Scorpion King: America's Suicidal Embrace of Nuclear Weapons from FDR to Trump

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This book explores America's troubled relationship with nuclear weapons and the ineffective attempts at arms control throughout history. Its title references Robert Oppenheimer's metaphor of dueling scorpions, highlighting the dangers of the ongoing nuclear rivalry between the US and Russia. The author, Ritter, provides a comprehensive history of how the US has used arms control as a facade to pursue nuclear dominance, revealing a complex agenda that is often misunderstood. This updated edition expands on the original, addressing the failed arms control policies during the Obama administration and the Trump administration's withdrawal from significant treaties, such as the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty, and threats to the 2010 New START treaty. The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 serves as a stark reminder of the catastrophic potential of unchecked nuclear arsenals, which led to necessary constraints that have since eroded. As US-Russian relations deteriorate, the book serves as a crucial resource for academics, diplomats, and concerned citizens, illustrating the precarious state of global security and the urgent need for renewed dialogue on nuclear arms control. It offers insights into how we arrived at this critical juncture and suggests pathways to avert a new arms race, making it essential reading for an increasingly vulnerable world.