The article Taking disarmament seriously, as with many arms control advocacy pieces, presumes what it sets out to prove. That doesn’t work for me. I can’t take disarmament arguments seriously without serious arguments. Arms controllers tend to be full of “we gotta” while ignoring the “and here’s how we’re gonna” part. So in the “we [...]
Archive for the ‘Nuclear Weapons’ Category
Can You Take Calls For Nuclear Disarmament Seriously Without Serious Arguments?
Posted: August 6, 2010 in Arms Control, Arms Reductions, Arms Treaty, Countdown To Zero, Gareth Evans, Global Zeros, New START, Nuclear Arms, Nuclear Atheists, Nuclear Deterrence, Nuclear Disarmament, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear War, Nuclear Weapons, START, START VerificationTags: New START, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear War
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Compliance, New START, and Nuclear Whack-A-Mole
Posted: July 28, 2010 in Burma, Cheating, Chemical Weapons, China, Myanmar, New START, Non-Compliance, North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, SyriaTags: China, New START, North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Russia
The Washington Times and the Washington Post both report on Russian ‘compliance issues,’ regarding the 1991 version of START, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the international convention banning biological weapons. Compliance issues is of course code for both purposeful cheating and inadvertent non-compliance. Are these compliance issues serious? Well, the headline in the Post says this could [...]
In Times Like This, It’s Easy To Write Satire
Posted: July 27, 2010 in Countdown To Zero, Helen Thomas, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear Weapons, Valerie PlameTags: Nuclear Proliferation
Valerie Plame on how to dismantle 23000 atomic bombs, the title of which is of course never answered. In fact, how to get to zero nuclear weapons, the real intent of the film being promoted, appears to be unaddressed as well. Is nuclear proliferation a great threat? Yes. Do we have a plausible plan that [...]
New START On Shaky Ground?
Posted: July 26, 2010 in Arms Control, New START, Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapons Policy, STARTTags: New START
According to the LA Times, if new START is not ratified by the Senate, it will be for three reasons: Missile defense concerns Nuclear modernization concerns Verification concerns Not mentioned are a few other areas critics bring forward: Lack of an integrated security effect–Russia’s ten-to-one tactical nuclear weapons are ignored Lack of effect on nuclear [...]
Inter Press Service: Iranian Spy-guy Says No Nukes In Iran
Posted: July 19, 2010 in CIA, Iran, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear Weapons, Shahram AmiriTags: Iran, Nuclear Proliferation
Has the Iranian disinformation campaign kicked-off? So the Iranian spy-guy and former $5 million man turns out to be a radiation safety specialist who asserts there is no Iranian nuclear weapons program. Little ventured, little lost. If he says Iran has no nuclear weapons program, we’d have to know how he knows. Conversely, if he [...]
How Do You Know If Something Works?
Posted: June 18, 2010 in Minuteman, Minuteman III, Nuclear Modernization, Nuclear Testing Programs, Nuclear Weapons, Reliable Replacement Warhead, Trident, Trident IITags: Nuclear Modernization
If you want to know if something works, you use it, or at least test it. Unless the something is a nuclear weapon. Then we use computers and simulations in lieu of testing. That seems reasonable…up to a point. So why do we test our ICBMs, SLBMs, or bombers? To make sure they work. Vandenberg [...]
New Nukes For The Troops?
Posted: June 2, 2010 in John Noonan, Nuclear Modernization, Nuclear Weapons, RRW, Sammy Hagar, Uncle Rico, Weekly StandardTags: Nuclear Modernization
The compelling point here is that nuclear life extension programs are not the same as nuclear modernization. Nuclear weapons, as with Overhauling and Pimp My Ride, can end up with a configuration where the existing product is a significant departure from the original. The good news for those shows is they can turn the key [...]
Laser-Enriched Uranium?
Posted: May 28, 2010 in Laser-enriched uranium, Nuclear, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear WeaponsTags: Nuclear, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Proliferation
LEU normally stands for low-enriched uranium. Could it soon stand for laser-enriched uranium?
Russian MAD Men and One Big Suggestion
Posted: May 28, 2010 in Bulava, Homesteading Act, MAD, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, UkraineTags: Russia
The general idea is that Russia can, will, and must cut its nuclear arsenal. Why? It begins and ends with money. The slumping global economy, especially in Western Europe, means less cash in hand from Russian energy sales to achieve muscular military systems. They can’t get their Bulava system to function as is, and additionally, [...]
Link Farm
Posted: May 25, 2010 in China, DADT, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Link Farm, North Korea, Nuclear Disarmament, Nuclear Weapons, RussiaTags: China, DADT, North Korea, Russia
A hollow ‘reset’ with Russia China: How Dare You Call Us On Nuclear Modernization Korean War? Nuclear Consensus an Almost Impossible Task DoD’s DADT Study Overcome By Legislative Deal?
