General Discussion

Stinky The Clown

(67,812 posts) Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:30 PM Dec 2017

Is the idea of the president's singular/sole power to launch nukes obsolete?

At the start of the nuclear age, the notion was that the president could be faced with an imminent threat and would have to act in mere minutes.

I think that was a good idea when communications were more difficult. That is no longer the case. The president can absolutely reach in seconds anyone in the government who might be necessary to making the decision to launch a nuclear strike.

It occurs to me that the ability to launch a nuclear strike should have more oversight. Why not have . . . . I dunno . . . . three people needed to agree to do it? Create a "launch group" of, say, five people. Establish an order in which they must be contacted, and the first two besides the president to be contacted can make the decision.

For example (and JUST as an example) the launch group could be the first four people in the line of succession. The president would contact the veep and the speaker, and the three of them would have to agree to the launch.

If one of them were unable to be contacted, then the next in line (Senate President Pro Tem), and failing that, the SecState, making the three votes needed to make the decision.

Seems simple enough to me. And seems safe enough, even in today's administration.

Maybe make it such that the three could vote, Yes or No, with a single No vote causing the launch to not be allowed.

Thoughts?

7 replies

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Highlight:

Is the idea of the president's singular/sole power to launch nukes obsolete? (Original Post) Stinky The Clown Dec 2017 OP

Is "obsolete" the same as "insane?" dchill Dec 2017 #1

It may be helpful to understand the actual procedure that would be followed. WhiskeyGrinder Dec 2017 #2

Yes, that's the way it is an has always been. Stinky The Clown Dec 2017 #3

Look at the graphic again. Igel Dec 2017 #5

Respectfully, I suggest you do the same. Stinky The Clown Dec 2017 #6

Yes. No single person should hold such power without checks in place. democratisphere Dec 2017 #4

Launching an initial strike actually has quite a lot of room for discussion, dissent and derailing. WhiskeyGrinder Dec 2017 #7

dchill

(38,511 posts)

1. Is "obsolete" the same as "insane?"

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:31 PM

Dec 2017

If so, yes.

WhiskeyGrinder

(22,370 posts)

2. It may be helpful to understand the actual procedure that would be followed.

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:39 PM

Dec 2017

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2016-nuclear-weapon-launch/

Stinky The Clown

(67,812 posts)

3. Yes, that's the way it is an has always been.

Reply to WhiskeyGrinder (Reply #2)

Sat Dec 30, 2017, 11:46 PM

Dec 2017

And the problem is at the very top of that graphic. The president has the sole power.

That's where I am taking issue.

Igel

(35,323 posts)

5. Look at the graphic again.

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Reply #3)

Sun Dec 31, 2017, 11:38 AM

Dec 2017

If the president has the sole power, it means he can sit in his office and push a button triggering the launch.

Since Nuremberg, everybody in the chain of command has some distributed power.

I find that many people have no idea what the "Nuremberg defense" was and why it wasn't even much of a defense when it was used at, well, Nuremberg.

Stinky The Clown

(67,812 posts)

6. Respectfully, I suggest you do the same.

Reply to Igel (Reply #5)

Sun Dec 31, 2017, 11:54 AM

Dec 2017

I point to these two paragraphs from that graphic (emphasis mine):

[Time elapsed: less than one minute]
The consultation lasts as long as the president wishes, but if enemy missiles are heading toward the U.S. and the president must order a counterstrike, the consultation may last just 30 seconds. The tight time line raises the risk of launching hastily on a false warning.

The president decides to launch
Some advisers may try to change the president’s mind or resign in protest—but ultimately, the Pentagon must comply with the commander-in-chief’s order

What that graphic shows is precisely why I am making the suggestion I made in the OP - that one person has the absolute power to launch a nuclear strike when and where s/he chooses.

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)

4. Yes. No single person should hold such power without checks in place.

Reply to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Sun Dec 31, 2017, 12:07 AM

Dec 2017

A demented person with severe personality disorders is capable of almost anything!

WhiskeyGrinder

(22,370 posts)

7. Launching an initial strike actually has quite a lot of room for discussion, dissent and derailing.