Amid vocal Republican opposition to reports of nuclear weapons reductions during President Obama’s second term, it’s worth looking back on the history of nuclear arms reductions through the years, and the compelling reasons for continuing to pursue a smaller nuclear stockpile. I did a piece for PolicyMic putting the President’s plan in context. Here’s an excerpt:
The administration’s move doesn’t come out of nowhere. To the contrary, every president since Ronald Reagan has reduced the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Reagan came to office in 1981 enthusiastic about nuclear buildup, but soon became fearful of the dangers of mutually assured destruction, at one point telling his secretary of state, “Why wait until the end of the century for a world free of nuclear weapons?”
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It may be surprising given congressional Republicans’ fiery opposition to the news of Obama’s plan, but historically, Republican presidents have been more active on nuclear reductions than Democratic ones.”
You can read the full piece here.
