Nuclear weapons are very powerful and harmful. They can kill millions of people and damage the environment. Some people want to ban them, because they think they are immoral and dangerous. They say that using them would break the rules of war and cause terrible suffering. They also say that having them is wrong, because they threaten the survival of humanity and the planet. They want to get rid of them for good.
But some people do not want to ban them, because they think they are useful and necessary. They say that having them prevents big wars and keeps the peace. They also say that giving them up would be risky and foolish, because it would make them and their friends more vulnerable to attack. They want to keep them for security.
The debate about banning nuclear weapons is not easy. It is about law and politics, but also about ethics and morality. It makes us think about what we value and what we owe to each other. It also makes us think about how we can solve the problems and dangers of the world.
My question is this: How can we balance the moral duty of ending nuclear weapons with the practical need of staying safe?
The thing about nuclear weapons is that for us normies that do not shoulder the responsibility of leading the country or keeping it safe (at least not as much responsibility as our leaders have), it is easy to prioritize ethics and morality. But for the leaders that has so much responsibility resting on their shoulders, nuclear weapons become weapons that that serves as an assurance that keeps wars from happening and maintain order. It pushes all sides to prioritize peace or diplomatic discussions instead of all out wars for the sake of not destroying the world we live in.
Just try to imagine if there weren't any nuclear weapons, there would be nothing that strikes enough fear on different countries to start wars as long as they have the budget and the population needed.
Nuclear weapons may be unethical and immoral, but we cannot deny the fact that it is indeed necessary.
That is why I really don't think the world will ever be able to let go of nuclear weapons. And even if that happens, some countries will still create weapons of the like or at least keep undeclared nuclear weapons that are hidden from the public "just in case".