The Ultimate Threat

The ultimate threat was the sobering topic for a discussion with former U.S. Secretary of Defense William J. Perry on campus October 30. The occasion: a discussion co-hosted by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics on the threat of nuclear war with North Korea.

Perry believes North Korea’s main motivator is keeping the current regime in power and sustaining the Kim dynasty—making the likelihood of North Korea deploying missiles low.

“This regime is ruthless, it’s reckless, but it is not suicidal,” he said. “The leaders are not seeking martyrdom. This not ISIS, it’s not Al Qaeda. They’re seeking to stay in power.”