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Comment by popileviz | Hacker News Reader

Iran should have nuclear weapons if their citizens can be assassinated by foreign powers that proceed to brag about it openly. Imagine if the reverse happened - an Israeli scientist killed by Iranian special forces. The United States would be revving up for Iraq 2.0 in a matter of hours.

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It is hard enough for the US and Russia to prevent accidental nuclear launch, detonation or loss. Many such incidents over the years. So, before you righteously wish nuclear capability on Iran, you might consider the non-linear increase in risks associated with each new entry into the nuclear club.

Yes, we need to collectively do everything we can to prevent a nuclear tragedy of the commons. That includes continued disarmarment of countries already armed. The more devices exist in the world, the higher the probability that some will fall into the hands of people who are not subject to the same incentive structures as secular governments (i.e. religious nuts) who would eagerly use them. One nuke being unexpectedly detonated in a major city could easily escalate into world-ending catastrophy.

This is never going to happen because the current nuclear powers keep abusing their power to benefit themselves. Look at Ukraine. They were effectively invaded and part of their territory annexed. There is nothing that can be done because Russia is a nuclear power. Or look at Libya or Iraq or Afghanistan. All of these invasions are backed by the threat of nuclear weapons.

It's not even too much to say that the only really sovereign countries are countries with nuclear capabilities or the ability to acquire them very quickly.

Why do people throw term "tragedy of commons" at every problem involving group? This issue has nothing to do with "tragedy of commons" which deals with exhaustible resources, not nuclear weaponry control.

Also, as I remember US bombed major cities using nuclear bombs, world didn't end.

The moment after the US bombed Nagasaki, there were no more usable nucler weapons left in the world. There was no such thing as an ICBM. Right now most of the world is pre-targeted by thousands of nukes mounted to space vehicles spread across half a dozen countries and on strike submarines. In the modern era if a country believes it may be under nuclear attack by another nuclear power, they have less than 2 minutes to decide whether to launch because their retaliatory capability would be crushed after that point. There is nothing remotely comparable about nukes in the ww2 era vs the post cold war era.

3.0? Don't forget the 1991 war.

You left out Iran’s multiple statements about “pushing the Jews into the sea”.

It’s not like Israel is attacking Iran for shits and giggles.

And being a country of 9M surrounded by hostile powers means you make yourself appear as threatening as possible.

Where did Israel come from?

> The United States would be revving up for Iraq 2.0 in a matter of hours.

I doubt it. We don't know what would happen in a fictional hypothetical situation.

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