Nuclear Arms Reduction

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Years ago when the Soviet Union, now Russia, was a super power, the United States was in a race to be superior in every way on every front and we produced nuclear weapons to the tune of 2,600 up to 9,400. In other words, we could probably blow up the entire globe. Experts believe that Russia could have double the amount that we have.

North Korea, a country that finally admitted in 2003 that it even had nuclear weapons, withdrew as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that year saying that we had failed on a 1994 agreement that would have normalized relations and helped them supply energy through nuclear reactors. It was just another excuse to proceed with its desire. Iran is also on a roll in producing weapons of mass destruction with a goal of destroying Israel.

There are around 9 countries with nuclear weapons. Twenty five years ago there were 8,000 active nuclear warheads and approximately 28 countries with biological arsenals. In 2009, it is reported that there are 23,300 active nuclear warheads throughout the planet.

Yesterday President Obama and President Medvedev signed a nuclear arms control treaty agreeing to reduce their arsenals and have periodic inspections. Obama said, “Together we have stopped the drift and proven the benefits of cooperation.”

What about North Korea as they continue to build up its arsenal of nuclear warheads and weapons of mass destruction and stick their finger in our face? Do we pretend that Kim Il-sung is kidding just like Saddam Hussein? Do we pretend that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran did not condemned all Muslim leaders who even accepted the existence of Israel and wants to destroy that country? Do we really think that threats of sanctions will stop their forward movement of its nuclear program and obtaining an atomic bomb?

These countries are not afraid of us. They have been totally defiant and ridicule us at every opportunity. You can put all the controls you want on nuclear arms but it is the guy who carries the biggest stick that will have the most clout in the end.