The Infuriating Fiction of NATO "Nuclear-Free" Nations

US nuclear weapons stored at a Dutch Air Force base. These bombs are intended to be delivered by the Netherlands Air Force in the event of a nuclear war. Photo: US Air Force., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I encounter these people on the internet boasting that their country's military and foreign policy are morally superior to the United States and other nuclear powers because they have no nuclear arsenal. The usual offender is German, but are sometimes from other NATO countries. This is a convenient fiction.

German Air Force Büchel Air Base, where the United States keeps an estimated 20 B61 nuclear bombs for delivery by German bombers in the event of nuclear war. Source: Stahlkocher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons


While it is true that Germany, for instance, does not possess nuclear weapons, as a member of NATO and a participant in the nuclear sharing agreement between countries, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), is capable of delivering nuclear weapons in the event of war. To effect this, the United States maintains nuclear weapons (B61 free fall bombs) on Luftwaffe air bases. In the event of war, nuclear bombs would be rolled out of secure storage to the Luftwaffe flight line and attached to German bombers. Within a few minutes, Germany would become a nuclear power.

It's annoying when you have to endure people on the internet bragging about a convenient falsehood. Nor does this apply only to the NATO countries. Many other US allies live under the protection of the nuclear umbrella. Without the protection of US nuclear weapons, many free and prosperous nations would be neither free nor prosperous.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Pit Bull Reality Distortion Field

Image
"A Dog Fight at Kit Burn’s" by Edward Winslow Martin (James D. McCabe). USA, 1868 Source: Wikimedia Pit bull dog owners seem attracted to pit bulls specifically because they have a reputation for viciousness. They are bred fighting dogs from a long line of fighting dogs going back at least into the 1800s, and you can tell by the jaws and build. They are made to bite and fight. This is why the breed is popular. People like the muscular look and the overbuilt jaws, the streamlined head. Also pit bull owners: "They aren't fighting dogs, they're sweet!" Ok, so why are they called "pit bulls?" You do know what a dog fighting pit is, don't you? See authentic nineteenth century illustration above complete with early pit bulls fighting. Statistically pit bulls are more likely to bite than most other breeds of dog. I believe this is the specific reason people like pit bulls as pets. They like both the look and reputation. Then they go on the internet an
Read more

Book Review: Forgotten Civilization - New Discoveries On The Solar-Induced Dark Age, by Robert Schoch with Catherine Ulissey

Image
Robert Schoch is an example of a well-credentialed scientist with tenure at a prestigious university who is willing to walk right along the fringes of science and engage in wild speculation. He has degrees from Yale and George Washington University and is a faculty member at Boston University. GWU and Boston U are both "near-Ivy" universities, meaning that although they are not in the Ivy League, they are at a similar level of quality and prestige. Yale, of course, is in the Ivy League. Schoch, I think, troubles the scientific community because he is willing to challenge existing paradigms yet is difficult to dismiss out of hand because of his credentials and tenure. Schoch gained international prominence when he published scientific papers and appeared in a documentary in the early 1990s about the Great Sphinx, dating it to pre-dynastic Egypt. His work was based on studies of erosion in the Sphinx enclosure, which is carved out of bedrock. His claims caused an uproar in the
Read more

Avoiding Mistakes

Image
The Old Days (to me). My Grandma and Grandpa Pogue in 1949. My Dad is on the lower right. People are always looking back to the "good old days." A lot of that is what we now call recency bias. Things seemed better when you were young because all the grownups were taking care of everything. Every generation has its problems. Recent generations that are now old were no exception. The good news is that as you get older you get better at avoiding stupid mistakes. People tend to grow careful and conservative as they get older. This is sometimes criticized but in fact it is important to be careful. I have sometimes advised young people to be willing to take risks, because that is the best time to take risks. That said, you have to know when to take risks and when not to. You can make mistakes when you are young from which you can never recover, like for instance committing a major felony crime. Gaining enough experience to avoid these mistakes is wisdom. When you get enough life ex
Read more