--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The nature of nuclear weapons makes it…" description: "\"The nature of nuclear weapons makes it impossible to either ban the bomb or wipe out an enemy's arsenal. Nuclear deterrence was unavoidable.\" — Michael..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/michael-shellenberger-7859_bomb_the-nature-of-nuclear-weapons-makes-it-i_2448288.jpg" --- # The nature of nuclear weapons makes it impossible to… ![“The nature of nuclear weapons makes it impossible to either ban the bomb or wipe out an enemy's arsenal. Nuclear deterrence was unavoidable.” quote by Michael Shellenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/michael-shellenberger-7859_bomb_the-nature-of-nuclear-weapons-makes-it-i_2448288.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/michael-shellenberger-7859_bomb_the-nature-of-nuclear-weapons-makes-it-i_2448288.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/michael-shellenberger-7859_bomb_the-nature-of-nuclear-weapons-makes-it-i_2448288.jpg) > “The nature of nuclear weapons makes it impossible to either ban the bomb or wipe out an enemy's arsenal. Nuclear deterrence was unavoidable.” [Michael Shellenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shellenberger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nuclear weapons create a paradox where their existence deters war, yet they cannot be eliminated without risking security. **In simple terms:** Nuclear deterrence is a security paradox. Key Takeaway Consider alternatives to deterrence. Themes security deterrence nuclear policy paradox Mood serious concerned Type political strategic When to use this quote - defense planning - international relations - disarmament talks Key Concepts strategic stability ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - Can a world exist without nuclear weapons? - What are viable alternatives to deterrence? A Different Perspective Deterrence may fail if technology changes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ban Bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ban-bomb-547981/) [Bomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bomb/) [Deterrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deterrence/) [Deterrence Unavoidable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deterrence-unavoidable-547980/) [Either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/either/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Nuclear deterrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-deterrence/) [Nuclear weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-weapons/) ## Related quotes > [Our nuclear free status means that we decline to acquiesce in the strategies of nuclear deterrence. 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Our nuclear free status is a challenge to much that is accepted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/new-zealand-s-nuclear-free-movement-is-a-broad-based-and-popular/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [“The driver of deterrence success is not nuclear weapons, it is nuclear posture. Nuclear weapons may deter, but they deter unequally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vipin-narang/the-driver-of-deterrence-success-is-not-nuclear-weapons-it-is-nuclear/) [Vipin Narang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vipin-narang/) > [That's a point that Dan Ellsberg has made for years. 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The few times I summoned the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shellenberger/i-remained-quiet-about-the-climate-disinformation-campaign-because-i/) [Michael Shellenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shellenberger/) > [Nations are reorienting toward the national interest and away from Malthusianism and neoliberalism, which is good for nuclear and bad for renewables. 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Investigations were begun, and the efforts of the authorities were soon to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-von-salomon/something-which-the-police-called-a-bomb-had-exploded-in-his-shed/) [Ernst von Salomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-von-salomon/) > [I like the love-bomb, like, I'm all for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabby-windey/i-like-the-love-bomb-like-i-m-all-for-it/) [Gabby Windey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabby-windey/) > [After Hiroshima was bombed, I saw a photograph of the side of a house with the shadows of the people who had lived there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/after-hiroshima-was-bombed-i-saw-a-photograph-of-the-side-of-a-house/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I'd been politically active ever since my parents wheeled me in a stroller in a 'ban the bomb' march in Boston in 1963.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/i-d-been-politically-active-ever-since-my-parents-wheeled-me-in-a/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [When I was 18, I went to the Soviet Union. 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