Yes, nuclear weapons are immoral. They’re also, practically speaking, useless.
Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsSep 18, 2023
Hollywood Stars Join Anti-Nukes Campaign
The Facts
Hollywood stars — including Emma Thompson, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen, and "Oppenheimer" cast members Matthew Modine and Tony Goldwyn — have added their names to an open letter in the Los Angeles Times calling for nuclear disarmament.
Charles Oppenheimer, the grandson of the atomic bomb creator whose life was depicted in the movie, has also signed the letter that's part of the "Make Nukes History" campaign, which was launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative ahead of the Oscars.
The Spin
Narrative A
Anti-nuke activists have stressed the appalling immorality of these weapons for decades, but they still proliferate because many see them as a necessity. But the moral argument against them would be more convincingly made if first leaders could be convinced they're useless — which history proves is the case.
Narrative B
Just because there's great opposition to nuclear weapons doesn't mean proliferation is bad. If anything, history has shown that when new nations obtain nuclear weapons, military imbalances are reduced and stability on regional and international levels is achieved.
Nerd narrative
There's a 24% chance that at least one nuclear weapon will be detonated as an act of war by Jan. 1, 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.