MADness

Let me explain again why it is wrong to defend the Iran deal designed to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons by citing our nuclear weapons agreements with the Soviet Union.

Obviously, the deal with Iran is meant to keep them from getting their first nuclear weapon (or it should be).

Deals with the USSR were designed to reduce the fear of an enemy breakout in numbers or capabilities that led each side to push forward nuclear arms as fast as possible lest that side get on the wrong side of a breakout and so be vulnerable to a disarming nuclear strike or nuclear blackmail.

So capping numbers even at astronomically high levels increased stability by reducing the fear of unknowns on the other side.

Mind you, this is no moral equivalence notion. There was a big difference between America's nuclear arsenal designed to deter Soviet conquest of our allies and the Soviet Union's arsenal designed to shield their conquest of our allies.

But each side did react the same to the fear of the unknowns on the other side of the nuclear arms race.

Although if those defending the wisdom of the Iran proto-deal by comparing it to the Cold War nuclear deals are sincere, perhaps that is a telling admission that they don't think the deal is designed to prevent Iran from getting that first nuclear weapon at all.

Perhaps it is just intended to manage our nuclear competition.

Time to dust off your old books on Mutual Assured Destruction theory and practice.

Have a super sparkly day.