McCausland, Jeff. Arms Control and the New Strategic Concept. In NATO's New Strategic Concept, edited by Simon Michell, 57-61. London: NewsDeskMedia, 2010.

This published version is made available on Dickinson Scholar with the permission of the publisher. For more information on the published version, visit Newsdesk Media's Website.

Jeffrey McCausland is a visiting professor of International Security Studies at Dickinson College.

Thucydides noted in his history of the Peloponnesian Wars that a primary motivator of Athenian foreign policy was “interests”. This remains as true today as it was in ancient Greece. Modern policymakers would all agree that strategy must be consistent with national interests and built on three variables. First, what are the ‘ends’ of a strategy that a nation seeks to accomplish alone or in concert with friends and allies? Second, what are the ‘ways’ or policies that are formulated to move the nation towards a better future? Finally, what are the ‘means’ available to any nation that can be devoted to securing these objectives?