I generally laud efforts for a good cause. An effort may be as elusive as a typical public speech. A good cause could be, at least in my world view, a world without nuclear weapons.
In Obama Urges Nuclear Arms Reduction, the NYT reports on his speech held today in Prague,
President Barack Obama on Sunday launched an effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons, calling them “the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War” and saying the U.S. has a moral responsibility to lead as the only nation to ever use one. (NYT)
A laudable thought, I think, rid the world of nuclear weapons.
A few paragraphs later, according to The Associated Press,
Obama coupled his call for a nuclear-free world with an assurance that America would not unilaterally give up nuclear weapons. It must be a one-for-all, all-for-one endeavor, he said, and until that is possible, the U.S. will maintain a big enough arsenal to serve as a deterrent. (NYT)
And the laudable thought, sadly, evaporates above weak bonds of illusive commitment, for (1) no other reason is required if one believes in a good cause and (2) no other lead is required if “the U.S. has a moral responsibility to lead as the only nation to ever use one.”
Imagine waking up one morning and listen to the news, the USA is unilaterally dismantling its estimated 5,535 warheads. “You may say that I’m a dreamer” (John Lennon), but what a laudable effort it would be.