Quora Answer: What is Stopping Singapore from Developing Its Own Nuclear Arsenal?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “What is stopping Singapore from developing its own nuclear arsenal?”

Common sense.  What would we possibly need with a nuclear arsenal?  Who are we going to attack?  Malaysia and irradiate our nearest trade partner, so we can all die together?  Or maybe, we could send a missile to China, so that they can turn this part of the world into the next map in Fallout X?  Perhaps, we could be ambitious and bomb Jersey Shore, just to spare humanity another season of stupid television?

Nuclear weapons are expensive to build.  Singapore can afford it, but it would compromise our quality of life – all that money must come from somewhere.  That would also mean violating the Bangkok Treaty, and half a dozen other treaties we signed.  Nuclear weapons are even more expensive to maintain, and Singapore cannot afford it.  One meltdown would render much of the island uninhabitable, and that would be inconvenient.  Nuclear weapons also mean nuclear waste.  It is not as if we could bury that somewhere, and the problem will go away.  We are not interested in being the next kaiju spawning ground.  Nuclear weapons also make us a legitimate target by other nuclear powers, and nobody wants that sort of attention.

Currently, Singapore is actually one of the safest places to be in a nuclear conflict.  The reason is actually simple: in a nuclear exchange, no country wants to nuke their money.  This island is where a lot of people stash their money.