Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing Between Democracy and Doom

Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing Between Democracy and Doom by Elaine Scarry The power to destroy millions of people with a nuclear weapon is a possibility that remains very real even in the wake of the Cold War. This is not just a threat, but a reality that deeply violates our constitutional rights and undermines the social contract. In this book, award-winning social theorist Elaine Scarry argues that the decision to deploy a nuclear weapon is fundamentally at odds with the deliberative principles of democracy. The danger of nuclear weapons comes from potential accidents or acquisition by terrorists, hackers, or rogue countries. However, the gravest danger lies in the mistaken idea that there exists some case compatible with legitimate governance. According to the Constitution, the decision to go to war requires rigorous testing by both Congress and the citizenry. When a leader can single-handedly decide to deploy a nuclear weapon, we live in a state of "thermonuclear monarchy," not democracy. This book examines the deformation of governance that occurs when a country gains nuclear weapons, and explores what this means for our understanding of power, politics, and democracy.