![]() ![]() It began in practice on Augjust days after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - when President Harry Truman ordered that such action could not be taken without presidential permission. One of the most surprising elements of the American president’s sole authority is how long this extraordinary power has lasted, rarely even challenged. Over the years, several organizations have issued studies regarding the policy, providing recommendations on how it could be improved. It also makes people deeply uneasy: Recent polling found that 61 percent of Americans are uncomfortable with the president’s sole authority. Putting so much unchecked power in the hands of one person is not only risky but also deeply antithetical to how America defines itself. It is, however, unacceptable for an American president to have the sole authority to launch a nuclear first strike without a requirement for consultation or consensus. In reality, as long as nuclear weapons exist, there’s most likely no better option if the United States comes under attack. The idea that one human should have to make such a consequential decision in 15 minutes or less is nearly beyond comprehension. The jet’s crew can contact the president, verify his or her identity and relay a nuclear attack order to bomber squadrons, submarines and intercontinental ballistic missile silos. ![]() nuclear forces for an assessment on the incomingĪttack and a menu of retaliatory options. The president is connected with the commander in charge of U.S. Incoming attack and a menu of retaliatory options. The president is connected with the commander This includes the military officer who carries the “nuclear football,” the black leather briefcase that contains nuclear plans that follows the president at all times. ![]() Nuclear plans that follows the president at all times. “nuclear football,” the black leather briefcase that contains This includes the military officer who carries the NORAD contactsĪ designated White House official to relayĪdvisers and aides gather. NORAD contacts a designated White House official to relay the message to the president. Larger operations, like a ground invasion of another country, require the president to ask Congress for a formal declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force. Authorizing drone strikes on terrorism suspects, for instance, requires approvals up and down the chain of command, from a commander in the field to the general overseeing the region to the defense secretary to the president. military power is legally conducted this way. Yet regardless of who wins this election, or the next one, the American president’s nuclear sole authority is a product of another era and must be revisited in our new nuclear age. These are vital attributes for a commander in chief in a crisis. Over the course of the year, they will have to confront questions from voters about their mental acuity, competence and stamina to take on another four-year term. The two front-runners - President Biden, who is 81, and former President Donald Trump, who is 77 - would be the oldest candidates in the nation’s history to appear on their parties’ tickets. ![]() Of course, it is American voters alone who will decide in November whom they want to endow with that power. ![]()
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