Thomas Schelling, Robert Gates on Iran

• ptown_trojans_1

  

  So, sometimes it helps to know people.
  
  I went to the University of Maryland, as did my boss Jeffrey Lewis. Maryland is where the father of arms control and strategic thought Thomas Schelling resides as well.
  Schelling, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Schelling
  is pretty much one of the original thinkers of game theory, limited war and nuclear deterrence.
  
  He is giving a talk today at my work, the New America Foundation at 12:15. The live stream is located here:
  http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2010/04/live_stream_at_4/
  
  As my boss stated:

  So, I go to meetings on “deterring Iran” all the time where someone says “I think Thomas Schelling would say …”
  
  The funny thing is, Tom is still around. And he has actual opinions on the issue. One needn’t perform exegesis on Strategy and Conflict or try to extrapolate from Arms and Influence. You can just ask him what he thinks.
  
  So, Steve Clemons and I did! Tom is coming to the New America Foundation to talk about our interests in managing a nuclear-armed Iran.
  
  So come join us at the New America Foundation on Friday at 12:15.

• fish82

  

  Good stuff! Schelling is as sharp as they come. I won't be able to catch the stream, but would gladly read a transcript after the fact if someone could provide it.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Great, great event. So much great stuff that no one is really looking at.
  You can watch it here:
  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6223251
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Pretty much the ideas that Schelling put forth on the challenges of a near nuclear Iran, SECDEF Gates put a memo forward back in January about how the U.S. does not have a policy of engaging a near nuclear Iran and really what that means.
  
  Pretty much the issue is how to you tackle an Iran that stops just short of actually putting together a bomb and detonating a testing device? If Iran does not put their bombs together, but is just a few weeks or months away, that would put them in the same class of Japan, Germany, and Israel.
  
  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/middleeast/18iran.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all