Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to join Russia’s Vladimir Putin in reducing the world’s nuclear weapons. In an Op-Ed in Time magazine, Gorbachev said the two leaders “bear a special responsibility” to “stop and reverse” the “new arms race.”
As “the presidents of two nations that hold over 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenals,” Trump and Putin should be the ones to take the first steps on the issue, he said. Gorbachev painted a grim picture of a world close to self-destruction. “Relations between the great powers have been going from bad to worse for several years now,” he said. “The advocates for arms build-up and the military-industrial complex are rubbing their hands,” he wrote. His comments, which came on the same day the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists said the “Doomsday Clock” was closer to midnight, may fall on deaf ears when it comes to Trump. Last month, Trump said he believed the U.S. should “strengthen and expand its nuclear capabilities.” Read more at TIME.
{Matzav.com}
Actually, a full-up nuclear arms race would leave Russia (and China) in the dust, and allow the US to target every single nuclear asset they have. This would be the ultimate deterrent. Estimated cost is $50B to accomplish.
Reagan did it successfully during his tenure, and Trump may very well follow suite.
Reagan made comments about too much salt being unhealthy (SALT the treaty that is) but he also stated in public he considered stupid to respond to a strategic nuclear attack and that he would not.