Debating the Future of Nuclear Weapons

My essay on American nuclear weapons policy was posted last week on Capital Commentary, a current affairs publication by the Center for Public Justice. CPJ is a think tank in Washington that focuses on public policy through the lens of a Christian faith perspective.

The essay argues for reductions in our nuclear weapons arsenal on the basis of two things. First, it is hypocritical to be opposing other forms of WMDs in places like Syria while we maintain large stockpiles of even deadlier weapons. Second, the use of nuclear weapons can not be justified under Just War, one of the three main Christianity-inspired approaches to the problem of warfare.

Not everyone agrees, and there are certainly intelligent points that can be made in opposition. However, mainstream arguments in support of large nuclear weapons stockpiles tend not to emphasize the moral and ecological dimensions, in my opinion. This is one of those issues where reasonable people can come to distinct conclusions.

Reflections on Israel: the tyranny of geography

Last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Israel as part of an academic fellowship from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. The purpose of the fellowship was to explore issues related to terrorism and counterterrorism in the region. It was an eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about how complicated the issues are facing Israelis and Palestinians in their attempts to carve out a peaceful solution to the legacy of conflict.

Looking back on my time in Israel, the major lesson that stands out to me relates to geography. Geography is a tyrant that threatens the peace process, shaping all the advice that one could provide when commenting on Middle East peace. Combined with the presence of constant spoilers in the form of extremist actors, I returned sobered on the prospects for lasting peace in Israel.