Die Nuklearpolitik der USA unter George W. Bush und Barack Obama am Beispiel Nordkorea

Abstract

The present bachelor thesis examines the nuclear policy of the United States of America. North Korea serves as a case study. As will be shown the USA treat allied countries differently to opposed countries like North Korea or Iran. Allied countries like Israel, Pakistan or Saudi-Arabia do not face the same treatment or sanctions by the United States as do the so called “rogue states”. This leads to a contradiction in US-policy: The inner conflict of maintaining the only superpower in the world and the own goal of a good, moral nation, expressing in the concept of American exceptionalism. While the policy of Bush jr. focused on preemption and hung on to nuclear weapons as an instrument of deterrence, Obama, who set himself the goal to free the world of nuclear weapons, finds himself in a dilemma between Realpolitik and morality.