The sad truth is that when a nuclear-armed country is dead set on doing something there is not much

[redgreenandblue]

anyone else can do about it.

It makes little difference which country it is. Sure, there may be some economic consequences, but as far as preventing their actions from occurring in the first place, it is hopeless.

[MADem]

1. Getting booted out of the G8 is a pretty serious consequence. nt

[joshcryer]

7. Look at the Ruble today.

It's going down, down, down.

They just raised interest rates in the past hour.

[MADem]

9. So the ruble is starting to look a bit like BRUUUUUUUUCE.....?

[kelly1mm]

2. In hindsight, Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons based on US/UK guarantees of its territorial

integrity seems to have been a pretty lousy move. Maybe we should give them their nuclear weapons back since we seem to not be living up to our end of the deal.

[strategery blunder]

3. It is foolish to risk war with Russia but equally foolish...

for other nations to sign nuclear disarmament-for-security pacts with the West. That is the inevitable and rational conclusion of the Ukraine crisis. For there is no point in signing a disarmament-for-security pact with Russia and the US when at least one such nation has proven it will break such a treaty unilaterally without recourse, and the other can do nothing of substance to stop it without risking its own destruction (and that of the world).

A sad week this has been, for it has reinforced the notion that a reasonably large nuclear deterrent is in every individual nation's best interest despite being collectively in the world's worst interests.

[kelly1mm]

10. Exactly the point I was trying to make. You did so much better than I. If you are Iran, doesn't

getting the bomb make MUCH more sense now than last Monday? If I was Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, South Africa, Turkey, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, the Baltic States and any other country with the know how to make nuclear weapons I would have to SERIOUSLY consider doing so at this point.

[Recursion]

4. That's why the Security Council veto power exists

Because nations with the bomb actually have a veto power...

[joshcryer]

6. Heh, that's an interesting way to put it.

[Recursion]

8. I wish I could take credit; it was Acheson. Or maybe Rusk.

I know I've read it, though. It also just struck me they were both named "Dean".

[joshcryer]

5. The occupied country can fight back.