S01E13- The New START Treaty

Run time: 01:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BidzhT4MuUg   Posted on YouTube: November 29, 2010 By YouTube Member: MainStreetInsider Views on YouTube: 1   Posted on DU: November 29, 2010 By DU Member: Rusty5329 Views on DU: 408

 
More info at http://www.mainstreetinsider.org/90secondsummaries/?p=145

The New START Treaty is undoubtedly one of the most significant items on the docket for the lame duck session of Congress. The previous treaty expired on December 5th of last year and the President has vowed to get the new one ratified by the Senate before the year ends. Previous START treaties received widespread bipartisan support seemingly disconnected from the usual bickering and posturing between Republicans and Democrats.

This year, it appears that no legislation escapes the partisan divide. Republicans have been holding up the treaty’s ratification and whether or not it will get the needed 2/3 vote (should there even be a vote before the end of the lame duck session) depends on several of them joining the Democrats.

http://www.mainstreetinsider.org/90secondsummaries/?p=145

While it is true the original START Treaty expired, this does not mean there is currently an absence of a treaty between US and Russia concerning nuclear weapons. In fact, the Moscow Treaty was passed in 2002 and is currently in effect. The Moscow Treaty replaced the original START Treaty.

The New START Treaty would reduce nuclear warheads by 30% according to the current standards in the Moscow Treaty. Compared to the original START Treaty, the New START Treaty reduces the amount of nuclear warheads by 74%.

The Moscow Treaty was unanimously approved in 2002 with a Senate vote of 95-0.

It speaks volumes that valence issues like nuclear weapons are suffering as a result of polarized politicians.

http://www.leftandrightnews.com/2010/11/22/start-treaty-facts/

but the Moscow Treaty doesn't contain any verification requirements.

With this being true, it seems we have come across a deeper goal of this treaty. While the New START Treaty would reduce the number of warheads that each country has, the treaty is more so about setting up a new system, particularly a quite transparent system, between the nuclear facilities of each country. This is probably the main goal of this treaty.

Rather than making a treaty solely about transparency in nuclear facilities, a reduction in nuclear arms is also included to capture the media attention.