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PARTISAN REVIEW
missiles were already in use, the West could still employ medium range
weapons capable of reaching most Soviet cities. Thus, once again,
the balance of terror is preserved.
We must therefore consider that a technological breakthrough
in the fields of weapons, means of delivery or defense, which would
make it possible for one side to impose its will on the other,
is
n«
impossible but highly improbable. In the absence of such a break·
through, war is not precisely excluded, since an accident or a
rru.
understanding of the enemy's intentions is conceivable (although
ac–
cidents and misunderstandings are also becoming increasingly improb–
able) ; what is excluded is the possibility that a war will
be unleashed by governments possessed of their senses.
This equilibrium of terror is an integral part of coexistence
we know it. Could there be a coexistence without some such
mate equality in destructive capacity? The question is pointless since
this equality is a fact and will continue to be one. Both sides
probably prefer to avoid a costly and unpredictable total war
if
it were fought without nuclear weapons. The latter, in any
can only reinforce their will to peace (or rather, their will to
war).
The fact remains that a number of new elements have
emerged.
As
long as American territory was safe, or less
to air attack than Soviet territory, the U .S. could deter local
sions by threatening to extend the hostilities: the "massive
tion" doctrine. Since equality has more or less been restored
hears much less talk of massive reprisals; indeed, it would
"'WL.".........
appear that it is the men in the Kremlin who have taken over
term.
In other words, the more war assumes the aspect of a
\..UU,{;\"U'"
suicide the less possible it becomes to use the threat of it to stop
local aggression or to settle a secondary conflict. The threat of
lective suicide can protect Western Europe because the stakes
considerable and military invasion would be a highly risky
but it is doubtful that it could be used to protect Israel against
Egyptian-Syrian attack. Limited wars become
all
the more
likely
total war becomes more horrible and absurd for
all
concerned.
be sure, the danger that a conflict might get out of hand deters
Great Powers from using their regular armies anywhere. But
if
