After 2023, costs are expected to rise even more. Critics wonder if billions should be spent to modernize weapons that will likely never be used— especially in light of cuts in other places of the U.S. government.

While Obama supports eventually gutting nuclear weapons, he backs the modernization plan.

               Copyright 2013 Reuters

In June, President Obama delivered a wide-ranging speech in Berlin during which he called for a reduction in the U.S. nuclear stockpile by up to a third.

The gesture was intended to spur Russia’s cooperation, which is needed in order to drop the total number of weapons to about 1,000 in each country.

The current Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) went into effect in 2011 and called on the U.S. and Russia to each reduce nuclear arsenals to 1,550 warheads by 2018. The U.S. and Russia renewed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty at the G8 summit in June.

Officials then said the U.S. plans to host a 2016 summit on nuclear nonproliferation.

According to an April report by the Center for Public Integrity, the U.S. Department of Energy 2014 budget for nuclear nonproliferation will drop by $460 million, while nuclear weapons programs will increase by $500 million.

In 2009 President Obama pledged in a landmark speech in Prague to reduce the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. His position on nonproliferation earned him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2010 the U.S. government published a plan to reduce the role and numbers of its nuclear weapons.

 And why the wealthiest are not to contribute to these lavish expenses?

Infographic: Accidental Tax Break Saves Wealthiest Americans $100 Billion  http://cynicalidealism.tumblr.com/post/70573897129/infographic-accidental-tax-break-saves-wealthiest 

Friday, December 20, 2013

Infographic: Accidental Tax Break Saves Wealthiest Americans $100 Billion