Read the excerpt from a speech made by ronald reagan in 1983. since the dawn of the atomic age, we've sought to reduce the risk of war by maintaining a strong deterrent and by seeking genuine arms control. "deterrence" means simply this: making sure any adversary who thinks about attacking the united states, or our allies, or our vital interests, concludes that the risks to him outweigh any potential gains. reagan defines the word "deterrence" as the ability to attack other nations. willingness to start peace talks. desire to seek arms control. strength to resist attack.