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If – renew
By spotogspindel | January 4, 2010
Well, this isn´t exactly a cheerful image. And quite a contrast to the last post. But when IF launched their theme on Friday, and I an hour later read an article about how the START-agreement from 1991 expired on December the 5th, I couldn´t shake the idea on doing something on the nuclear threat.
The START-agreement is a treaty between the USA and the former Soviet Union, and reduced the threat of a nuclear war between the two countries. The world situation is a lot different now than it was in the early 1990s, several other countries have access to nuclear weapons, and there are other threats that dominate the news. But it is still the biggest of all threats to the planet.
Obama and Medvedev have been and are in discussions trying to settle the new agreement. Unfortunately they didn´t reach the agreement before the old one expired, due to “some details” (according to Medvedev).
This weird light on a December night in the northern part of Norway was caused by a Russian missile-launch. (photo: Odd Magne Haugen, it´s not been manipulated)
We live in a world that will probably always have nuclear weapons. But to put things in a weird and cynical perspective, we only need enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world one time each to be even. To have bombs to blow up the world 30 or fifty times, is just a waste of money and resources. AND (this is the important part) the chances of accidents and radio-active pollution increase parallel to the amount of excess weapons. THAT is what needs to be done something about. In addition to restricting new countries into getting their nuclear weapons… but that´s a different topic.
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And today, I read in the news that President Obama is having difficulties with the Pentagon. They are worried that he will reduce the number of nuclear weapons too much…
At the same time Putin thinks Russia needs to develope new offensive weapon-systems to keep the strategic balance…
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