"Fire and fury like the world has never seen."
Thus spake the president of the United States on the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, in warning North Korea to halt its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Does he really mean to threaten a nuclear bombing of North Korea, or is this another example of extreme exaggeration by an ignorant bully?
Words lose some of their traditional meaning when "truthful hyperbole" goes beyond harmless exaggeration and becomes war mongering threats. Instead, they take on new and more dangerous meanings, especially when launched against another country's regime led by a despot who spends a third of his country's resources on weapons instead of food for the people.
Consider this question: What could be more fiery and furious than a nuclear bomb dropped on a city of civilians?
It's not like the world has never seen this before. It has, twice, when the U.S. military dropped atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force a Japanese surrender and end World War II.
Let's acknowledge that the current president of the U.S. is a bully, something that he has proven many times in the past. Let's also concede that as commander in chief of the most powerful military force in the world, he is capable of igniting World War III with the stroke of a pen or an early morning tweet.
Next question: Why would you want to do that, and what would it prove?
More important, who would remain after you push the Final Button?
Calling Dr. Strangelove.
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