Szilard Advisory Board member Jon Wolfsthal wrote a column in New Republic:
Even after the Cold War, when the Soviet Union collapsed and the threat of nuclear destruction receded, the world’s nuclear states continued to follow the diplomatic and behavioral norms of that era. Years of inflammatory statements by North Korea and Russia, for example, were met with comparative calm from the United States, whose responses were carefully calibrated to deter aggression. Global leaders learned to look to the United States as a voice of nuclear reassurance.
Donald Trump’s inability or unwillingness to abide by these norms has revived the sense that Armageddon is once again within the realm of the possible. Tensions with North Korea have grown under his administration, and the danger of nuclear confrontation is now higher than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis. Part of this, of course, is due to North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities. But much of the blame lies with Trump himself. Read more
