By Gina Baxter

Daily Titan Staff Writer

It seems a little ironic that this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner has created a budget that will ask for an additional $7 billion for nuclear weapons projects.

According to CNN, President Obama unveiled a new $3.8 trillion budget that would cut money from outdated government projects such as space travel, and focus on building funds for defense programs and Homeland Security. This spending comes at a time when the nation is struggling to crawl out from under an enormous national debt of $12.3 trillion. With so many government programs hurting for money these days, I have to wonder: Is this really the time for nuclear spending?

While it’s always smart to protect a nation’s interests, both at home and abroad, 2010 has been a relatively quiet year on the nuclear front. Yes, it is still early in the year, and countries like Iran and North Korea are still looking to build more nuclear weapons, but doesn’t adding to the United States nuclear stockpile defeat the purpose of disarmament? In cases concerning nuclear technology, Obama’s message is clear: Do as I say, not as I do.

There are a host of other programs that could greatly benefit from an additional $7 billion. I’m sure the Cal State University wouldn’t complain if the president dropped a couple billion dollars into its budget, not to mention programs like health care and environmental protection – issues that the president already supports. When it comes to spending money, the need for affordable housing, educational opportunities and new jobs far outweighs that of a nuclear arsenal. Unless President Obama’s new plan involves bombing all of the countries who have been lending us a lot of money recently – like China – then the few funds we have will be better spent on developing weak areas in our society than increasing chances for a global nuclear war.

If Obama plans on upholding his goals for global peace and security under his new Nobel Peace Prize title, he needs to think about how the nuclear weaponry programs within the U.S. will really use the money. Will it be used to further deactivate the thousands of nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile? Or will it be used for further nuclear testing, provoking increased nuclear advancement by other countries not under the thumb of NATO? Maybe it’s time for the President to take a page out of John Lennon’s notebook, and give peace a chance. Or maybe, the president will make the wrong decision, and spend money the U.S. government doesn’t have in order to increase attention in the nuclear arena. Only time will tell. However, the president needs to think twice before asking Congress to pass his budget regarding the funding of nuclear weapons programs within the U.S., for the sake of both our economy and our global safety.