The Gazette Opinion StaffOpinion Page Editor, The Gazette |
|
Email the author
Cut nuclear weapons from the budget
I’m calling for an obvious part of the solution to the national budget crisis: cut the $600 billion of taxpayer money we’ll waste on useless nuclear weapons this decade — weapons that make us less safe through risks of accident, miscalculation and the real possibility that terrorists will steal them.
This is the answer proposed by Global Zero, the international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons. As a teacher of nearly 30 years, it’s heartbreaking to see tuitions hiked, educational programs slashed and classrooms overcrowded, and then learn that the cost of one nuke could pay for 400 college scholarships. And we have more than 8,000 nukes.
The Cold War is decades behind us. If you must cut the budget, start with nukes. See www.globalzero.org for more information.
Rima K. Johnson
Belle Plaine
-u20042.png?1366232523)
Authorities investigating possible connection between abduction cases
Iowa Legislature 2013 adjournment in sight, leaders say
Oklahoma tornado death toll currently 24, not 51, medical examiner says
Iowa City debates whether police officers belong in schools
Linn County casino campaign cost $3.43 million, final figures reveal
LOL. How about North Korea and Pakistan get rid of their nukes first. I enjoy the safety that nukes provide.
Actually, Salvatore, North Korea has fewer than 10 nuclear weapons and Pakistan has about 70. Even China only has about 200. We have more than 8,000!
The only way to eliminate the danger of nuclear proliferation — more countries or even terrorists acquiring them — is to “drain the swamp” by getting ALL nuclear weapons countries to agree to dismantle their weapons.
Join me in supporting this campaign by signing the Global Zero petition and asking our leaders in Washington to cut nukes first!
http://www.cutnukes.net/RIMA
Rima, Disney World just called. They want their fantasy back.
Zach, how many times have you accused ME of supposedly not directly addressing YOUR comments!?
You can do better than this.
Sure. Her goal is very far fethced and not based in reality. Kind of like a ferry tale. For example, how do you convince North Korea to dismantle their newly acquired arsenal? They haven’t been reasonable with anything to this point. Its like saying we could finaly have world peace if we just got all the countries together and made them agree to get a long.
The “fairy tale” is a political and military strategy built by more than 300 world leaders — including current and former heads of state, military commanders and national security advisers. People like General Jack Sheehan (former NATO Supreme Allied Commander), General James Cartwright (former US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs), General Hugh Beach (Britain), Air Chief Marshal Shashi Tyagi (India), General Jehangir Karamat (Pakistan), President Mikhail Gorbachev (Russia), General Uzi Eilam (Israel); General Zhu Chenghu (China); and on and on. Even conservative US politicians like George Shultz (President Reagan’s secretary of state) and James Baker (President Bush’s secretary of state).
All of these leaders understand the global political reality and how to get us to zero. Do you think they haven’t thought about how to tackle challenges like North Korea and Iran?
Global Zero isn’t a bunch of hippies holding hands and singing kumbaya for world peace. It’s led by serious, savvy security experts who are looking to make us safer and more secure by dismantling weapons that are too dangerous for anyone to own/use.
Go read the Global Zero Action Plan, and you’ll see its completely devoid of tie-dyed shirts and flower power.
http://static.globalzero.org/files/docs/GZAP_6.0.pdf
Hey, I grew up on tie-dyed shirts and flower power!
$600 billion on nuclear weapons this decade?
That’s a big number and, frankly, a little hard to believe. It would be nice if the letter writer cited a credible source for such a claim.
Rich, the numbers are pretty startling: $1 trillion worldwide. Check out Global Zero’s report: http://www.globalzero.org/en/page/cost-of-nukes
Even the Financial Times, a pretty conservative publication, confirmed these numbers and endorsed the Global Zero movement:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dc3dba1e-9aa4-11e0-bab2-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Pl528vqB
I will offer this correction: “terrorists” have possessed nuclear weapons from their beginning.