Ross Douthat explains the wishful thinking behind the Left’s insistence on nuclear disarmament:

It’s precisely because the proliferation problem is so difficult, though, that the “Global Zero” movement can feel superficially appealing. . . . By making the issue bigger, long-term, and more theoretical, they can almost make it seem to go away.

Douthat is exactly right. The Left has, in fact, developed an across-the-board dependence on the Brobdingnagian solution in the sky. Health-care woes? Seize the whole system and cover everyone. A recession? Throw nearly a trillion dollars at the economy and hope for the best. Climate change? Ask the entire planet to alter its behavior.  Dangerous regimes acting up? Offer a blanket apology. All-inclusive responses to specific challenges.

You can’t blame them, in a sense. We’ve seen how the Democrats handle intricacies. Remember the president’s attempts to articulate the nuances of Obamacare?