US and Russia sign historic nuclear treaty

[bananas]

Source: Times Online (UK)

The United States and Russia signed a new treaty today aimed at shrinking stockpiles of nuclear warheads in a historic move that revives the push to halt the spread of atomic weapons, particularly to Iran.

President Obama, who attended the signing ceremony with Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, in Prague, said that “ramped up” negotiations were expected in the coming days over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and that they would result in another set of “strong, tough” sanctions against the Islamist regime.

“Today is an important milestone for nuclear security and non-proliferation, and for US-Russia relations,” the American leader said, speaking in a grand hall inside the Prague Castle where a year ago he gave a speech setting out his vision for a world without nuclear weapons.

The Russian President, standing at a podium next to Mr Obama, said of the treaty: “The result we have obtained is good.”

Smiling and at moments chuckling in a show of friendship, the two presidents signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), which is seen as the first concrete foreign policy achievement by Mr Obama since he took office.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7091617.ece

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Congratulations to President Obama for negotiating this historic treaty!
:applause:

[sfwriter]

1. Any word on Republicans blocking ratification?

I just worry that with them "not cooperating for the rest of the year, they might block this as well.

Personally, I think that is suicide in November, who wants to elect people who refuse to do the job you elected them to do, but then I look at their base and think, these people would have followed a Goose to the Holy Land, anything is possible.

[SkyDaddy7]

6. The Republican base...

I live in the deep the south and I honesty believe that the Republican Party could get their religious base to follow them anywhere as long as they keep the anti abortion, anti-homosexual & anti-science rhetoric...This religious rhetoric is how the wealthy & corps used the religious for votes! Without them they would have never won all the elections they won from 1980 to present.

Just look at the Tea Baggers...They have no idea what the hell is going on other than what folks like Talk Radio, Glenn Beck & FOX tell them.


So, I totally agree "these people would have followed a Goose to the Holy Land"!!

[sandnsea]

10. The treaty still sets a standard

And it is still something any future President would have to consider or there would be no willingness to work with this country at all.

[sfwriter]

17. But it has to be ratified by the senate still, no?

That's my worry.

[sandnsea]

18. Kyoto was never ratified

But the standards we signed onto in that treaty made a huge difference as the world moved forward in environmental protection and climate change. It would be incredible if the Senate ratified this, but even if they don't, it doesn't take away from the negotiations made and what it does mean for the world's safety. Even if the Senate doesn't ratify, this will still be the standard referred to military spending hearings.

[MessiahRp]

2. This is one move I can applaud the President on...

This was one of the planks of Kerry's campaign in 2004 so I am happy that this has come to fruition.

[bananas]

7. Full Text and Youtube of Signing Of START Treaty

Thanks to sandnsea for the link and thread in "General Discussion: Presidency":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x263349

sandnsea Thu Apr-08-10 01:11 PM
Original message

Full Text and Youtube of Signing Of START Treaty

And YES, this is a big deal. If you'd like to help the media and Republicans undermine the credibility of this President, go ahead and help them pretend it's nothing. Obama changes our nuclear policy and negotiates a nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and the response is barely more than a yawn. WTF is wrong with this picture.

Youtube and full text of speech
http://obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=1548

And YES, this a big deal!

[conspirator]

3. This treaty is pointless propaganda to be used against Iran.

Do you think that Russia and the US would allow total access to each others Nuclear inventory?
Bullshit

[icee]

5. Exactly. But it makes the younger ones feel good. And that's okay;

I'd rather be feeling good when nuclear storm moves toward me, than rotten.

[sandnsea]

8. What?

What in the world does this have to do with Iran. And Russia and the US have been working together on their nuclear stockpiles for over ten years. You need to see the Lugar non-proliferation treaties.

[Cal Carpenter]

4. Treaties like this aren't worth the paper they're printed on

Which wars have such disarmament treaties avoided or ended?

Have these treaties ever significantly changed our military policy? Reduce the budget?

Do these treaties make the deaths of our troops, Afghanis and Iraqis (just to name a few) any less tragic?

It's an illusion and a distraction.

They don't prevent or end war, they don't prevent or end military spending at the expense of other societal needs, they just give some people (esp those far removed from the reality of military violence) the false comfort of thinking fewer lethal weapons are 'out there'. Meanwhile the military manufacturers and contractors are still working full steam ahead..

hmm...

[sandnsea]

9. Yes, they've changed military policy

Nuclear military policy was just changed a couple of days ago in fact.

Where's your magic wand? I'm sure the world would be delighted if you'd go ahead and wave it.

[Cal Carpenter]

11. Those changes don't make a difference

to the people who will die because of the $33 billion Obama is asking for more war. Those 'changes' are just abstract comfort for people who will mostly never see the end of a barrel of a gun in the hands of US military, or hear bombs crushing their neighborhoods as they sleep.

I'm sorry but I have learned better than to engage with people who imply that the choice is 'status quo' or 'magic wand'.

Have a nice day :)

[sandnsea]

12. Better to sit in a pile of dung

Nothing will ever be good until the world is perfect. When will it be acceptable to you to actually have a nice day? I'm sure you aren't, what with war and famine and disease all over the world.

[bananas]

13. The purpose is to reduce the risk of destroying civilization

Some reading for you:
Global Zero: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Zero_%28campaign%29
Doomsday Clock: http://www.thebulletin.org/content/doomsday-clock/overview
Failure rate of deterrence: about 1% per year http://www.nuclearrisk.org
Nuclear winter: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Nuclear_winter
Nuclear winter - Jeff Masters: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x193139

[Cal Carpenter]

15. Yet there are still more than enough nukes to destroy civilization

not only among the US and Russia, but many other countries as well.

Forgive me for not being reassured by a treaty like this. I would love to be wrong about it, but there is nothing here to convince me that this treaty isn't just a PR move. In reality, this doesn't make or break anything substantial.

:shrug:

[SpartanDem]

16. So cutting our nukes by 30% is meaningless?

I guess we shouldn't even bother trying to reduce there numbers unless we can do it all at once.

[Jefferson23]

14. Applause, applause!! n/t