Thinking the Unthinkable: A World Without Nuclear Weapons

Arms control has not been a priority for major global powers. Almost two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the US and Russia alone have more than 20,000 weapons, and small countries like Iraq and North Korea have presented nuclear threats. A group of policy experts, including George Schultz and Henry Kissinger, have called for a shift in US policy, arguing that the US lead the charge to “devalue” and eliminate nuclear weapons. With more countries intent on acquiring nuclear weapons, the traditional theory of deterrence is no longer valid, the former presidential advisers argue. International observers support the proposal that so far has attracted little attention in the US. Norway even hosted a conference to encourage reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons. The next US president will determine policy on this global security issue. – YaleGlobal