Americans were thrilled in 1945 when U.S. atomic bombs brought sudden victory over Japan in World War II – without the otherwise expected necessity of a full, bloody U.S. invasion of the Japanese islands.
But it wasn’t long before new alarm arose: The aggressive, threatening Soviet Union was found to have developed nuclear weapons, with aid from some American traitors. That raised a terrible new threat to the world.
The “nuclear club” was enlarged over time to include not only the United States and the Soviet Union, but also Britain, France, Communist China, Communist North Korea and some other countries.
The threat of “mutually assured destruction” in the event of nuclear war helped prevent catastrophe. But much unease has prevailed. Who can be sure some wild and evil possessor of nuclear weapons might not strike?
While nuclear fear has not dominated world affairs in recent years, there obviously remains much concern.