The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
How much do individual leaders matter? This seminar looks at the decision to forgo the pursuit of nuclear weapons and finds that new leaders are likely to abandon proliferation efforts begun by their predecessors.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.