So, Obama just said, in the New York Times no less, that
the United States is explicitly committing not to use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states that are in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, even if they attacked the United States with biological or chemical weapons or launched a crippling cyberattack.
Well, all right.
The likelihood that a state sufficiently advanced to comply with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty would attack the US with chemical or biological weapons is essentially nonexistent. Besides that, it is probably true that the real reason such a nation isn't about to dump a poisonous substance like flouride into the water supplies of a major American city is not to do with a fear of Our Nukes. It is probably more to do with, well, why would that even make sense?
Oh, hello there, William Jacobson, you have something to contribute?
The United States does not have chemical or biological weapons. The main deterrent to an enemy using such weapons against us is the threat that we will use nukes.
No more....What doesn't Obama understand about "deterrence." That means that nations which possess chemical and biological weapons will not even think about using them against us because the consequences would be so devastating for them.
Now, a little chem weapons here, a little bio weapons there, and all is good.
William Jacobson is a piss for brains fruitcake.
"Nations" possessing "biological or chemical weapons" would not use them against the US, because, for openers, how on earth would that even work? And what, are American conventional military options inadequate to deal with such implausible scenarios? Like, suppose a lunatic militant Randian faction went Galt & seized control of Belize, and decided to throw anthrax powder on Fox News correspondents unless gay marriage is outlawed. Or something. Would such perps in fact only be deterred from this Plot by the threat of nuclear retaliation? Or is the idea that you can "deter" crazy in and of itself crazy?
And just look, all the imbeciles frantically wanking! Here is Roger ElSimon, Lord help us:
This is indeed astonishing. The President of the United States — whose most important duty is to protect the citizens of this country — is publicly abjuring the use of nuclear weapons if we are attacked by chemical or biological weapons — both of which are known to all of us as Weapons of Mass Destruction, the dreaded WMDs.
What are we to make of this and the man who is adopting this policy? Does he hate us? Does he hate this country? What would he do if there was, for example, a massive small pox attack on the U.S.? Send in the infantry? Call in the Marines? Try to reason with whoever did it and recommend they negotiate as the fatal disease spreads to millions of people?
Why wouldn't a sane person hate you? I hate you! You think that the only reason a foreign nation that adheres to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty hasn't attacked us with a nonexistent smallpox superbug is because they fear our nuclear missiles, otherwise they're smugly certain that the US Marine Corps is a bunch of pussies. Or something. The fuck?
UPDATE. An important observation from The Liberty Pundits, who sell coffee mugs in order to subsidize Wisdom like this:
Let’s be clear: Wars prevented are wars not fought.
Think about it.