We have to be mad if we don't have a few.

It only takes a single nuclear cruise missile, or at worst just a couple, to take out an invading force, while still at sea.

This would be the only effective defence we could offer, now we have retired the F111s. Nothing we have, or are likely to have, including a fleet of subs, would do the job.

Once any even a moderate force landed, it would be impossible for us to contain.

Rache, I promise I am not angry heated, any thing like that.
I will till I die, consider views such as one you put here,far more dangerous to democracy than us haveing the bomb.
Japan did not intend to invade Australia?
Did they then only intend to choke us to death, then take control?
No doubt we will get the Nuclear bombs on Japan was evil thing again?
Yet EVEN NOW that country is not teaching its true past.
Tomorrow I will have that beer,and quietly remember the prisoners of was the Nurses the Chinese hundreds of thousands killed.
A lot of sadness.
America, is owed much ,as is Russia,who carried the west to victory against another with no Territorial wishes Hitler.
We I think have the bomb, if not yes hasbeen we are quite mad!

A list of countries bombed by The United States of America since WWII:

China 1945-46
Korea 1950-53
China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Belgian Congo 1964
Guatemala 1964
Dominican Republic 1965-66
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Lebanon 1982-84
Grenada 1983-84
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1981-92
Nicaragua 1981-90
Iran 1987-88
Libya 1989
Panama 1989-90
Iraq 1991
Kuwait 1991
Somalia 1992-94
Bosnia 1995
Iran 1998
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia - Serbia 1999
Afghanistan 2001
Libya 2011

Is there a trend here? They sure got them rouge states like Guatemala under control. They have been responsible for the deaths of over 50,000,000 people. Not one of the for mentioned countries has ever attacked the USA. So who is the aggressor in this world, I don't think it is Grenada.

Worth watching.

World War III is also a common theme in popular culture. Who might start World War III and how it might start are perennial topics of discussion in press. A vast apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction literature exists describing the postulated execution and aftermath of World War III, several notable movies have been made based on World War III, and it is the topic of various comics, video games, songs, magazines, radio programs, newspapers and billboards.

World war 3?......

http://tinyurl.com/74kmtau

http://tinyurl.com/7whg792

http://tinyurl.com/2davwhd

cc

Also as someone who is anti-nuclear energy (for a variety of reasons) this is a much more complex issue and hardly in the same category.

Nuclear deterrence is a reality, and while even one nation possesses nuclear weapons it may be a necessary evil (as much one might wish otherwise).

Possession of nuclear weapons creates both an environment of mutual deterrence but also increases risk. Retaliation (Hiroshima), human error or radical/extremist forces are all factors in these sorts of scenarios.

Also, the alliances Australia seeks may potentially act as both a deterrent as well as emphasise our position as a potential target.

The fact is a signed treaty is not always worth the paper it is written on, in the face of global mistrust, weeping sores and old wounds I can't see a nuclear free world anytime soon and these decisions will still be made based on fear and mistrust. Sometimes these fears and trust issues are valid.

Does anyone really believe the US would ever destroy or dismantle their nuclear weapons program? Or the USSR, Israel, Iran?

...The most enlightening (and simple) way to gauge the military power of America against the rest of the world, is to inspect the strength of the US navy. For example, aircraft carriers: The USA has twelve nuclear powered 90,000 ton “Nimitz” class carriers and eight smaller conventionally powered carriers.

...China has one conventionally powered carrier, but an active R & D carrier program, and is expected (by the USA) to begin building its first “indigenous” class carriers this year.

...Russia has one, the UK two, Spain two, France one, Brazil one, Thailand one, India one, which sums-up the opposition. A simpler statistic highlighting the US monopoly in aircraft carriers, is deck space: The deck-space on US carriers is 70 acres, as a comparison to the rest of the world at 25 acres.

...It is obvious looking through this small (carrier) window alone, that the threat to US military might (thus Australia) is China!

...And the question? With the existing US alliance,Why would Australia bother with nuclear armaments!