To the Point
Barack Obama's nuclear legacy
In 1945, the US became the first nation to use a nuclear weapon when it dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, no other country has followed suit. But the threat of nuclear catastrophe hangs over the world as others build up their arsenals.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readIn 1945, the US became the first nation to use a nuclear weapon when it dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, no other country has followed suit. But the threat of nuclear catastrophe hangs over the world as others build up their arsenals. In the early months of his first term as President Obama promised, "The United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same." That speech earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. But, in the last days of his second term, he's continuing to modernize America's arsenal — and approving a so-called "smart bomb" — potentially more usable than ever. Isn't it reasonable to ask, why?"
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Andrea Brody
Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast
Sáša Woodruff
Producer, 'To the Point'
Katie Cooper
Producer, 'One year Later'
Josh Rogin
a Washington Post columnist covering foreign policy and national security
Len Ackland
University of Colorado at Boulder
John Noonan
national security commentator and analyst