Without casting aspersions on Medvedev, can the Russians truly want a world without nuclear weapons? Without nukes Russia would become a vulnerable, third rate power. To abjure them would be national suicide for Russia. It would stop being a great power immediately. I know it is often argued that the Russians only want nukes to defend themselves against “American aggression”; that the Chinese want nukes to defend themselves against “American aggression”; that the only reason anyone wants nukes is to defend themselves against “American aggression” — or so it is said. But who really believes this? After all nukes would have been invented in a world in which America had never existed. They confer power and will be desired for that reason. Power is desired for its own sake. Countervailing powers actually reduce the absolute effect of power by making it relative. The idea that Eden can be restored by the diplomats is not a very convincing argument. The only way objects of power will be foregone is if they are compelled by a stronger power or balanced by an alliance of checking powers. Thus, criminals yield to the police; bandits yield to the constabulary; pirates yield to the navy.

To argue that we will get to zero guns if everyone, including the police promises to give up their weapons raises two issues: who will cheat? And more importantly, who will take the cheater to task if only the cheater has guns left? And if this is true for guns, why isn’t it true for nukes?