Nuclear War Risks High, Americans Want Arms Control

Polls show Americans want to restraint nuclear posture

The risk of a nuclear war breaking out is hugely high, according to UN disarmament experts, who say that the risk is at its highest since World War II, citing growing modernization efforts and changes in the arms control landscape, like the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty falling apart.

These concerns are taken seriously by the American public, even if the government treats it as just another excuse to spend a half trillion dollars on new weapons. Recent polls show Americans are strongly in favor of restraining the US nuclear posture.

80 percent of Americans favor extending the New START Treaty beyond its 2021 expiration, and roughly two-thirds want the US to stay within the INF Treaty. The US is already moved out of INF, and has not begun negotiations on extending New START.

Perhaps most interesting though, the polls show majority support for limits on presidential power over the nuclear arsenal, believing that a nuclear first-strike should require Congressional authorization.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.