Crimes of the American Nuclear State

Book excerpt: In this provocative book, the authors outline the crimes committed by the state under the protective shield of national security including the shaping of foreign policy around the threat of nuclear hostility, the subjection of Americans to human radiation experiments, and the massive environmental contamination caused by radioactive waste. This insightful work clearly shows that the threats posed by nuclear states extend far beyond the dangers of nuclear war. The authors argue convincingly that criminologists, government officials, and the general public have for too long avoided and neglected the illegal aspects of nuclear weapons policies in particular, and the larger issue of state crime in general.