Should Trump have access to the nuclear codes?

September 12, 2016

 

Trump deserves the codes

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Donald Trump’s name echoes in homes across the United States in debates for and against him. He received the Republican Party’s nomination to run for president and held numerous rallies and speeches across the country. At his rallies and speeches, he regularly threatens terrorist groups such as ISIS. These include ‘extreme vetting’ and an ideological test for possible immigrants, a temporary ban on muslim immigrants, and expanding the military.

Considering his harsh foreign policy, voters against Trump say he should not be able to order the use of several nuclear warheads against any enemy he chooses.

Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton, said, “This is someone who should never have the nuclear codes. It’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into a war because somebody got under his very thin skin.”

Could Donald Trump keep his fingers away from the red button? I believe so. Donald Trump may call out people in his speeches, but to actually weaponize nuclear warheads against an enemy would require a well thought-out decision made, not one made on pure impulse. Donald’s track record shows a businessman who successfully commands over 30 companies, along with over 200 buildings bearing his name. He made quick decisions in the past and knows how to compose himself in a tense situation.

Trump also made statements saying he wants good relations with Russia, as he intends to meet with Vladimir Putin and discuss peace between Russia and the United States. Promoting good relations with a superpower such as Russia significantly reduces the risk of a war. He also said he wants to fight terror, not Bashar al-Assad, president of middle eastern country Syria, which may contain nuclear weapons.

Considering Trump’s expertise in the business world, he would not impulsively use the nuclear codes. Trump would also need to talk to several advisers, and along with his running mate, Mike Pence, would need to confirm the launch if he does decide to use the codes.

Trump’s success-driven ideals and experience with quick decisions puts him in the best position to control the country for the next four years. On the other hand, if Hillary Clinton becomes president, Putin warns, “It’s war.”

Does Donald Trump deserve access to the codes?

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Code orange: Can’t trust Trump

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Without a doubt, mankind created no more of a dangerous tool than its nuclear weapons. In all history, a single man, or a single society, could do no more damage to mankind than the salted fields of a brutal war, or the unjust taxes of an evil empire. In the modern age, a single faulty briefing, a single angry comment, the slightest toe over the fuzziest border, can lead to the destruction of humanity, and all humans past, present, and future. Considering the startlingly high number of nuclear close-calls in the past decades, a leader must consider all possibilities, and above all, keep a cool head. Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump possesses none of these qualities.

Only 0.1 percent of the world’s nuclear stockpile could suddenly and brutally snuff out humanity—forever. If an evil organization launched the Tsar Bomba warhead— the largest nuclear device ever tested— at NC, 500,000 people would die. The blast would injure 1,100,000 more. Fatal doses of radiation would spread as far as Emory University, buildings at Kennesaw State University would collapse under the explosive force, nuclear fires would give residents third-degree burns in Cartersville, and the wind would carry radiation as far as South Carolina.

The area around NC contains a moderate population; a strike on densely-populated Atlanta would injure or kill tens of millions, and destroy billions of dollars of property. The use of nuclear weapons could destroy life in a series of retaliations and re-retaliations.

In 1986, journalist Graydon Carter referred to Donald Trump as a “short-fingered vulgarian” in the satirical magazine Spy.

“To this day”, Carter said, he “[receives] the occasional envelope from Trump… There is always a photo of him—generally a tear sheet from a magazine. In every picture he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers.”

Thirty years after a writer mocked Trump’s finger size, he still fumes. He agonizes over which photo of his splayed digits to send, takes the time to print it on quality photo paper, ruffles through his drawers for a gold sharpie, and writes down a clever quip knocking the idiocy of anyone who would mock his completely average-sized hands.

The man based his entire campaign around an angry, mocking, hotheaded form of populism. He mocks his opponents with playground name-calling, invoking Hitler and Mussolini, while creating a cult of personality to feed his massive ego. When someone threatens that ego, even with the slightest insult, he lashes out in anger. Instead of debating political issues that shape the future for hundreds of millions of Americans, he calls his fellow candidates ugly.  When a physically disabled reporter asks him a tough question, he puts on a high-pitched voice and jitters around the stage, mocking the reporter in a manner reminiscent of a middle-school bully from a broken home.

He stars in his own business reality show, despite (or perhaps because of) his numerous business failures; his financial schemes trick thousands of innocent victims, starting with incredulity at his daughter’s claims that “his accomplishments are too many to name… He’s enjoyed success in a vast diversity of industries because the common denominator is him.”

The question of Donald Trump’s eligibility to control America’s nuclear arsenal reminds me of a joke I once heard: “What’s the difference between Donald Trump and an orange? An orange has thick skin!”

When a tyrannical terrorist organization arises in the Middle East, America cannot allow a lying, self-obsessed, hot-headed narcissist to control the trigger. The threat has already arisen and Trump responded exactly as expected: he will “never, ever rule out” the use of nuclear weapons, potentially killing millions of innocent civilians.

In the age of 24-hour media sensationalism, America needs a cool, calm, and rational leader. America needs a president who can calmly assess all available options, and react based on logic, not rage, bravado, or showmanship. America needs a serious leader for a serious age, not Donald Trump.

 

 
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