nuclear

Under the realism lens, because all countries strive for power, the proliferation of nuclear weapons creates significant security issues amongst the international community. However, the destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons seen in WWII instilled a shared understanding among the international community that nuclear capabilities make them as vulnerable as they are powerful. Although there is a potential for instability, the existence of nuclear weapons has created an overarching safer world. Limited nuclear proliferation, as opposed to complete disarmament, will guide the world to greater international stability.

A brief background of the world’s nuclear standing will assist the understanding of the current buildup and limitations to nuclear proliferation. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery present the greatest threat to international security. Currently, nine states—China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the UK, and the U.S.—are known to have nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, thirty other states, including Japan, Iran, and South Korea, have the technological capacity to acquire them. The dangers of nuclear weapons were first recognized in WWII, when the U.S. detonated two atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Despite catastrophic repercussions, the Soviet Union soon acquired nuclear abilities, creating a bipolar system that led to the Cold War. Through the 1950’s and 60’s, the Soviet Union and the U.S. strategically stabilized the world by playing a tit-for-tat game of Prisoner’s Dilemma. In addition to the size and strength of both U.S. and USSR, both sides understood the dangers of nuclear escalation, and thus, resulted in stability. Nevertheless, the bip...

... middle of paper ...

...vertheless, past interactions involving security dilemmas demonstrate that controlled nuclear proliferation encourages cooperation and thus, stability.

Even as the number of nuclear actors increases, the fear of destruction encourages cooperation within the global community. Thus, to prevent war, the international community should not be moving towards complete nuclear disarmament but towards establishing treaties that explicate the regulations for limited nuclear proliferation. Because actors in the anarchical world constantly strive for power, nuclear disarmament will not actively contribute to world peace, but rather increase lack of transparency and secrecy among states. Ultimately, when only used as a deterrent, nuclear weapons stabilize the world and thus, under strict scrutiny, limited nuclear proliferation will result in greater international stability.