Posted on 01/07/2007 7:07:44 AM PST by infocats
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 — The Bush administration is expected to announce next week a major step forward in the building of the country’s first new nuclear warhead in nearly two decades. It will propose combining elements of competing designs from two weapons laboratories in an approach that some experts argue is untested and risky.
Skip to next paragraph The new weapon would not add to but replace the nation’s existing arsenal of aging warheads, with a new generation meant to be sturdier, more reliable, safer from accidental detonation and more secure from theft by terrorists.
The announcement, to be made by the interagency Nuclear Weapons Council, avoids making a choice between the two designs for a new weapon, called the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which at first would be mounted on submarine-launched missiles.
The effort, if approved by President Bush and financed by Congress, would require a huge refurbishment of the nation’s complex for nuclear design and manufacturing, with the overall bill estimated at more than $100 billion...................
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
In spite of the clear and present nuclear threats from North Korea, and Iran, have we used our nuclear capabilities? NO!
In spite of the fact that we could have easily beaten North Vietnam or quelled the insurgency in Iraq, have we done so? NO!
Are we any longer in an arms race with either the Soviets or China? NO! We now prefer to exert pressure [ rightly or wrongly ] both diplomatically and economically.
So my question then becomes, in a time of economic extremis with record defecits, why throw good money down a rathole with our health care, public schools, social security system, borders, outsourcing, and public morality in dysfunctional chaos?
Nuclear weapons are the fig leaf that enable our politicians and "leaders" (hahahahahahaha) to continue pretending to be tough.
Yeah...on our hard earned tax dollars!
The Times is slipping here. They should have detailed diagrams of the competing designs and full plans on how to produce each one. Also, a list of places to purchase all appropriate materials and equipment and a list of experts for hire.
Anything less than this is total failure for the NYT.
Well, I am sure down the line some folkes could make good use of those nukes, and that is the whole point... and even if we are using those as an excuse to not fight the enemy, let us not find excuses to not have a large and robust nuke arsenal either....
Does anyone know whether we have a bunker buster nuc and/or a neutron nuc in our inventory?
It seems that what we will need to go after Iran and other potential enemies are specialized nuc weapons. I hope we have them.
You've bought the RAT talking points hook, line and sinker. I'll bet you were one of those "Republicans" who taught us a "lesson" last election.
Soviets? No. Russia? Yes. The cold war isn't over, it's just in an "operational pause"...to think otherwise is folly.
I am an independent Conservative who doesn't buy into anyone's B.S. talking points { as apparently you have ] but prefers to use the good mind that God saw fit to give me.
Nuclear weapons are first and foremost a deterrent. They are the last resort.
So my question then becomes, in a time of economic extremis with record defecits, why throw good money down a rathole with our health care, public schools, social security system, borders, outsourcing, and public morality in dysfunctional chaos?
Are you proposing that we dismantle our aging nuclear arsenal, which is expensive to maintain and must eventually be replaced? What's your point? Do you have the scientific expertise to opine that it is throwing "good money down a rathole?"
Perhaps you haven't given them enough time ;-)
You've got that exactly right! This is just another taxpayer ripoff to benefit the oligarchs...with little to no benefit to the average Joe [ or Jane ].
No, and no.
OTOH, this one is "meant to be sturdier, more reliable" read that as bunker buster...
You're right. This is likely just installment 1 of a ten part series.
Not to worry. You won't pay a dime.
Borrow and spend is the policy.
That only works as long as there is some uncertainty as to whether we have the will to actually use them occasionally.
Once an opponent is convinced we never will, they have no deterrent effect.
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