Bush Budgets for mini-nukes.
A little-noted clause of the Fiscal Year 2004 defense bill, which both houses of Congress passed with barely a shrug last week, puts the United States back in the business—after a decade-long moratorium—of developing, testing, and eventually building a new generation of exotic nuclear weapons.
In its budget proposal earlier this year, the Bush administration asked for four things along these lines:
1) The repeal of a 1992 law banning the research and development of "low-yield" nuclear weapons (i.e., nukes with an explosive power of less than 5 kilotons);
2) $15 million for work on an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon (popularly known as a "bunker-buster");
3) $6 million for an "Advanced Concepts Initiative," in which the national weapons labs would once again explore special-effects nukes—for instance, nuclear weapons that, like the long-abandoned "neutron bomb," would enhance certain types of radiation; and
4) $25 million to gear up the weapons labs to the point where they could resume underground nuclear tests within 18 months after a presidential order to do so. (The United States unilaterally stopped nuclear testing in 1992, on orders of the first President Bush, then formalized the cessation in 1995 by signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.)
The House and Senate armed services committees, meeting this month in conference, approved all four of Bush's requests, with one caveat—that the president would have to come back for additional approval before actually producing low-yield nuclear weapons, though everyone concerned knows there's a fine line between "development" and "production."
Welcome to the future. Mini-Nukes combined with the current "First Strike Policy" looks like a disaster for nuclear disarmament and world peace.
While I've heard the talk for a while, the worst thing about this is that right here is the first I've heard of it officially.
These are the sorts of things that *will* get used - traditional nukes are so powerful that you literally scare each other out of using them. These things get around (and you know that other powers will soon develop them) and that deterrent is gone.
We already have 7,650 nukes at last count... more than enough to destroy every major population center thirty times over.
Newton has discovered that whenever he touches silver objects, he'll get a treat. That's all well and good for tapping the treat bag next to the monitor... but he's also taken to patting the remote control to the TV, my digital camera, and my palmtop cradle. What's worse is that I reinforce this behavior because I say to him "Oh, looking for a snack?" and then give him a could of kibbles from the hidden treat-pouch.
Had a nice time with my sweetie last night, and the special on Kandula was really nicely done...adorable footage, and a lot of useful information. Interesting to me is that they aired it practically on his second birthday (Nov 25th). I was really impressed at the amount of tolerance Shanthi (his mother) had for humans, and for artificial insemination. More Kandula Info Elephant cam inside & outside More Egyptian stuff coming in the first week of December, and I'm already quite enthused about that.
I got some delightful treats from oneeyed and sedef! A stamp, Frankincense (not crack rock!) assorted teas, sage, cinnamon (un-ground) and some coins... and a very spiffy 30 min Home-movies in Dubai VCD. It's so nice to see that whole family cruising around and having fun. (A lot of silly singing of Queen.. and Dr. Falafel the tooth-pulling incident. The whole crew is really adorable...and family intestinal issues) A lot of the outdoor scenes look like Florida, save for the gigantic shisha store, inverted cones of meat and such. All of the treats are so nice... and Newt is crazy for some scent in there.. think it's the cinnamon. Thank you so much!
Sometimes I like the idea of living in a pod. (I figure if I can't own the domain, at least someone else has something cool there.)
I'd like to visit the showing of Tokyo: The Imperial Capital... it just started showing this week at the Wolfsonian in Miami. The prints have a good, solid feel to them, and I'd like to see them up close and personal.
Well, groceries are restocked, bills are sent out, my pt taken care of, light office duty is going well, and it's time for lunch! Not too shabby for a Monday! Until later, dear journal.
A little-noted clause of the Fiscal Year 2004 defense bill, which both houses of Congress passed with barely a shrug last week, puts the United States back in the business—after a decade-long moratorium—of developing, testing, and eventually building a new generation of exotic nuclear weapons.
In its budget proposal earlier this year, the Bush administration asked for four things along these lines:
1) The repeal of a 1992 law banning the research and development of "low-yield" nuclear weapons (i.e., nukes with an explosive power of less than 5 kilotons);
2) $15 million for work on an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon (popularly known as a "bunker-buster");
3) $6 million for an "Advanced Concepts Initiative," in which the national weapons labs would once again explore special-effects nukes—for instance, nuclear weapons that, like the long-abandoned "neutron bomb," would enhance certain types of radiation; and
4) $25 million to gear up the weapons labs to the point where they could resume underground nuclear tests within 18 months after a presidential order to do so. (The United States unilaterally stopped nuclear testing in 1992, on orders of the first President Bush, then formalized the cessation in 1995 by signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.)
The House and Senate armed services committees, meeting this month in conference, approved all four of Bush's requests, with one caveat—that the president would have to come back for additional approval before actually producing low-yield nuclear weapons, though everyone concerned knows there's a fine line between "development" and "production."
Welcome to the future. Mini-Nukes combined with the current "First Strike Policy" looks like a disaster for nuclear disarmament and world peace.
While I've heard the talk for a while, the worst thing about this is that right here is the first I've heard of it officially.
These are the sorts of things that *will* get used - traditional nukes are so powerful that you literally scare each other out of using them. These things get around (and you know that other powers will soon develop them) and that deterrent is gone.
We already have 7,650 nukes at last count... more than enough to destroy every major population center thirty times over.
Dr Who is 40 years old. Somehow, it seems not as aged and even older at the same time, so I guess it balances out.
Newton has discovered that whenever he touches silver objects, he'll get a treat. That's all well and good for tapping the treat bag next to the monitor... but he's also taken to patting the remote control to the TV, my digital camera, and my palmtop cradle. What's worse is that I reinforce this behavior because I say to him "Oh, looking for a snack?" and then give him a could of kibbles from the hidden treat-pouch.
Had a nice time with my sweetie last night, and the special on Kandula was really nicely done...adorable footage, and a lot of useful information. Interesting to me is that they aired it practically on his second birthday (Nov 25th). I was really impressed at the amount of tolerance Shanthi (his mother) had for humans, and for artificial insemination. More Kandula Info Elephant cam inside & outside More Egyptian stuff coming in the first week of December, and I'm already quite enthused about that.
I got some delightful treats from oneeyed and sedef! A stamp, Frankincense (not crack rock!) assorted teas, sage, cinnamon (un-ground) and some coins... and a very spiffy 30 min Home-movies in Dubai VCD. It's so nice to see that whole family cruising around and having fun. (A lot of silly singing of Queen.. and Dr. Falafel the tooth-pulling incident. The whole crew is really adorable...and family intestinal issues) A lot of the outdoor scenes look like Florida, save for the gigantic shisha store, inverted cones of meat and such. All of the treats are so nice... and Newt is crazy for some scent in there.. think it's the cinnamon. Thank you so much!
Sometimes I like the idea of living in a pod. (I figure if I can't own the domain, at least someone else has something cool there.)
I'd like to visit the showing of Tokyo: The Imperial Capital... it just started showing this week at the Wolfsonian in Miami. The prints have a good, solid feel to them, and I'd like to see them up close and personal.
Well, groceries are restocked, bills are sent out, my pt taken care of, light office duty is going well, and it's time for lunch! Not too shabby for a Monday! Until later, dear journal.
posted by Scottobear at
11:28:00 PM
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