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October 27, 2009

A Lesson We've Unlearned

Justin Katz

Given recent events, I found it difficult not to sigh and worry upon reading this parenthetical note from Paul Lettow's review of Nicholas Thompson's book about two early American Cold War strategists:

(Thompson helpfully quotes a later reflection from Andrei Sakharov that the Soviets would have perceived any U.S. refusal to pursue the hydrogen bomb as either a trap or a "manifestation of stupidity and weakness.")

Can there be any doubt that future reflections will reveal a perception of just such a manifestation in the current administration? The years ahead could be perilous, indeed.

Comments

Do you mean to say that Neville Chamberlain precipitated, rather than prevented, WWII?

Heck, Obama just got the Nobel Peace Prize. So of course Iran and North Korea and all the rest are going to fall in line, lest hindsight show that it was a farce.

Posted by: Ragin' Rhode Islander at October 27, 2009 10:19 PM