ICBMs Are Obsolete

 I. ICBMs Are Obsolete

The U.S. Air Force wants to replace their midwestern land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) at a price tag of $100 billion. The ICBMs are obsolete because today's submarine nuclear-bombing missiles are now more accurate, and the submarines are hard to find. The ICBMs are not necessary for any deterrence doctrine. Besides, the goal is nuclear disarmament.

The ICBMs are on "trigger alert" because they they so vulnerable to attack. This fact makes them extremely dangerous, since on several occasions it was thought a foreign attack was coming, and they were mistakenly readied for launch. A president is liable to "fire them before losing them."

The Air Force wants to retain all legs of the Triad -- ICBMs, submarines, and bombers. The ICBMs bring in money to the Air Force, are seen as job creators in several states, and the defense contractors relish the income.

There is $44.5 billion in the 2021 defense budget for nuclear weapons, a 19% increase over 2020. Last year, Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) proposed a two-thirds cut to ICBM research and development. Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace and justice organization, hopes he presses on with such legislation this year.

Will the Biden Administration reduce the budgeting for the obsolete ICBMs? Peace Action wants the ICBMs dismantled and not replaced.

II. Council for a Livable World Highlights

# Denounces Biden Defense Budget

President Joe Biden requested an increase in the defense budget to an exorbitant $735 billion, including $43.2 billion for nuclear weapons. Taxes are being wasted on outdated weapons systems when they could be spent for dealing with cybersecurity, climate change, global health security, and infrastructure in the wake of the global pandemic.

# Nuclear Subsidies may be Slowing Transition to Clean Energy

Many activists, scientists and lawmakers agree that nuclear energy -- which provides one fifth of the power in the U.S. -- is by definition not "clean" or renewable, given that spent fuel remains radioactive and dangerous for thousands of years. Billions in state and federal subsidies that prop up the nuclear industry -- payments that the Biden administration has signaled it may continue to support --may be wasting taxes that should be spent for the transition to a truly energy economy. 

# Biden Should Sink this Proposed Nuclear Weapon

Former-president Donald Trump's nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile is a redundant, and  dangerous multi-billion-dollar mistake. (Source: Adapted from "The Council Front & Center: an update on arms control, national security, and politics from the Council for a Livable World").