Let me make sure I have all the facts straight.

The Cold War is over. Nations are moving towards comprehensive bans on nuclear testing. Nuclear arsenals are being reduced or eliminated.

Also, the Republicans in Congress plan to balance the budget, in part, by making drastic cuts in federal spending.

So why is it that nuclear technology is still being advanced both here and abroad?

The Senate voted Tuesday to spend $242.7 billion on military spending, including funds for development of the “Star Wars” nuclear missile defense system, and a Seawolf nuclear submarine.

Debate on the $244 billion House bill begins today. It’s slightly different, but equally ludicrous. The House version of the bill even includes funds to resume the production of the B-2 “Stealth” bomber.

While it’s true that the bills represent a $1 billion cut in defense spending from the current budget, it is still $6 billion more than President Clinton recommended.

Balancing the budget has been a priority of the Republicans and was a focal point of the 1994 congressional campaign. Everyone agrees that spending has to be cut if the budget will ever be balanced. The disagreement comes when trying to decide what gets cut.

Large cuts have been proposed for social programs like welfare, Social Security and Medicare.

The National Endowment for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Humanities have both been slashed, and it has been proposed that the NEA be eliminated completely.

The decision to make weapons a priority over people is apparently based on the theory that we, as a nation, need to have more and better toys than anyone else.

It makes no sense to gut important social programs for the sake of having a bigger stick to wave at other countries. We seem to feel that we need the ability to beat the crap out of any other nation on the proverbial playground.

It’s sad that our national libido hinges on having more soldiers and bigger weapons than everyone else. We need to rethink our priorities and make spending cuts accordingly.

Unfortunately, the United States is not the only country forging ahead in the nuclear arms race. On Tuesday, France conducted nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll, 750 miles southeast of Tahiti.

It’s bad enough that another country apparently feels the need to improve their nuclear technology, but why, of all countries, does it have to be France?

France hasn’t had any enemies to speak of since World War II. French people have absolutely no need for nuclear weapons.

I don’t know how competent French physicists are, but if they have been educated the same way French automotive engineers have been, the nuclear testing needs to be stopped right now, before someone gets hurt.

You see, I once owned a French car, a Renault Alliance. After years of therapy, I am just now getting over the emotional scars of having to drive this car.

Without getting into the details, let’s just say it was a really bad car. The idea that the French, who are incapable of successfully making anything that doesn’t involve food or art, are now venturing into nuclear testing, is frightening.

On a more serious note, France is showing a lack of concern about the environmental impact of their tests. Tuesday’s test was the 176th at the site since 1966.

The French claim that the volcanic rock at the test site keeps radiation from contaminating the surrounding waters in the South Pacific.

Foreign scientists aren’t convinced, and there have been reports of radiation-related illnesses among the people on nearby islands.

The French Government claims it will conduct tests from September until May, then will end its nuclear testing and sign a global test-ban treaty.

It would make more sense to just end nuclear testing now, and avoid the possible environmental problems that could result.

Pushing ahead with nuclear technology is wasteful and irresponsible.

If the United States is truly interested in making the world safe for all its occupants, we will set an example by ending our expansion of nuclear technology.

Perhaps then, the rest of the world would stop trying to keep up with us.

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Steven Martens is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Cedar Rapids.