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That is precisely what Schell sets out to do in Chapter II, "The Second Death." Here Schell breaks new ground. Until now, most of those who have thought either occasionally or professionally about the unthinkable have tended to concentrate on the impact that nuclear war might have on a city or a nation. Schell looks beyond that particular horror to an even greater one and ponders the awful finality itself. If the worst comes true, after all, what more is there to think about? But Schell looks beyond the end, as it were, into the void. "Death lies...
...this eloquent chapter, Schell draws on ancient and modern philosophy and theology-from Socrates and the Bible to Karl Jaspers and Alexander Solzhenitsyn-to support the second premise of his book: neither God nor man has yet decided what "the fate of the earth" will be. "Since we have not made a positive decision to exterminate ourselves but instead have chosen to live on the edge of extinction, periodically lunging toward the abyss only to draw back at the last second, our situation is one of uncertainty and nervous insecurity rather than of absolute hopelessness." Man, in short...
...Choice" is the title of the third and final chapter of the book. It is also by far the weakest part. As he must, Schell faces up to the question of how mankind can get out of the terrible dilemma that nuclear weapons represent. His analysis of that dilemma is solid enough. He points out that despite all the fancy refinements in the theory of nuclear deterrence over the years, what it still comes down to is mutual assured destruction; the superpowers are essentially still bound by a suicide pact. "Nuclear deterrence begins by assuming, correctly, that victory is impossible...
Mendelsohn convincingly argues in one chapter that ignoring the P.L.O. represents closing one's ears to the chosen voice of the Palestinian people while in the next chapter, he strongly supports the continued existence of Israel. Ironically, this apparent contradiction in many ways approaches a resolution to the Arab/Israeli/Palestinian problem. Mendelsohn spares us the diplomatic nonsense; his points are clear and balanced. He condemns Begin's annexation/settlement policy in the occupied territories as well as the P.L.O.'S reluctance to recognize Israel. The foreign policies of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., both of which tend to stand innocently...
...chapter on Iran, a mere 13 pages, best epitomizes this conciseness. Despite its brevity, the chapter emerges as one of the book's strongest sections. No yellow ribbons are tied or confetti thrown. Instead, the chapter details the events, including C.I.A.-backed activities that sparked a revolution, and assesses its consequences. Mendelsohn and the American Friends Service Committee correctly point out that as far as the Americans were concerned, the revolution represented the loss of their "friend" the Shah. They write. "No major group within the United States (except some Iranian students) supported Iran. The only 'blame' that could...