Big Red Button - Do Not Push

Would you push the button to massacre 100,000 innocent victims? Yes, no?

Well, Theresa May said she would, but she was put on the spot, with the eyes of the world watching (probably), and while backing the move to renew Britain’s Trident, nuclear-bomb-carrying submarines, so she was never going to say anything else. Since then plenty of people have expressed their answer, either in support or complete opposition, along with their reasons. The thing is, I don’t think anyone in this country, given the chance at the crucial moment, would, even Theresa May.

Maybe I’m naïve but I don’t believe that a Prime Minister in this country would ever be so barbaric. Certainly I don’t think they’re ever going to use such a bomb in an aggressive attack, not least because we don’t have enough (only America and Russia do), so the only time we would fire this massively destructive weapon is if we have first been attacked in a massively destructive way, i.e. we’re all dead and the only thing left is to wreak revenge, to pay back the enemy in like-for-like fashion. But who are the enemy? Isis? You can’t put a nuclear missile on a lorry-driving lunatic on a beach front.

Britain has in the past been the calm voice of reason when tensions between nations with nuclear weapons have got tight, I hope we will continue to be and I cannot foresee any situation in which we would fire a nuclear bomb (we are British after all). Nor do I see that they work as a ‘deterrent’ to anybody else. I don’t have a problem with a new submarine, (I think four, given the price, might be a bit over the top) but let’s stop pretending we would ever use nuclear weapons. Sending out the message of ‘if you destroy us, we’ll destroy you’ is doing nothing for improving international relations, and I always think, if you’re not going to say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.

If Britain is bombed to the point of extinction I hope that whoever is left with the power to retaliate will realise the futility of it and perhaps come to a different conclusion. Never will the earth have needed the power of forgiveness more.