Contributing Quote by John Burroughs
![“Basically [United States and France] said "We will use nuclear weapons whenever it suits our purposes to do so." So this expansion of doctrines regarding possible use of nuclear weapons makes them more, you know, sort of, salient and important and so it's increasing the perceived political value…” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18a/john-burroughs-1157_contributing_basically-united-states-and-france-said_249049.jpg)
“Basically [United States and France] said "We will use nuclear weapons whenever it suits our purposes to do so." So this expansion of doctrines regarding possible use of nuclear weapons makes them more, you know, sort of, salient and important and so it's increasing the perceived political value of nuclear weapons and therefore causing or contributing to possible proliferation.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on nuclear policy, date unknown
The statement suggests that openly stating willingness to use nuclear weapons for any purpose makes them seem more valuable politically, which can encourage other states to seek them.
In simple terms: Openly threatening to use nukes raises their political value and may spur proliferation.
Key Takeaway
Avoid using nuclear threats as policy tools.
Themes
nuclear deterrence
political strategy
proliferation
security
policy
power dynamics
cold war
strategic communication
international relations
risk assessment
global stability
arms control
deterrence theory
geopolitics
military doctrine
state behavior
strategic stability
escalation
nuclear ethics
global security
Mood
cautious
analytical
concerned
Type
policy
strategic
analytical
When to use this quote
- government policy statements
- military doctrine
- international negotiations
- defense briefings
- strategic planning
- diplomatic discussions
- public speeches
- policy analysis
- security council meetings
- strategic assessments
- defense white papers
- military conferences
- diplomatic cables
- policy debates
- strategic reviews
- government hearings
- defense strategy sessions
- international security forums
- strategic think‑tank reports
- policy formulation workshops
Key Concepts
nuclear doctrine
deterrence theory
political signaling
strategic stability
proliferation dynamics
risk perception
power politics
security dilemma
international law
strategic communication
military ethics
global governance
conflict escalation
strategic calculus
statecraft
geopolitical strategy
defense policy
strategic deterrence
global stability
nuclear ethics
strategic risk
Questions to Reflect On
- How does public nuclear signaling affect other nations' security calculations?
- What alternatives exist to reduce the perceived value of nuclear weapons?
A Different Perspective
The claim may oversimplify complex deterrence dynamics and ignore other factors influencing proliferation, such as regional conflicts or security guarantees.
![“The only countries that are outside of [ Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] are Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea withdrew in the last few years.” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/482/john-burroughs-1157_country_the-only-countries-that-are-outside-of-n_3090647.jpg)
![“The countries outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty also are bound by that obligation [ Article Six of the treaty] according to, at least it's a strong implication of, a 1996 opinion of the International Court of Justice.” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/965/john-burroughs-1157_articles_the-countries-outside-the-non-proliferat_1644873.jpg)
![“Our revolution is like Wikipedia, okay? Everyone is contributing content, [but] you don't know the names of the people contributing the content. This is exactly what happened. Revolution 2.0 in Egypt was exactly the same. Everyone is contributing small pieces, bits and pieces. We drew this whole…” quote by Wael Ghonim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b53/wael-ghonim-27286_bits_our-revolution-is-like-wikipedia-okay-ev_30476.jpg)
