Part I: Lee Butler, Part II: Joseph Rotblat

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, Lee Butler, a retired general in the United States Air Force, argues in favor of eliminating nuclear weapons. He maintains that the current U.S. policy of retaining a nuclear arsenal for deterrence is unethical, dangerous, and expensive. In Part II, Joseph Rotblat asserts that the nuclear powers must uphold their legal commitment to complete nuclear disarmament. He claims that the abolition of nuclear weapons would significantly reduce the risk of war. Rotblat, winner of the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize, is the president of the Pugwash Conferences, an organization that brings together international scholars who are seeking cooperative solutions to global conflict. Part II of the following viewpoint is excerpted from Rotblat’s Nobel Prize...