Ike did recognize that a US-Soviet nuclear war would be a disaster. He also thought, as has every administration since Truman's, that atomic weapons should be made usable at the tactical level, and he looked for a way to use them while keeping the Soviets sufficiently intimidated that they would not do anything rash no matter what whacko thing we did.
In the 1950s, especially the early-mid 1950s, this was a lot more plausible than it is today. It is quite likely that if the (or France) US had used the bomb in that period that the Soviets, devastated by WWII and engaged in rebuilding a society that had lost 25-50 million dead, and who had at that time only a very small arsenal, no worldwide network of bases, and only half-assed long rang bombers, could not have done much about it, and might not have wanted to given that they were quite clear about what the bomb would do to what they had been able to salvage from the war. That is, short of an attack on the Soviet Union itself.
Sputnik, and the first ICBMs shortly thereafter, changed everything. From then on, US policy was a desperate search for ways to be able to credibly threaten to use tactical nuclear weapons. Every piece of US nuclear strategy and technology since has been part of this effort -- and still is, even though the official Excuse for the bomb is now practically faded from memory.
jks
The subject line is from Randy Newman's Political Science
No one likes us-I don’t know why We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try But all around, even our old friends put us down Let’s drop the big one and see what happens
We give them money-but are they grateful? No, they’re spiteful and they’re hateful They don’t respect us-so let’s surprise them We’ll drop the big one and pulverize them
Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old Africa is far too hot And Canada’s too cold And South America stole our name Let’s drop the big one There’ll be no one left to blame us
We’ll save Australia Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo We’ll build an all-American amusement park there They got surfin’, too
Boom goes London and boom Paree More room for you and more room for me And every city the whole world round Will just be another american town Oh, how peaceful it will be We’ll set everybody free You’ll wear a japanese kimono And there’ll be italian shoes for me
They all hate us anyhow So let’s drop the big one now Let’s drop the big one now
Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
Michael Pollak wrote:
>
> Ike thought
> nuclear war was a horror,
Then why did his administration offer France nuclear weapons to use to avoid defeat at Dien Ben Phu? (In fact, Dulles _urged_ the French to accept the offer.)
The analogy to British politics and to the 1950s is probably fucked up. But the general fact that neither the RP nor the DP, for the last 50 years, has been able to stay in office more than 4 to 8 years (first Bush an exception) is not fucked up, and there is almost certainly going to be a party change in the presidency in either 2008 or 2112, probably the former. The ABBs simply won't, it seems, look this fact in the face.
They claim that 2004 is special, but the rhythm of u.s. politics is such that almost all elections are going to appear special. There will never be a good time to make a clean break with the DP.
Carrol
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