Nuclear weapons as deterrence or defence have limited usage against contemporary security threats to states. Explain the statement.
Nuclear weapons as deterrence or defence have limited usage against contemporary security threats because these threats have evolved beyond traditional military aggression.
Traditional security conceptions are principally concerned with the use, or threat of use, of military force. In this framework, force is both the principal threat to security and the principal means of achieving security. Nuclear weapons were developed primarily as deterrence against military attacks from other states.
However, contemporary security threats are largely non-traditional in nature. These include international terrorism, internal conflicts, poverty, disease, and humanitarian catastrophes. Nuclear weapons cannot effectively deter or defend against such threats. For instance, terrorists are non-state actors who operate across borders and cannot be targeted by nuclear deterrence.
The context indicates that cooperative security may require the use of force as a last resort against governments that kill their own people or harbour terrorists. However, such force must be sanctioned and applied collectively by the international community rather than by individual countries acting alone. Nuclear weapons, being weapons of mass destruction, are not suitable instruments for such targeted, collective interventions.
Thus, while nuclear weapons may serve as deterrence against traditional military threats from rival states, they offer limited utility against the diverse non-traditional security challenges that states face in the contemporary world.
Explanation
The question asks students to explain why nuclear weapons have limited utility against contemporary threats. The answer draws from the textbook's distinction between traditional security (focused on military force and state-centric threats) and non-traditional security (terrorism, humanitarian issues, internal conflicts). The key argument is that nuclear deterrence works against state actors but not against non-traditional threats like terrorism, poverty, or internal crises. The textbook also emphasizes that contemporary security challenges require collective international action rather than unilateral force.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify that traditional security focuses on military force and state-centric threats
Step 2: Explain that contemporary threats are largely non-traditional (terrorism, humanitarian issues)
Step 3: Argue that nuclear deterrence cannot work against non-state actors and internal threats
Step 4: Conclude that nuclear weapons have limited relevance to modern security challenges