Matthew Yglesias » Centrists Wast $1 Billion on Nuclear Weapons Stimulus

Feb 10th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Centrists Wast $1 Billion on Nuclear Weapons Stimulus

One of about a thousand elements of the “centrists” re-write of the stimulus package for which we’ve heard no convincing policy rationale was the appropriation of an additional billion dollars for nuclear weapons. That’s pretty clearly not a productive investment in America’s future. Nor is it clear why you’d think it’s especially stimulative. As CAP’s Andrew Grotto observes, nuclear weapons questions need to be treated in strategic context and it makes no real sense for congress to be conducting freelance nuclear policy ahead of the formal Nuclear Posture Review. This is money that would be much better spent on general aid to states or food stamps or school construction.

Comments
22

Filed under: Nuclear Proliferation, Stimulus,

22 Responses to “Centrists Wast $1 Billion on Nuclear Weapons Stimulus”

wiley Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Obama has stated his desire for massive cutbacks in our nuclear arsenal. The party of opposition has to propose this.
El Cid Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Wast?
Rich in PA Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Eh, they can appropriate it but Obama can simply fail to spend it. That would work, wouldn’t it?
ssa Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
The almighty Obama needs to abolish nuclear weapons/energy/anything. Period.

http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/
pseudonymous in nc Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
You’d almost think that Nebraska had a huge nuclear-equipped Air Force base.
jack ketch Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Wast not wan not.
TH Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
No issue with nuclear energy here. Just the type of device that blows up. It’s not like one begets the other, since you can’t put the genie back in the bottle and “unlearn” the basic technology and physics anyway.
fostert Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
We already have enough weapons to destroy this planet several times over. Are we planning on destroying another planet as well? Perhaps the centrists can tell us which planet poses this threat to us.
Adrock Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Fostert: All of them.
Just Another Greg Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Honest question. And aside from all the other issues surrounding this…

Since I’m not well-versed in the ins-and-outs of nuclear weapons manufacture, exactly how “stimulative” would this kind of spending be? It’s my impression that this would involve a relatively small number of specialists, and wouldn’t really provide work to all that many people. Is that correct?
salient Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
It’s my impression that this would involve a relatively small number of specialists, and wouldn’t really provide work to all that many people. Is that correct?

I don’t know, but this is more to the point: off the top of your head, can you think of ways to spend the same dollar amount that would clearly achieve greater employment and better serve the public good?

Of course. Even if we want to employ the same industries, why not have them spend that money researching appropriate disposal of nuclear reactors’ waste-byproducts?
Ben Cronin Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Isaac wast beloved in the eyes of Abraham;
and Matt is using early moderne English verb forms agaiyne.
wiley Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Can’t find the New York times article just now, but I found one that said that approximately 600,000 people have been employed in the manufacture of nuclear weapons since 1943.
Marsha Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
God forbid that we justify jobs to build more weapons when people around the world, including the United States, are so in need of actual life requirements. This is a sign of how broken the system really is. People ask me how things could be fixed, who is capable of making decisions that will effect humanity, all of us. I think that Obama is as close to that person as I’ve ever seen who was willing to go into public life. He and his wife are very brave, indeed, to take this chance on all of us.
bob h Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 7:46 am
When you are trying to engage Iran in talks about nuclear weapons, does it set a great example to be expanding your weapons efforts yourself?
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Matt Yglesias

Centrists Wast $1 Billion on Nuclear Weapons Stimulus

22 Responses to “Centrists Wast $1 Billion on Nuclear Weapons Stimulus”

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