The professed function of the nuclear weapons on each side is to prevent the other side from using their nuclear weapons. If that's all it is, then we've gotta as: how many nuclear weapons do you need to do that?
Carl Sagan
Related It's very certain that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons for offensive purposes. They do... KIM YOUNG-SAM As far as U.S. intelligence knows, Iran is developing nuclear capacities, but they don't know if... NOAM CHOMSKY If we are really anxious not to have nuclear weapons in Iran, the first thing is to call an internat... BRUCE KENT This means that the only function of nuclear weapons, while they exist, is to deter a nuclear attack... JOSEPH ROTBLAT We do not wish to have nuclear weapons on New Zealand soil or in our harbors. We do not ask, we do n... DAVID LANGE The lesson of the Cold War is that against nuclear weapons, only nuclear weapons can hold the peace. CHUNG MONG-JOON Our republic is a responsible nuclear state that, as we made clear before, will not use nuclear weap... KIM JONG-UN You probably don't need more weapons than what's required to destroy every city on earth. Th... CARL SAGAN It is most regrettable that nuclear energy is being harnessed for making nuclear weapons. LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI We must take steps to prevent further nuclear weapons development or modernization. DAISAKU IKEDA I think there are many times when it would be most efficient to use nuclear weapons. However, the pu... CURTIS LEMAY Japan learned from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that the tragedy wrought by nuclear weapon... DAISAKU IKEDA We learned in 2003 that the federal government was headed towards researching, funding, developing a... JIM MATHESON The threat from Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction - chemical, biological, potentially n... TONY BLAIR Many foolish people believe that nuclear war cannot happen, because there can be no winner. However,... PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS We also will take the lead in the international community to promote ... nuclear disarmament and nuc... JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI What the United States has to do is send a clear message to Iran that they will not be able to devel... ALAN DERSHOWITZ We are not afraid of nuclear weapons. The point is that if we had in fact wanted to build a nuclear ... MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, like other countries in the region, rejects the acquisition of nuclear ... ABDULLAH OF SAUDI ARABIA take pragmatic and effective steps to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass... TED TURNER Iran's goal is not to become another North Korea - a nuclear weapons possessor but a pariah in t... MOHAMED ELBARADEI You know, people have actually changed the way they think about nuclear weapons now, post-Cold War, ... LAWRENCE BENDER Well, what I've said is that the war in Iraq will always be clouded by how it began, which was a... ROBERT M. GATES We have, I think, come through the big danger of a vast and sudden exchange of nuclear weapons, ... ... BEN BOVA I've been working with Global Zero. They are a great organization leading the resistance against... VALERIE PLAME Experts say that Iraq may have nuclear weapons. That's bad news - they may have a nuclear bomb. ... DAVID LETTERMAN I really believe the nexus of terrorism and nuclear weapons is the world's most ominous threat. VALERIE PLAME Five million Jews are regarding me as a traitor, but six billion people around the world think me as... MORDECHAI VANUNU It is no surprise that companies do not often respond to moral pressure alone. We need to hit them h... TED DEUTCH Nuclear war is such an emotional subject that many people see the weapons themselves as the common e... HERMAN KAHN Today, India is a nuclear weapons state. A. P. J. ABDUL KALAM We are categorically against proliferation of nuclear weapons. SERGEI LAVROV Although September 11 was horrible, it didn't threaten the survival of the human race, like nucl... STEPHEN HAWKING At the end of the day, historians are going to judge this agreement primarily by whether or not it d... ROBERT HATHAWAY As for the assertion that nuclear weapons prevent wars, how many more wars are needed to refute this... JOSEPH ROTBLAT Nuclear Weapons aren't much of a threat, today; compared to Families of the world, going Nuclear. ANIRUDDHA SASTIKAR If the administration is serious about keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists, the l... DR. EDWIN LYMAN When we're talking about technology that involves weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical... JOHN SUNUNU The nexus between terrorism and nuclear weapons, or even nuclear material, is obviously a current co... MITCHELL REISS If the militarily most powerful - and least threatened - states need nuclear weapons for their secur... JOSEPH ROTBLAT Committed to seeking a peaceful Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons. JAMES KELLY I grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, which is my hometown. In Los Alamos is, for people who don'... DREW GODDARD India can live without nuclear weapons. That's our dream, and it should be the dream of the U.S.... A. P. J. ABDUL KALAM A country, which possesses the biggest nuclear arsenal, embarks on proliferation of nuclear weapons ... MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD Look, Israel doesn't intend to introduce nuclear weapons, but if people are afraid that we have ... SHIMON PERES We have a crisis in nuclear weapons, and again, thanks very much to the Democrats: Bill Clinton, who... JILL STEIN Our nuclear weapons are meant purely as a deterrent against nuclear adventure by an adversary. ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE Nuclear weapons can wipe out life on Earth, if used properly GARETH OWEN So while there is no evidence at all that Iran has any significant quantity of nuclear material or a... JOSEPH CIRINCIONE In the end, for all of Obama's grand rhetoric on ridding the world of nuclear weapons, history h... THOMAS P.M. BARNETT The human race cannot coexist with nuclear weapons. ICCHO ITOH It's a package (of nuclear and conventional weapons). The implication of this obviously is that nucl... HANS KRISTENSEN Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of ... JOE LIEBERMAN Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of ... JOSEPH LIEBERMAN Japan is the only country in the world which suffered from the scourge of nuclear weapons. YOSHIRO MORI To me, nuclear weapons are the secret crisis of our time. Frankly, everyone needs to reread John Her... ERIK LARSON All mankind is now learning that these nuclear weapons can only serve to destroy, never become benef... ALVA MYRDAL North Korea needs to fully and immediately dismantle their nuclear weapons program, ARI FLEISCHER Above all else, we need a reaffirmation of political commitment at the highest levels to reducing th... KOFI ANNAN It is the earnest hope of our people that the world may see the day when all nuclear weapons are abo... EISAKU SATO We have got thousands of nuclear weapons in order to achieve deterrence. JOHN SPRATT Individuals can stand up against genocide in Darfur and Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. TED DEUTCH A nuclear-weapons-free world is the highest gift of humanity to the next generation. AMIT RAY Whoever is planning a nuclear war or seriously thinking about using nuclear weapons must directly be... MEHMET MURAT ILDAN We now know that Saddam [Hussein] has resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. DICK CHENEY Having worked for him in the nuclear weapons policy business, I can tell you that President Reagan w... FRANK GAFFNEY North Korea is going to get away with keeping its nuclear weapons. JOHN BOLTON Our - our friends can't trust us anymore. You know, Ukraine was a nuclear-armed state. They gave... BEN CARSON For the United States to recommit itself to the obligation that we undertook in the Nuclear Non-Prol... SUSAN RICE Nuclear arms kill many people all at once, but other weapons kill many people, little by little, eve... ÓSCAR ARIAS It is time for Israel to take it's nuclear weapons out of the basement and put them on the table. JOSEPH CIRINCIONE The larger picture here is that a North Korea with nuclear weapons adds to the larger proliferation ... SUSAN RICE Such plans do not limit, but in fact promote efforts by others to develop (nuclear weapons), SERGEI IVANOV I call upon the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn thei... RONALD REAGAN The Pacific had great hope that when the former President Mitered decided to halt nuclear testing, w... JENNY SHIPLEY Trump's opinions on the Iraq War have been as erratic as his opinions on other foreign policy ma... DAVID BROCK The real solution to this crisis is a true and meaningful Nuclear Free Zone in the Middle East, not ... WILLIAM PEDEN Have you noticed," said John, "how countries call theirs 'sovereign nuclear deterrents,' but call th... DAVID MITCHELL Russia is opposed to the proliferation of mass destruction weapons, including nuclear weapons, and i... VLADIMIR PUTIN We don't need to worry about the Indian nuclear tests if India has agreed not to have these weapons ... JESSE HELMS We have an active program. We have nuclear weapons, we are a nuclear power. We have an advanced miss... AYUB KHAN We have an active program ... we have nuclear weapons, we are a nuclear power, ... We have an advanc... AYUB KHAN Finally, people from the Bush Administration argue that Iran is not really serious about making any ... GARY SAMORE I can categorically tell you that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program, JAVAD ZARIF Experts say that Iraq may have nuclear weapons. That's bad news - they may have a nuclear bomb. Now ... DAVID LETTERMAN Canada is abandoning its 40- to 50-year traditional diplomatic approach in how to deal with the dang... LLOYD AXWORTHY a production line of nuclear weapons ... will not be permitted. SAM NUNN I think our biggest form of climate change we should worry about is nuclear weapons. DONALD TRUMP it is no longer indisputable ... that the missing tapes contain crown jewel information about the na... JAMES PARKER China stands for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. CHEN JIAN Nuclear weapons and TV have simply intensified the consequences of our tendencies. DAVID FOSTER WALLACE Of course I've got lawyers. They are like nuclear weapons, I've got em 'cause everyone e... DANNY DEVITO Nuclear weapons are intrinsically neither moral nor immoral, though they are more prone to immoral u... HERMAN KAHN The inspections started in 1991, right after the Gulf War. One of the conditions for the ceasefire w... HANS BLIX It's just hypocrisy in my opinion for us, with our 30,000 nuclear weapons, to tell other small count... TED TURNER It is no surprise nations like South Korea are beginning to hedge their bets in light of the North K... JOSEPH CIRINCIONE If you (the Europeans) are really honest and worried that Iran may obtain nuclear weapons, there are... AKBAR RAFSANJANI If you (the Europeans) are really honest and worried that Iran may obtain nuclear weapons, there are... AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI You don't build new nuclear-power plants for a country that's building up its military and threateni... DANA ROHRABACHER They say Iran has to stop its peaceful nuclear activity since there is a probability of diversion wh... MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD
More Carl Sagan
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