Nuclear weapons are the safest defense mechanism in the world. Although nuclear weapons can cause massive destruction and loss of thousands of lives when they explode, they are the optimal solution to conflicts between countries in the future. The actual use of nuclear weapons is not a deterrent, but rather the simple fact that one country can use them against another country, thereby avoiding full-scale conflict. Thus, nuclear deterrence presents itself as a preferred security option. First, based on deterrence theory, nuclear weapons will lead to mutually assured destruction (MAD). This means that if nuclear weapons are used in a war, neither side will be able to successfully win, because the destruction caused by the weapons will be too great for either side to recover from. Since the explosion of "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" over Nagasaki and Hiroshima, nuclear weapons have never been used in war. The world has seen the destruction that a nuclear bomb could cause. Since then, this has led to fears that nuclear weapons will never be used. Although many countries possess nuclear weapons today, they have not yet engaged in nuclear war. So far, this has helped maintain “a tense but comprehensive peace” (Mutual Assured Destruction, 2014). Since the use of nuclear weapons would lead to the ultimate destruction of humanity, nuclear deterrence is a viable security option, as demonstrated by the MAD principles, the application of MAD doctrine throughout history and current global stability. a stalemate and a catastrophic loss of life, it is the fear factor associated with their presence that creates stability. "Mutual Assured Destruction, or Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), is a doctrine of military and national strategy...... middle of paper .......d.). The stability-instability paradox, misperception, and escalation control in South Asia. Stimson. Retrieved January 19, 2014 from http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/ESCCONTROLCHAPTER1.pdfWaltz, K. (2012, July/August). Why Iran should get the bomb. Global. Retrieved January 17, 2014 from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137731/kenneth-n-waltz/why-iran-should-get-the-bombMutual destruction assured. (January 1, 2014). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 17, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destructionYamazaki, J. (nd). Death toll in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Death toll in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Accessed January 19, 2014, from http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/cab/200708230009.htmlStability-instability paradox. (September 17, 2013). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 19, 2014 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stability-instability_paradox