Capping, Cutting, and Containing Nuclear Arms

Drawing on his diplomatic experience, his 10 books on nuclear dangers, and his popular cruise-ship lectures, the instructor will explain (briefly) the development of nuclear weapons and (at more length) the efforts to date to keep them from being used again. The three-session course will start with assessing Truman's decision to drop A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the new nuclear age that ensued. Then, we will discuss the efficacy of nuclear non-proliferation tools, arms control agreements, and disarmament movements. Next, the instructor will highlight the nuclear weapons-free zones in Latin America and elsewhere, the 1986 Reykjavik summit where President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev nearly agreed to disarm, and Washington's mostly successful record in preventing both friends and foes from acquiring nuclear weapons. Turning to the future, we will assess what could now go wrong, not just with foes like Iran but also with friends such as South Korea.