Live Chat: Robert Scheer on Nuclear Weapons

BLANKIf you missed Robert Scheer discussing his column, nuclear weapons and President Obama with readers or you just want to relive the excitement, you can read a full transcript right here.

This chat was held the afternoon of April 8th, 2010.

3:00 Truthdig
Welcome to our live chat, let’s get started

3:01 Robert Scheer
Hello.

3:03 Robert Scheer
We seem to be having some technical difficulties, one sec…

3:05 Question From Douglas
Many advocates of nuclear energy, now even on the left, disclaim any connection with nuclear weaponry proliferation. What do you think, and is a consensus developing or disintegrating on this issue?

3:05 Robert Scheer
I’m torn on that issue

3:05 Robert Scheer
I happened to be able to visit and report on chernobyl (spelling?) one year after the disaster.

3:06 Robert Scheer
and witnessed the incredible confusion, even at that late date, as to how to handle the crisis — what had caused it. So I don’t want to underestimate any of the dangers.

3:07 Robert Scheer
However there is a fundamental difference between the attempt to develop peaceful usages of atomic power and the deliberate development of nuclear warfighting capabilities.

3:07 Question From Monsiuer Bronx
Tell me, Mr. Scheer, why we need so many nuclear bombs? How about we just have the ones on the nuclear sub fleet and drop all the rest?

3:07 Robert Scheer
Yes!

3:07 Robert Scheer
Obviously a correct suggestion, but the point is how to we get not only there but to the ultimate abolition of these horrid implements.

3:08 Question From Douglas
Wait!! Drop all the rest?!

3:08 Robert Scheer
The problem is a political one

3:08 Robert Scheer
we have been ignoring this issue for half a century basically

3:08 Robert Scheer
and even the minor agreements that have been developed during the cold war have collapsed

3:09 Robert Scheer
we still don’t have a test ban treaty agreement

3:09 Robert Scheer
we needed a new START agreement

3:09 Robert Scheer
and Obama has accomplished something very important, which is putting the nuclear weapons issue back on the front burner.

3:09 Robert Scheer
What he has negotiated with the Russians is a modest step in that both sides are still left with many more weapons than are needed to destroy all life on the planet.

3:10 Robert Scheer
but we’re moving in the right direction.

3:10 Robert Scheer
The real issue now is whether the senate will affirm this and that is highly questionable. So instead of arguing about better proposals we should be working to get this one approved.

3:10 Question From Billy B.
Is there a stated goal of the Obama admin re nuclear drawdown…is he fulfilling a campaign promise with this treaty?

3:11 Robert Scheer
Yes. as well as the promise he made in his Prague speech last April.

3:11 Robert Scheer
A 1/3 cut in the strategic arsenal of both Russia and the US is a major step forward. As well as moves to cut the delivery systems. And end MIRVing of weapons

3:12 Question From Billy B.
Are you at all surprised by the right’s attempt to villify even this???

3:12 Robert Scheer
I’m not surprised. Given what has happened in the last year. But I am appalled. I mean how in the world can one justify being opposed to getting the russians to have fewer nuclear weapons and yet call yourself a conservative.

3:13 Truthdig
A question from a reader submitted ahead of time has come in:
John, New York says:
Clearly reversing the development of nuclear weapons has been in progress for some years, but from an strategic defense point of view? What do you think the outcome of this policy is going to be in light of a nuclear threat, what is our leverage power and how can we even guarantee a strong retaliation let alone a successful one?
 
3:15 Robert Scheer
As the president pointed out, our retaliatory power now is designed to combat an enemy that no longer exists, namely the Soviet Union. We have to recognize that nuclear weapons are lousy weapons that cannot differentiate between a military target and the surrounding population. That is what happened, even with a very small weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
3:15 Question From Cynthia Macias
Since the U.S. is obviously in the hegemonic power, do you think that this allows it to set a trend that other states will follow? do you think it will be successful?

3:15 Robert Scheer
I think that if the United States and Russia, which have 90 percent of the nuclear weapons, do not get serious about cutting back their arsenals, they will not have the credibility to demand that other nations forgo the nuclear option.

3:16 Truthdig
We have another question from a reader sent ahead of time:

3:16 Truthdig
doublestandards/glasshouses –  Schenectady, NY says:
You obviously still have hope for the democratic party as well as Obama, yet while you disagree with practically everything Chris Hedges says, you are always praising him.  It’s confusing.  What is your vision of the future?  Are we doomed as Hedges believes we are?  Is democracy finished?
 
3:17 Robert Scheer
First of all, I don’t believe Hedges is THAT pessimistic. On the contrary, what he is trying to do is rally the American people to breathe life into our democracy rather than abandon it.

3:17 Robert Scheer
I am more optimistic today than at any point in the last year, because on the most important issue that we face, Obama does seem to be fulfilling his campaign promises.

3:18 Question From Kevin
Is not the United States position on Nuclear Arms a bit hypocritical?

3:18 Robert Scheer
Of course

3:18 Robert Scheer
We are the only nation that has actually used these weapons

3:18 Robert Scheer
we killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese and their families

3:19 Robert Scheer
and so there’s always been an arrogance — and we have the biggest nuclear arsenal — to saying to the world that we alone can be trusted with these devices

3:19 Robert Scheer
but we have to start back towards reason

3:19 Question From Billy B.
How does the timing (of the signing of this treaty) relate to the bluster of ‘news’ re Iran’s nuclear plans and the speed at which (it appears) they are moving towards that goal?  In other words, is it a shot across the proverbial bow?

3:20 Robert Scheer
Clearly one important advantage of this is that it will strengthen the international opposition to Iran or any other nation attempting to develop nuclear weapons

3:20 Question From Guest
On the question of Iran, Noam Chomsky said that [Iran] would be crazy not to be developing nuclear weapons. Since America and Israel tend to be very belligerent. Do you think there is a chance that these kind of actions may affect how Ahmedinejad interacts with the west?

3:20 Robert Scheer
  and the russian statement today on Iran was stronger than previously

3:20 Robert Scheer
I don’t know what affects him

3:21 Robert Scheer
but I do know that no nation should rely on nuclear weapons for its security

3:21 Robert Scheer
and that there are better ways to assure iran that its sovereign rights are intact and that there are consequences that await them if they go down this road.

3:21 Question From Guy Petersen Jr
Considering what happened on the Borders of N & S Korea last week. (Im still not sure what happened) Do you think this agreement will have any effect on how N Korea’s chest pounding and posturing?

3:22 Question From Alex Pierpaoli
Hi Robert, 2 things: isn’t the idea of nuclear power as “Green” energy rather fanciful due to enormous amount of hydrocarbons burned in order to mine uranium?  Also, in today’s Middle East, doesn’t it seem that HAVING nukes is the only way to guarantee you will not be invaded?  if that’s true, why should Iran STOP building a bomb?  ok, maybe that’s 3 things…

3:22 Robert Scheer
Again, I don’t know what motivates the leadership of north korea, nor does anyone else. But I do know that we do not need a biger nuclear arsenal to confront a threat from what are still very puny military threats from either korea or iran.

3:23 Robert Scheer
     Having nukes is a way of guranteeing suicide

3:23 Robert Scheer
these weapons are not usable for defense by anyone

3:23 Robert Scheer
I think there are steps that Iran can take to guarantee the nation’s sovereignty

3:24 Robert Scheer
     And there is no question that the US has the power to prevent Israel in engaging in such an attack since we finance much of their military development.

3:24 Robert Scheer
     On green power and nukes

3:26 Robert Scheer
     I was impressed in an interview with Hans Bethe — one of the great nuclear physicists and nobel prize winners — that one can make a plausible argument for peaceful uses of nuclear power. However the issues connected with making that safe are VERY different from the concerns addressed here about deliberate use, particularly in a first strike capacity of nuclear weapons

3:26 Question From Cynthia Macias
I think that also is a part on the US to lead the way of making amends with these nations and recognize them so that they don’t have to resort to these measures for political visibility

3:26 Robert Scheer
True enough.

3:26 Robert Scheer
But let’s not lose sight of what’s involved here

3:26 Robert Scheer
which is the uniquely destructive power of nuclear weapons to eliminate all that we care about

3:27 Robert Scheer
This is what Obama’s proposal and the new defense dept. strategy addresses.

3:27 Robert Scheer
And it’s what this arms control negotiation is all about.

3:27 Truthdig
We have another question from a reader:
Night-Gaunt, Houston, TX
How can we get Pres. Obama to do much more with this including sanctions against all nuclear countries who have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaties like Pakistan, India and Israel? (North Korea is already living like they are under sanctions.)
 
3:28 Robert Scheer
We will doom this effort if we insist that it solve every problem related to nuclear weapons in this world

3:28 Robert Scheer
what it is is a major step in the right direction and we should not let the kneejerk opponents of everything Obama endorses derail this

3:29 Robert Scheer
It is outrageous that the Bush administration advocated building even newer nuclear weapons and developing a warfighting capacity to replace conventional weapons with nuclear ones as in the case of bunker busters

3:29 Truthdig
We have time for about one more question…

3:29 Question From Billy B.
I’m guessing the Israelies were NOT present in Prague?  Who, in your opinion, which nation, constitutes the highest level of nuclear threat (outside the USA)?

3:30 Robert Scheer
If the United States and Russia can find common ground for prohibition on the use and development of nuclear weapons, they can find ample support in the world community to carry that vision through.

3:30 Robert Scheer
     They will certainly have the capacity to control any other nation that seeks to go down this road

3:30 Robert Scheer
either through sanctions or other forms of making that point

3:30 Robert Scheer
Pakistan, Israel, India

3:30 Robert Scheer
Are nations that very much need support of the united states

3:31 Robert Scheer
and if the US has the will to resist their reliance on nuclear weaponry it wil cary the day

3:31 Robert Scheer
I will point out that in the case of Pakistan and Israel, the delivery systems needed to make these weapons truly threatening, were supplied by the United States.

3:31 Question From Graham Webb
Robert what are your thoughts on economic and diplomatic sanctions? It seems from my perspective trying to impose and force through sanctions do little to no good in motivating sovereign countries seeking or already having developed nuclear weapons.

3:32 Robert Scheer
I am inclined to agree with that view.

3:32 Robert Scheer
Because economic santions generally hurt the innocent in the countries affected and strengthen the power of dictators who can play the nationalist card ever more effectively

3:33 Robert Scheer
however it is perfectly in order for there to be common agreement to deny Iran or any other country access to the materials or technological knowhow needed to advance a nuclear weapons program

3:33 Question From Guy Petersen Jr
Do you think the United States should get out of the business of policing the affairs of other countries? For instance if n Korea was to do something with their arsenal, shouldn’t other countries like China or Russia get their hands dirty, since they created this Communist regime?

3:33 Truthdig
     I see some of you are still submitting questions, but unfortunately this will be the last one we will take in today.

3:33 Question From Billy B.
Thanks Robert!!!

3:33 Robert Scheer
     Yes and no

3:34 Robert Scheer
     (and you’re welcome)

3:34 Robert Scheer
     But back to the question

3:34 Robert Scheer
     Obviously the US, Russia, and China are responsible for the actions of client states

3:34 Robert Scheer
     that they have supported or indeed created in the past

3:35 Robert Scheer
     But that does not absolve them of responsibility to prevent nuclear conflagration now.

3:35 Question From Graham Webb
Thanks Mr. Scheer, great commentary.

3:35 Robert Scheer
     Through international effforts

3:35 Robert Scheer
     Let me add one final comment

3:36 Robert Scheer
     The current threat, be it from N Korea, Iran or Pakistan or Israel — all derives from previous approval of such programs

3:36 Robert Scheer
     the only reason that Iran and North Korea have been able to move this far was because of the support that came from Pakistan and the father of the bomb in that country

3:37 Robert Scheer
     Yet the US response to the most egregious violation of efforts to control nuclear proliferation was first under clinton a mild embargo and then the lifting of that embargo by George W. Bush

3:37 Robert Scheer
     we have been consistently sending mixed signals about how we feel about nuclear proliferation, including obviously the case of Israel’s own development

3:38 Robert Scheer
     I take it as a major achievement on the part of President Obama that he has moved decisively to end that ambiguity. My concern now is not with Obama’s resolve, but rather with the mindless opposition to these obviously necessary steps

3:38 Robert Scheer
     by a republican party driven by hardliners and opportunists willing to turn their backs on the real national security interests of this country

3:39 Robert Scheer
     and driven to oppose this incredibly sane effort to put the nuclear genie back in the bottle

3:39 Robert Scheer
     Thanks everyone. Let’s do it again next week!

3:39 Truthdig
     Thank you for joining our first live chat session. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please send us an email at [email protected]
 
3:41