"We've already seen proliferation. We started it with Britain, then France. Then we benignly let the Israelis do it. The Pakistanis and the Indians have recently done it. The Chinese have nuclear weapons"

William Odom's quote is describing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He is mentioning that the advancement of nuclear weapons has actually been a long procedure, starting with Britain and France in the 1940s. He then mentions that Israel was enabled to develop nuclear weapons, followed by Pakistan and India in the late 20th century. Finally, he notes that China has also established nuclear weapons. Odom's quote is a suggestion of the threats of nuclear proliferation, and the need for countries to interact to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. It also highlights the significance of international arrangements and treaties to guarantee that nuclear weapons are not used for destructive functions. Odom's quote is a plain suggestion of the requirement for countries to interact to make sure that nuclear weapons are not used for destructive functions.