'Selective Proliferation' Is a Terrible Idea

The U.S. should not encourage any of its allies to acquire nuclear weapons.

Moritz Graefrath and Mark Raymond want certain U.S. allies to acquire nuclear weapons:

Far from ushering in a frightening new era of global instability, selective proliferation would help uphold the post–World War II order. Were Canada, Germany, and Japan to acquire nuclear weapons, they would rebalance global military capabilities in favor of a coalition of states committed to the rules-based system and to stopping the erosion of its key norms, especially territorial integrity. Selective proliferation would thus revitalize the increasingly brittle post-1945 order that has so benefited the United States and its allies.

The U.S. should not encourage any of its allies to acquire nuclear weapons. Our government already makes a mockery of international law by making frequent exceptions for its allies and clients, and it should not do the same thing when it comes to its nonproliferation commitments. The quickest way to destroy the nonproliferation regime is to support “selective proliferation” among U.S. allies.

A world with more nuclear-armed states is an inherently less secure and less stable world.