Time for Biden to sign no nukes pledge
Local peace and social justice advocate David Borris discussed the urgent need for the U.S. to sign on to No First Use of nuclear weapons at the West Suburban Peace Coalition's Educational Forum Tuesday.
Borris, who serves as board chair for Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA), has made No First Use the focus of anti-nuclear efforts to control, reduce and eliminate the greatest threat to human survival.
No First Use is simply the pledge of nuclear powers to never initiate nuclear weapons in any foreign dispute. Only two of nine nuclear powers - China and India - have taken the pledge.
The U.S., which kicked off a nuclear attack 76 years ago, leveling two Japanese cities, refuses to give up that advantage.
On Jan. 11, 2017, then Vice President Joe Biden advocated the U.S. adopt No First Use with these hopeful words:
"Given our non-nuclear capabilities and the nature of today's threats, it's hard to envision a plausible scenario in which the first use of nuclear weapons by the United States would be necessary or make sense.
The next administration will put forward its own policies. But President Obama and I are confident we can deter and defend ourselves and our allies against non-nuclear threats through other means."
Alas, given the chance to implement No First Use as president, Biden has been ominously silent in his first nine months.
Borris offered a substantive reason for U.S. approval besides reassuring a troubled world of no first use by Uncle Sam. America's 400 land-based intercontinental ballistic missile silos out west, which effectively can only be used for offensive nuclear war, would be rendered irrelevant should we take the pledge.
That would begin the discussion of reducing, rather than increasing our nuclear arsenal. It would also save the quarter trillion dollars earmarked to replace the ancient ICBMs over the next decade.
Borris closed with a plea to keep hope alive that Biden will remember his 2017 remarks and finally take the pledge. Say it's so, Joe.
Walt Zlotow
President, West Suburban Peace Coalition
Glen Ellyn