A world without nuclear weapons?

Thomas Schelling — who remains a master of cool, insightful analysis, has a new essay on this question.  Such a world would not be a picnic.  Here is one good excerpt:

In summary, a "world without nuclear weapons" would be a world in which
the United States, Russia, Israel, China, and half a dozen or a dozen
other countries would have hair-trigger mobilization plans to rebuild
nuclear weapons and mobilize or commandeer delivery systems, and would
have prepared targets to preempt other nations' nuclear facilities, all
in a high-alert status, with practice drills and secure emergency
communications. Every crisis would be a nuclear crisis, any war could
become a nuclear war. The urge to preempt would dominate; whoever gets
the first few weapons will coerce or preempt. It would be a nervous
world.

Hat tip goes to www.bookforum.com.

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