Abstract
Over the past fifty years the development and testing of weapons ofmass destruction (WMD) have caused tremendous environmental, healthand social damage to various parts of the planet. Six books dealingwith various aspects of WMD are reviewed here, with the goal ofbroader conclusions about the relationships between political systems,culture, and environment. The requirements of local culture havestrongly influenced decisions to acquire WMD, and the manners inwhich these weapons have been developed, tested and used. The FormerSoviet Union is highlighted, since in that closed society WMD development and testing have been especially devastating. Statesconsidering WMD must be made aware of the true costs, andnon-proliferation thinking must therefore include deep sensitivity tonot only political decision-making, but local culture. Suggestionsare offered about how an ``anthropology of WMD'' might contribute tonon-proliferation.
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Joffe, A.H. Review essay Want not, waste not: The environmental impact of two generations of WMD proliferation and the implications for Asia. Crime, Law and Social Change 35, 333–356 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011244118772
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011244118772