And the US used them morally. They have the right to use whatever means necessary to limit American casulties, destroy the opposition and end the war.
The difference between the statist countries is they have not used them only out of fear and lack of enough artillery because they know they can’t win against the US and its allies.
The essential problem is not calculating or figuring out the likelyhood of them using nukes but when. Since there is no doubt about their threat to individual rights and freedom, we have every right to dismantle any weapons they have by any means. Unfortunately, our governments seem to have more altruistic concern for their civilians rights than their own.
And the US used them morally. They have the right to use whatever means necessary to limit American casulties, destroy the opposition and end the war.
Not every means, the right of a nation to self-defense is not an unlimited right. To some extent there is a moral duty to limit “innocent” bystander casaulties where possible, although the fact there are such casualties is not itself a moral wrong.
The difference between the statist countries is they have not used them only out of fear and lack of enough artillery because they know they can’t win against the US and its allies.
I don’t see it as an authoritarian/democratic divide. All nations are hesitant to use nukes for exactly the same reason: retaliation. The US was afraid to use nukes in Korea and Vietnam because of potential retaliation by China and the USSR. The USSR and China were afraid to use nukes because of the USA, etc.