Nukes Are "The Only Peacekeeping Weapons the World Has Ever Known," Says Waltz

An anonymous reader writes "Famed academic Kenneth Waltz for years has argued that more nukes around the world create peace. Why? Because the more nukes are around, the more people are afraid to start a war with a nuclear-armed state. Peace seems assured with a gun to the world's head. In a recent interview, he argues that Iran gaining nuclear weapons would be a good thing. He points out that 'President Obama and a number of others have advocated the abolition of nuclear weapons and many have accepted this as both a desirable and a realistic goal. Even entertaining the goal and contemplating the end seems rather strange. On one hand the world has known war since time immemorial, right through August 1945. Since then, there have been no wars among the major states of the world. War has been relegated to peripheral states (and, of course, wars within them). Nuclear weapons are the only peacekeeping weapons that the world has ever known. It would be strange for me to advocate for their abolition, as they have made wars all but impossible.'"

Comments

Re:Correction

[geekoid]

Did you read it? No, just jump to your stupid post completed ignoring the fact that he mentions between smaller states and within those states.

He is correct in his assertion.

Re:One small caveat

[crazyjj]

Never underestimate the suicidal tendencies of someone who is part of an apocalyptic death cult like fundamentalist Islam or fundamentalist Christianity.

You can also add Israel, and certainly its more radical Zionist factions, to that list. When an entire culture celebrates the mass suicide at Masada like it's a great thing, and has nukes (courtesy of the good old US of A), and it surrounded by states it stays at war with, and continues to build provocative settlements in regions they know damn well that they stole--well, that's a pretty bad formula for bad shit going down in the future. Anytime you have the potential for someone thinking that God wants them to nuke their enemies into non-existence rather than concede a fight, that's bad news.

Re:One small caveat

[TheGratefulNet]

stole?

who owned the land before? and before? and before?

this idea of owning land - and it always being the same person or group - I'd like more info on that. your newsletter, subscribe me please!

Re:One small caveat

[Zemran]

I think you swallow far too much of your own propaganda. There are lots of really crazy countries that like to start wars that have nuclear weapons but hey, lets worry about the one that has no track record of starting wars just because we do not like them. So the guy hates Israel, what logical minded person would not? They are a warmonger nation with a lot of nuclear weapons that wants to attack him. Seems that he should hate them. He does not do what he is told to do by America!!! Great, it is about time other countries stopped bending over and taking it up the arse from the USA. Most of his neighbours have nukes but you just want to focus on one country because the war machine is telling you to. Sheep.