Just and Unjust Nuclear Deterrence

Just and unjust: E. E. Just (1883-1941).

THIS year marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Ernest Everett Just. He was one of the greatest biologists of the early 20th century, but being AfroAmerican, he never had a position that permitted full development of his research talent. The latter part of his life was a time of great frustration, for both professional and social reasons. Despite insufficient time for research and poor fi...

Merit Pay: Just or Unjust Desserts

The Myth of Nuclear Deterrence

Nuclear deterrence is sometimes treated as a known quantity*a definite thing that keeps us safe and ensures our security. It has also often been used as a justification for possessing nuclear weapons. Nuclear deterrence, however, is based on an unexamined notion: the belief that the threat to destroy cities provides decisive leverage. An examination of history (including recent reinterpretation...

A Double-Edged Sword: Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Caution

Most empirical studies of the effects of nuclear weapons treat these weapons as a binary variable, but there are strong reasons to think that the effects of a state’s nuclear arsenal are conditioned by that state’s policies. I argue that the effect of nuclear weapons in non-existential disputes is determined by what I call nuclear risk: the overall likelihood that these weapons may be used with...

Conventional Deterrence in the Second Nuclear Age

D eterrence is once again a topic of discussion and debate among US defense and policy communities. Although the concept has received comparatively little attention since the end of the Cold War, it seems poised to take center stage in America's national security policy during the coming decades. With two ongoing wars already straining the military , concerns about a recalcitrant and militarize...