The only effective way we seem to have found to avoid nuclear war is to promote fear of its consequences in the Soviet bloc. Yet it may be that we will have to make substantial progress toward arms control in the next two decades if the possibility of avoiding general nuclear war is to become an acceptable probability. If progress is to be made, it will result not only from international political accommodation, but also from the intensive, collective effort of those scholars and officials who are involved in study, discussion and research regarding national security policy in general, and arms control in particular. In fact, the theory and concepts which they develop may in themselves be a means to the political accommodation which is needed, provided, of course, that corresponding efforts are also made in the Soviet bloc. Conversely, if these scholars and officials fail to apply adequate effort in this area, there may never be a solution to the problem of the threat of nuclear war.