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.”
The appearance of supranational union in the 1950s was the outcome of a contested attempt to remake the states system in Europe following the cataclysm of the Second World War. The project of Six yielded five major efforts at institutionalization in the lead up to the 1957 Rome attainment. Some, like the Coal and Steel Community, resulted in major triumphs of integration; others, such as the Defense Community, were sensational failures. This seminar will assess how and why integration progressed even as it failed so spectacularly, drawing insights for the resolution of today's European crisis.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.