Nuclear deterrence, like climate change, is a devilishly complex
issue that tends to polarize its community of experts. Disarmament
advocates talk about the catastrophic dangers posed by large
nuclear weapon stockpiles. Proponents discuss the inherent security
advantages provided by nuclear deterrence. With some notable
exceptions, attitudes among world leaders in the past 40 years tend
to support reduced weapon stockpiles and policies to prevent
proliferation. The U.S., by virtue of its large nuclear stockpile
and stature as a global superpower, remains a leader for this
issue. U.S. leadership has long stated a policy towards nuclear
disarmament that is conditional on the world environment and
preserving security of U.S. interests and allies. This policy has
generated numerous proposals by various strategists to reduce the
U.S. nuclear stockpile to levels well below the current force
structure. Inevitably, each proposal generates considerable debate
about the quantity of the reduction. This paper contends that
quantity of reductions should not be the primary focus of debate.
Rather proposals should be analyzed within the larger context of a
chronological continuum with New START as the initial point and
global zero as the end point. This approach aligns the entire
community along the same framework and permits objective analysis
of each proposal's stated deterrence objectives, how they derive
credibility for these objectives, and implications to U.S. policy.
Several proposals were examined in the paper to populate the
continuum. The end result shows that the process of reducing the
U.S. stockpile to low numbers will have profound implications to
U.S. nuclear policy that have not been adequately discussed or
tested. Debate over what the right number of weapons is must shift
to how the U.S. credibly drives to zero.
General
Imprint: |
Biblioscholar
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
December 2012 |
First published: |
December 2012 |
Authors: |
Scott D. Jacobs
|
Dimensions: |
246 x 189 x 2mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
34 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-288-41499-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Education >
General
|
LSN: |
1-288-41499-4 |
Barcode: |
9781288414994 |
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