Tag: Nuclear Policies

Closing Thought–28Mar17

Did someone mention golf……does anyone remember all the grief Obama took in Right wing media every time he took off to play golf?

Our new president has him topped!

President Trump stayed away from his Florida resort for the weekend, but not from Trump properties: He was at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia on Saturday and Sunday and dined at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, on Saturday night, reports the Washington Post, which calculates that Trump has spent all or part of 21 of the first 66 days of his presidency at Trump-owned properties. Golfweek notes that Trump—who repeatedly criticized then-President Obama for golfing and said that he would be too busy to golf when president—has now visited golf courses 13 times since Jan. 20. The White House said Trump was in meetings, though photos emerged of him riding in a golf cart and wearing golf attire Saturday.

On Sunday, during a brief visit to the Virginia club in which the White House said he held three meetings, a photo emerged of Trump watching the Golf Channel with two people. Critics accuse Trump of hypocrisy and complain that he is providing his businesses with a lot of free publicity. “It is normal for presidents to get out—and it can be a boost for small businesses across the city and the country,” Robert Weissman of nonprofit group Public Citizen tells the New York Times. “But with President Trump, he spends his downtime as a walking advertisement for his businesses. It is a major departure from historic norm and degradation of the office.” (Sean Spicer says Trump’s golf habit is totally different from Obama’s.)

As long as we are talking about Mar-a-Lago Golf Club…..this one is just rich.

It seems that the Trump entourage may have forgot something on the last visit……

Surprising what can be found in the lost and found bin!

I read this and could not resist this compelling story…..it seems an unusual item was found waiting to be claimed in a golf course “lost and found” bin.

PALM BEACH, FL—Noting that it had already been there for almost two weeks, Mar-a-Lago assistant manager Chris Mahoney reportedly wondered Monday if anyone was coming to collect the nuclear briefcase from the club’s lost-and-found. “Someone noticed it in the dining room and dropped it off, and it’s just been sitting at the bottom of the bin ever since,” said Mahoney, adding that he had been asking people coming to collect their lost scarves and sunglasses if they might also have misplaced a briefcase attached to a pair of handcuffs. “You’d think whoever it belongs to would have realized that they lost it by now. Well, I’ll give it a few more weeks—if no one claims it after 60 days, it’s up for grabs, and I can see if someone on my staff wants it.” At press time, a man had mistakenly claimed the briefcase as his own before getting home to discover all the unfamiliar buttons inside.

Spoiler Alert!

This is NOT a real story but one published in The Onion.

What A Difference A Word Can Make

You have probably heard, as have I, your whole life that a single word could make a difference in so many ways…..so mind how you use your words……

Well our part-time Congress in a bi-partisan way have opened up a can of worms……which could be very difficult to shut if the need arises.

By removing a single word from legislation governing the military, Congress has laid the groundwork for both a major shift in U.S. nuclear defense doctrine and a costly effort to field space-based weaponry.

Source: Congress scrapped this one word from the law, opening the door to a space arms race – LA Times

Plus our brand new president has made it clear what he thinks about a nuke arms race……

Donald Trump woke everyone from their pre-Christmas slumber Thursday with a tweet calling for a strengthened and expanded US nuclear arsenal. His tweet followed remarks made earlier by Vladimir Putin in which he called for his country’s “need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces,” per Yahoo. On Friday, Trump doubled down on his previous remarks during what Politico calls an “off-air conversation” on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “Let it be an arms race … we will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all,” he said. (Politico notes some flip-flopping on nuclear issues, citing a March New York Times interview in which he said, “It’s a very scary nuclear world. Biggest problem, to me, in the world, is nuclear, and proliferation.”)

Not in on his latest stance, apparently: his own team. Per a transcript posted by NBC’s Katy Tur on Twitter, Trump’s new White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told Rachel Maddow Thursday night “we’re getting ahead of ourselves” when Maddow mentioned a “new nuclear arms race.” And, per a tweet by CNN’s David Wright, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer insisted on Today Friday that “there is not going to be” an arms race and that “we will all be just fine.” A short time later on CNN’s New Day, Spicer said the remarks Trump made to Morning Joes’ Mika Brzezinski “was a private conversation. I was not privy to that,” per Mediaite. Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star wonders: “Is there any point of quoting clarifications from Trump spokespeople? They’ve proven to be unreliable interpreters of him.” One person shrugging off arms race chatter: Putin, who said Friday Trump’s tweet was “nothing new,” per Politico.

Oh goodie….a return to the good old days of the 1950’s…..the days of paranoia and fear…..oh how I’ve missed those days….

What We Talk About When We Don’t Want To Talk About Nuclear War

While surfing I saw the title and it intrigued me……since their has been lots of talk in this election about nukes…..it is a subject that we want to bring up during an election but we do not really want to talk about the situation.

You may have missed it. Perhaps you dozed off. Or wandered into the kitchen to grab a snack. Or by that point in the proceedings were checking out Seinfeld reruns. During the latter part of the much hyped but excruciating-to-watch first presidential debate, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt posed a seemingly straightforward but cunningly devised question. His purpose was to test whether the candidates understood the essentials of nuclear strategy.

A moderator given to plain speaking might have said this: “Explain why the United States keeps such a large arsenal of nuclear weapons and when you might consider using those weapons.”

Source: What We Talk About When We Don’t Want To Talk About Nuclear War – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

With all that said……there is more that needs saying…….why?  Nukes are still a big part of our “defenses”……to the point of add more and more to the stockpile.

Should the United States reject the “first use” of nuclear weapons?  That question was put to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during their first debate.  Colonel (retired) Andrew Bacevich asks us to take their answers seriously in his latest insightful essay at TomDispatch.com, which I urge you to read here in full.

Trump was asked to respond first, and his rambling answer, I thought, showed the evidence of someone who had crammed for a test.  He was desperate to show he knew something – anything – about America’s nuclear forces (here some may recall how Trump obviously knew little about America’s nuclear triad during the Republican primary debates).  So Trump rambled on about obsolete B-52s flown by the sons and grandsons of previous pilots, a non sequitur since the B-52 has been continuously upgraded with new engines, advanced avionics, the latest in high-tech weaponry, and despite their age they’re still more than capable of doing the job.  But somebody must have told Trump to use the B-52’s age as a talking point, and he was determined to get it in.

Source: Ignorance and Dishonesty: Trump, Hillary, and Nuclear Genocide – LA Progressive

You may have thought nukes were an issue from the past….but in reality they are as much a part of the US as they ever were…..

People who make their living thinking about defense policy and national security like everything to fit into a nice framework, preferably one that can be visualized on a PowerPoint slide. If you are unfortunate enough to be standing next to two officials speaking Pentagonese during a reception, you will note that their language is full of acronyms relating to projects and obscure government agencies—and that they refer regularly to strategic concepts and systems, including the venerable “triad” of nuclear deterrence.

Source: Is Nuclear War Becoming Thinkable? | The American Conservative

Just a few things to consider before you vote……

Tick….Tock……

Nukes: The Clock Is Ticking

The news the other day was that the “Doomsday Clock” is still at 3 minutes to midnight……

Scientists behind a “Doomsday Clock” that measures the likelihood of a global cataclysm say the world is still under grave threat.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced on Tuesday that the minute hand on the metaphorical clock remained at three minutes to midnight.

The scientists behind the bulletin adjusted the clock from five minutes to midnight to three minutes to midnight last year, the closest to midnight it has been since 1983.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons. The clock was created two years later.

The decision to move or leave the clock alone is made by the bulletin’s science and security board, which includes physicists and environmental scientists from around the world, in consultation with the bulletin’s Board of Sponsors, which includes at least 16 Nobel laureates.

Every person that is well read knows of this prediction….but this time it is a bit ironic……it seems that Obama worried about the situations around the world has decided to upgrade the nuke weapons of the US……

The most sobering of these voices belongs to William Perry, who during the 1970s and ’80s directed the development of air-launched nuclear cruise missiles and later became secretary of defense. Now Perry is campaigning against Obama’s plan to develop and buy 1,000 new missiles with adjustable nuclear capacity, 100 new long-range bombers, and a new fleet of nuclear-armed submarines. He warns that if the plan becomes real, disputes among nations will be “more likely to erupt in nuclear conflict than during the Cold War.”

Source: Beware of Obama’s nuclear weapons plan – The Boston Globe

Is Obama and his cronies just reacting to what the Russians are planning?  I wrote about this recently…..read for yourself……

Source: Nukes Make Headlines (Again) – In Saner Thought

Are the Russians trying to do to the US what Reagan did to the USSR?  That is massive spending on “national security”…..then ask where will the cuts be to fund this dash to the past?

In Case You Are Not Sure

There is so much crap being fed to the American people during this election cycle…..and most of it has to do with Iran…..all the chest thumping by mentally challenged primates is not telling the whole truth….but then they are paid by another country to NOT tell the truth…… just do as they are told……

The Iran nuke deal that was all the news a few months ago has once again made the news and at the same time has GOP candidates spreading their manure like good field workers they are……

In case you have not been exposed to the facts of the deal then let me enlighten you a wee bit…..

Of course some will not trust the report……they are paid and paid well to dispute the findings……

The Iran Nuclear Deal: From Both Sides

By now the media is all drooling over the deal struck in the US Senate……they are smiling and jerking off because it is a bi-partisan deal, something sadly missing in today’s DC……

The media is laser focused on this deal and its contents…..this gives them something to fixate on for weeks to come….ad nauseum.  The American people will turn to their fave propaganda outlet to get all the important news on this deal.  They will then make their site the “must go to” site for all the truths and the lies about the deal…..But sadly most Americans will have NO independent opinion of what is happening……all the know is that they hate/love the deal and that is where the opinion will cease.

What do you know about the nuke deal between Iran and the US?  I mean really kno0w….not what some TV personality tells you you need to know…..then may I suggest that you read it for yourself….then form an opinion…..

The Iran nuclear deal: full text – CNN.com.

That is the full text of the agreement we have with Iran….do you see any problems?

Now I ask….what do you know about the bi-partisan deal reached in the Senate?  We know what the talking heads have to say….but is it a good deal or is it just a smoke screen?

If you want answers…..may I suggest that you take the time to read the text of the bill….then form an opinion…..(probably wishful thinking but I keep hoping that the people will educate themselves)……..

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/615/text

That is what the bill says….now if you have spent some time on this…..what do you think of the deal, the bi-partisan deal?

Is there any way that it can be used to scuttle any of the deal with Iran?

You betcha!  Try Section under Semi- Annual Report….paragraph I……..

“(I) An assessment of—

“(i) whether, and the extent to which, Iran supported acts of terrorism; and

“(ii) whether Iran directly supported, financed, planned, or carried out an act of terrorism against the United States or a United States person anywhere in the world.

There you have it….the smoking gun!  Who will decide the answers to the questions……where will the proof come from?  The US has labeled Iran as a sponsor of terrorism for decades…..that will be the go to section for nullifying the deal……

This is how they can scuttle the deal and still look like they were somehow cooperating…..it is all a game……a dangerous game….but a game nonetheless……and to expect his deal will have a fighting chance is being very optimistic.

Even if it survives in its original form there will be endless hearings and accusations until the deal collapses……..let’s not forget that Israel will be calling in all its favors to the Congress to fight ratification.

Part I: GOP Letter on Iran | The Iran Primer

In case you have been too busy to keep track of what actually went on with this letter controversy….let me help…….

I have pressed VP’s letter on the GOP stunt….now read the 2 other letters involved in this stunt……..

 

Part I: GOP Letter on Iran | The Iran Primer.

 

Part II: Iran Responds to GOP Letter | The Iran Primer.

 

Now you have all the information you will need to make an informed opinion on the situation that is playing out…..choose your words wisely.

Iran And The Future

I know you have been bombarded with stories on the DC shootings and the approaching debt debate and Syria has slid into oblivion, for now, but that could change any day…..Iran has just had a presidential election recently and NBC News has snagged the first interview with the new prez…….he was asked lots of questions about stuff but the one that I was interested in was when Curry asked him if Iran was chasing a nuke weapon………

(Newser) – If Iran’s more moderate new president is to be believed, the US doesn’t have to worry about Tehran pursuing nuclear weapons. “We have never pursued or sought a nuclear bomb, and we are not going to do so,” Hasan Rouhani tells Ann Curry of NBC News. “We solely are looking for peaceful nuclear technology.” He also dismissed the idea that President Obama looked weak on Syria, with words that are hard to imagine coming from predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

  • “We consider war a weakness. Any government or administration that decides to wage a war, we consider a weakness. And any government that decides on peace, we look on it with respect to peace.”

Of course, Iranian officials have insisted previously that they have only peaceful nuclear intentions, notes Reuters, but Rouhani’s comments are seen as a further thawing of relations with the West in general and the US in particular. He described a recent letter from President Obama as “positive and constructive” and said “it could be subtle and tiny steps for a very important future.” Rouhani will be in the US in less than a week to address the UN General Assembly.

Could it be?  A new prez and a new direction for their policies?

Personally, I think he was just trying to get exclusive access to the American people.  He is trying to soften their tone while a continuation of policies is assured……he even went so far as to send a “friendly” greeting to Israel…..you heard me!

This is so much theatrics on the part of the Iranian prez……to begin with…he is NOT the power the clerics hold all the power and I have not heard a word out of them that would lead me to believe anything this man says……

Does anyone have another point of view they would like to share?

It’s Not As Bad As You Think

Calm Down!  Just take a deep breath and calm down!

There is been a plethora of “experts” paraded across the tube trying to calm the sensibilities of the American people over the possible contamination from radiation pouring out of reactors in tsunami torn Japan…….CALM DOWN!

Here is a quickie for your history buffs…….about 25 years ago we had the same scenario playing out in the world……we bombed Libya and Chernobyl was heating up (no pun intended)……okay on to the main point of this post……

If you are old (like me) then you will remember all the fear that was foisted onto the American people back in the days of the Cold War…..we told that we could die from radiation and we were told how to protect ourselves from it…..like hiding under your desk…..now there was a brilliant idea……we were told that fallout….even if miles away would still infect us with all sorts of biblical afflictions….boils, loss of hair, blindness,  frogs (no that one was not in there)….anyway you get the picture….we were told that it was bad…..really BAD!

But now it is not so bad that we need to worry about any sickness……but how bad is bad?

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica:-

“The average total dose received from all three [natural] sources by a person residing at sea level is approximately 0.91 mSv per year; however, a dose twice this size [which makes 1.82 mSv per year] may be received by a person residing at a higher elevation such as Denver, Colo., where cosmic rays are more intense, or by a person residing in a geographic region where the radium content of the soil is relatively high.   In the latter type of region, the radioactive gas radon, which is formed in the decay of radium, may enter a dwelling through its floor or basement walls and accumulate in the indoor air unless the dwelling is well ventilated periodically; occupants of such a dwelling may therefore receive a dose as high as 100 mSv per year in their lungs from inhalation of the entrapped radon and its disintegration products “

Anyway, you now have an official explanation to radiation and its effects (a scientist will be more help than me….I am a political historian and what the Hell do I know about the science side of this?)

We are already finding signs of radiation in the Northwest……but not to worry…it is NOT enough to cause in serious danger…..but what if the plant in Japan goes boom?  Will we, as Americans, need to start worrying then?  Or will we be kept in the dark to add cover to an industry trying to claw its way out from under the happenings in Japan and save its future government subsidies?

So after decades of terrifying young children….we have come to….”We have nothing to fear but fear itself”  (if you recall that was a statement about Japan….go figure)

GOP Plan For An Energy Policy

The conversation….well that is not quite accurate…the debate on an Energy policy has geared up….along with the debate on Health care.

Take a seat for their is a GOP plan for energy……surprise!

Let us begin…they, the GOP, do not like the Obama “cap and trade” deal…..why?  The main reason is they say it will cost the consumer more money for power.  I like it that their first concern is for the consumer….yeah right…and if you believe that then I have land in Florida I would like to sell by the gallon.

The NY Times has reported on the Repub plan.

The Republican proposal, drafted by a group led by Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, leans heavily on nuclear power, setting a goal of building 100 reactors over the next 20 years.

The bill also provides incentives for increased oil and gas production on public and private lands and offshore. It would also authorize oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

The Republican measure does not include any mandatory cap on emissions of heat-trapping gases, relying instead on nuclear energy, natural gas and renewable fuels like wind, solar and biomass power to reduce production of the gases, which have been linked to global warming.

Republican officials said they were intending to offer the proposal, known as the American Energy Act, as a substitute for the bill sponsored by Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, both Democrats. The Waxman-Markey bill has been through hundreds of hours of public hearings and committee deliberations and passed the Energy and Commerce Committee last month on a 33-to-25 vote.

What part of this plan is not the same as it has been for 10 years?  Once again, the GOP has nothing new to offer the people of this country….just a rehash of tired old proposals from the past.