Nuclear Politics: Destruction and Disarmament in a Dangerous World

Mutually Assured Destruction or MAD is the appropriate acronym for the emerging dimensions in world nuclear politics since the end of the Cold War in the early nineties. The emergence of new ‘nuclear’ states such as India and Pakistan has cast a long and ominous shadow over the on-going efforts to de-nuclearise the world through the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The first use deterrence principle has ensured a fragile world order that occasionally plunges into grim uncertainty when nuclear threats are held out, such as in the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. The perspective of disarmament on a global scale to avoid death and destruction in today’s dangerous world, is sought to be presented in this carefully selected batch of papers and articles for the student and researcher of modern politics. The volume includes views on ballistic missile politics, nuclear diplomacy, a practicable agenda for world peace, the role of the USA as the world most powerful nation, the United Nations and non-proliferation endeavours, and the perceived world order with its precarious balance of power. The materials presented here offer a world-view without illusions.