Helian Unbound
The world as I see it
Miscellaneous comments and hypotheses
Quote for today:
The opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds.Thomas Jefferson
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Upgrading our Nuclear Weapons Infrastructure
Posted on July 27th, 2010 No commentsInsty linked this article about the need to upgrade our nuclear weapons infrastructure. There are many good reasons for doing so, such as the fact that many of the existing facilities are old and in need of extensive repair and maintenance, were designed to meet our needs during the Cold War during an era when new weapons were being constantly built and tested, and are, in some cases, redundant. In the long run it will be penny wise and pound foolish not to invest in a nuclear weapons infrastructure better suited to meet our current needs. However, if we do so, the necessary funds should come from new appropriations rather than via the destructive tactic of arbitrarily taking salami slices from other elements of the weapons program.
Y-12 Nuclear Facility
As for the article’s assertion that we are “falling behind” other nations in this regard, I rather doubt it, especially if the source of the information is a United States senator from a state that would benefit directly from the proposed work. In fact, we’ve already undertaken some significant upgrades, and I know of no factual basis at the moment for the claim that other nations have done more, or are ahead of us in this regard. The case for upgrading our weapons infrastructure can stand on its own merits, based on the need to maintain the safety and reliability of the existing stockpile. There’s no need to invoke an imaginery “modernization gap.”
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