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From Publishers Weekly
Since September 11, it has become clear that the United States is headed for more military funding to fight the "war on terrorism." But as longtime antinuclear activist, author and pediatrician Caldicott (Nuclear Madness: What You Can Do) shows, this buildup is nothing new with the exception of the first President Bush, U.S. policy has generally favored military spending. But spending on nuclear weapons is ineffective in fighting terrorists holed up in caves, Caldicott contends. Using a medical model, she focuses on what she calls the "disease" before she launches into her "remedy." She is strongest focusing on the ties between the American nuclear arsenal and large corporations, which have only their own interests at heart a point that should resonate in the post-Enron era. In impressive detail, she describes how hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent on questionable defense projects such as Star Wars. To her credit, this book also serves as a defense primer: she lays out the various weapons projects in terms accessible to the average reader an accessibility she argues that the government wants to deny citizens. But her remedies for the problem she describes diverting millions of dollars from the defense budget for health care and the environment seem na‹ve and unrealistic. In addition, her strident tone ("the Pentagon thinks about nuclear strategy in a strange and pathological way") might turn some readers off to the book's important message. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This book by the well-known political activist Caldicott (Nuclear Madness: What You Can Do) is not a direct attack on the existence of the military but rather on the way that the military and industry are so deeply intertwined. Caldicott argues that there is immense financial waste for unneeded weapons programs, that America's foreign and military policies seem designed for world domination, and that this is a betrayal of the best interests of U.S. citizens. Included are short descriptions of many weapons and research projects, which contain cost figures, information on which big contractors benefit, and an evaluation of the program. As a physician, Caldicott puts more emphasis on the long-term medical implications of some of the modern weapons than one usually finds in books on this topic. Most readers will have already made up their minds on this subject one way or another; nevertheless, this book should be made available in libraries for those looking for counterarguments to the Establishment line. The book lacks illustrations and an index, but there are reference notes at the end. Suitable for the circulating collections of public libraries. Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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