War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield; Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

12/01/1987

Pete Wilson served as a U.S. Senator from California from 1983-1991. At the start of the interview he talks about the Scowcroft Commission (to which he returns later), noting the mix of optimism and skepticism with which he met its conclusions. The need for mobility is another topic dealt with at some length. In that context he describes the appeal of the Rail Garrison system. He says the main problem of the Midgetman is its cost, which will keep Congress from funding it. He takes issue with the contention that an accurate counterforce capability is not necessary, arguing that an offensive weapon is needed as a deterrent. But he adds that a defensive capability is also necessary. The interview moves on to cover Reagan administration attitudes, congressional actions and Air Force politics on strategic matters including the question of adopting a smaller missile, among these specifically Midgetman. Senator Wilson describes issues of survivability and vulnerability, and how Reagan's decision to cancel the Utah and Nevada basing option shows how strong the opposition to a mobile system can be. He argues for testing because it has reduced the destructive capacity of the superpowers' arsenals. He then discusses the budgetary aspects of the nuclear program and describes some of the activities of the Scowcroft Commission and the Deutch panel.

License Clip

Got it

Series

War and Peace in the Nuclear Age

Program

Reagan's Shield

Program Number

112

Title

Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987

Series Description

The first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, changed the world forever. This series chronicles these changes and the history of a new era. It traces the development of nuclear weapons, the evolution of nuclear strategy, and the politics of a world with the power to destroy itself.

In thirteen one-hour programs that combine historic footage and recent interviews with key American, Soviet, and European participants, the nuclear age unfolds: the origin and evolution of nuclear weapons; the people of the past who have shaped the events of the present; the ideas and issues that political leaders, scientists, and the public at large must confront, and the prospects for the future. Nuclear Age highlights the profound changes in contemporary thinking imposed by the advent of nuclear weapons. Series release date: 1/1989

Program Description

President Reagan introduces the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative, an idea he believes will make nuclear weapons”Impotent and Obsolete.”

In 1983 President Reagan envisioned a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) that could intercept and destroy Soviet strategic ballistic missiles before they reached the United States. Skeptics dubbed the idea “Star Wars.” It was hard for Reagan to accept the idea of deterrence based on mutual destruction. He believed SDI offered a solution. His science advisor George Keyworth says SDI was “thoroughly created and invented in Ronald Reagan’s own mind and experience.” According to defense scientist Ashton Carter, “The concept is fine. What is not fine is implying to the public that the solution to the nuclear puzzle is at hand.” SDI became the focus of a national debate about nuclear weapons and nuclear strategy, and a stumbling block in strategic arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union. The final months of the Reagan Administration brought a drastic reduction in the scope and size of SDI efforts.

Duration

01:01:33

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects

United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services

Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles

Reagan, Ronald

United States. Presidents Commission on Strategic Forces

Intercontinental ballistic missiles

United States. Congress

Deterrence (Strategy)

United States. Air Force

MX (Weapons system)

Nuclear arms control

Democratic Party (U.S.)

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854-)

Strategic Defense Initiative

Genres

Topics

Contributors

Wilson, Pete, 1933- (Interviewee)

Publication Information

WGBH Educational Foundation

Citation

Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield; Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987,” 12/01/1987, GBH Archives, accessed December 22, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_A646AB79222F449EBD278C5392EBE716.

MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield; Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987.” 12/01/1987. GBH Archives. Web. December 22, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_A646AB79222F449EBD278C5392EBE716>.

APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield; Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_A646AB79222F449EBD278C5392EBE716

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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield; Interview with Pete Wilson, 1987