Nuclear physicist Shane Deichmans of Wizards of Oz continues the discussion of nuclear weapons policy with a contribution emphasizing the importance of stockpile management:
Since the end of the Cold War, many old weapon systems have been dismantled in order to diminish the U.S. arsenal — both to abide by international treaty obligations, and to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This requires a labor force with the same skill sets necessary to manufacture weapons: not just physicists and engineers, but master machinists, pipe fitters and other skill trades. This is an area where international cooperation should continue to increase — especially between Russia (which has the largest cache of weapons in the world) and the United States.
I also like Shane’s taxonomy of nuclear powers:
1. Those that have it
2. Those that want to have it
3. Those that don’t want it
4. Those who can never make it
One of the points I was trying to make in my post on nuclear policy was that it behooves us to increase the number of countries in Category 4. I’m working on a post in which I suggest means by which we can make that happen in a little more detail.
I have always been suspicious of the contention that some make, that a nation who desires to have nuclear weapons has no desire to actually use them. I think that is a rather dangerous assumption.