Podcast appearances and mentions of Scott A Silverstone

In this Roots of Reality Experiences episode, historian Ben Baumann talks with Dr. Scott Silverstone about the risk of nuclear war, what to make of authoritarian nations with nuclear weapons, and how to prevent the use of nuclear weapons in modern warfare. (Dr. Scott Silverstone is a Professor of International Relations in the Department of Social Sciences, where he has served on the faculty since 2001. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire. He is a Senior Fellow with the Center on the Future of War at Arizona State University and New America and a Senior Fellow with the Center on the Study of Statesmanship at Catholic University. He is the author of three books - From Hitler's Germany to Saddam's Iraq: The Enduring False Promise of Preventive War (2018), Preventive War and American Democracy (2007), and Divided Union: The Politics of War in the Early American Republic (2004) – and numerous articles and book chapters. Earlier in his career Dr. Silverstone was a U.S. naval officer. He served as a Naval Flight Officer with a P-3 Orion squadron based at Naval Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii from 1987 to 1990, deploying extensively throughout the western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and East Africa conducting anti-submarine operations and maritime reconnaissance. From 1990 to 1993 Dr. Silverstone served as a crisis management officer and planner on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy, and Operations in the Pentagon. In this position Dr. Silverstone managed the Navy's portion of the White House-directed nuclear attack survivability program and directed all Navy participation in the Joint Chiefs of Staff-sponsored global crisis management exercise program and the NATO crisis exercise program. In September 1992 he was appointed Director of the Navy Staff's Crisis Action Center to focus on Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, the naval embargo against Yugoslavia, and the Navy's role in hurricane Andrew relief in southern Florida. He also served as the Navy representative with the inter-agency team that planned Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. After leaving active duty Dr. Silverstone served as a Naval Reservist in support of the Navy Command Center in the Pentagon from 1994 to 2000. ) Westpoint Bio- westpoint.edu/social-sciences/profile/scott_silverstone Books- www.amazon.com/Scott-A-Silverstone/e/B001H6OY8A/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 (The memories, comments, and viewpoints shared by guests in the interviews do not represent the viewpoints of, or speak for Roots of Reality)

Does preventive war really work? "In the vast majority of cases historically, what we see is the country that thought it was saving itself from a greater danger in the future actually creates this greater danger because you generate a level of hostility, a deepening rivalry, and a desire for revenge that comes back to haunt them," says Scott Silverstone. His advice: Hesitate. Before taking action, think through this "preventive war paradox."

Does preventive war really work? "In the vast majority of cases historically, what we see is the country that thought it was saving itself from a greater danger in the future actually creates this greater danger because you generate a level of hostility, a deepening rivalry, and a desire for revenge that comes back to haunt them," says Scott Silverstone. His advice: Hesitate. Before taking action, think through this "preventive war paradox."

Does preventive war really work? "In the vast majority of cases historically, what we see is the country that thought it was saving itself from a greater danger in the future actually creates this greater danger because you generate a level of hostility, a deepening rivalry, and a desire for revenge that comes back to haunt them," says Scott Silverstone. His advice: Hesitate. Before taking action, think through this "preventive war paradox."