The power of nuclear power is one issue that makes the international community stand up and take note. This is the strategy that the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pursuing in advancing Iran’s nuclear program. On Thursday he indicated that his country would not suspend its enrichment of uranium.
For the developed world, Irans pursuit of nuclear power is highly contentious. It appears that Iran has 7,000 centrifuges. These concentrate uranium gas are used as fuel to power a reactor or, in a highly enriched form, for a nuclear weapon. And whilst Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has downplayed the significance of the reported increase in these centrifuges she has also stated that “We don’t know what to believe about the Iranian program.”
So what kind of power does nuclear power provide to nation states and can the spread of these weapons be stopped? In answer to the first question – it seems that it provides them with the power to dictate terms to the international community. In answer to the second question – it appears that the spread of weapons to states is not our only problem but rather which group/cells might be interested dealing with the power of nuclear powers. These issues are untenable yet they are ongoing threats that plague the international community.
What needs to be established is a framework of governance that provides stronger unity between states. Yet how can this be achieved? What common goals do states uphold that can provide some form of global cohesion and sanity? In the Cold War environment which lasted around 4 decades, it was simplistic but relatively uncomplicated to assume who the enemy was – it was related to ideology. You knew which side you were on. Now, the modern day world has entered a complicated phase ! Yet the power of nuclear power remains the same whether it is attached to renegade states, dictators or faceless cells of terrorists.
It makes us sit up and take note!
Read your views with interest. While in eyes of common man nuclear power plant is eqauted with nuclear bomb making capability, it is not true. The type of Uranium or Plutonium one needs can not be manufactured in commercial power generation plants. In case of Iran it is the Centrifuges that would be responsible to produce highly enriched Uranium from Gas and that is main concern.
My sense is that nuclear power as commercial source or for military needs requires hundreds if not thousands of technicians, engineers and scietists to run the program. So the state of Iran can be the most capable to exploit it .
Also keep in mind that the very countries who could be eventually be threatened by Rouge nuclear power states or dictators are supplying the technology to spite each other. Iran received maximum support overtly from Russia and covertly from Pakistan. Tofday USA and Europe are worried. Next could be Russia itself.
Rajendra
Government’s like to promote a fear to the general populace so that they will stay in line. States that are small in size or significance also use fear to try and gain bargaining power. We are seeing North Korea in particular use this bargaining chip well.
How much of what we are told is a story of fear to keep us in line, and how much are we not told because it would cause panic if the general populace found out?
Is it just the socialist States that control what the people get to hear or does that happen in democracy’s as well ?
Does Iran really have something that is dangerous? Does North Korea? Who else?