The Continued Relevance of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent

Frank C. Miller gives a speech about the importance of maintaining our leverage as a nuclear powerhouse. He points out that nuclear weapons are not effective at deterring all our enemies such as terrorism, piracy, etc.  Yet, he continually stresses the important role nuclear weapons play in keeping ‘big power’ countries out of conflict. By lessening out nuclear capability, Miller argues that we open the door for state conflict. In the years following 9/11 the U.S. government was focused on the growing terrorist and insurgent movements, and Miller’s speech reflects the mindset that we cannot forget about the looming danger that state conflict poses.