A Nuclear First Strike Should Still Be an Option for America
If the U.S. pledged not to use nuclear weapons unless attacked, it would actually make the world a more dangerous place.
The first explosion of a hydrogen bomb, November 1952.
Photographer: Three Lions/Hulton ArchiveDemocrats in the U.S. House and Senate introduced legislation last week to prevent the U.S. from using nuclear weapons unless first attacked by nuclear weapons from another country. Ideally, the bill will induce a long-needed reconsideration of U.S. nuclear weapons policy — and lead to the conclusion that “The No First Use Act” would hobble U.S. national interests and make the world a more dangerous place.
First, let us assume that the bill, one of whose sponsors is senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, actually would have binding force in some of the emergency cases where this might be an issue to begin with. Otherwise, it is an empty declaration.