Comments on: Big Ups

By: Michael Roston

Michael Roston — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 00:38:55 +0000

Thanks, Paul for the shout outs, and the distinct pleasure that I got to see you a couple of times this year (and be welcomed into your home for one of them). Excited to see big things at Total Wonkerr in the new year, and just watch for more havoc from Looking For Someone… and The Raw Story in the weeks to come.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:32:19 +0000

I support the administration in general, but less so when it comes to arms control issues. Nevertheless, I cannot say this is all the current administration’s fault. With four extra de facto nuclear weapons states, and several either knocking on the door (Iran or Syria) or able to pass through in a very short period of time (South Korea, Japan), the NPT nuclear weapons states are simply not able to work towards NPT article 6 obligations. In fact, the United States and Britain have publicly committed to work on updated nuclear weapons. Stated simply, I do not think today’s world lends itself to arms reduction treaties, and the current administration takes the bad rap for this.

By: Robot Economist

Robot Economist — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:27:14 +0000

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Bush administration just tries to wait out the clock on verification procedures. They’ve backed away from almost every other component of the nonproliferation regime’s legally-binding frameworks. Between the missile defense largesse and “combating WMD” formulation, one gets the distinct impression that the Bush administration believes little can be done about the coming Rumsfeld Commission-style proliferated world. Besides preparing for the worst, that is…

Too bad all of their emphasis on the unilateralist imperative is creating a political environment where Rumsfeld’s dark predictions are more likely to come to fruition. I guess that’s what they mean by “reality-based planning.”

I’d count on the next administration having to scramble to put an extension in place before December 4, 2009. Even muscular Republicans like John McCain aren’t stupid enough to walk away from a good confidence building measure like the START verification procedures.