Trump would consider letting Japan and South Korea build nuclear arsenals

The Hill ^ | March 26, 2016, | Jessie Hellmann

[JohnBrowdie]

Donald Trump would consider allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals instead of depending on the U.S. for their protection against North Korea and China, he said in an interview with The New York Times published Saturday.

“There’ll be a point at which we’re just not going to be able to do it anymore,” Trump said, pointing at what he calls a “severely depleted” military.

“We have nuclear arsenals which are in very terrible shape,” he said. “They don’t even know if they work.”

“If the United States keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, they’re going to want to have that anyway with or without me discussing it, because I don’t think they feel very secure in what’s going on with out country,” he said of Japan and South Korea.

Trump said the U.S. cannot always “be the policeman of the world” and said North Korea “probably” has nuclear weapons

[Does so]

Trump said the U.S. cannot always “be the policeman of the world”

But when we weren't, we lost nearly half a million dead.

:(

[McGruff]

“Trump is an unstable man who might be even more dangerous as president than Hillary.”

LOL. The Zombies for Cruz are out.

[trebb]

it was brilliant. that would rattle the russians and the chinese. but then he keps talking, and ruins the whole thing. <

I prefer his no-nuance style.

[norwaypinesavage]

I don’t know how one knows if a nuke weapon is "good"

It would help to occasionally test one. We haven't done that for more than a couple of decades. The next best thing is computer simulations - you know, like the ones that predict we will have catastrophic global warming by 2012.

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

When South Africa tested its nuke in the south pacific and we caught it on the periphery of one of our satellite detectors, it was assumed in diplomatic circles that South Korea and Taiwan were partnering with South Africa in the development of a nuke.

For a lot of reasons (mainly money), South Africa fessed up to its nuclear program and had the IAEA disassemble it and remove it.

IIRC, there are several books out there on the disarmiment process.

I would assume that South Korea and Taiwan, still being under threat, have made plans to access nukes quickly to create some level of Mutually Assured Destruction with China and North Korea.

[TMSuchman]

That was changed long time ago when we gave up that right & they took back their right’s of self determination.

They are they’re OWN sovereign countries now & they shape their own future/s.

And yes, we their closest ally, but they have their leaders have their own countries to answer to, & protect.

[Ozark Tom]

Japan recently returned the loan of 331 Kg of weapons grade plutonium to the United States; but, has a considerable stockpile of spent fuel available for re-processing, and 10.8 tonne of reactor? grade plutonium.

[Ozark Tom]

Japan has been placing satellites in orbit for some time.

[Ozark Tom]

Chemical explosives, electronics, certain nuclear materials, etc. deteriorate, and result in the need of periodic refurbishment. This maintenance issue is common to most military hardware, aviation being notorious for upkeep hours.

[disndat]

I don’t know how the Japanese think, but to my thinking if my country was hit with nukes one of the first things I would do is get me some too. Just in case.

[NonValueAdded]

It was said that God, in order to test mankind which had become swelled with pride as in the time of Noah, had commanded the wise men of that age, among them the Blessed Leibowitz, to devise great engines of war such as had never before been upon the Earth, weapons of such might that they contained the very fires of Hell, and that God had suffered these magi to place the weapons in the hands of princes, and to say to each prince: “Only because the enemies have such a thing have we devised this for thee, in order that they may know that thou hast it also, and fear to strike. See to it, m’Lord, that thou fearest them as much as they shall now fear thee, that none may unleash this dread thing which we have wrought.”

But the princes, putting the words of their wise men to naught, thought each to himself: If I but strike quickly enough, and in secret, I shall destroy those others in their sleep, and there will be none to fight back; the earth shall be mine.

Such was the folly of princes, and there followed the Flame Deluge.

[Oztrich Boy]

It’s “you’re”