The Ethical Nuclear Missile

I don’t believe that it is reasonable to talk about ethics when it comes to our nuclear missile corps.  To concern yourself with drug abuse or cheating on exams, which is taking place in the Air Force missile silos, is like worrying about a terrorist bomber spitting on the sidewalk of a church before blowing it up.  The folks who spend decades in a nuclear silo are willing, if given the order, to push a button that will murder millions of innocent civilians.  If you don’t believe that this act fits the definition of “International Terrorism”, then read the definition in Chapter 113B of the US Code on the FBI Website.

The main fear of our military should be that some of the folks assigned to this task might not be psychopaths (amoral behavior without empathy or remorse).  You don’t want to have them hesitate before turning the key.  We could switch to a computer operated system, with only our President holding the key.  The problem here, of course, would be a technical failure or the wrong man in office.  A historical example of this would be the Cuban Missile Crisis.  According to Robert McNamara, Sec. of Defense, in the documentary, “The Fog of War”, President Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev calmed things down there, while Curtis LeMay and Fidel Castro were rooting to let the good times roll and destroy the planet.  Now, for one moment consider what would have happened at that time if ego-maniacs like George Bush, Jr. were our president and Putin had control of Russia.  As long as the Nuclear Missiles exist on this planet, the world’s population is subjected to International Terrorism.  The threat itself constitutes terrorism.  Ask yourself, “Why is it OK for the US to present a nuclear threat to the world, when it is not OK for Iran to present one?”  Please don’t answer, “Because Iran would use them”, as you know, we already have.

I sat by the pool at a party with a retired man who spent his Air Force career in a missile site.  I asked him if he was given any psychological testing before being given the assignment.  His answer was, “No”.  Could our military have been dumb enough to have not submitted this man to significant testing before giving him this assignment?  The job requires a psychopath in order to expect him or her to carry out the assignment.  I mean, to sit there and contemplate the act, for decades, of pushing the button and killing millions, requires a very special person.  I did not throw him in the pool, and then drown him.  I decided … that was God’s job.

So, you live in a democracy.  What are we going to do about this lunacy?  Are we willing to support it, while skimping on Head Start?  Hell yes we are.  “Take your place on the great mandala ...” – Peter Yarrow.   Do you have any comments?

Cheers, Old Buz