President Obama’s speech in Berlin, building on a long bipartisan tradition, marked out the next stage of negotiations with the Russians over updates to our respective nuclear weapon forces. Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush both initiated efforts to eliminate unnecessary nuclear capabilities and focus on tools that actually protect America from today’s security threats. Today, security experts on both sides of the aisle agree that continuing these initiatives makes strategic sense. “Having more nuclear weapons doesn’t mean we are winning,” General Dirk Jameson recently wrote, “It merely reflects that our nuclear strategy is ill-suited to our times.” The Cold War is over; it’s time to ditch the relics of the past and bring our nuclear strategy into the 21st century.
Francis Mastri
West Haven