Thermonuclear monarchy : choosing between democracy and doom

Resource Information

The work Thermonuclear monarchy : choosing between democracy and doom represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Thermonuclear monarchy : choosing between democracy and doom

Title remainder

choosing between democracy and doom

Statement of responsibility

Elaine Scarry

Creator

• Scarry, Elaine

Subject

• Constitutional law -- United States
• Democracy -- United States
• Nuclear disarmament -- United States
• Civil society -- United States
• Nuclear weapons -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States
• Nuclear weapons -- Political aspects -- United States
• Nuclear weapons -- Government policy -- United States

Language

eng

Summary

In this incisive, masterfully argued new book, award-winning social theorist Elaine Scarry demonstrates that the power of one leader to obliterate millions of people with a nuclear weapon--a possibility that remains very real even in the wake of the Cold War--deeply violates our constitutional rights, undermines the social contract, and is fundamentally at odds with the deliberative principles of democracy. According to the Constitution, the decision to go to war requires rigorous testing by both Congress and the citizenry; when a leader can single-handedly decide to deploy a nuclear weapon, we live in a state of "thermonuclear monarchy, " not democracy. The danger of nuclear weapons comes from potential accidents or acquisition by terrorists, hackers, or rogue countries. But the gravest danger comes from the mistaken idea that there exists some case compatible with legitimate governance

Cataloging source

DLC

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography