BeyondGenius.com

So, among the legislation that our Congresspeople will not be getting done this season is approving changes to US law that would allow the trade of nuclear reactors and fuel.  The press is covering how senators and representatives and Republicans and Democrats are pointing fingers at each other about why it’s been left undone.  The House passed it last July, but the Senate just isn’t going to get around to it.  Of course, the whole controversy is entirely around how the government just couldn’t get the deal done; not a bit of it is about the deal in the first place. 

Now, don’t get me wrong: I like India.  I can certainly understand the need for India to address NOW the energy problems they’re going to have in the next 10 years and beyond.  I’m even a big fan of free trade and would like to keep the federal government out of most of it.  This deal got little press when it was negotiated, but now the attitude has nothing to do with whether the deal should be approved at all, but when.

Here’s my problem.  The deal is promoted as being all about commerce and nuclear non-proliferation – but it’s with a country which has never signed the NPT, and in fact went on doing nuclear testing as recently as 1998 (when it was used to remind it’s next-door neighbor, Pakistan, of it’s capabilities).  Some of the sites the US and the international community most want to have civilian check-in if not oversight of are not included in the deal.  Actual non-proliferation stuff?  Not really so much included.  Basically, it comes down to if we transfer “civilian” nuclear technology and sell uranium (which they need for their existing plants, and Australia started refusing to give them any unless they signed on to the NPT), and then just kind of have to trust that they won’t make better nuclear weapons with it. 

Having the US helping out India, which is between 2 more nuclear powers (China and Pakistan) is also a real boon to foreign policy.  As much as I think some of the deal might be a good idea, and agree that India very likely will need additional nuclear power for it’s growing population, I don’t know that this deal should get the rubber stamp.

(and just so there you have it, here’s the article that got me started).