Monday, January 07, 2008

Bill Richardson: 20 Years Behind the Times, or My Candidate?

From the New Hampshire debate:

Governor RICHARDSON: Charlie, when I was secretary of Energy, that was one of my responsibilities, securing nuclear stockpiles, nuclear materials, mainly with the Soviet Union. And I went there many time; we made progress. But since then there's been a proliferation of loose nuclear weapons, mainly in the hands of terrorists, that could cross presumably a border, that could be smuggled in in a cargo ship with our very weak port security.

If I'm elected president, I will do two things. First, I will seek immediate negotiations with the Soviet Union and other nuclear states to reduce the number of nuclear weapons.

As a student of nuclear policy I'm surprised to learn that lots of nuclear weapons have fallen into the hands of terrorists, but I'm much more surprised to learn that the Soviet Union still exists. I was under the impression that the USSR ceased to exist back in December 1991. However, Governor Richardson's policy platform may include a "revive the Soviet Union" plank of which I was unaware. Seeing as such a revival would do wonders for my job prospects as a sovietologist, I am naturally in favor of it.

I wonder what the positions of the other candidates are on reviving the USSR so we can initiate disarmament negotiations with it? ;)

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