	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-05
Pentagon proposes permitting preemptive use of nuclear weapons

Web Log - September, 2005

Pentagon proposes permitting preemptive use of nuclear weapons

The plan specifies several scenarios that would permit America to be the first to use nuclear weapons.

According to an article in Sunday's Washington Post, the proposal is under consideration, but hasn't yet received final approval.

Nuclear weapons could be used first against an using or stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, this is the next step in a pattern that's being repeated worldwide -- a willingness for countries that fought in World War II to be increasing combative and less compromising, to spend more resources preparing for war. China is rapidly militarizing, and so are the Koreas; Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who sides with Taiwan against China, was reelected on Sunday in landslide; Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is serving as both civilian and military leader.

The political situation around the world has changed dramatically in the last few years as well. Here in America, our entire foreign policy has changed direction since 9/11, with relatively little public debate. Previously, our foreign policy was entire defensive; in 2002, the nation accepted, with little objection, a change to a "preemptive" policy, permitting attacks on foreign countries in pursuit of terrorists.

Prior to 9/11, any talk of a preemptive nuclear policy would have lead to a huge political fight; today it's not receiving even a murmur, as far as I can tell.

Two months ago, there was a scandal involving Presidential aide Karl Rove, and pundits were predicting an enormous political fight that would get Rove fired; today, it's forgotten.

Last month, pundits were predicting a massive resurgence of the antiwar movement, thanks to Cindy Sheehan. Today, I doubt that most people would even remember who Sheehan was, if you mentioned her name.

Today, the great political fight is over Administration incompetence in handling Hurricane Katrina. That fight will pass as well, though hopefully it will lead to real changes.

Today there's only one issue of importance: anxiety from fear of terror and war. 60 years have passed since World War II, and in all the countries that fought in that war, all the people who have any personal memories of that war's horrors are in their 70s or late 60s, and have little remaining influence. People today have no personal memory of those horrors, and are leading the world, in one country after another, into a new war, a "clash of civilizations" world war. (13-Sep-05) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-05 Pentagon proposes permitting preemptive use of nuclear weapons

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-Sep-05
Pentagon proposes permitting preemptive use of nuclear weapons