Abolishing Nuclear War
“Nuclear weapons do not provide security. They are instruments of mass suffering. Preventing nuclear war is a public health imperative.” Physicians for Social Responsibility
We can abolishing nuclear weapons. It is a realistic, achievable goal. It is not a Utopian fantasy. But people must demand the United States change course and join the worldwide effort to abolish them. The politicians will not act unless pressured by people.
We know what needs to be done. We know why it must be done. We know how it can be done. We have the blueprints to make it happen. We know from past experience that citizen pressure can effect change. What is missing today is this pubic pressure to move our political “leaders” to do what is right and needed.
The history of nuclear arms control agreements proves treaties work and can reduce the risks of a nuclear war, a nuclear accident, technical failure, or some rogue player failing to be deterred by mutually assured destruction.
From 1962 to 2011 eight nuclear arms control treaties were negotiated. The number of nuclear warheads were reduced from over 70,000 to 12,500, missile delivery systems were dismantled and nuclear nations pledged to work toward the abolition of all nukes.
But today this progress is being undermined and abandoned. The 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligates all signatory nations to either not develop nuclear weapons or negotiate in “good faith” to reduce and eventually eliminate their arsenals. The U.S. signed and ratified this treaty but did not follow through to negotiate the abolition of all nuclear weapons. We also violated the treaty by placing nuclear weapons in NATO countries.
In 2002, the United States withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. We withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019 and Russia followed suit. The 2011 New START treaty – the last remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia – will expire in February of 2026. There are no current negotiations to renew this treaty and Russia is threatening to withdraw because of the war in Ukraine.
Today the U.S. is fueling a new nuclear arms race by planning to completely rebuild and “modernize” our nuclear arsenal, delivery systems and manufacturing facilities at an eventual cost of over $2 trillion. This is a huge waste of money but is also increasing tensions with China and Russia and increasing the risks of nuclear confrontations.
Basically our national leadership (Democratic and Republican) are still mired in a Cold War mentality. They still believe nuclear weapons are necessary for our national defense. They have not learned from the mistakes of 80 years nuclear brinkmanship, close calls, accidents, and excessively militarized foreign policy.
Neither have our leaders listened to the advice of many military leaders such as Admiral Noel Gayler (1913-2011). He was a WWII combat veteran and Director of the National Security Agency from 1969-1972. He said, “It is my view that there is no sensible military use for nuclear weapons, whether “strategic” weapons, “tactical” weapons, “theater” weapons, weapons at sea or weapons in space…”
In 2000, retired Adm. Gayler wrote “A Proposal for Achieving Zero Nuclear Weapons.” In this proposal he countered some of the myths about the military value of nuclear weapons. He said that there are no effective defenses against nuclear armed missiles. It is impossible to destroy them all and the result will be disaster. Neither is deterrence a sensible or effective strategy to prevent war. It is a gamble that is too risky and dangerous to rely upon. Nuclear disarmament is the only way to end the danger of nuclear weapons.
With a similar agenda as Adm Gayer, Back From The Brink (http://preventnuclearwar.org)
- Taking U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert
- Declaring we will not use nuclear weapons first
- Ending the sole, unchecked authority of presidents to launch a nuclear attack
- Canceling plans to “modernize” the U.S. nuclear arsenal
- Signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
TPNW is existing international law. The treaty bans the production, possession and use – or threats to use – nuclear weapons. It also provides the a framework for the nuclear nations to negotiate verifiable agreements to dismantle their missiles and stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
TPNW is not unilateral disarmament. It doesn’t weaken U.S national security. It does provide and opportunity tor the U.S. to lead the world in finally negotiating an end to all nuclear weapons. It is an opportunity to reverse the mistakes of the last 80 years and finally make world safe from the threat of a nuclear holocaust.
Today we have specific actions citizens can take to help pressure our leaderships to abolish nukes and build or a safer world. Several legislative proposals have been introduced in Congress that need public support.
The “Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act” (Senate Resolution 192 and House Resolution 669) prohibits using federal funds to conduct a first-use nuclear strike without a congressional declaration of war. This limits the president’s sole authority to use nukes.
House Resolution 317 and Senate Resolution 323 urges the executive branch to “actively pursue a world free of nuclear weapons as a national security imperative.” It calls for signing TPNW and implementing the five Back From The Brink unilateral actions listed above. It calls for reversing current U.S policy by actively seeking nuclear disarmament with the other 8 nuclear nations.
The “Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Conversion Act of 2025,” (House Resolution 1888), has the same goals but slightly stronger language. It “directs” the U.S. to sign TPNW and “convert [the] nuclear weapons industry” to work on climate change and other domestic needs.
Back from the Brink has sample letters for contacting Representatives and Senators and social media posts, with graphics, you can share.
More information on nuclear issues and local efforts is at Twin Ports Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons at www.ban-nukes-twin-ports.com.
Nuclear Weapons are not necessary for our defense. We would be more secure by eliminating all nuclear weapons which are the only weapons that can destroy our country. The only way to ensure that nukes are never used is to abolish all of them. But our government is opposed to all the sensible actions discussed above. So to end the threat of nuclear war, citizens must demand change.