Vocal Voices

No, not the civilian domestic power one.

The US, Russia, UK, France, China, India and Pakistan all have active nuclear arsenals. We also strongly suspect that Israel, N. Korea and Iran have viable warheads and delivery systems, but we do not know how many or how advanced they are. Then there are the states we know have the technology and the raw materials to be able to produce off-the-shelf weapons at short notice, think Canada, Australia. S. Africa and so on.

All of these places know of mutually assured destruction (MAD) should any of these weapons ever be used.

So why is China reportedly building 220+ (known) nuclear missile silos deep in its heartlands? What could they possibly be for? An anti alien defence system or something nearer home!

Let's be clear, the concept of a limited nuclear war has long gone.

China is building a "deterrent" so that when they do unacceptable things they can tell us to go take a hike and be confident we won't just ignore them.

This capacity is very specifically to intimidate and allow actions like attacking Taiwan.

If China thinks this will work, they have very seriously misjudged the west. First we will cripple their economy by stopping buying production, then we will issue threats of our own. Moving production home and onto a cold war footing is Exactly the kind of thing which politicians "love". China would be well advised to stop it now and stop escalating. Because it will make the hand of the politicians in the West stronger, not weaker. But China takes advice from nobody.

We lived that world. Our kids don't believe what we thought when we lived it. I don't wish this on them but if they have to live it they may learn something about priorities!

Yes, good points.

However, the problem with Cold Wars is that they can become "hot". The West and the Soviets knew that, it is why both sides made loud noises, but kept talking.

China was on the outside looking in during most of that time so it has never had to face up to the reality. We simply do not know how it will react if push comes to shove, and neither do they.

China is more predictable in some ways.

China wants to grow and expand its rule. In order to do that, the world cannot be destroyed, it would fundamentally fail their goals.

Of course their is the face issue. Something the west fails to understand and China pushes to the hilt.

The Chinese state frightens me. At the risk of sounding over-the-top, it reminds me of The Borg in Star Trek - assimilate or die. Look at those awful "rehabilitation" camps they run, where Muslims and other "dissidents" are sent to be re-educated I think the world's future might possibly be Chinese in a century or so's time.