A New Nuclear Age: The Sum of All Fears?

Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the “nuclear hurricane” sweeping
the world. They begin by returning to the question of whether
President Trump made the right decision to conduct strikes on
Iran’s nuclear facilities. Then they shift to discussing Vipin
Narang and Pranay Vaddi’s recent article “How to Survive the New
Nuclear Age.” Should American leaders adopt a new nuclear
strategy or adjust existing nuclear policies and capabilities?
Chris endorses the Trump administration’s rethinking of certain
types of aid to Ukraine, Melanie applauds General Dan Caine’s
handling of a delicate political situation, and Zack commends
Congressman Don Bacon for his leadership.


Show Links:




Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi, “How to Survive the New
Nuclear Age: National Security in a World of Proliferating
Risks and Eroding Constraints,” Foreign Affairs, July/August
2025.




James Acton, “Optimal Deterrence: How the United States Can
Preserve Peace and Prevent a Nuclear Arms Race with China and
Russia,” Council on Foreign Relations, June 2025.




Ankit Panda, Vipin Narang, and Pranay Vaddi, “Nuclear
Proliferation Will Haunt ‘America First,’” War on the Rocks,
March 10, 2025.




“80 Years of Nuclear Weapons with Chris Preble,” Global Santa
Fe, Wednesday, July 16, 5 pm.




Geoff Wilson, Christopher Preble, Lucas Ruiz, “Gambling on
Armageddon: How U.S. Nuclear Policies Are Undercutting
Deterrence and Lowering the Threshold for Nuclear War,”
Stimson Center, February 19, 2025.




Christopher Preble, “The Influence of History on Nuclear
Weapons,” Review of Nuclear Statecraft: History and Strategy
in America’s Atomic Age by Francis J. Gavin, International
Studies Review, March 2014.




Jack Goldsmith, “An Authority to License Illegal Conduct,”
Executive Functions Substack, July 3, 2025.




Gen. Dan Caine, press conference, June 26, 2025. 




Annie Karni, “Breaking with Trump, Bacon Says He Won’t Follow
His Party ‘Off the Cliff,’” New York Times, June 8, 2025.




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