Regarding the Letter to the Editor titled "Nuclear arms must never be used again" in the Aug. 7 edition, movements led by the general public calling for an end to nuclear weapons are taking place in many parts of the world these days.
However, is it possible to realize a world without the threat of destructive arms?
We must recognize that the large number of highly sophisticated nuclear arms in the possession of the great powers like the United States, Russia and China plays an important role as a deterrent and prevents those countries from using these weapons.
Therefore, I believe that removing all nuclear weapons from the world would produce a higher possibility of military conflict being waged on a global scale — to the point of a World War III.
The important thing is that the existence of nuclear weapons is contributing to keeping the world from engaging in a war involving many people and countries.
Such a conflict could lead to the destruction of modern civilization, which is bringing many benefits to the people of the world.
The theory of deterrence concerning the use of nuclear arms exerts enormous power and influence in this globalizing world, as was seen in the Cold War era.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.