Nuclear Arms Negotiations, Talk of Reduction or Elimination is No Time for Laughing Gas October 16, 2009

 

Has the Time Come or is it a Bad Idea?

 

Tepperman Says Obama Should Learn to Love the Bomb

There is a body of opinion that claims that nuclear weapons actually bring peace as a stablizing force.  Jonathan Tepperman added recently to the list of those who  that present that argument.  After all, since the US dropped atomic bombs on Japan there have been no world wars and in 30 years prior to their use, there had been two that cost at least 60 million lives and did untold economic destruction. But, the trouble with nuclear weapons is that, if they are used, then the consequences are grave. I mean, aside from the destruction brought about by the use of one, the only real reaction a nation could have would be to retaliate with another nuclear weapon and then it could escalate from there. So, President Obama recently went beyond his earlier call for the reduction of nuclear arsenals in Russia and the United States by 80 percent, but also a more ambitious proposal to eliminate nuclear weapons from the earth altogether. Trouble with that is, how do you get everyone to agree, how can you be sure the other guys don;’t have them, what do you do if someone does have them and how wise is it for the United States to give up its “big stick.”

 

 

 

Missile Shield Plan Off The Board But Russia Doesn't Seem to Want to Respond

Now, the US and Russia are in negotiations regarding a new nuclear arms agreement.  The Obama administration already changed course from a Bush-era program that proposed a anti-missile shield based in Eastern Europe.  The Russians saw that as a threat and so said that they would use nuclear weapons if threatened.  The Obama administration recently cancelled the anti-missile shield for Eastern Europe, angering some of the Eastern Europeans and some members of NATO.  It was seen as an olive branch of sorts to the Russians.  Sometimes, the other guy doesn’t go along.  The Russians now say that they will reserve the right to make a pre-emptive nuclear strike if it feels threatened.  Perhaps unilateral decisions will eventually bear fruit, but so far its hard to see how anything has changed with the change from a European based missile shield for the NATO allies and the new proposal, which would be for a ship based system.  If it weren’t for the Iranian nuclear program, the North Korean nuclear program, the trouble in Pakistan and India which are both part of the nuclear club this might make one chuckle as we talk about arms reduction or nuclear weapons bans.  But, the only way one can laugh in this developing situation may be to get a dose of laughing gas…

 

1839 Laughing Gas Party

On This Date in History: In the first half of the 19th Century, performers went around the country

Party Time For the Lady?

performing acts that showed the side effects of nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas.” A Georgia physician, Dr. Crawford Long attended a party in which the foolishness took place and was asked by friends if he could make up a batch for their own private fun. Long suggested the use of ether instead as he found it quite suitable for the desired effects. At that point, all across the Peach State laughter at parties was heard of people chuckling at each others stumbling and bumbling while high on ether. Long’s interest was piqued. He noted how people didn’t feel any pain.

Dr William Morton Died Young

One of the fellow party makers was James Venable who had a tumor. Now, at the time, the pain associated with surgery was totally based on how fast the surgeon could do his work. So, Long convinced Venable to try out the gas before he had his tumor removed. He agreed and on March 30, 1842 the tumor was removed successfully without pain. But, Long did not publish his findings right away as he was not fully convinced. Long’s conservative approach was probably a good idea.

Dentist Horace Wells in Hartford, CT attended a laughing gas show and recognized the potential of nitrous oxide. So, he jumped the gun and took his case to the Massachusetts General Hospital where the demonstration promptly went asunder and Wells was ridiculed as a fraud. That led to Dr. William Morton.

Dr. Morton had worked with Dr. Wells and had learned of the promise of ether’s numbing properties from chemist Dr. Charles Jackson. He tried it out on some patients to much success and he too went to Massachusetts General Hospital. He said he had discovered a new wonder drug. What he really had was the very same ether that Wells had, but he camouflaged it with aromic oils so it would alter the oder. On October 16, 1846 the chief of surgery at Massachusetts General removed a neck tumor and also performed a leg amputation. The surgeries were pain free and the age of anesthetics was here. Morton patented the formula hoping to get rich.

Emory Univ. Hospital Named for Dr. Crawford Long

But, Jackson and his supporters claimed they were the true discoverers. Morton in 1868 went to New York to defend his position against supporters of Jackson. He had a seizure and died. Upon seeing Morton’s tombstone that gave Morton credit for anesthetic, Jackson went insane and spent the rest of his life in an asylum. Then we have the fate of Dr. Wells, who jumped the gun with his demonstration. He became addicted to chloroform and his mind eroded. He ended up in jail and somehow got ahold of chloroform, soaked a clothe in it and covered his face after opening up his arteries. He quietly and painlessly bled to death.

As for perhaps the true pioneer of the use of anesthetics, Dr. Crawford Long? The one who was not bold enough to publish his findings? He continued as a general practitioner until 1878 when he died making a house call. Perhaps his caution and conservative approach was reflective of his life as those who went for the fame and fortune all died in bizarre and untimely manners. I wonder if those 3 would think that it was worth it?

 

Sat Eve. Cold High Pressure Building In

 

 

Weather Bottom Line:  I told you that the weather was gonna be lousy.  Tough to make an argument concerning Global Warming these days.  The clouds, rain and cold air will persist through early Saturday with maybe even some sleet in spots prior to Sunrise Saturday.  The precip will be tapering off but it should remain cloudy on Saturday with highs having a tough time getting to 50.  High pressure builds in Saturday night and chases away the clouds but Sunday morning church could be frosty with many people in the low 30′s if not some upper 20′s in the northern part of the viewing area.   Sunshine Sunday helps us get to the mid 50′s.  The big trof that brought all of the unseasonably cold air to the eastern part of the country will be lifting out and we really ought to have very pleasant conditions through Wednesday with temps climbing Monday afternoon to the low 60′s, then mid 60′s on Tuesday and maybe even to 70 on Wednesday.

Is Proposal to Shoot Down Israeli Planes a Sound Nuke Arms Control Policy? September 24, 2009

"Oppie" Knew

When Dr. Robert Oppenheimer witnessed the Trinity test, the first explosion of an atomic weapon, he is quoted as saying, “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”  However, that is a bit of a misnomer as the line became part of the public lexicon after a 1965 interview when he was asked about his initial reaction to seeing the test.  He said that he thought of the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita.  So, it was a thought that has now been altered to being his quote.  Anyway,  he later went on to say that  “The atomic bomb made the prospect of future war unendurable. It has led us up those last few steps to the mountain pass; and beyond there is a different country.”

So, Oppenheimer had observed first hand the destructive potential of nuclear weapons.  The world saw the true impact of just a relatively small nuclear weapon at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Oppenheimer, like many others suggest that the nuclear age might make war extinct..that the destruction wrought was not worth any potential gain.  Alfred Nobel thought that his invention of dynamite would make war obsolete.  Wars have certainly gone on after dynamite and there have been many since the first atomic explosion. But, we have not seen any more world wars, of which there have been many with the most horrific in history being World War I and World War II.  Some would argue that nuclear weapons have made such large scale violence obsolete.  Fear of someone going nuclear has always been on the minds of nations and in particular, the Soviet Union and the United States who took on the MAD policy of Mutually Assured Destruction.  If one side used nukes, the other would do the same and everyone would lose.

But, in the 1970′s 1980′s in particular,  a movement to ban nuclear weapons world wide really got going in some circles.  Arms limitations agreements arose that called for the reduction in nuclear weapons on the part of the Soviets and Americans.   But, others had nuclear weapons and now still more nations have them with others trying to get them.  So, with the proliferation of technology and nations desiring to have the ultimate deterrent  for security, how does one really think that the world can be “rid” of nuclear weapons.  Does anyone really think that a terrorist who gets his hands on one would give it up because no one else has them or would he be more likely to use one?  Would India really trust Pakistan, and vice-versa enough to give up their weapons?  If there have been no world wars since the nuclear age, is it really a good idea to go back to a world without the nuclear deterrence…to the time when there were global conflicts, including the two biggest in the first half of the 20th century?

Nuclear Issue No Day at the Beach

Apparently, President Obama’s remarks to the United Nations regarding disarmament and non-proliferation suggest that he thinks its the way to go.  In June of 2009, President Obama warned Iran against developing nuclear weapons, which seems to be consistent with the position of global disarmament and non-proliferation.  But,  Iran continues to defy UN sanctions and threats and continues to develop its nuclear program and many feel threatened in the region, particularly Israel.  At some point in time, if Iran getsa  nuclear weapon, that very fact will be a deterrent from anyone attacking Iran so if one needs to stop the nuclear program by force,then it must be done before it is complete.  An pre-emptive strike by Israel might be described as an act of self preservation, an act of war or an act of enforcement of the ideals of a non-proliferation policy. 

Brzeznski Wants to Provide Aircover?

The former security advisor to President Carter seems to suggest now that the US should consider shooting down any Israeli aircraft that might fly over Iraqi airspace if they tried to attack Iran in an effort to stop them from completing their program that is said to be one of weapons aspiration.  So, in effect what Zbigniew Brzezinski is saying is that the US should be the last line of defense for Iran.  If Iran is indeed developign nuclear weapons and the “world” does not want Iran to have nuclear weapons but has not been able to stop it, then wouldn’t  such action proposed by Brzenski mean that the US would be using force against an allie in order to allow Iran to complete its desire to develop a nuclear weapon, which would go against the Obama adminstration stance regaring disarmament and non-proliferation? 

Is the disarmament policy of the US or the west in general a good idea and should the US use force, if necesary, to prevent Israel from preventing further proliferation and also to maintain its own security?  Is Brzezinski’s statement contradictory to the Obama stance as outlined to the UN or is it consistent?  Is it dangerous for a former security advisor to be even making such a public suggestion?  My guess is that you probably are not a diplomat, but I’d wager that you do have an opinion.

On This Date In History: This date in 1861 was not a good day for flying. At 3:30 AM on April 20, 1861 Thaddeus S C Lowe decided it was a good time to test his new 20,000 cubic foot balloon called Enterprise. I’m not sure if the balloon was shown in the Star Trek movie that showed all of the previous vessels called Enterprise. I don’t think that I recall that being the case. Anyway, he takes off from Cincinnati before the sun comes up and his little test mission turned into a misadventure. He got whisked away by 100 mph winds aloft that sent him to South Carolina. He thought he’d get welcomed like a crowned prince like the Wizard of Oz. Instead he was arrested as a spy. Apparently the professor was absent minded as he had no clue that 6 days before Fort Sumnter had fallen and the Civil War had begun. Fellow academics convinced the state authorities that Lowe was on a scientific mission and they let him go.

I’m not sure if Lowe was ticked at being arrested or if his buddies were

wrong because Lowe promptly went north and became the leader of the Union’s Army of the Potomac Aeronautic Corps of balloonists. Lowe designed and built several balloons for a whole Union fleet with the largest being the 32,000 cubic foot Intrepid that required 1200 yards of silk. This was a group of mainly civilians who made some 3000 flights in the first two years of the war. They would tether up and view the battlefield from aloft and then use a telegraph to wire down the enemy position and direct artillery fire. It was the forerunner to aerial reconnaissance. In fact, later in WWI, the airplane was used initially for that purpose until it was discovered you could drop bombs from planes or put machine guns on the plane and shoot down enemy planes and blimps. Anyway, on this date in 1861 Lowe himself was shot down. Somehow he ended up behind enemy lines. I don’t know if he got caught up in another 100 mph wind or enemy fire cut his tether or if he was just going on another “scientific excursion” but down he went and he was captured again. His wife Leontine was a witness to the whole thing. Did she sit and cry? Did she hope that academics would again get her husband set free? Nope. Instead, she personally led a raid of nighttime commandos who moved in and rescued the professor.

Before the war, Lowe had established a reputation for new theories and study in Chemistry, Meteorology and Aviation. He had a dream of a transatlantic balloon flight. I guess he got rich because after the war, he moved to Pasadena, CA and built a 24,000 foot house. He established a railroad to Mount Wilson and tinkered in all sorts of things. They’ve named a Mountain for him and the Lowe Observatory among other things. Funny thing is the guy ended up living with his daughter in her Pasadena home as he lost his fortune. Makes you wonder if now California will rename its mountains something like Mount AIG or Mount Lehman Brothers.

HPC rain totals Thu PM to Sun PM

Weather Bottom Line:  The forecast is holding on track. That is for more of the same.  More clouds than sunshine with rain chances through Saturday.  The Hydrological Prediction Center has rainfall totals for Friday Through Sunday the greatest just to our east/northeast.  We are in the inch to inch and a half range with the maximum of 3.26″ at the conjunction of Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky borders.  That’s close enough to ponder whether or not we may get a bit more than currently advertised.  The risk for strong storms will be greates with an initial front late Saturday.  Sunday should be pretty nice with drier air and sunshine then cooler air for the first part of the week comes in.  Look for upper 60′s and low 70′s on Monday with Tuesday probably a little cooler. In fact, overnight lows in the 40′s Tuesday morning will probably be fairly common.  You could tell last night that we’d be cloudy with rain today…there was a channel of moisture streaming up from the Gulf to our west that extended into Iowa. It was fairly predictable that would shift over the Ohio Valley…and sure enough…we got it this morning and the clouds stuck around all day.