Posted by Gary on March 20, 1999 at 01:59:07 {MW9hQZt3yw8IU}:
In Reply to: **1914? Not a Big Deal posted by 5GJW on March 19, 1999 at 16:18:46:
We can all talke about the most important or significant event in Western culture if we want.
But why not specify the worst event? I think the atomic bomb, nuclear weapons are quite significant. It has changed conventional warfar and the concept of how we live. Suddenly no one can afford to be uninvolved in world affairs since one "backpack" nuke can virtually eliminate a whole city.
A nuclear weapon makes any terrorist organization suddenly as significant as a major world power, does not?
It used to be wars could be contained in a local area and it took millions of guns and men and planes to fight a significant battle. Now one nuclear bomb in the hands of some small militia, if they could smuggle it to a strategic target, such as Wall Street, etc. then that is a powerful threat and a powerful strike at the core of an enemy. Thus now our greatests enemies are small groups and technology. This changes the world we live in.
I think that's more significant on one level than the invention of the plane. Atomic bombs are more siginificant in everyone's life than planes.
Just my two cents.
Gary]