The CWC would encourage underestimation of the probability of chemical warfare, and perhaps result in inadequate training for such warfare. The United States would be committed to complete chemical weapons disarmament, even though possession of such weapons deterred even Hitler from waging chemical warfare. But the CWC would only negligibly reduce the capacity of secretive societies to prepare for such warfare. Defenders of the CWC note that it was negotiated by two Republican administrations. But of course.
Arms control is the opiate of the policy-making class in both parties.
And politicians of both parties find irresistible the temptation to pretend that the world can be made safe from evil by means of agreements that only the good will honor. That is, arms control that enhanced the security of both superpowers rather than served the maneuvering for strategic advantages would be impossible until the Soviet regime changed. And that change would do more than any agreement could to make the world safer. The Center's publications are intended to invigorate and enrich the debate on foreign policy and defense issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of all members of the Center's Board of Advisors.