Conclusion

Abstract

Abstract This book argues that deterrence is actually a bundle of very different ends and means. This concluding chapter first revisits our argument about the multiple elements of deterrence. It highlights several inherent political trade-offs across four different types of strategy, and it summarizes evidence for the influence of specialized military technologies on strategic stability. Second, it applies these concepts to interpret contemporary debate about US strategy toward the People’s Republic of China. Various sides of this debate emphasize different preferences as much as different military forces for deterring China. Finally, the chapter concludes that the problem of political preferences trumps the problem of technological complexity.