2022-08-10: New START

First day of school – settling in nicely. All my classes are really far away from reach other though, so it’s a hassle to get from here to there

I’m starting on the rewrites of my 2020 Debate Camp speeches – here’s the first one.

New Start

On July 31, 1991, President George H.W Bush and Premier Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which limited the ability of the two nations to wage a global war. But it’s looking increasingly more likely that another Cold War will break out. A recent estimation by the Center for Arms Control put the amount of Chinese nuclear weapons at around 350, and the arsenal is growing. If we want to stop another Cold War from breaking out, pass this legislation.

The first reason to pass today is to ensure the safety of our constituents. We work to promote the interests of the citizens we represent. Ballistic missiles can carry massive armament over large distances – ballistic missiles can strike a location with relative accuracy from ranges exceeding Trans-Pacific distances. However, range is not the main concern when dealing with ballistic missiles – rather, it is the armaments they are capable of carrying. With greater range comes greater power – power that is usually used to bolster the size of the explosive. This increase in carrying load allows for ever-more powerful conventional and nuclear weapons to be launched at major population centers. Passing this legislation would eliminate these risks.

The second reason to pass today is that it will allow more rocket fuel to be used for scientific endeavors. Rocket fuel is one of the main components required for ballistic missiles – without it, the missile is not able to launch. However, the same applies for rockets used for peaceful purposes, such as those used by NASA. Rocket fuel is a resource that will eventually run thin enough for rocket launches to be significantly delayed – it simply cannot be produced at a rate to match demand. By eliminating one of the factors in the fuel’s consumption, NASA will be able to use more rocket fuel for the service of science.

Passing this legislation would help to guarantee the safety of civilian lives and infrastructure, and would also help NASA in procuring more resources for its space missions. Let’s do so.

Back to index