Dear Tulsi, thank you very much for interviewing professor Jeffrey Sachs on your show recently.  You cut right to the chase by stating that nuclear Armageddon is the most important issue for Americans today.  The existential threat of nuclear war is especially palpable now because of recent events in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Professor Sachs trenchantly quotes former President John F. Kennedy’s exhortation^(fn1) that, “. . . nuclear powers must avert confrontations which would bring an adversary to a choice between either a humiliating defeat or a nuclear response.”  (at 41:35 in the interview).  As Professor Sachs points out, this is exactly what the United States is doing by making overtures to admit Ukraine and Georgia to NATO and by arming Ukraine in war with Russia.  It is hardly surprising that Vladimir Putin is now threatening that Russia may detonate “tactical” nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Tulsi, it seems we have arrived at a critical juncture in the history of our nation and the world, where we must once again soberly face the specter of a renewed nuclear cold war with Russia.  Every American should feel a grave sense of responsibility toward our brothers and sisters around the world for the way our nation, the preeminent nuclear superpower, holds the safety and security of the world in trust against the prospect of nuclear carnage.

Nuclear retaliation, escalation, and MAD (mutually assured destruction) as a deterrent against nuclear war should be clearly and unequivocally condemned as an oppressive and nihilistic foreign policy approach which has no place in a civilized and intelligent world.  I urge every American to pledge with me that we will steadfastly oppose any use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction by our nation, regardless of what may happen in the geopolitics of this world, and regardless of any nihlistic “justification.”  Yes, even if Russia or another nuclear power intentionally strikes a U.S. target with a nuclear weapon, we must not retaliate in kind, because a nuclear counter-strike from us would simply lead to escalation and senseless destruction of civilization as we know it.    

Of course, this is not to say we will surrender to nuclear tyranny.  Rather, we must rely on expansion and strategic deployment of tactical forces to deter large-scale nuclear war.  Keep in mind that no nation wishes to detonate large-scale or wide-spread weapons of mass destruction, because of the collateral damage the aggressor itself would suffer from fall-out within its own territory.  It would be especially self-destructive for a nuclear power to detonate nuclear warheads near – or within — its own borders.  So, by amassing sufficient tactical forces on the borders of nuclear powers, such powers may be effectively deterred from resorting to nuclear weapons of mass destruction.  In addition, arial defense systems similar to Israel’s “Iron Beam” can be developed to mitigate the risk of an ICBM attack.  Another potential vector for deterrence may involve developing espionage technology that would create a risk to nuclear powers of their own warheads being detonated in place, or immediately upon launch, while still within the aggressor’s airspace.

Without doubt, developing and maintaining the needed additional tactical forces and capabilities will come at a high price, not just financially, but also in sweat and blood.  Every American should be trained and prepared to serve in times of crisis.  But it we will be much wiser and better in the long run to bite the bullet today to assure a MAD-free world, instead of continuing to kick the can down the road until some unpredictable, perhaps even accidental, event triggers rapid escalation to a nuclear holocaust.

It is time to acknowledge that reliance on MAD to deter nuclear escalation is entirely unsatisfactory in today’s world.  Perhaps there was a case for MAD during the first cold war, before technology or infrastructure existed to combat the nuclear threat tactically.  But now we have more options, and we should invest now in our future security by developing these options robustly. 

Regardless of day-to-day developments in the ongoing war in Ukraine, now is the time to organize and mobilize democratic rejection of nuclear MAD-ness.  Harking back to the sage words of John F. Kennedy about not pressuring a nuclear tyrant to make the fateful choice between humiliation and MAD anihilation, we must recognize Vladimir Putin’s threat of a nuclear response to the war in Ukraine as the crucial impetus to implement alternative security strategies based on something more substantial than the threat of MAD.  Every American genuinely concerned about nuclear escalation should commit to actively participate in the work of moving beyond MAD-ness. 

Only when enough people commit to this cause will our elected leaders and civil servants really understand that the United States is indeed the “land of the free, home of the brave,” and that living under the pall of MAD-ness is entirely un-American.  Tulsi, as a high-profile thought leader in this space, we look to you to double down on your messaging to our elected leaders and the people of the world that nuclear MAD is not acceptable, and that as a nation of free and brave people, we Americans can and will do better. 

Fellow Americans, as you appreciate the gravity of the MAD threat, make it one of your highest life goals to work for a MAD-free world.  Prepare to be a lifetime activist and warrior – don’t expect your government to fix this problem without your participation.  Please join me in rallying with Tulsi behind this effort! 

fn1: This is a link to JFK’s June 10, 1963 “Peace Speech”. His comments about not cornering a nuclear tyrant into a choice between humiliation and MAD anihilation are at 15:10. Source: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.