On September 30, 2009 I gave a talk in Seattle, entitled "Nuclear Arms: Sleepwalking Towards Armageddon". My topic then is a first airing of the subject matter of my second book, which I aim to complete in time for publication next fall. I begin with an historical overview of 64 years 1945-2009, the Nuclear Age. I then use country studies, so to speak, to illustrate the problems of nuclear proliferation & arms control. Russia presents problems of big power linkage, in which arms control is conjoined with a host of other problems Russia poses; Iran represents the problem of an aspiring regional hegemon, with perhaps still a messianic streak that makes deterrence exceptionally problematic; North Korea is the "crazy aunt in the attic"--a rogue proliferator; Pakistan presents problems of command & control of its growing nuclear arsenal; the United States faces the problem of negotiating agreements with disagreeables.
The talk runs about 20 minutes. It is followed by a Q&A of about twice that length.
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