Whew...and go see the Veracifier today:

Giuliani hopes to kick Romney out of the ring by arguing for more war in the Middle East!

These Republicans think they can win a election by guaranteeing more war!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Veracifier
Nûr al-Cubicle | Homepage | 10.18.07 - 12:38 pm | #

Rodger, in an ideal world our nukes would have no purpose other than deterrence against nuclear threats.

But in the world we have, we can threaten to use them. And occasionally we do.
J Thomas | 10.18.07 - 3:11 pm | #

Even if those US nukes have other purposes (call me skeptical), they should AT LEAST deter other nuclear-armed states. If they cannot deter, we should be really skeptical of those other purposes.
Rodger | Homepage | 10.18.07 - 6:41 pm | #

I would add a nitpicking caveat to your comment that "[Israeli nuclear weapons] serve virtually no purpose other than deterrence against nuclear threats."

I think that Israel's nuclear arsenal has the purpose of deterring all existential threats, not just nuclear ones, and that in fact deterring non-nuclear existential threats was the primary purpose of acquiring nukes in the first place.

But this does nothing to change your basic point.
Aldous | Homepage | 10.18.07 - 7:43 pm | #

I refer you to Jon Stewart's opinion on the matter.
Jenny | Homepage | 10.19.07 - 9:44 pm | #

"They serve virtually no purpose other than deterrence against nuclear threats."

Don't tell that to the Curtis LeMay types.
Americaneocon | Homepage | 10.20.07 - 10:55 am | #

Maybe the President didn't promise WWIII, but Romney and Giuliani certainly want it!
Nûr al-Cubicle | Homepage | 10.20.07 - 8:56 pm | #