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.

Stuck in the Middle: Protests in Brazil and Turkey

Emerging markets, middle powers, whatever term you want to use to describe countries on the relative rise in terms of power, the bottom line is that two of the poster children for the new century are seeing some growing pains. Brazil and Turkey, along with other countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, are growing in terms of both their stock markets and their geopolitical significance. But, as recent events have shown, something is afoot in the middle powers.