and I looked and behold a pale horse, and he that sat upon it was called Death and Hades followed after him . . . Revelations 6:8

When scientists in America created the first nuclear devices, there was a genuine concern about letting the nuclear genie out of the lamp.  Would we be able to keep this technology from causing the end of the human race?  Our response was to severely limit the release of any nuclear technolgy.

Then the Soviets developed their own nuclear capability, and the Cold War started.

The long dark threat of the Cold War seemed to constantly point to the possibility that our world would dissolve in heat and radiation caused by a MAD launch from both the Soviet Union and America.  But then the USSR collapsed under economic and political pressure brought on by a strong military buildup in the US.  The immenent threat of MAD seemed to dissipate into the possibility of RDD's (dirty bombs) and the threat of a single nuclear device attack from non-state players.  Seemingly the awful specter of thousands of nuclear warheads raining down from the sky had been eliminated.

Today, with the detonation in North Korea, that awful possibility took a bold step forward.

With a confirmed nuclear capability in North Korea, the new multi-state nuclear arms race has begun.

All states, regardless of their form of government, must now confront the possibility of a nuclear armed Iran and North Korea. With the realization that they are unprepared to answer a nuclear threat from either of these nations, democratic states will have to make the choice to remain without nuclear capability or to arm themselves in a miniature version of the Cold War nuclear arms race.

With the rapid proliferation of nucelar weapons that would follow, the possibility of unrestrained use of nuclear weapons grows exponentially.  The short list of nuclear states has so far been able to limit the capability of other nations to develop nuclear weapons - not from a desire to retain power, but to prevent the wholesale destruction of mankind.

With hot heads and easy access to the nuclear option, the potential for a true nuclear nightmare has began.  the rider of the pale horse has begun to stir . . . . .

May God grant us all the wisdom to turn from this dangerous path.