How do the Regents explain UCs role in nuclear weapons research?
There are 4 common arguments that you’ll hear from the UC president, public relations officers, Regents, lab directors, and others invested in weapons research: public service, national security, status and prestige, and historical momentum. The UC Office of the President claims that management of nuclear labs is a “public service to the nation.” However, the research and development of more weapons of mass destruction serve to intensify the fear and insecurity that people and countries have in this precarious world. The most innovative work being conducted is not only the most destructive but also classified, negating the concept of the labs as anything “public.” Furthermore, nuclear research does not fortify “national security” because nuclear weapons are not needed for security. The current nuclear arsenal of the United States consists of approximately 10,000 weapons. With the new research being permitted for a new generation of nuclear weapons under the guise of the Reliable Replac
