Geoff Wilson

State Department fires more than 1,300 employees in downsizing plan The move has drawn criticism from current and former diplomats who say the cuts will degrade America’s standing in the world and curb U.S. soft power.

“They cut key experts on nuclear testing, nuclear verification and efforts to end the production of weapons grade fissile material. These cuts will only serve to increase the nuclear threats facing this nation.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

DHS considering reality show in which immigrants compete for citizenship The competition series was pitched by Rob Worsoff, a Canadian-born writer and producer who was behind A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” and Bravo’s “Millionaire Matchmaker.”

Can’t say I had “dehumanizing, state-sponsored reality show,” on my fascism bingo card…

www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Does America Really Need a $1 Trillion Pentagon Budget? Spending $1 trillion on the Pentagon would be a colossal blunder at a time when America's most urgent security challenges are not military in nature.

“A $1 trillion Pentagon budget sounds impressive, but pursuing it at a time when too many of our most urgent national needs are being neglected would be a colossal error.”

www.forbes.com/sites/willia...

Does Trump Really Care About Getting Rid of Nuclear Weapons? US president Donald Trump says he opposes nuclear weapons, but his administration has taken aim at nuclear nonproliferation programs.

Despite Donald Trump occasionally sounding the alarm on nuclear weapons, his administration has taken aim at nuclear nonproliferation programs, writes @nonukesplz.bsky.social

Air Force weighs keeping 1970s-era missiles until 2050 Current plan is to remove all 400 Minuteman III ICBMs made by Boeing from silos by 2039

"Shocking" (not) news of the day: the US Air Force, after completely mismanaging a massive, unneeded effort to build high-priced, destabilizing, vulnerable land-based, nuclear-armed missiles, is looking to extend the life of the ones they already have until 2050: gulfnews.com/world/americ...

You may have seen estimates of how much America has spent on failed national missile defense systems. But Stephen Schwartz is the true authority on all of this. He estimates (below) that we have wasted $531 billion on national missile defense scams.

The money goes in; nothing comes out.

What Trump got right about nuclear weapons—and how to step back from the brink Trump could renew Reagan's crowning achievement by negotiating with Russia and China to limit the growing numbers of new nuclear weapons.

"The United States is already spending $75 billion annually—the equivalent of two Manhattan Projects every year—on new nuclear weapons until at least 2032."

"What Trump got right about nuclear weapons—and how to step back from the brink," by @lucasruiz4.bsky.social and @nuclearwilson.bsky.social.

Opinion | Musk’s latest stunt suggests DOGE is running out of ideas The backlash within Trump’s own administration exposes the mogul’s carelessness.

"Like so much else during the month since Trump’s inauguration, the message seemed not to have been thought through," the Editorial Board writes. wapo.st/3D77nSP

Well said Dylan

U.S. votes against U.N. resolution condemning Russia for Ukraine war Washington’s shift on the Ukraine war marks a major break with European allies and comes as the Trump administration aims to repair relations with Russia.

A historic betrayal not just of Ukraine and Europe, but of generations of Americans who labored and sacrificed in the hope of making the world freer for all.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

If it can break through the flood of other nonsense to even move the needle.

Hard for me to believe that voters will back this shift. The US has been an ambiguous actor on the world stage but Americans really do believe it's an altruistic force. No one wants to actively support the Bad Guys!

Shameful. Completely at odds with every U.S. ally and every set of U.S. foreign policy values in the contemporary era.

Your Hubris!

Global security arrangements 'unravelling', UN chief warns nuclear disarmament conference Security arrangements that have supported global peace for decades are unravelling, the head of the United Nations warned on Monday as he urged countries to work together towards a nuclear free world.

Seems bad www.reuters.com/world/global...

What Trump got right about nuclear weapons—and how to step back from the brink Trump could renew Reagan's crowning achievement by negotiating with Russia and China to limit the growing numbers of new nuclear weapons.

Also, for those that seek a TLDR version, @lucasruiz4.bsky.social and I just published on (tied to recent Trump musings) in @thebulletin.org. Give it a read here: thebulletin.org/2025/02/what...

Give it a read if you can. Would greatly appreciate any and all comments and feedback!

As my former boss Rep. John Tierney puts it, "The nightmare scenario of a nuclear war in our lifetimes — launched either through accident, miscalculation, or madness — is no longer unthinkable, and ... Americans must confront the reality that [we] can no longer take [our] safety for granted."

Gambling on Armageddon • Stimson Center Questioning the logic of U.S. nuclear weapons policy in the 21st Century.

Incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity to work on this timely and important project with my colleagues Christopher Preble and @lucasruiz4.bsky.social at @stimsoncenter.bsky.social.

www.stimson.org/2025/gamblin...

I’m honored to receive such praise from @joecirin.bsky.social! If you have a chance, please read my new article with @nuclearwilson.bsky.social!

Thanks Joe!

What Trump got right about nuclear weapons—and how to step back from the brink Trump could renew Reagan's crowning achievement by negotiating with Russia and China to limit the growing numbers of new nuclear weapons.

Outstanding analysis from @nuclearwilson.bsky.social in @thebulletin.org. He and his co-authors lay out a sensible path for Trump to implement his insight that we have far more nuclear weapons then we would ever conceivably need. thebulletin.org/2025/02/what...

More important work from @nuclearwilson.bsky.social @lucasruiz4.bsky.social! However, I have seen nothing that tells me this administration has any plan to achieve this goal and so it remains typical bluster. I hope a plan emerges!

What Trump got right about nuclear weapons—and how to step back from the brink Trump could renew Reagan's crowning achievement by negotiating with Russia and China to limit the growing numbers of new nuclear weapons.

🚨 Just in: Trump could renew Reagan's crowning achievement by negotiating with Russia and China to limit the growing numbers of new nuclear weapons, @nuclearwilson.bsky.social and @lucasruiz4.bsky.social write in @thebulletin.org

thebulletin.org/2025/02/what...

#nuclearweapons

Cover page of Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-7, "Nuclear Operations" (18 December 2020 edition)

"POSITIVE CONTROL The President may direct the use of nuclear weapons through an execute order via the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the combatant commanders and, ultimately, to the forces in the field exercising direct control of the weapons. Execution of these orders through emergency action procedures allow for a timely response to an emergency action message and ensure the directive is valid and authentic. Air Force personnel involved in the actual employment of nuclear weapons are intensively and continuously trained and certified in these procedures so they can quickly and accurately respond to the order."

Not trying to alarm people but just noting that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among their other important functions, is also one of the small number of people explicitly designated for translating Presidential nuclear strike orders into reality.

www.doctrine.af.mil/Portals/61/d...

a person is laying on the ground in a dark room with a window . ALT: a person is laying on the ground in a dark room with a window .

me trying to finish writing a history book in under the wire before all government archives, libraries, databases, and FOIA offices get shut down to pay for billionaire tax cuts

Gambling on Armageddon • Stimson Center Questioning the logic of U.S. nuclear weapons policy in the 21st Century.

Very proud of this and extremely grateful to my colleagues and coauthors @lucasruiz4.bsky.social and Chris Preble for making it happen.

www.stimson.org/2025/gamblin...

Gambling on Armageddon • Stimson Center Questioning the logic of U.S. nuclear weapons policy in the 21st Century.

New and timely report from @nuclearwilson.bsky.social, Chris Preble, and Lucas Ruiz:

"Gambling on Armageddon: How US Nuclear Policies Are Undercutting Deterrence and Lowering the Threshold for Nuclear War" www.stimson.org/2025/gamblin...

Trump fires USAID inspector general one day after blistering report Paul K. Martin, appointed by President Joe Biden in December 2023, was informed of his dismissal through an email from the White House.

"Look what happens when you write a report critical of this administration: They fire you the next day. This chills independent oversight, and that’s exactly what we need right now." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Did not think McConnell had it in him.