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Quote of the Week: Why do states build (or not) nuclear weapons?
In his article,"Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?: Three Models in Search of a Bomb," Scott D. Sagan describes: “The central purpose of this article is to challenge this conventional wisdom about nuclear proliferation. I argue that the consensus view, focusing on…
Quote of the Week: Societies and Military Power
In Societies and Military Power: India and its Armies (1996), Stephen Peter Rosen analyzes how the structure of a society - as opposed to "culture" - impacts its military power. Using the history of the Indian armed forces as a case…
Quote of the Week: Realism and Nuclear South Asia
In his introduction to Inside Nuclear South Asia, Scott D. Sagan discusses and critiques what he terms "excessively narrow realist views of nuclear proliferation," saying: "Realists in political science argue that states will acquire nuclear weapons only if such an…
Quote of the Week: Illusions of the Nuclear Age
In India's Nuclear Bomb, George Perkovich offers four "exploded illusions" of the nuclear age: 1. Security concerns decisively determine proliferation, 2. Nonproliferation is the flip-side of the proliferation coin, 3. Democracy facilitates nonproliferation, and 4.Equitable disarmament in unnecessary for nonproliferation. In…
Quote of the Week: India-US Relations – forged in crisis?
In Forged in Crisis: India and the United States Since 1947, Rudra Chaudhuri explores the history and ups and downs of India-US relations, from the conclusion: “India’s relationship with the US has been the most comprehensive association the country has…
Quote of the Week: Brodie and the Absolute Weapon
Bernard Brodie’s 1946 collection of edited essays represents some of the earliest thinking on nuclear deterrence. One of his best known quotes follows: “Thus far the chief purpose of our military establishment has been to win wars. From now on…