no one thinks having nukes gives them representation on the world stage, people think having nukes keeps the Americans from attacking you if they don't like something you're doing.
Of course trying to get nukes will make the Americans attack, so you try to hide it, unless you already are doing stuff that are making the Americans make attacking noises so then you start to ramp up the nuke production because maybe you can get some and stop the Americans or maybe the Americans will back off if you agree to back off with the nuke production.
on edit: so in other words, people try to get nukes as deterrents, not as status enhancers. You might want to deter a neighbor of course, like Pakistan and India, but there are countries in almost every region that might want to deter the U.S should it be necessary. I suppose in the near future countries may also wish to deter China.
> no one thinks having nukes gives them representation on the world stage, people think having nukes keeps the Americans from attacking you if they don't like something you're doing.
This oversimplifies it. How does that logic apply to Britain, France or Israel?
> This oversimplifies it. How does that logic apply to Britain, France or Israel?
While it may not have been a fear of being nuked, the United Kingdom's program was very much motivated by fear of the United States in other ways. Ernest Bevin said at the time:
> "We've got to have this thing. I don't mind it for myself, but I don't want any other Foreign Secretary of this country to be talked at or to by the Secretary of State of the United States as I have just been in my discussion with Mr Byrnes. We've got to have this thing over here, whatever it costs ... We've got to have the bloody Union Jack flying on top of it."
They want to be actually sovereign states. Having nukes is pretty much a prerequisite for the reasons GP explained. Even if, back when the countries you mentioned were developing their nuclear programs, their overt focus was mostly deterring USSR, it's hard to imagine they weren't thinking about their relationship with the USA either.
it's true it oversimplifies - hence why I added my part about it being deterrence in the edit. Israel of course had deterrent reasons to have nuclear weapons, the same for Britain and France.
Obviously countries that are under U.S protection are not as a general rule fearing U.S invasion (unless big changes occur suddenly in a Presidential election) but they must also fear the loss of U.S protection through minor changes in a U.S election. If the U.S is currently providing their deterrence, it makes sense to invest in some of their own in case the protection is ever removed.
All that being said, Israel, Britain and France got their nuclear weapons in the past. I think anyone who is trying to get Nuclear weapons in the present time have a pretty good chance in wanting to deter the U.S.
Having nukes also keeps all others from attacking, for most second and third world powers the USians are the primary threat due to their very mobile military. But everyone has enemies, Britain and France feared a German resurgence after WW2 as well as a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. Israel fears it's neighbors and most muslim states. But in all cases, nukes are there to keep someone you fear from attacking.
And various crises and practical problems causes even the British to not totally rely on US protection. E.g. the Suez crisis and the Falkland war showed them that they need their own military capabilities, because they cannot even rely on the US for support in "small stuff".
Of course trying to get nukes will make the Americans attack, so you try to hide it, unless you already are doing stuff that are making the Americans make attacking noises so then you start to ramp up the nuke production because maybe you can get some and stop the Americans or maybe the Americans will back off if you agree to back off with the nuke production.
on edit: so in other words, people try to get nukes as deterrents, not as status enhancers. You might want to deter a neighbor of course, like Pakistan and India, but there are countries in almost every region that might want to deter the U.S should it be necessary. I suppose in the near future countries may also wish to deter China.