Rethinking the Optimists' Views: The Undesirability of the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Murtala, Wazeer (2019): Rethinking the Optimists' Views: The Undesirability of the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Published in: Pakistan Journal of Int’L Affairs, , Vol. 2, No. 2 (2019)

Abstract

This essay is a moderate attempt to understand some of the conflicting and complementary positions on nuclear weapons. It argues that the attempt to eliminate nuclear weapons deserves a rethink and may be counterproductive due to the nature of international politics. It posits that to maintain the delicate stability or avoid global wars where capitals of super and great power states will be besieged, nuclear deterrence is the only option we have. It goes further to stress that apart from the strategic usefulness of nuclear weapons, its dual usefulness is also noteworthy – a function that is largely dismissed by pessimists of nuclear weapons even if it is seen to be of less importance than the former.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Nuclear Weapons, Neo-realism, Deterrence, Strategy and International Security
• Subjects: Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General

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