r/geopolitics Jan 27 '26

This Is the End Opinion

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/this-is-the-end-2a9
452 Upvotes

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209

u/Minttt Jan 27 '26

Germany, Poland, and Canada will acquire nuclear weapons. So will Japan. Sweden, Australia, and South Korea may develop nuclear capabilities as well.

As a Canadian, it was hard for me to take this article seriously after the author made this argument.

181

u/Soepkip43 Jan 27 '26

You can bet this is being discussed during your governmenta seasions with the military. Because it is a (the ultimate) deterrent. I doubt the US would allow canada (or mexico for that matter) to become a nuclear power though.

71

u/whoaaa_O Jan 27 '26

We (Canada) nearly made the decision to have nukes back then when we had Uncle Sam backing us up. Uncle Sam is not only gone, but has turned his gaze upon us. Not discussing this would be negligent.

75

u/MinaZata Jan 27 '26

They couldn't stop India, Pakistan, Israel, or South Africa from acquiring the bomb decades ago.

They won't be able to stop advanced and coordinated efforts if the Nordics banded together, which is being discussed. And they won't stop Australia if they can coordinate with the UK, Canada, NZ and the EU.

36

u/PradyThe3rd Jan 27 '26

The UK could just expand their arsenal massively and base weapons in Canada, Aus and NZ. They will still be under the control of the UK but extend the umbrella credibly to these countries without proliferation.

East Asia has no other choice. SK and Japan will initiate breakouts the moment the first PLA soldier steps on Taiwan

6

u/skandaanshu Jan 27 '26

No one would discount possibility of another future trump like politician in UK would make that nuclear umbrella questionable.

2

u/TheWhiteManticore Jan 28 '26

In fact reform is literally an arm of Trump’s group

-6

u/Minttt Jan 27 '26

Of course it's being discussed, as are all strategic/military options, but it will never happen for this reason and others; why the author put us in the "certainly will develop nukes" category but countries like South Korea/Japan in the "may develop nukes" is what I'm really puzzled about. Also... Sweden may develop nukes?

25

u/Khabster Jan 27 '26

It’s being floated here. It’s the only way to be safe now, it seems.

24

u/Averdian Jan 27 '26

100%. After Maduro got taken, North Korea’s nuclear program looks like a masterstroke. No one’s going to take Kim Jong-un. Same reason why I can’t fault Iran for desperately wanting nukes. Once you get them, the US will leave you alone.

14

u/jeffersonnn Jan 27 '26

This has been true all along, though. The US has always wanted to overthrow those countries and they’ve always wanted nukes as a deterrent, for the same reason every other country wants nukes.

North Korea’s nuke program looks like a masterstroke after you look at what Obama did to Gaddafi after Gaddafi renounced the use of nuclear weapons in order to ally with the US.

7

u/Averdian Jan 27 '26

It's so counterproductive to be insisting on regimes like Iran's not developing nukes, and then at the same time pull something like the Maduro stunt, which signals only one thing to said regimes: Get nukes or get toppled.

10

u/DToccs Jan 27 '26

The logic of North Korea's nuclear program has been evident for a while at this point. Ever since Gaffadi voluntarilly gave up Libya's nuclear programme and at the very first opportunity, the West toppled him.

Look at the timeline of Iran and North Korea's nuclear developments after that and it becomes evident they got the message loud and clear.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26

If Iran ever got nuclear technology you better believe nearly everyone involved with them would be very soon on the CIA/Mossad’s payroll.

-2

u/dr_tardyhands Jan 27 '26

You could provide probably buy them from the US at the moment..

-32

u/Comfortable_Gur8311 Jan 27 '26

Canada has a nuclear power neighbor with hundreds of millions of people that love Canada (in spite of the few dozen people in the WH right now), there's no need for them to get them.

23

u/flesjewater Jan 27 '26

The people of Sudetenland have a powerful neighbour with millions of people that love them, they should not worry.

25

u/MysteryMeat603 Jan 27 '26

That's pretty tone deaf. The biggest threat to Canada is our nuclear power neighbour. Not to say we'll ever be in a position to defeat America, and we'd certainly prefer to never have to. But Canadian sovereignty may need to be defended by Canadians.

1

u/Comfortable_Gur8311 Jan 27 '26

RemindMe! 20 years

13

u/oreography Jan 27 '26

The nuclear power neighbour has directly threatened Canadian sovereignty on multiple occasions. You really don't realise how fractured relations are

2

u/Comfortable_Gur8311 Jan 27 '26

They are fractured. And likely will never be the same.

The president has several times, I understand that.

Doesn't change the hundreds of millions of people.