The United States Should Eliminate Its Own Weapons of Mass Destruction

Claremont Colleges Debate Outreach –

The United States should eliminate its own weapons of mass destruction

Key Terms Sources

Weapons of mass destruction Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (searchable archive)

Disarmament http://www.thebulletin.org/index.html

Mutually Assured Destruction Review of the US Nuclear Forces as of 2003

Conventional weapons http://www.thebulletin.org/issues/nukenotes/mj03nukenote.html

Abolition 2000

http://www.abolition2000.org/

Summary of Disarmament Treaties and Conventions

http://www.wilpf.org/disarm/intldisarm.htm

The Sunshine Project

http://www.sunshine-project.org/

Fact Set

The G8 (a group of nations composed of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy and Canada) hold 98% of the nuclear weapons in the world-30,500-most of which belong to the U.S. and Russia.

The 2002 Nuclear Posture Review indicated that the US is planning to develop and test new nuclear weapons as opposed to investing in disarmament proposals.

Arguments in favor of the United States eliminating its own weapons of mass destruction

Even under tight security, weapons of mass destruction can accidentally kill millions of people. The US should not risk its own population from an accidental launch or leak of WMD.

Weapons of mass destruction can be stolen or sold and used against the United States.

Elimination of its WMD would give the United States great authority to require that other nations destroy their WMD as well. Getting rid of American WMD would be a good example to nations around the world to disarm.

America’s WMD could kill billions of people around the world and destroy the ecosystem-the risk of this devastation is too great to trust the American leaders.

The United States often sells weapons to other nations, and these weapons can later fall into the wrong hands. If the United States gets rid of its weapons there will be fewer weapons in the hands of other nations as well.

Getting rid of WMD would bring the United States into compliance with international treaties on disarmament (see the UN page at http://www.unog.ch/frames/disarm/distreat/warfare.htm).

Arguments against the United States eliminating its own weapons of mass destruction

If the US were to get rid of its WMD, it would greatly increase its store of conventional weapons. This would be more costly to initiate these programs and would inspire other nations to build up conventional weapon stores as well.

Leaders are quite wary of using weapons of mass destruction except in the most extreme circumstances. However, without WMD leaders might be more willing to go to war with conventional weapons.

America’s allies would be worried that they could no longer rely on the United States for protection. They would likely decide to develop more conventional weapons or obtain their own weapons of mass destruction. Placing more WMD in hotspots around the world would only increase the risk of their use.

Another nation with WMD capabilities might become a world superpower or attack the United States.

The US needs to retain its weapons to deter attacks from other nations and protect its own national security.