Quote of the Day – START Edition

“Treaty ratification is broadly popular, but there don’t seem to be that many activists working in support of it. Its ratification has been taken for granted for so long that there was never much of an effort to mobilize support for it when Republican leaders began railing against it earlier this year. One reason for that was that the arguments against the treaty were so ignorant and ridiculous that many supporters may have mistaken the intellectual weakness of the anti-START position for the political weakness of the opposition. If nothing else, the midterms have made clear that intellectual vacuity is no impediment to political strength.”
Daniel Larison

FILED UNDER: 2010 Election, National Security, , ,
Alex Knapp
About Alex Knapp
Alex Knapp is Associate Editor at Forbes for science and games. He was a longtime blogger elsewhere before joining the OTB team in June 2005 and contributed some 700 posts through January 2013. Follow him on Twitter @TheAlexKnapp.

Comments

  1. Dave Schuler says:

    I’m in favor of reducing our nuclear arsenal including doing so unilaterally so I don’t have any particular problems with START.

    However, simply from the point of view of persuasive technique, does dismissing the concerns and arguments of those with whom you disagree strike you as an effective method of persuasion? Or is it more likely to cause them to dig in their heels?

  2. Alex Knapp says:

    @Dave,

    However, simply from the point of view of persuasive technique, does dismissing the concerns and arguments of those with whom you disagree strike you as an effective method of persuasion? Or is it more likely to cause them to dig in their heels?

    The latter, of course, But today I’m frustrated.

  3. DC Loser says:

    I’m sure if we don’t ratify it, the Russians will make us regret it.