Why does the US demand disarmament of nuclear weapons from others, but doesn't disarm itself?

The US -- along with the USSR and now Russia -- have signed a series of nuclear disarmament treaties[1]. As a result, nuclear weapon stockpiles have been reduced from 30K-40K per country to 10K-15K per country.

So, both the US and Russia have been practicing what they preach: disarming.

If you mean completely disarm, well, that's because it doesn't want to be caught naked in a world were everyone else has not disarmed completely.

It is not hypocritical to call for disarmament and non-proliferation. One can seek a goal without having gotten there yet. As recently as 2007, former US official were counseling to seek a world-wide, total disarmament[2].

With proliferation a fact -- N. Korea, perhaps Iran -- the US simply will not allow itself to be caught in a position where it's brought a knife to a gun fight.


1. Nuclear disarmament
2. Nuclear disarmament

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