[lbo-talk] Nuking Tel-Aviv was: Edward Said...

[Brad DeLong]

>On 28/9/03 11:38 AM, "lbo-talk-request at lbo-talk.org"
><lbo-talk-request at lbo-talk.org> wrote:
>
>>>>   Oh. The nukes will not be delivered by an Arab *state*. Damascus,
>>>>   Cairo, and Baghdad may, however, barbeque in response...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   Brad DeLong
>>>
>>>  Do you seriously think that is even a remote possibility?
>>>
>>>  If deterrence works against a state using its own delivery device - as you
>>>  seem to believe, I am not so confident
>>
>>  Well then if you are not confident that deterrence works against
>>  states, you've just answered your own question.
>
>Quite. That's called "informing you of my opinion", part of the speech act
>of "asking a question". Indeed, I am not satisfied that those powers that
>currently have atomic weapons won't use them

OK. You understand my point.


>- what I don't understand is
>why you think there is a difference between Arab and Israeli or American
>bombs.

Why do you think I do?

States can *maybe* be deterred. Non-state actors who believe that God 
wants them to bring on the apocalypse cannot. We're going to lose one 
or more cities to nuclear blasts someday--and they will be somewhere 
where conflicts are sharp enough that one fraction believes that God 
wants them to bring on the apocalypse and gets hold of nuclear 
weapons.

Brad DeLong