How to limit presidential authority to order the use of nuclear weapons

Re:How to limit presidential authority to order the use of n... by hprotagonist on Monday January 29, 2018 @06:21PM (#16261515)

There is a young man, probably a Navy officer, who accompanies the President. This young man has a black attaché case which contains the codes that are needed to fire nuclear weapons. I could see the President at a staff meeting considering nuclear war as an abstract question. He might conclude: “On SIOP Plan One, the decision is affirmative, Communicate the Alpha line XYZ.” Such jargon holds what is involved at a distance.
My suggestion was quite simple: Put that needed code number in a little capsule, and then implant that capsule right next to the heart of a volunteer. The volunteer would carry with him a big, heavy butcher knife as he accompanied the President. If ever the President wanted to fire nuclear weapons, the only way he could do so would be for him first, with his own hands, to kill one human being. The President says, “George, I’m sorry but tens of millions must die.” He has to look at someone and realize what death is—what an innocent death is. Blood on the White House carpet. It’s reality brought home.

When I suggested this to friends in the Pentagon they said, “My God, that’s terrible. Having to kill someone would distort the President’s judgment. He might never push the button.”

Fisher, Roger. "Preventing Nuclear War", Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (1981)

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Re:How to limit presidential authority to order the use of n... by dingaling on Tuesday January 30, 2018 @03:35AM (#16263778)

In addition to the difficulty in finding volunteers to carry the football, that approach would also fail to address the authorization / orders to release tactical nuclear weapons such as those carried onboard ships.

Or alternatively a request for release from a NATO member, which only needs to be 'approved' by the POTUS and his designated second-man ( SecDef or theatre commander ).

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Re:How to limit presidential authority to order the use of n... by qbrass on Tuesday January 30, 2018 @12:14AM (#16263036)

It's the president who wouldn't think twice about knifing someone to launch nukes that I'm most concerned about.

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