Nuclear Treaties 3 - Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
Following the Partial Test Ban Treaty and the Outer Space Treaty, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union continued negotiating on nuclear issues. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was drafted and opened for signing in 1968. It went into effect in 1970, recognizing US, the UK, France, China and the Soviet Union as the only officially recognized states openly possessing nuclear weapons. (The Russian Union inherited the NPT recognition when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. China and France signed the Treaty in 1992.) These five nuclear states are also the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
The purpose of the treaty was to work against the spread of nuclear weapons beyond the nations which currently possessed them, encourage the world-wide peaceful use of nuclear power and to move towards disarmament of all nations of nuclear and conventional weapons. The core of the agreement is to have “the NPT non-nuclear-weapon states agree never to acquire nuclear weapons and the NPT nuclear-weapon states in exchange agree to share the benefits of peaceful nuclear technology and to pursue nuclear disarmament aimed at the ultimate elimination of their nuclear arsenals.”
Many believe that the most important aspect of the NPT and the one which should be emphasized over other provisions of the NPT is the Non-Proliferation issue. The enormous power of nuclear weapons and the fact that the damage and fallout from even a limited nuclear exchange could easily spread beyond the borders of the combatants makes the spread of nuclear weapons a very important global issue. Under the Treaty, The states with nuclear weapons agree not to give nuclear weapons to states which don’t have them or to encourage or assists such states in acquiring them. The states which don’t have nuclear weapons agree not to make them or try to acquire them or assistance to make them. There is also provision in the Treaty for the International Atomic Energy Agency to put into place safe guards and to monitor states without nuclear weapons to insure that such states are not diverting resources from peaceful nuclear facilities towards weapons production.
The section that deals with disarmament in the Treaty encourages the signatory nuclear weapons states to work in good faith toward ending the nuclear arms race and eliminating the arsenals of nuclear weapons as well as conventional weapons. There has been a debate over the meaning of the section between the countries that have nuclear weapons and those that do not. The nuclear weapons nations claim that they are only obligated to work toward some disarmament agreement some day and that they have been carrying out reduction of warheads and missiles. The countries without nuclear weapons claim that the section requires that the nuclear weapon countries need negotiate a comprehensive disarmament treaty as soon as possible and that they are failing to move forward on such a treaty. Arguments continue over the linkage of non-proliferation to disarmament and the possible unexpected side-effects of the disarmament which has occurred.
The non-nuclear states are entitled to assistance in developing peaceful nuclear power under the Treaty. One of the big concerns with this issue is the fact that enriched uranium is required for fueling many reactors. The fuel must either be purchased on the international market or enriched inside the country with the reactor. Some non-nuclear weapon nations have enrichment capabilities that could be turned to production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. Iraq was sanctioned by the U.N. for violation of NPT obligations. North Korea never fully complied with its NPT requirements and eventually left the Treaty to pursue a nuclear weapons program. Iran is currently being criticized and heavily sanctioned for non-compliance to NPT inspection requirements.
Despite many problems and criticisms over the years, the NPT is generally regarded as the most important and successful international treaty on nuclear weapons. Only four countries are not signatories to the agreement. North Korea withdrew and has developed its own nuclear weapons. India and Pakistan have never signed the Treaty and both have nuclear arsenals and missile delivery systems. Israel has not signed the Treaty. It has not acknowledged that it possesses nuclear weapons but it is assumed to have a nuclear arsenal and delivery systems.
United States signs the The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons from americancorner.org.tw:
Bat571's Prospect List Graded John Sickels-style
Our faithful commenter Bat571 has made his own prospect list, using the grading system employed by long-time minor-league blogger John Sickels at MinorLeagueBall.com.
Instead of keeping it buried in the comments, I'll open it up as a new thread. Bat would appreciate your reactions as he refines his list. My "official" list will be coming up after the new year.
The rest of the article is quoted from his comments.
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Using Sickels system of ranking, this is how I see the Ms system -
A
Taijuan Walker
Mike Zunino
A-
Danny Hultzen
James Paxton
Gabriel Guerrero
Victor Sanchez
B+
Nick Franklin
Brad Miller
Stefan Romero
Carter Capps
B
Erasmo Ramirez
Brandon Maurer
Stephen Pryor
Jack Marder
Leon Landry
Carson Smith
Anthony Fernandez
Tyler Pike
Timothy Lopes
Joe DeCarlo
B-
Julio Morban
Vinnie Catricala
Ji-Man Choi
Chris Taylor
Isaiah Yates
Chance Ruffin
Patrick Kivlehan
John Hicks
Marcus Littlewood
Luiz Gohara (by rep only)
C+
Carlos Triunfel
Yoervis Medina
Daniel Paolini
James Jones
Brian Moran
Bobby LaFromboise
Francisco Martinez
Jordan Shipers
Stephen Landazuri
Seon-Gi Kim
Jordan Pries
Edwin Diaz
Kyle Hunter
Matt Brazis
Dario Pizzano
Rich Poythress
Gabrial Franca
Filipe Burin
C
Steven Proscia
Taylor Ard
Logan Bawcom
Andrew Carraway
Dylan Unsworth
Mario Martinez
Forrest Snow
Jamodrick McGruder
Martin Peguero
Guillermo Pimental
Danny Almonte
Phillips Castillo
Jabari Henry
Jabari Blash
Cavan Cohoes
Josh Corrales
Order of names within levels is not firm
This is for anyone who wants to chime in - I'm doing this to deepen my own understanding of the Ms system, not as a vanity project. Gordon, thirteen, anyone, wanna weigh in?
After looking at Sickel's lists for years, I think my A, A-, and B+ grades are pretty consistent with the type of guys he's given these grades in the past, including some of the listed guys, even if it looks aggressive. The Ms system is now at the level of systems like Toronto which had 8 B+ or better in previous years. Sanchez and Guerrero are obviously reaches, but the rest, I think, could be justified. When you get to B and B-, there are obviously too many.
If I take the C and call them Others, C+ make C, and re-sort the B/B-, who would you consider the true 'B' 'spects and who would you call B- or C+? Which of the B/B- group doesn't belong at all?
49ers get stomped by Seahawks last Sunday Night
The San Francisco 49ers were beat up badly last Sunday night in front of the world. With that win, may be a formula to beat them as well. It would not surprise me; however, if the 49ers crafty coach took a fall on purpose to try and not give teams more information on them or to not give Seattle a better feel for them in case they met again in the playoffs. Obviously this is all skeptical, but there was not much on the line for the 49ers to win. I know Seattle is a tough place to play for away teams, but it has never been that tough.
The Seahawks soared out to a huge lead and led 28-6 at halftime. They added another touchdown in the 3rd quarter to lead 35-6 and ultimately won 42-13. Russell Wilson threw 4 touchdowns while Marshawn Lynch rushed for 111 yards and a score. He also caught one of Wilson’s TDs. The team even was able to block an easy 49er field goal that they returned for a touchdown. Even more impressive, may have been the Seahawks giving up just 28 yards on the ground to Frank Gore. Colin Kaepernick actually led the 49ers in rushing with 31 yards.
This all seemed a bit amazing even given the tough venue and terrible weather. Nothing about San Francisco seemed like San Francisco though. They seemed way out of sink and at no time looked productive in the least bit. It certainly is bad timing for fallout and I feel more sinister things are at work.
Dallas will travel to D.C. to battle the Redskins for the last game of the year
The Dallas Cowboys will find themselves back on primetime in a game that means everything to them and the Redskins. The two teams will meet at FedEx Field in D.C. to fight for the division title and a spot in the playoffs. The Cowboys come into the game with an 8-7 record while the Redskins are 9-6 to date. The Cowboys have been one of the hottest teams as of late while the Redskins have been one of the hottest teams this season. The game will certainly have a playoff atmosphere as it will be featured late and have so much on the line. All eyes will be watching as well, and this game could figure to see some record numbers in ratings.
The battle of America’s team and an old foe in Washington, with a new leader, will certainly bring many to their televisions. Redskin’s quarterback RGIII has shown he is a fan favorite, as he leads the league in jersey sales. The quarterback has shown he is a triple threat who can run, throw, and do anything it takes to get the win. He is still battling a knee injury but showed last week that he can do enough with his arm to win any game.
Dallas will look to exploit his knee injury and keep him on his toes. They have an offense that can keep up with many and a defense that has showed they can plug in anyone and do well. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has lost many starters, but has been able to still scheme up wins. This will be the story on Sunday, and the ending will be one you will not want to miss.
Patriots will end season by playing the Dolphins
The Patriots will end their 2012 regular season at home against the Miami Dolphins. Historically, the Patriots will usually use their players and keep them on the field even in games that may not matter. This game does provide the Patriots with an opportunity to improve their seed in the playoffs, but would not do too much for them. The 7-8 Dolphins will be looking to end their season with an even record at Gillette Stadium, and the team should be very proud of what they have accomplished with a rookie quarterback and a lot of holes on their team.
The Patriots were able to win last week, but in surprisingly difficult fashion against the Jaguars. The game ended 23-16 in favor of New England. The Jaguars did get off to a good start and led 10-0 at one point. They played very good on both sides of the ball, and the Patriots looked bad on the road. It was certainly something Coach Bellichek spoke to his players about all year. In a game that many would think the Patriots would score 50 points, they managed not even half of that.
The Dolphins were able to get a big win at home against the Bills 24-10. They lost steam in the middle of the season, and probably could have made a run at the playoffs if they had been more consistent. They do seem like a team on the rise, however, and it will be interesting to see what kind of holes they can get filled this offseason to improve upon their record. They certainly will look to end the season in good fashion and have given the Pats trouble in the past.
Manning for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year?
It is hard to say Peyton Manning should be the MVP and Comeback Player of the year when Adrian Peterson could also be regarded in both conversations. There is, however, two reasons reason I think he should get the nod for both these prestigious awards. In the case of Adrian Peterson, the healing process of his injury was astronomical. The production that followed was then astounding and unheard of. In the case of Manning, location and duration are what convinced me he should get both.
First off, he came to a brand new team in a brand new location. He transitioned to a team that was in a far different area of the country in a different altitude and basic state of mind. He went from an indoor stadium to an outdoor one, which presents all of the elements Manning historically was not used to nor did well in. A place that is open and can be cold and snowy like all the games in Boston he would like to forget. All of this could be enough to drastically change a person or their numbers, but none of that happened and the wins continued. If anything it appeared he has been trying to conquer his fears.
Duration has been the other impressive thing that has baffled me personally. Manning played with few players on the team other then Brandon Stokley and Jacob Tamme. Tamme was his last tight end he had in Indianapolis, but they only were together but a year when Dallas Clark went down to injury. Stokley, on the other hand, last played with Manning in 2006. These two players were the only thing familiar to Manning who had to come in and lead immediately. At first it was not as smooth as one would hope, but that was expected. The ten weeks Denver have one consecutively after a 2-3 start, however, is something many probably would not have expected.
Denver will host the Chiefs this Sunday
Denver will close out their year against the Kansas City Chiefs at home. The two will play at Denver’s Sorts Authority Field at Mile High at 4:25 PM ET. The game may, or may not, feature many of the Denver starters. The team is still in contention for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They may start everyone, but they could quickly build a lead and get the starters out of the game to preserve them for the playoffs. Currently the Broncos are tied with the Texans for the best record in the AFC. Their opponent, Kansas City, is tied with the Jaguars for the worst record in the league
Last week Denver beat the Browns at home 34-12, and knocked two of the team’s quarterbacks from the game. Before that game, the Browns had remained competitive in nearly every game and had won 3 of their last 4 games. Denvers mad quick work of them though and the game seemed to be over after the first quarter of play. Manning has led his team after a bit of a rough beginning and should be commended for such a smooth transition. The Broncos now find themselves as the favorite to most to win it all this year.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, are playing for something. That something is valued by many, as a loss will earn them the top pick in this year’s draft. The team could certainly use it as they have holes in nearly every aspect of their team from offense to defense and special teams. First things first, lose to Denver Sunday.
49ers hope for a win against the Cardinals
The San Francisco 49ers will look to rebound after their embarrassing loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday night on primetime. The 49ers should certainly get the opportunity to avenge that loss as they host the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park. The 49ers are 10-4-1 to this point this year, but seem to have perhaps lost a step since Colin Kaepernick has been named the starter. He still seems to be the answer, but last week they had no answers for a surging Seahawks team.
The 49ers were dominated in every aspect last Sunday Night in Seattle. The Seahawks are known to be a tough team at home, but the 42-13 shellacking was more then anyone could have expected. The Seahawks started early and did not let up. They got an early TD on their first drive and drove down for a field goal to get an early 10-0 lead. After that, they blocked an easy field goal by the 49ers and took it all the way back for a score. They then never looked back as they dominated every aspect of the game.
This week’s opponent for the 49ers should not pose such a threat. The Arizona Cardinals have lost 10 of their last 11 games after a 4 game win streak to begin the season. They have since had a quarterback carousel while their line has been less-than effective blocking any defenders. A win would be a miracle while sending ripples through the 49ers team, which could possibly be irreversible.
Bears will face the Lions in hopes of another win
The 9-6 Chicago Bears will face the 4-11 Detroit Lions this Sunday. The game may mean little as neither team looks to be able to get a spot in this year’s playoffs. The Lions are certainly not going to get a spot, and have been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments of the year. The Lions won a ton of games last year and looked like the NFL’s next big thing. This year, reality hit them square in the Jaw as they have made one of the biggest fall-outs in recent NFL memory. The Bears looked like the hottest team in the NFL the first half of the year, but injuries struck again which looks to prevent them from the postseason.
The Bears will travel to Ford field in Detroit to try and get their 10th win. Last week they won 28-13 in Arizona. The team was falling off quickly before that win and saw their quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte miss some time. Before the win against the Cardinals Sunday, they were on a 3-game losing streak. Given how they were doing earlier in the year, they have the potential to beat many teams that may be making the postseason. Unfortunately, for them, they will probably not get the chance to do so.
The Lions definitely will not be seeing the playoffs and instead will have to take a good hard look at what happened to their team. It appears to me that their problems go far beyond that of the players on the field. Leadership and discipline seems lacking on the team that needs nothing more then strict rules and structure. That will need addressed more this offseason then the roster.
Giants must win and receive help to reach the playoffs
The New York Giants will host the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday at MetLife Stadium in the Big Apple. The Giants must win, and get some help, if they hope to get in the playoffs and try to defend their Super Bowl title from last season. The team has faltered down the stretch and has been one of the bigger disappointments of the season. This Sunday, however, they face a team that has disappointed even more this season in the Eagles. The Eagles are just 4-11, but do seem to have something to look forward to in their future.
The Eagles will most likely be making a coaching change after this year from long-tenured coach Andy Reid. That is not something they should exactly look forward too, but they do have what appears to be an up and coming quarterback in their rookie Foles. Michael Vick is most likely going to be walking out the door with Andy Reid and Foles will be taking his spot. Given a healthy Shady McCoy, Foles should be able to really grow in the offense quickly.
The Giants will have to take a hard look at what happened to their offense down the stretch. Eli has played like he was hurt down the stretch this year and the team in general has suffered many injuries. A few weeks ago the Giants looked like they were ready to legitimately defend their title, but that quickly became a distant memory. Given a miracle, It is unlikely to see them playing come January.