Should We Ban All Nuclear Weapons In The U.S.?

I. Statement of the Dilemma/Controversy

There are many different benefits and drawbacks to each side taken on the matter on what we should do about nuclear weapons in the world. We must measure these benefits and drawbacks to determine which decision is the best for future security of our country.

One side of the argument is to permanently ban all nuclear weapons in this country. This option sounds like the best option and the right thing to do. However, because countries of the rest of the world still have nuclear weapons, we are at a security risk. If we didn't have any nuclear weapons to retaliate with, we couldn't defend ourselves from those powers that did still have the nuclear weapon. There are also other issues besides security, some of which include money to support all the weapons we hold and also do we need all the weapons we hold. We need to disarm ourselves so that we do not over extend ourselves. We only need the amount of weapons needed to protect our country's security. The cold war is over, and the United States has overloaded itself on number of nuclear weapons we stockpile. The more nuclear weapons we stockpile, the more the country, and the world is at risk for destruction.

II. Arguments in Favor of the Bill As it is Worded

Nuclear weapons were developed during the 1940's to help bring a quick end to World War II against the Japanese. Then, it served its purpose to save many American lives and help bring the Second World War to a close. Afterwards, when the Soviets developed their own version of the atomic bomb, it ignited an arms race between our two countries, which we as of today have many more nuclear weapons than we would ever need. There is enough power in the weapons we hold today to destroy the world over three times. ("Atomic Bomb.")

As of today, there are five (5) declared nuclear states in the world. The total amount of known global nuclear stockpile stands at from 24,700 - 33,307. Each of these states has both different views toward the use of nuclear weapons and also in the firepower they process. Listed, is the breakdown of the nuclear capabilities and estimated amount of nuclear stockpile each nuclear state processes. China is suspected of having around two hundred-ninety strategic nuclear weapons, with a big emphasis on land-based missile deployment. They currently stockpile one hundred-twenty non-strategic nuclear weapons, which brings their total to around four hundred nuclear weapons. They currently have one working ballistic missile submarine. France is suspected of having a total of around 500 nuclear weapons. The United Kingdom nuclear capability is heavily on their submarines, their stockpile estimate stands around two hundred. India, a recent addition to the 'nuclear-club' is currently suspected of having stockpiled ninety nukes. Israel is suspected of having around the same capacity of about one hundred nuclear missiles. The United States and Russia, both have a stockpiled amount of over six thousand nuclear weapons, with a percentage of them on 'hair-trigger' alert. Now, when you look at other countries in the five nuclear states versus the United States and Russia, you will see some enormous differenenes in numbers (Ong).

A short time after World War II, the United Nations created the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission (UNAEC). They wanted all nations to commit to achieving a world in which no country possessed nuclear weapons. They developed the proposals, "for the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction." The soviets at the time also had their own proposal of banning nuclear weapons, however a month after their efforts, they test exploded their own nuclear weapon and the nuclear arms race began from there (Schultz).

Today, many of the barriers that prevented us from having a nuclear ban have been eradicated. The tensions the Soviet Union and NATO have almost disappeared. President Clinton and Russian President Yeltsin have both ordered their military to not target each other. Russia itself is now receiving U.S. aid to disarm nuclear weapons in their state. There isn't any reason for the United States to not start disarming itself from the unnecessary stockpiles it holds to this date. The United States was the first country to develop the nuclear weapon, and the only country to use it in a war. The United State's job and responsibility is to now show the world that we no longer need to posess weapons of mass destruction. By the United States taking the inittaive in being the first country to abandon nuclear weapons, we would be sending a positive example to the rest of the world. Both countries that do and do not posess nuclear weapons would feel less intimidated and may also follow the path to a non-nuclear world (Shultz).

Eliminating all nuclear weapons from the stockpile would actually benefit the United States in more ways than one. Weapons of mass destruction are not only a threat to only our country, but our people, our environment, our economy, the global economy, and the future of mankind. As of this date, the only nuclear weapon we used in a war was in Japan, during World War II. We made the bomb for a reason, and now there is no reason to keep it. We never used a nuclear weapon in any war afterwards. The problem with the bomb is that it is "indiscriminate and uncontrollable." These characteristics of the bomb make it useless in war. We experienced a military defeat during the Vietnam War, but we never used a single nuclear weapon to help our efforts. If we did, we would destroy everything that the actual war was about (Shultz).

The only reason we have nuclear weapons today is to prevent the use of nuclear weapons by other countries, which include the five nuclear states. We, the United States do not need to carry a war-fighting amount of nuclear bombs. We, at this point only need enough for a retaliatory force, and if the world works together to reduce their stockpiles from minimal to nonexistent, we will to, to the extent to which our national security is not threatened. The United States is well capable of fighting wars without the use of nuclear weapons. We proved this correct during Desert Storm. We came in, and had a rather quick victory using only our conventional weapons. The United States has shown that we can destroy any target at any point in the world more effectively than a nuclear weapon (Shultz).

The United States cannot disarm and ban all nuclear weapons in a short amount of time, nor can the United States do all of this alone. There are many steps that need to be taken, but the first step the United States must do, is