Americans have been told that the Cold War is over. The U.S. has signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty which is specific about nuclear disarmament. President Bush removed active nuclear arsenals from ships, planes, and overseas sites. The World Court ruled in 1996 that nuclear weapons are illegal in almost any conceivable circumstance. While many people feel safe in assuming that the age of nuclear weapons is drawing to a close, the opposite is true.
Designs are in the works for completely new lines of nuclear weapons.
Health care for the surviving veterans who were deliberately exposed to nuclear testing fallout in the 1950's has finally been mandated by Congress. Most people assume that testing is finally over. The world responded strongly against France in 1995-96 when it conducted a series of nuclear tests in Tahiti, where terrible health conditions and damage to fragile coral islands already existed. The issue of racism was strongly noted, as France conducted its tests half a world away from its own population. And yet, the U.S. began a new series of weapons tests itself on July 2, 1997.