- Cold War Fears: During the Cold War, Western governments feared that a move by the Kremlin would lead to escalation – first to a world war and perhaps even to a nuclear conflict.
- Russia Invades Ukraine: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is nearly a year old and the Ukrainians are holding on, with Russia taking immense casualties and material losses.
- Tom Nichols’ Advice: Tom Nichols, an expert on nuclear weapons and the Cold War, counsels Americans not to be obsessed with nuclear escalation, but to be aware of the possibilities for accidents and miscalculations.
- Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 was the first big crisis that Americans had to think about the existential threat of nuclear weapons.
- 1983 – Year We Almost Didn’t Make It: 1983 was an incredibly tense year, with the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union having completely broken down. It felt like war was inevitable.
- Pop Culture Reflection: Nuclear weapons were soaked into our popular culture in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Movies, music, and TV put this sense of threat into the minds of ordinary Americans.
- Cold War Ends Quickly: Reagan and Gorbachev jointly declared in 1985 that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought, leading to a quick end to the Cold War.
- The Cold War Ended Quickly – The Cold War ended quickly between 1983-1986, creating a false sense of security in later generations.
- An Example of Nuclear Danger Post-Cold War – In 1995, Norway launched a scientific satellite on top of a missile, causing the Russian defense people to come to President Boris Yeltsin and suggest it may have been a NATO attack.
- The Current Nuclear Situation – Currently, the United States and the Russian Federation each have about 1,500 nuclear weapons deployed and ready to go.
- The Danger of Putin’s Regime – Putin’s mafia state is uniquely dangerous as he has convinced himself that he is some kind of great world historical figure who is going to reestablish this Christian Slavic empire.
- Russia’s Conventional Weakness – Russia is now the weaker conventional power and is now the one saying, “If things go really badly for us and we’re losing, we reserve the right to use nuclear weapons”.
- The Front Line of the Fight for Civilization – The front line of the fight for civilization is in Ukraine, and it’s imperative that Americans think about this problem and support Ukraine in this fight.
- The Right Way To Think About This – The right way to think about this is to be engaged and aware, but not to be panicked or become consumed by fear as it is bad for democracy’s ability to make decisions.
Published February 17, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Kevin Townsend’s original post Radio Atlantic: This Is Not Your Parents’ Cold War
