Thermonuclear monarchy : choosing between democracy and doom / Elaine Scarry.

Author/creator Scarry, Elaine
Format Book
EditionFirst Edition.
PublicationNew York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2014]
Description582 pages ; 25 cm
Subjects
Nuclear disarmament--United States.
Nuclear weapons--Political aspects. --United States.
Nuclear weapons--Moral and ethical aspects. --United States.
Nuclear weapons--Government policy. --United States.
Civil society--United States.
Democracy--United States.
Constitutional law--United States.

Abstract In this incisive, masterfully argued new book, award-winning social theorist Elaine Scarry demonstrates that the power of one leader to obliterate millions of people with a nuclear weapon--a possibility that remains very real even in the wake of the Cold War--deeply violates our constitutional rights, undermines the social contract, and is fundamentally at odds with the deliberative principles of democracy. According to the Constitution, the decision to go to war requires rigorous testing by both Congress and the citizenry; when a leader can single-handedly decide to deploy a nuclear weapon, we live in a state of "thermonuclear monarchy," not democracy. The danger of nuclear weapons comes from potential accidents or acquisition by terrorists, hackers, or rogue countries. But the gravest danger comes from the mistaken idea that there exists some case compatible with legitimate governance.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2013037713
ISBN9780393080087 (hardcover)
ISBN0393080080 (hardcover)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks JX1974.7 .S2177 2014 ✔ Available Place Hold