In a column in the Washington Post today, Fareed Zakaria discusses how deterrence, a major aspect of the Cold War, has been abandoned by the United States in its confrontation with Iran.  The rejection of containment in this case has painted the President into a corner and could push him into a preventative war.

Deterrence is a difficult concept to accept because it is counterintuitive: The prospect of destruction produces peace. And yet its record is remarkable. Great powers went to war with brutal regularity for hundreds of years. Then came nuclear weapons, and there has not been a war between great powers since 1945 — the longest period of peace between great powers in history. The United States and the Soviet Union had a more intense and far-reaching rivalry than almost any two great powers ever. Each thought the other wanted to destroy its way of life. And yet, this rivalry did not result in war. Both sides were deterred.

Read the full story here.

Share on Facebook

Tweet