Cohn: Sex and Death in Defense Intellectuals

Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals

• The author, Carol Cohn, recounts a summer workshop on nuclear weapons attended by defense intellectuals.
• These intellectuals use the concept of deterrence to rationalize the possession of nuclear weapons, even though those weapons could potentially lead to disastrous consequences of mass incineration.
• Their language, termed "technostrategic”, obscures the realities of nuclear war.
• Cohn highlights the prevalent use of euphemisms and abstractions in these discussions to minimize the potential for mass destruction.
• The author observes a lack of emotional response and moral outrage within the discussions on nuclear strategy.
• The author details the consistent use of phallic imagery in relation to nuclear weapons.
• The author uses the phrase "clean bombs" as a potent metaphor
• Key terminology is used, such as "counterforce attacks", "collateral damage," "first strikes," and "minimum deterrent."
• The article notes that weapons are given human qualities or personalities and spoken about as if they were objects of affection.
• The author also describes how the same analysts refer to weapons as possessing traits like "survivability" and "vulnerability."
• The article portrays the detachment of these analysts from the real-world consequences of their statements.

Defense Intellectuals' Discourse

• Defense intellectuals are often male-dominated.
• Their language is filled with metaphors
• Defense analysts often use euphemisms, abstractions, and acronyms, which minimize the potential for mass destruction.
• The language is used to distance oneself from the destructive nature of nuclear war.
• Terms such as "collateral damage" or "tactical advantage" are used to obscure the human cost.
• The concepts of "deterrence" and "strategic stability" are used to justify the necessity of nuclear weapons.
• The analysis displays a disconnect between the theoretical discourse and the human consequences.

Additional Points

• The author argues that this language is part of a broader cultural phenomenon, reflecting a specific type of militarized masculinity, whereby male analysts maintain a sense of control and authority when discussing nuclear war.
• The article describes the use of imagery that conflates creation with destruction.
• The discussion includes images of male birth that are used as metaphors for nuclear creation.
• The article argues that the very language used creates a sense of detachment from the real world implications of nuclear weapons.

Explore Carol Cohn's critical examination of the rationalizations used by defense intellectuals for nuclear weapons. This quiz delves into the language and euphemisms that obscure the stark realities of nuclear warfare and the emotional detachment in strategic discussions. Test your understanding of the concepts and terminology she highlights.