Deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy… the FEAR to attack

–which Nagasaki and Hiroshima famously accomplished.

if you have any sense of history, you realize that it is politicians who can prevent wars from happening–through compromise and diplomacy. Wars, and especially world wars, happen when one side decides they have less to lose by threatening to war than they do by avoiding a war.

Conversely, Hirohito decided that he had more to lose by continuing to war, than he did by ending the war. He did not reach this decision when he was told that the US invading Japan would cause the slaughter of almost all of his citizens. He reached this decision when he saw a weapon that threatened him directly.

Now we reach the end of the nuclear age–when exclusive ownership of nuclear weapons leaves the hands of geographic powers. Along with this dissolution of geographic power, we have a lack of political leadership, and a political game which blindfolds itself to holding broadly responsible those who are known sponsors of destruction.

ahhh. for the good old days of the ICBM and recognizable foes