Soviet Morality and U.S. Nuclear Strategy

Among modern Presidents, Jimmy Carter has associated his policies to an uncommon degree with clearly stated moral imperatives. While most attention has been devoted to Carter’s emphasis on human rights, our conduct in other areas has also been affected by the President’s convictions. Because nuclear weapons remain the heart of U.S. defense strategy, the Carter Administration’s defense policy and the ways in which it has been influenced by the President’s moral views deserve examination.

Carter’s attitude toward nuclear weapons has been remarkably consistent. Almost a year before his election, he declared: “When I make my Inaugural Address, early in 1977, I’m going to spell out the purpose of this country to reduce atomic weapons in all nations to zero. . . (Emphasis added in this and following presidential statements.) Keeping this pledge, President Carter asserted in his Inaugural Address: “We will move this year … a step toward our ultimate goal—the elimination of all nuclear weapons from this earth.”

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William R. Kintner

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Among modern Presidents, Jimmy Carter has associated his policies to an uncommon degree with clearly stated moral imperatives. While most attention has been devoted to Carter’s emphasis on human rights, our conduct in other areas has also been affected by the President’s convictions. Because nuclear weapons remain the heart of U.S. defense strategy, the Carter Administration’s defense policy and the ways in which it has been influenced by the President’s moral views deserve examination.

Carter’s attitude toward nuclear weapons has been remarkably consistent. Almost a year before his election, he declared: “When I make my Inaugural Address, early in 1977, I’m going to spell out the purpose of this country to reduce atomic weapons in all nations to zero. . . (Emphasis added in this and following presidential statements.) Keeping this pledge, President Carter asserted in his Inaugural Address: “We will move this year … a step toward our ultimate goal—the elimination of all nuclear weapons from this earth.”