Today on Uncommon Knowledge, the second segment of my interview with former secretary of state George Shultz. Since Secretary Shultz has now dedicated himself to confronting the dangers of nuclear weapons, I ask for what good reason, today, a full generation after the cold war, Russia and the United States still possess thousands of nuclear weapons each.

George Shultz’s answer? For no good reason.

People are still stuck in the old concept of deterrence, but I can’t imagine any dispute with Russia [that would justify the use of nuclear weapons]. We’re going to use nuclear weapons because we disagree with them about Kosovo? No. Are we going to use nuclear weapons because we’re having an argument about the deployment of strategic defenses in Poland? No, we’re not. Not that there aren’t hard issues to argue with the Russians about, but is there anything that justifies the use of a nuclear weapon? There is not.