Kelley B. Vlahos joins Scott to discuss her latest article on the failures of the nuclear weapons industry for the American Conservative Magazine, “Dr. Strangelove and the Los Alamos Nuclear Fiasco“. Vlahos details how the government has corporatized nuclear labs with near disastrous effects. Crony capitalism has diminished competition as contracts are handed back and forth, which gives companies no incentive to improve their services or cut their costs. Workers are often subjected to poor working environments and inadequate training. Despite a constant stream of issues, the Bechtel Corporation has been making $2 billion on their deal with the U.S. government for the past 10 years while taxpayers foot the bill. Scott wonders whether Donald Trump might not be able to get revenge on liberal Russia hysteria by negotiating a nuclear disarmament deal with Russia.
Vlahos is the managing editor of The American Conservative. Follow her on Twitter @KelleyBVlahos.
Discussed on the show:
- Los Alamos National Security
- Bechtel Corporation
- “Safety lapses undermine nuclear warhead work at Los Alamos,” by Patrick Malone and R. Jeffrey Smith (Center for Public Integrity)
- “A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons laboratory takes a hidden toll on America’s arsenal,” by Patrick Malone (The Center for Public Integrity)
- Los Alamos Study Group
- “Bombs Versus Budgets: Inside the Nuclear Weapons Lobby,” by William D. Hartung
- “Trump’s Nuclear Experience: In 1987, he set out to solve the world’s biggest problem,” by Ron Rosenbaum (Slate)
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