Massive Retaliation
What was the apogee of U.S. nuclear excess? Numerically speaking, one could argue that it was in the 1960s, when the overall size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile peaked, or in the 1980s, if we’re counting the number of warheads…
Michael Krepon
Writing on ACW 2009–2022 · 676 posts · On the podcast: 1 episode
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The Buddha on Arms Control
One of the many benefits of foreign travel is discovering what hotel nightstands offer as their equivalent to the Gideon Bible. In 1996, while spending the night at a hotel near Narita airport awaiting a morning flight to Beijing, I…
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The Jackson Amendment
Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson was a tenacious, well-informed, defense-minded Democrat who played a central role in arms control debates during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a reliable vote for progressive domestic causes, and a deep skeptic of détente…
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Morality and the Bomb
The 1980s were a time of recreational shopping, “morning in America,” and a rare, public debate in the United States over the morality of nuclear deterrence. A high-octane confluence of events contributed to this intense moral debate — the first…
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An Introduction to Non-introduction
Israel’s nuclear posture is unique. Some countries with “advanced nuclear capabilities,” such as India and China, have publicly adopted “No First Use” postures. Israel has adopted a declaratory policy that it will not be the first to “introduce” nuclear weapons…
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Useful Fictions and Big Whoppers
Bernard Brodie wrote in The Absolute Weapon that, “Everything about the atomic bomb is overshadowed by the twin facts that it exists and that its destructive power is fantastically great.” From this simple truth, the dictates of state regarding the…
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Cold Warriors and High Quality Deterrence
President Obama’s pursuit of a follow-on strategic arms reduction treaty with Moscow and ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has prompted echoes of past treaty debates. So let’s delve into the shoe boxes to reminisce about “high quality deterrence.”…
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A.Q. Khan and Samar Mubarakmand
AQ Khan and Samar Mubarakmand, flanking the man in the blue beret (believed to be General Zulfikar Ali). Reproduced from the Nuclear Weapons Archive. A.Q. Khan is easily the most famous person associated with Pakistan’s nuclear program. By fostering the…
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Best One-Liners About the Bomb
This shoe box entry could benefit greatly from reader participation. I have three great one-liners about the quest for the Bomb in my 4×6 card collection. My definition of a one-liner is different from Henny Youngman. (Am I showing my…
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K. Sundarji and India's Bomb
Very few military men figure prominently in the story of India’s Bomb. This is partly due to civilians who jealously guard their prerogative to make national security policy, and partly due to New Delhi’s practice of relying on seniority to…