"I agree. Instead of decommissioning SSBNs we should be building MORE. And with more nuclear warheads for them too."
Why?
We had complete nuclear supremacy over Korea. Didn't prevent that war; didn't win it.
We had complete nuclear supremacy over Vietnam. Didn't prevent that war; didn't win it.
We had complete nuclear supremacy over Iran in 1979. Didn't keep them from taking our people hostage, nor did that supremacy free those hostages.
We could obliterate the Islamist world in an afternoon, no problem...but we don't.
Nuclear weapons are expensive to buy, really expensive to guard, and haven't done a damn thing for this country since 1945.
On the other side...
The USSR had complete nuclear supremacy over Afghanistan. Fat lot of good it did them, right?
The ChiComs have complete nuclear supremacy over Taiwan. Whole bunch of good it's doing them now, huh?
It DOES prevent is a nuclear strike against OUR nation as well as prevent INVASION. Which is exactly what the ChiComs would do if we did not have a nuclear deterrant. The ChiComs will not invade Taiwan because one they are trained and equipped by us and two, even today there is the distinct possibility that both Taiwan and Japan have the bomb or could have them overnight. The Arab League has never attacked Israel since they got their nuclear arsenal. The palestinians do.
Nukes were never meant to be used against smaller nations. They were designed as a deterrent against the Soviet Union, and in that regard they worked very well.
Boots on the ground always get the job done, even if the tangos don’t “get” the theories of deterrence.
BUT, A little PSYOPs/serious, irreparable mental damage helps out also. The Chinese Communist "leadership" needs a frontal lobotomy, plus a whole host of Rx served up cold.. If that can coincide with unprecedented “internal” problems, demonstrations and other unspecified issues, we may yet have a “peaceful” plan for China.
China should be Balkanized. Take China apart from within. If they want to play with the bull, they better get ready for the horns, and a simultaneous kick in the pants!
I was told by a client who served on a guided missle cruiser (had a designation CGN, but can't remember the name...it was named after a souther state I think) back in the late 70's early 80's. He told me that on the day of Reagan's inauguration, they moved a huge number of ships into striking distance of Iran and told Iran that they had 48 hours to release the hostages or they would be nuked (this guy said they armed the nukes and were ready to launch)...and that is why the hostages were released. Apparently, the ships were moved prior to inauguration on Reagan's directive, approved to by Carter. Don't know if this is BS or not.