The Madness of Deterrence

At some point in the near or semi-distant future, one way or another, Mr. Trump will have departed public office. For many reasons, perhaps most of all because we managed (if we do manage) to avoid nuclear war during his tenure, we will feel relief. But we may also feel a kind of letdown. Instead … Continue reading “The Madness of Deterrence”

Common Sense and North Korea

The phrase "common sense" implies practical and prudent good judgment, with a further implication that the obviousness of common sense is "common" because it is shared by many or even all. For example, 122 nations just signed a Treaty on Nuclear Prohibition, confirming a majority planetary common sense that these weapons have become dangerously obsolete … Continue reading “Common Sense and North Korea”

US, North Korea Play ‘Nuclear Chicken’

How close are we today to nuclear war between the United States and North Korea? As close as somebody in the military on either side making a mistake that looks to the other side like an escalation from mere words, however heated, to actual intent to kill. As close as a group of military hawks … Continue reading “US, North Korea Play ‘Nuclear Chicken’”

Credibility Equals Annihilation

There is no more sacred cow in American foreign policy, and none more in need of examination, than the notion of credibility. It lies behind Mr. Trump’s vague rationale for continuing endless war in Afghanistan – his military advisors presumably believe that too precipitous abandonment of the failures of our campaign there would punch a … Continue reading “Credibility Equals Annihilation”