Tom Friedman with a warning:
This is not a joke. If North Korea and Iran both go nuclear, that step may trigger a major realignment of geopolitics – the like of which has not been seen since the end of the cold war.
If North Korea sets off a nuclear test, how long will Japan continue relying on the United States for its nuclear shield? And what will South Korea and Taiwan do? And if Japan or South Korea goes nuclear, how may an anxious China react? And if Shiite Iran becomes a nuclear power – in tandem with Iraq’s being run by Shiites – the Sunni Arab world will go nuts, not to mention the Israelis. Will Saudi Arabia then feel compelled to acquire a nuclear deterrent? Will Egypt?
We’re talking nuclear dominoes.
So there you have it – my annual nonproliferation column. Unless China and Europe get serious about the problem, it’s not going to get fixed. And for now, neither one seems ready, willing or interested in eating its brussels sprouts.
This is very interesting. One big question, though, which W is afraid to push the Pakistanis on, is; who did A.Q. Khan sell his expertise to?
But hey, screw stability, democracy can be untidy.
Great blog!
I’d be interested in hearing your opinion of the STV electoral system used there. We are being asked to decide whether we want to use the system here in BC, Canada!
Thank you!
Mmm. Inevitably the worse fears of nuclear proliferation never come through. Other than Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no nuke has been dropped, even though seven (isn’t it?) countries have been armed for the guts of 50 years.
Moral of the story: it’s safer to have ’em than no to have ’em. And there’s going to be progressively less wars – does anyone doubt but that india and pakistan would be beating the shite out of each other over kashmir if both weren’t afraid of the nuclear consequences?