Ben Zala

@drbeezee.bsky.social

Senior Lecturer at Monash University, Australia. Work focusses on great power relations and reducing nuclear dangers.

It's been a (3rd nuclear?) age since I've posted on here but figured I'd flag a great new podcast by BASIC called NukeChat. I happen to be on the new episode discussing "Nuclear Responsibilities Through The Nuclear Ages" but the other episodes will be even better! basicint.org/nukechat-epi...

NukeChat Episode 2: Nuclear Responsibilities Through The Nuclear Ages - BASIC

In this episode, Dr Megan Dee and Dr Ben Zala consider how nuclear responsibilities have evolved over the first and second nuclear ages and reflect on how they have also been questioned, critiqued, an...

basicint.org

80 years into the nuclear age and "arms control has all but collapsed while reliable and trusted channels of communication between major nuclear adversaries are virtually non-existent." We're going to need more than luck to survive another 80 years. theconversation.com/fear-built-t...

Fear built the nuclear bomb – only trust can ensure it is never used again

If the nuclear bomb was born out of fear, then ensuring it is never used again requires replacing fear with trust.

theconversation.com

After being repeatedly asked about this for the better part of a fortnight, I figured I'd just write it up in one spot. It's not an endorsement of nuclear deterrence, nor a nuclear-armed Iran. But could we live with that outcome? Yep. theconversation.com/could-we-liv...

Could we live with a nuclear-armed Iran? Reluctantly, yes

Both Israel and the US claim a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat. It wouldn’t. Here’s why.

theconversation.com

For Australia-based followers, I joined ‪@patskarvelas.bsky.social‬ on Afternoon Briefing yesterday (17/6) to discuss the Israeli strikes against Iran and the likelihood of this counter-proliferation strike leading to the much wider goal of regime change in Tehran: iview.abc.net.au/show/afterno...

Afternoon Briefing

Your daily download of everything you need to know about politics, national and global affairs. Patricia Karvelas asks politicians the tough questions and talks to key players and experts on the issue...

iview.abc.net.au

Good piece on the likelihood of a return to great power tacit collusion. However, big difference b/n Ukraine & Taiwan on the one hand and Greenland on the other given what a sphere in each does for Russia, China & the US. Greenland is the odd one out. www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...

A New Trend in Geopolitics? Great Power Coordination in the Expansion of Spheres of Influence - Australian Institute of International Affairs

internationalaffairs.org.au

Trump's #IronDome executive order on missile defence proves what those of us who have consistently opposed any missile defence always knew: That promises of a "limited" system were just that - promises. Stability between nuclear-armed great powers can never rest only on unilateral promises. 1/4

Bild