I just listened to the finale podcast of Dan Carlin Hardcore History Supernova in the East.[i] It concludes by describing the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Exceptionally grim details.

For those of us who were kids during the cold war…. we would wake up from having a nukemare. In one of mine a fireball was over the Alpine Tower (which was visible from my New Jersey bedroom window in Tenafly), and thousands of birds were flying away from the flames.

I now view it as likely that a nuclear weapon will be used somewhere during my remaining lifetime. I am surprised that it has been almost 77 years since atomic weapons were used against Japan, but I can think of reasons for the delay.

First, in the US vs USSR cold war, we had the MAD (mutual assured destruction) doctrine. That was a strong constraint against atomic warfare. Second, other nuclear-armed countries like Israel and the UK have behaved responsibly. Even nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have (so far) not brought nukes into their disputes over Kashmir.

But what about the largest invasion force in Europe since WW 2 poised on the Ukrainian border? I am surprised that, considering all the nukes that are in that area, I have not heard much talk about nuclear risk.

I don’t know if Putin would nuke Ukraine. But now consider proliferation. Countries that want to join the nuke club. Would North Korea nuke South Korea? What would hold Kim back? Self-preservation? What if he thought could get away with it? And what about Iran with its hatred of Israel?

I know that God is in control of history. God has (so far!) restrained nukes. But will this restraint last indefinitely? Could there be a World War III nuclear conflagration that would be the end of life as we know it on our planet?

I don’t have a crystal ball for that. So, I’ll conclude with the advice from Ecclesiastes:

Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.

Good to keep right with God in advance of any nukemare!

[i] https://www.dancarlin.com/

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