By John Erath Thus far, nuclear weapons have not figured prominently into the issues playing a role in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. They should. Whether involving Russian nuclear blackmail, China increasing its arsenal or questions about the future of the U.S. deterrent, how the President addresses nuclear issues between 2025 and 2029 will have […]
House of WMD – Season 2: Team Black vs. Team Green
By John Erath In 2022, the HBO series House of the Dragon premiered, and I posted an item on this blog discussing the show, in particular the role of dragons as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly, I received more comments about that post than most of the others I’ve done. More people, it […]
What If There Were No Diplomatic Solution?
By John Erath with Sarah Kirchner-Barney “We prefer a diplomatic solution.” This is inevitably the first sentence uttered by a U.S. government spokesperson in response to any international crisis. And with good reason. What would be the alternative to a diplomatic solution? Another war with no end in sight? Obviously, resolving issues without resorting to violence would be […]
Current Russian Threats Are Predictable for This Time of Year
By John Erath Each year on May 9, Russia celebrates “Victory Day,” with typically excessive self-congratulation on the ending of the Second World War. The occasion is not commemorated with the same enthusiasm in other parts of eastern Europe for which May 9, 1945, marked a new era in Russia’s domination. History aside, early May […]
Thinking Evolves: On Dune Part Two and Nuclear Weapons
By John Erath *SPOILERS BELOW* If the way we think about nuclear weapons has changed over time, should the way we approach arms control do so as well? This thought occurred to me as I drove home recently after seeing Dune Part 2, Denis Villeneuve’s conclusion of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel. Nuclear weapons […]
