Doctors speak out against money wasted on obsolete cold war nuclear weapons

Saturday’s letters: U.S. should reduce its nuclear stockpiles
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/saturdays-letters-us-should-reduce-its-nuclear-stockpiles/1266171 , December 15, 2012 As members of Physicians for Social Responsibility, we are increasingly concerned by the debate onthe “fiscal cliff.” We know that if our country fails to reach a compromise before the end of the year, we face a situation where a hatchet may be taken to life-saving programs that prevent diseases, help keep people off the streets, and provide health care to our elderly and poor. We need a patient hand and a sharp scalpel to make the type of responsible and meaningful cuts to our federal budget to preserve our common future.

Our country is spending more money on war and defense than it has since World War II. This is not sustainable and it reflects Congress’ desire to fund pet projects more than any reasonable assessment of our national security requirements.

Even as our security challenges havechanged, Congress continues to waste hundreds of billions of dollars on Cold War-era programs. That war is over. According to a study by
the Ploughshares Fund, the United States will spend $640 billion on maintaining our bloated nuclear arsenal over the next 10 years.

This month, Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., released a letter signed by
45 congressional leaders outlining cuts that could save our nation
much-needed money by reducing our nuclear arsenal along with our Cold
War baggage.

More spending discipline is needed in Congress, and we need a clearer
definition of the Pentagon’s mission. As retired Gen. James Cartwright
wrote recently, “The world has changed, but our current arsenal
carries the baggage of the Cold War.”
Our current arsenal has over 5,000 warheads as of 2010. National
security experts have long argued that spending billions to maintain
an arsenal of that size is counterproductive and that the United
States could maintain an effective deterrent with around 300 nuclear
devices. While nuclear weapons are not the only place Congress can
find savings from the Pentagon budget to pay down the debt, it should
be one of the highest priorities for our elected officials in Florida.

Lynn Ringenberg, M.D., Tampa

Jefry Biehler, M.D., Miami

Lonnie Draper, M.D., Tallahassee

Rani Gereige, M.D., Miami

Todd L. Sack, M.D., Jacksonville

Ron Saff, M.D., Tallahassee

Overextended overseas

The elephant in the room is the defense budget. We have a Cold War
defense without a Cold War enemy. Cut defense spending over 10 years
and reform the tax code and we’re back to a balanced budget.

Get our soldiers out of Germany and Japan and Afghanistan and focus on
undermining the terrorist threat. We’ve got enough bombs and
submarines and aircraft carriers and jet fighters. Our “leaders” are
afraid of cutting defense because of the power of the
military/industrial complex, and the issue of how to employ in America
all those soldiers on standby overseas.

Mike Ahrens, Tampa