Obama Hits My Red Button: Eliminating ALL Nuclear Weapons

DrFunkenstein

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Oct-04-07 04:05 PM
Original message

Obama Hits My Red Button: Eliminating ALL Nuclear Weapons

I have been waiting many a year for a candidate to put themself this far out on the branch. I was thrilled in 2004 that Kerry went so far in his own candidacy toward reducing nuclear weapons - I knew that the issue was big with him long before he entered the Senate.

To me, there are aspects of the war on global terrorism that don't make it to the forefront because shriveled and flabby politicians in their suits want to prove how "tough" they are.

Basically, in Washington and beyond, peace is considered a four-letter word.

Although I readily admit that limited military actions are inevitable and useful, we can only win the war on terror by addressing the sources and taking on the slow and thankless battle - the kind that doesn't play well in a CNN action clip - to win the hearts and minds of the Arab world.

A large aspect of that struggle is improving the quality of life for people there, bolstering the middle class over years through economic reforms, aid packages and education. Of course, we cannot allow for the use of torture, needless civilian casualties, cowboy unilateralism and other activities that eat away at the soul of our country and destroy our international reputation.

Another key part of winning the war on terrorism involves reducing the global presence of nuclear weapons. On one hand, it makes us safer by limiting the chances of weapons falling in the wrong hands. But a second benefit is the change in both our own defensive, nihilistic mentality and the perception of our country as trying to limit other country's weapons while we build up our own - especially given that we are the only country ever to use such weapons on large civilian populations.

Very few Americans would suggest that they are in search of the Kumbaya type of peace, in fact that catchy little tune is almost always brought up simply to renounce it. I consider myself very much a realist, but I believe you can truly promote non-violent, diplomatic solutions and reduce the number of weapons changing hands in the global arms trade.

Alot of America's resistance to such measures has to do with our own disconnect as a people with the human realities of our political decisions. I think we tend to see things rather comfortably as metaphors and through the filter of our ironic detachment, except perhaps when the occasional Katrina shocks us out of our "media saavy" haze.

It does my heart good to see a candidate with the courage to take on all the symbolic chest-beating that goes on in Washington, which the public continues to encourage for related reasons.

I missed it initially, but earlier this week there was an article in the NYTimes earlier this week reporting that Obama was pushing for not just the reduction of nuclear weapons, but openly setting a goal of eliminating ALL nuclear weapons in the world - the kind of idea that pundits and other such knuckleheads immediately label "dangerously naive."

Senator Barack Obama will propose on Tuesday setting a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world, saying the United States should greatly reduce its stockpiles to lower the threat of nuclear terrorism, aides say.

Mr. Obama, according to details provided by his campaign Monday, also will call for pursuing vigorous diplomatic efforts aimed at a global ban on the development, production and deployment of intermediate-range missiles.

His speech was to come one day after an announcement by the Bush administration that it had tripled the rate of dismantling nuclear weapons over the last year, putting the United States on track to reducing its stockpile of weapons by half by 2012.

If elected, Mr. Obama plans to say, he will lead a global effort to secure nuclear weapons and material at vulnerable sites within four years. He also will pledge to end production of fissile material for weapons, agree not to build new weapons and remove any remaining nuclear weapons from hair-trigger alert.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/us/politics/02obama.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=login

I am glad to see my enthusiasm over his earlier battle with Sen. Clinton over the potential use of nuclear weapons to eliminate a terrorist cell was not unfounded. Kudos for taking the right issues on the offensive, rather than trying to out-posture cowboy conservatives.