flat out implausible. What I’m looking to give here is a quick reality check to see if any given statement is worth worrying about further. To be clear I’m talking about science; whether or not Putin is willing to deploy tactical nuclear weapons is beyond the scope of this post. Let’s get down to it.

Increasing Radiation levels at Chernobyl

The Claim: In the first day or two of the war the Russians attacked and took Chernobyl. The fight kicked up a lot of dust. The Ukrainian government’s automated radiation monitoring says the background radiation there jumped from 3,000 nSv/hour to 65,500 nSv/hour. Claim found in this video, though I’ve heard it elsewhere too.

Preview Open

Member Post

Kelly D Johnston
Kelly D Johnston
1011247
 

Much is being made of President Joe Biden’s rather odd news conference yesterday going after guns and gun dealers to curb the epidemic of urban violence. I’m not getting into the “substance” of his remarks, but instead note the President channeling his inner Eric Swalwell (US Rep., D-CA, failed presidential candidate. And much more). Stick with me; a […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

Ex-Mossad Head to Iran: ‘We Won’t Let You Get Nuclear Weapons. What Don’t You Understand?’

Jon Gabriel, Ed.
Jon Gabriel, Ed.
1318
 

Retired Mossad chief Yossi Cohen.

Every few months for the past several years, there’s an “incident” in Iran. A top nuclear scientist disappears. A centrifuge facility catches fire. A ship doesn’t make it to its destination. And the Israelis offer no comment.

That is, until now. Yossi Cohen, who stepped down as leader of the Mossad intelligence agency last week, provided a stunning inside look at Israel’s efforts to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Preview Open

Member Post

Ben Weingarten
Ben Weingarten
12
 

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell on Iran Sanctions Snapback, America’s Energy Competition with Russia in the EU, Chancellor Merkel U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell occupies one of the most critical positions in American diplomacy, not only because Germany represents the EU’s largest economy and has disproportionate influence on the continent, but because of […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

Michael Ledeen on the Potential Collapse of Iran’s Khomeinist Regime

Ben Weingarten
Ben Weingarten
33
 

For this week’s Big Ideas with Ben Weingarten podcast, I had historian, Freedom Scholar at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, former Special Advisor to the Secretary of State and consultant to the National Security Council during the Reagan administration, author of 38 books and most pertinent to today, Iran expert, Michael Ledeen on the podcast to discuss among other things:

  • The impending collapse of the Khomeinist regime and what the U.S. can do to accelerate it
  • The false narrative about alternatives for Iran being either appeasement or war
  • The history of U.S. intelligence failures in Iran
  • How secular and liberal Iran’s dissidents actually are
  • Whether there is a wedge that can be exploited between Iran and Russia
  • What will become of Hezbollah if the Iranian regime collapses
  • The allegedly political witch hunt against Iran hawk and Israel supporter Larry Franklin as an illustration of historic anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the foreign policy and national security establishment
  • Ledeen’s theory that Gen. Michael Flynn — with whom Ledeen co-authored the book, The Field of Fight — falsely pled guilty, and the real reason why Gen. Flynn was targeted in the first place

You can find the episode on iTunes, everywhere else podcasts are found, download the episode directly here or read the transcript here.

Preview Open

Why Not Proliferate?

Cato Rand
Cato Rand
5821
 

I’ve been following the news about the Summit and the discussion on this thread, and there seems to be quite a difference of opinion. Not only about the wisdom and utility of the Summit and its outcome, but about our role in the region in the first place. Some of the Trumpier commenters say — and I have a certain amount of sympathy for this view — that keeping American troops in South Korea at this late date is both provocative and expensive.

It’s certainly the latter, and one of my great long-term fears is that like so many empires before us, keeping the Pax Americana over so much of the globe will eventually exhaust us financially. It is straining us now, and part of the “America first” theme on which Trump was elected was the notion that we should, first and foremost, take care of our own.

Preview Open
Three Martini Lunch

Kim Really Ready to Give Up Nukes? Starbucks Training Session, Stingy de Blasio

11
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see South Korea’s president say North Korea is ready to give up nukes with no conditions, but wonder whether this is yet another ruse from Pyongyang.  They also wonder why 175,000 Starbucks employees need racial sensitivity training because of a high-profile controversy at one franchise.  And Jim has the perfect charity in mind for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after tax returns show the mayor and his wife donated just $350 to charity in 2017.

Preview Open
Three Martini Lunch

Is Trump-Kim Meeting Smart? Peterson’s Story Doesn’t Hold Up, Big Jobs Report

00
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America look at the possible pros and cons of President Trump meeting face-to-face with Kim Jong-Un, hoping there’s a shot at progress but realizing the North Koreans have no track record of honesty.  They also fume as radio chatter from the Florida high school shooting confirms Deputy Scot Peterson knew right away that shots were being fired inside the building, a direct contradiction of his earlier explanation that he did not enter the building because he thought the shots were coming from outside.  And they celebrate a robust jobs report, with over 300,000 new jobs added in February.

Preview Open
Three Martini Lunch

Progress on North Korea? Al Qaeda Rears Its Head Again, Nunberg’s Meltdown

11
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America very warily approach the reports of North Korea supposedly being willing to scrap its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees.  While fully aware that Kim Jong-Un may only be looking to bait us or stall for time, they are hopeful that the tougher approach from the Trump administration is starting to pay off.  They also wince as Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri emerges in a new video urging jihadists to stop fighting with each other and focus on a common enemy.  And they react with bemusement and concern as former Trump campaign official Sam Nunberg appears on several cable news shows to announce he is defying the subpoena from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, only to later admit he will probably cooperate.

Preview Open

Member Post

Joe P
Joe P
143
 

This post contains spoilers for the entire first season of Star Trek: Discovery, and especially about the season finale. The picture in the middle may itself be considered a spoiler too. The finale is kind of a letdown but if you still want to see it without being spoiled, you should stop reading now. The […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

Three Martini Lunch

Tax Cut Momentum, Kim’s Ominous Missile, NBC Fires Lauer

01
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are very cautiously optimistic about tax reform getting done after the Senate Budget Committee approved the Senate bill and several of the likely holdouts now seem ready to pass it.  They’re also concerned following the latest North Korean missile test, which seems to indicate the communist regime could hit the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-armed ICBM.  And they react to NBC firing longtime “Today” host Matt Lauer over sexually inappropriate actions.

Preview Open
Matters of Policy & Politics

The North Korean Conundrum

00
Hosted by Bill Whalen

Recorded on September 26, 2017

After nearly a quarter of a century of the same approach—diplomacy, sanctions, and concessions—the United States seems out of policy options other than a military solution with regard to North Korea . Michael Auslin, Hoover’s inaugural Williams-Griffis Fellow in Contemporary Asia, discusses what scenarios may unfold on the Korean peninsula as well as the possibility of nuclear engagement and nuclear accidents.

Preview Open

Member Post

Michael Graham
Michael Graham
45
 

In my “Michael In the Morning” podcast today I interview Joshua Stanton of One Free Korea blog. He’s advised Congress in the past on North Korea strategy and, most interesting to me, he’s the first person I’ve heard propose a serious and realistic plan to oust the Kim regime. You can read his “Contain, Constrict, […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

Three Martini Lunch

North Korea: Crazy Kim, Trump’s “Fire and Fury,” Decades of Botched Diplomacy

00
Hosted by Greg Corombos & Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America focus on North Korea today, in light of the recent news that the isolated nation now has the technology to put a nuclear warhead inside one of its missiles and is now threatening a strike on Guam.  With such a development, Jim says, we may have to begin looking at the the possibility of accepting North Korea as a nuclear power, Jim and Greg discuss the unpalatable downsides to that.  They examine the statements President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson regarding North Korea, as Trump promises “fury and fire” and Tillerson says that’s the only language that Kim Jong-Un understands.  Jim also delves into the history of the past three presidential administrations and their failures to keep North Korea fee of nukes.

Preview Open

Member Post

civil westman
civil westman
2713
 

I learned something recently which I find very worrisome. North Korea has submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Now, the US has very sophisticated anti-sub defenses. Doctrine says an aircraft carrier battle group is impenetrable by subs. Nonetheless, a Chinese sub managed to surface quite unexpectedly, within torpedo range of the USS Kitty Hawk. The possibility that a […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

Member Post

Albert Arthur
Albert Arthur
12
 

In this special Sunday edition of MaxEd Out, Max and Ed talk about the rainbow trout that Ed caught on lake Winnipesaukee (and that Max ate), and about what Max characterizes as an anti-Semitic letter to their local newspaper, and about the Iran nuclear agreement in general.The long range gun that Ed was talking about […]
Join Ricochet!

This is a members-only post on Ricochet's Member Feed. Want to read it? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.