Eric Schlosser: If We Don't Slash Our Nukes, "a Major City Is Going to Be Destroyed"
The "Fast Food Nation" author on his frightening new exposé of America's nuclear weapons mishaps. —By Michael Mechanic | Sat Sep. 14, 2013 11:01 PM GMT 125 Update (1/16/2014): The Air Force announced yesterday that it had suspended and revoked the security clearances of 34 missile launch officers at the Malmstrom base in Montana after it came to light that they were cheating—or complicit in cheating—on monthly exams to ensure that they were capable of safely babysitting the nuclear warheads atop their missiles. Eleven launch officers, two of whom were also involved in the cheating episode, were targeted in a separate investigation of illegal drug use. The revelations were just the latest fiasco in the Air Force's handling of America's nuclear arsenal, which military officials invariably insist is safe. Then again, as Schlosserreveals in his book, they've lied about that before. THE TERM "WAKE-UP CALL" is a tired cliché, but it is appropriate in the case of Command and Control, the frightening new exposé of America's nuclear weapons mishaps by Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser. (Click here to read an excerpt and my detailed review.) In short, Schlosser delivers a book full of revelations that left me agape. While we still worry in the abstract about Iran and North Korea and Pakistan, it's easy to forget that we still have thousands of our own ungodly devices on hair-trigger alert at this very moment. And even if we never drop or launch another nuke on purpose, these weapons are, in his words, "the most dangerous machines ever invented. And like every machine, sometimes they go wrong." That's what the book is about. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/interview-eric-schlosser-command-control-nuclear-weapons-accidents On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 1:57 PM, Terry Blanton <[email protected]> wrote: > More turmoil in the nuke command: > > http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/11/air-force-general-in-charge-nuclear-missiles-to-be-fired-officials-say/ > > The two-star general in charge of all Air Force nuclear missiles was > fired Friday following a probe into alleged personal misbehavior -- > just days after another key official overseeing U.S. nuclear power was > relieved of duty. > > The Air Force announced Friday that Maj. Gen. Michael Carey was > removed from command of the 20th Air Force, which is responsible for > three wings of intercontinental ballistic missiles -- a total of 450 > missiles at three bases across the country. > > The circumstances of Carey's firing were shrouded in mystery. A senior > U.S. Defense official said he was fired over "conduct." Officials said > it did not have to do with gambling, or the loss of a nuclear weapon, > or sexual misconduct. > > <more>
