More Nukes!
About this episode
The episode discusses the argument for increasing the US nuclear arsenal in the context of global nuclear threats.
The best defense against nuclear weapons is nuclear weapons, according to the logic of deterrence. It has guided US defense policy for nearly 80 years. So, shouldn’t more nukes prevent nuclear war even more? For the first time since the Cold War, that argument is gaining momentum at the highest levels of US government. There is a push to build more nukes, different nukes, and new kinds of nukes. Russia, China, and North Korea are expanding their arsenals — Washington is mulling whether the US must keep up. Former senior Pentagon official Vipin Narang makes the case for more nukes to Ben Bradford, who follows it down a rabbit hole of deterrence, escalation, plans to “win” nuclear war, and the face-palming, growing problem of little wee baby “tactical” nukes. In nuclear strategy, is the only answer to “too many doomsday weapons,” more doomsday weapons? And, is that sustainable? Guest: Vipin Narang, former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense, nuclear security and political science professor at MIT. Support Are We Doomed? , get bonus episodes, and more: https://doompod.com/support/ Watch earlier episodes on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@arewedoomedpod Other episodes about…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Bradford
Guest: Vipin Narang
Topics covered
- nuclear weapons
- deterrence
- US defense policy
- escalation
- nuclear strategy
- tactical nukes
Keywords
- nuclear weapons
- deterrence
- escalation
- tactical nukes
- defense policy
- Cold War
- nuclear strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: MIT, NPR Network
Places: US, Russia, China, North Korea
More episodes of Are We Doomed?
- Can "Scams" Be a Doom?
- Just a Minor Sun Explosion
- The Everything Vaccine
- What Ever Happened to the Ozone Hole?
- Did AI Just Escape?
- Now I'm Scared of Cyborgs
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Are We Doomed? podcast page.