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Greenberg's View
Nuclear Opportunities
ussian President Vladimir
Putin and U.S. President
George W. Bush agreed 10
days ago to resume long-stalled efforts
to reduce the threat that nuclear war-
heads from Russia's partially disman-
tled missile systems might fall into the
hands of terrorists. The step, while
modest and much overdue, is a wel-
come movement toward addressing a
true threat to the millions of humans
who could be incinerated if terrorists
actually were able to mount a nuclear
attack on a city.
But it is only a partial way
of addressing the much larg-
er question of how to rid
the world's arsenals of these
awful weapons as well as chemical and
biological agents. So far, none of the
five declared nuclear states — the
United States, Russia, Britain, France
and China — nor the three unde-
clared ones — Israel, India and
Pakistan — has even begun to think
seriously about junking these systems.
And that refusal makes it almost
impossible to stop wannabes like Iran
and North Korea from pursuing their
-
nuclear ambitions.
As Hans Blix, the former chief
weapons inspector for the United
Nations, noted last week, "We're mov-
ing backward rather than forward."
America is a major part of the prob-
lem. After the collapse of the former
Soviet Union nearly 15 years ago, we
could have negotiated meaningful
treaties to reduce the American and
Russian nuclear missile systems, which
might have induced other nations not
to start on their own nuclear paths.
But instead of getting down to a min-
imal total of warheads on each side,
American planners are insisting on at
least 6,000 for this country alone.
Worse, the Pentagon and the White
House talk about developing new
"bunker buster" warheads to tunnel
underground. Congress has
thoughtfully blocked direct
appropriations for this
research for now, but the
administration continues to lobby for
it despite its destabilizing effects. And
we continue to lavish money on a
missile defense system that has yet to
work in its tests but that angers other
nations as a symbol of an American
fortress mentality.
The United States follows a double
standard on nuclear proliferation,
ignoring its allies Israel, India and
Pakistan while thumping the tub vig-
orously against Iran and North Korea.
That reads as hypocrisy to the Arab
world and many non-aligned nations
that, following the invasion of Iraq,
have little reason to think of the
United States as anything other than a
global bully.
In May, the United Nations has
scheduled a review conference for the
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty as a
follow up to a successful conference in
2000 that established decent disarma-
ment goals and timetables. There is
well-grounded fear that American
intransigence could undermine the
coming conference and open the door
to exactly the kind of general rush to
nuclear weapons development that is
most to be feared.
It might be much more useful if the
United States used the conference as a
place to make a gesture toward reducing
arsenals. We are going to need a deter-
rent force, just as Israel does; let's make
The Values Thing
have only seen in outdated Berlitz
textbooks.
Sen. Hillary Clinton is moving
towards the middle on the abortion
issue. Others are laboring to define
new positions on morals and religion
that will get them right with the val-
ues crowd.
One of the most peculiar manifesta-
tions was Gov. Jennifer Granholm's
24-hour support for displaying the
Ten Commandments in government
buildings. She backed off almost
immediately, but it is an indication of
how Democratic minds are working.
I believe that the pendulum has
swung too far in removing all religious
statements from the public square.
That isn't what the Constitution
requires, nor is it what the framers
intended.
Displaying the Decalogue has
become the flash point on this issue,
and arguments before the U.S.
Supreme Court were scheduled this
week. But I've got to say I'm with the
The book, which I find
anti crowd on this one.
unforgivably condescending
Anyone who thinks the Ten
in tone, scolds the red-state
Commandments do not sup-
voters for buying into
port one specific religious
Republican rhetoric and plac-
view has never bothered to
ing values above their own
read them. This is the word of
economic self-interest when
the particular God of the
they vote. But many
Jewish people and its first four
Democrats don't seem to
strictures are aimed directly at
GEORGE
grasp what their own econom-
them. Some would even argue
CANTOR
ic message is.
that the Christian concept of
Reality
The Dems say, "Don't worry.
the Trinity violates the First
Check
We'll take care of you. We're
Commandment, which declares
your friends. You're safe with
the one-ness of the Almighty.
11S.
The prohibitions on murder, theft,
But the Republicans say, "Hey, we're
lying, envy and adultery are certainly
gonna fix it so you can be rich."
broad enough to support any religious
Which one would you buy? It may
system, as is the instruction to honor
just be another brand of snake oil, but
one's parents. I don't think, though,
it taps into a message as powerful as a
that there would be much support for
dream and as old as America.
displaying those Commandments and
"Pursue your happiness, and we'll
no others.
help clear the obstacles from your
But the Dems still can't seem to get
way."
their minds around the values thing. A
What's the matter with values like
current best-seller, What's the Matter
that?
with Kansas? typifies their bafflement.
R
EDITORIAL
E
ver since exit polls from last
November's election revealed
that voters placed values at
the top of their issues list, politicians
have been in a tizzy.
Forget for a moment- that no one
quite knows what that means. Or that
the whole exit polling process was
deeply flawed. Some Democrats still
believe a monstrous conspiracy was
afoot because early exit polls showed
them ahead; most likely because ques-
tions and polling times were clumsily
drawn up.
In the stampede to get on the right
side of the values question, though,
there have been some odd twists and
turns. The Democrats seem to be
struggling to speak a language they
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor@thejewishnews. corn
no mistake about that. But it might be
possible to offer reductions as part of a
pact that would get both Iran and
North Korea to cease their programs.
It is clear that what we are doing
now is not producing the results we
want; a new approach is needed.
We've all been insane since we started
the balance of terror escalation with
the Soviets, and the Chinese, French
and others joined in.
Israel's unilateral withdrawal from
Gaza provides a timely reminder that
the unexpected can generate real
progress. It might be time for the
United States to take a similar risk to
end, or at least slow, the arms race.
❑
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3/3
2005
27
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