Nuclear Weapon and Foreign Policy: A Book Report
One of the subjects that have particularly featured in the international relations debate has been how to address the nuclear proliferation. Henry Kissinger is one of the popular figures that have offered insights on the ways of resolving the nuclear proliferation issues. Kissinger proposed ways in which United States should make adjustments to be in line with the current era of nuclear developments.
The challenges posed by the nuclear era differ from the past. Before nuclear age, Nuclear weapons would provide the nations at war with power. Nuclear weapon deployment was considered a way in which a nation could easily achieve desirable results out of coercion. The dominant view was that the Nuclear weapons had been designed to deter the belligerents through threats of serious punishment. The proponents had often justified the point by citing the events that led to the end of the Second World War1.
However, as opposed to the past, when wars were limited by the capability to project power and resources, current nuclear weaponry and technological developments have surpassed all these. Retaliations and counter attack using nuclear weapons would later become likely, proving that nuclear weapons could not be deployed to wield political power2.
It became obvious that countries were not willing to give consideration to the consequences of the war. Based on Kissinger’s view, the main challenge of the nuclear era then became how to effectively deploy nuclear capability, as well as achieve desirable political ends, including the reinstatement of the relationship between the use of force and diplomacy3. Here, the United States foreign policies were limited. This weakness is to blame for nuclear weapon proliferation struggles touching on Hungary and Korea. Furthermore, the strategic doctrine guided that the atomic weapons were only supposed to be deployed against communist bloc that threatened the liberalized world. Even challenging was the way in which a country could ascertain the ambiguity of the threats in order to take appropriate action.
The author further suggests that the only way for United States to lead the globe into the nuclear non-proliferation is by abandoning the military approaches. United States should focus on using other approaches to defeat the enemies. Besides, emphasis is laid on the need to use weapons with limited destructiveness, as it was in the past. Addressing nuclear weapon stalemate would entail the deployment of various strategies, including limiting wars. However, his insights have been criticized for failing at various points. For instance, Kissinger proposed that the only way in which the society would end nuclear proliferation is by fostering peace and co-existence between nations4. This view is not feasible because even countries that enjoyed peace and harmonious relations with other countries have been involved in nuclear proliferation5.
In conclusion, Kissinger offers the view that the motive for the development of nuclear weapon strategies advanced by United States was to deter the belligerents from carrying on with their fighting mission. However, the situation changed when other countries, such as Soviet, successfully developed the arsenals. Nuclear-armed countries were not even willing to reconsider the options of war based on the associated consequences. Clearly, this becomes a situation where even the hunter turns the hunted. The solution is then for the United States to explore other options such as seeking peace and adopting traditional, less destructive option.
Bibliography
Kissinger, Henry, Nuclear Weapon and Foreign Policy. Harper & Brothers, 1957.
Seymour, Hersh. The Price of Power: Kissingers in the Nixon’s White House, Summit Books, 1983.
