Quality of Life, Balance of Power and Nuclear Weapons (2012): A Statistical Yearbook for Statesmen and Citizens - Couverture souple

Avakov, Alexander V

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0875868916 ISBN 13 : 9780875868912

Editeur : Algora Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

Quality of Life, Balance of Power and Nuclear Weapons by Alexander V Avakov explores the intersection of nuclear weapons, global politics, and human well-being. This insightful analysis examines the balance of power between nations shaped by nuclear weapons and their impact on the quality of life both in nuclear-armed countries and globally.

Introduction: The Paradox of Nuclear Power
Avakov begins by addressing the paradox of nuclear weapons. While nuclear deterrence is seen as a means of national security, it also fosters global fear and instability. The balance of power has been profoundly influenced by the existence of nuclear arsenals, creating a tense environment where the potential for mass destruction exists. Despite their destructive power, nuclear weapons are often viewed as necessary for security, even as they raise questions about the cost to global stability.

Nuclear Weapons and National Security
The book explores the impact of nuclear weapons on national security, examining how different countries, from superpowers to emerging states, view their nuclear arsenals. Key events like the Cold War and the arms race are revisited to understand how nuclear weapons have altered military strategies and international diplomacy. Nuclear deterrence, while preventing large-scale wars, has also caused a shift in global power dynamics, making the world more vulnerable to conflicts of a different nature.

Quality of Life in the Nuclear Age
A significant focus of the book is the effect nuclear weapons have on the quality of life worldwide. Avakov discusses the psychological and economic tolls of living in a nuclear age, from the constant threat of nuclear conflict to the resources diverted into military buildup instead of social needs like education and healthcare. The arms race has also diverted attention from issues of poverty and social welfare, creating a global environment of uncertainty.

The Ethics of Nuclear Deterrence
Avakov further delves into the ethical dilemmas surrounding nuclear deterrence. While some argue that nuclear weapons maintain peace through deterrence, others believe their very existence creates instability. The book addresses the justifications for nuclear arsenals and the moral debate about their use, questioning whether their role in national security outweighs the dangers they present to global peace.

Nuclear Disarmament and Global Peace
The final section of the book advocates for nuclear disarmament as a path to global peace. Avakov calls for global cooperation to reduce nuclear stockpiles and work toward a world where nuclear weapons are eliminated. Drawing on historical attempts at disarmament, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and arms reduction agreements, the book highlights the challenges in achieving this goal, such as political resistance and the rise of non-state actors.

Conclusion: A Call for Change
Avakov concludes by urging world leaders to focus on improving the quality of life for citizens rather than prioritizing military power. He emphasizes the need for a new approach to international relations that values human security and global peace over nuclear power. The book concludes with a call for continued dialogue and a commitment to disarmament, ensuring a safer, more stable world for future generations.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

The foundations of power politics in the nuclear age, fundamental forces that drive events in the international news, and seldom-discussed factors that can shift whole economies, or trigger wars, may be discerned from the statistical tables presented in this novel yearbook first issued in 2008. This statistical annual presents fundamental data in three sections: (1) Quality of Life, (2) Balance of Power, and (3) Developed Market Economies since 1960. It contains data that is generally not available elsewhere. Sections 1 and 2 give statistics for 232 countries. The World Bank and Encyclopedia Britannica provide statistical data for a maximum of about 160 countries. The actual number of countries in World Bank statistical tables is even smaller. The CIA World Factbook gives data for about 230 countries but that data is limited in scope and is imprecise. Other statistical publications are even less satisfactory. The author has managed to increase the number of countries tallied by writing proprietary software utilizing statistical regressions, selecting data which, first of all, is important and, second, which allows for high correlation coefficients for these regressions. Section 2 includes data about nuclear delivery systems and the number of nuclear warheads of all nuclear powers. This is based on information from reputable sources. Among others, it includes estimates of the Israeli nuclear arsenal which usually do not appear in the press. Official estimates of Russian military expenditures distributed by US and British intelligence communities are methodologically flawed. Such estimates claim to give a picture of military expenditures of the countries of the world at market exchange rates; at the same time, they apparently cite Russian military expense figures at purchasing power parities, thus inflating these numbers in comparison to those of other countries. Such deceptive practices of the Anglo-American intelligence services are counter-balanced by presenting two different tables, showing military expenditures estimates both at market exchange rates and by purchasing power parities. Section 3 gives data on the topic of health care. It seems that public health expenditures as a share of total health expenditures has a stronger correlation with the comparative level (and the rates of improvement) of the main health care indicators than the absolute level (measured as a percent of GDP) of total health expenditures. The data demonstrates that the US has the lowest public health expenditure of developed market economies and is increasingly lagging behind other countries by main health care indicators. The recent legislation that was intended to provide greater access to health care for people in the US was furiously attacked by opponents who suspected it would entail some sort of tax increase that would hurt the economy. The author therefore also seeks to shed light on modern ideological debates about the share of taxation in GDP and its influence on rates of growth. Surprisingly enough, the empirical data for the developed market economies do not seem to support the popular idea that low taxes are strongly correlated with higher rates of growth; depending on how the data are analyzed, the appropriate correlations are either low or even the reverse of what is commonly believed.

Biographie de l'auteur

Alexander V. Avakov was born in the USSR in 1954. He has been interested in economic statistics since childhood. His formal university education was in mathematics and mathematical economics with additional studies in economics, philosophy, law, politics, anthropology, sociology and psychology. As a result of early political maturity he was arrested in 1975 for distributing liberal-minded leaflets at the university. Sentenced to a year and half of hard labor, he was sent to a KGB-run camp for political prisoners. After completing the prison term, he emigrated from the Soviet Union and has since settled with his family in the United States. Previously published books in Russian include, among others, Autobiography of the Soviet Anti-Soviet Philosopher, and Welcome to the New Security State. Mr. Avakov has published several books through Algora, including Plato’s Dream Realized: Surveillance and Citizen Rights, from KGB to FBI, and a series of statistical studies analyzing the relative power of nations in terms both economic and military, including undeclared nuclear weapons

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Algora Publishing
• Date d'édition: 2012
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0875868916
• ISBN 13: 9780875868912
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 204
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible