Furthering the Investigation into the Effects of Arms Buildups

Diehl & Crescenzi's discussion of my earlier article in the Journal of Peace Research and their general comments on the connections between arms races and war is a generally well-reasoned and valuable contribution. Although a number of the issues they discuss have been mentioned elsewhere, these references have usually been indirect or as passing comments in a larger work rather than in an explicit attempt to engage the researcher on this matter. My brief response will serve to reiterate some of their points, while addressing those few concerns I have about their suggestions for future research.