THE WORLD’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS
WHY SHOULD A B O L I S H THE N U C L E A
R W E A P O N S
[By Major General
K. X. *Konstantinidis (Ret)
General
The production and use of nuclear weapons,
according to the ancient Hellenic tragedy, is a “hubris”, that
means a heavy insult against the God (Nature), because the
nuclear weapons are further than the human measures. Thus the dropping of the
Bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki seals the past, but at the same time it is a
great warning for the future, because it had terrible consequences to the
future generations. The role of the scientists that supported the nuclear
weapons was against the true spirit of science, because they acted according to
the political leaders and the military industrial complex and against the willing
of the peoples. At the present time with
the rapid and astonishing progress of technology and science the humankind
instead to become more rational , logic and safe becomes more mystique,
prejudiced, ignorant and unsafe, ready
to burn on the fire the opposite ideas as heretic. We live in a world that
nobody trusts anybody. This meteor man into the infinite universe wants to
balance somewhere, to stop the nuclear weapons and extends his hand to his
fellow man to communicate and find support and love. It is the more hopeful
syndrome of the present epoch.
The Nuclear
Non-Proliferation in Stake
While the United States tells other nations to disarm,
the US administration appears eager to take steps toward expanding its nuclear
arsenal. At the behest of the administration, the Senate has agreed to lift a
10-year-old ban on research on a new generation of low-yield nuclear
weapons. The United States should set
the example by continuing to rollback its own nuclear stockpile, instead of
seeking new and more powerful weapons, or for demanding from the “
suspected” countries a nuclear disarmament, or looking for non-existent
nuclear weapons in Iraq. [Mohamed El
Baradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency,
said: “eight nations possess nuclear weapons and other countries are
suspected of working to acquire them” and he added: “although the
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty was passed 30 years ago, its objectives have
not been achieved and thousands of nuclear weapons are still around»] Then it
could lead the way for the world to be a less dangerous place.
The “Penetrator”
A new
dreadful weapon that the Americans are going to develop is the Robust Nuclear
Earth Penetrator. It could explode with as much as 70 times the force of the atomic bomb
dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, toward the end of World War II. The Senate agreed to continue research on the
Penetrator, which could explode targets protected by rock or hardened surfaces.
A comparable bill for a study of low-yield "mini nukes"
was passed in the House.
|
|
There are
many supporters of nuclear arsenal that claim that a family of new weapons is essential in modern warfare to
dismantle hidden chemical and biological weapons. The administration's new
drive for nuclear arms is the latest example of its campaign to further scuttle
the American arms control commitments, even as they urge Iran and North Korea
to drop plans to join the nuclear club. This project is very dangerous because
will contribute to the further proliferation of nuclear weapons
The
“Star War Defense” in a new edition
The US hawks have never forgotten the Star
Wars. The scrapping
of the anti-ballistic missile treaty was one of the Bush rearmament process and
pushing for a Star Wars Defense. The supporters believe that is "illogical" to "stop
research and development on a potential weapon that could destroy a terrorist
group or prevent a “rogue” nation from creating a chemical-biological capacity
deep underground”. However the opponents expressed their worry that such nuclear weapons
would eventually be used.
[Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said:» If we build them, we'll use them” and he warned
“Those who pushed for an end to the ban on the low-yield weapons said they
could target enemies more precisely”]
Lies to deceive
the Humankind
Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld said: “the Pentagon only wanted to
consider such weapons… it’s not developing, building, manufacturing, deploying
and it is not using them» However the nuclear armament scientists say
that:
"it opens the door for Americans to develop nuclear weapons
again. It is evident that the
development of such weapons could lead other nations to follow suit and pave the way for a nuclear war» They predict: “the US administration is heading for micro-nukes» After years of diligent
negotiations for global arms control and reduction agreements with the former
Soviet Union and other nations, how can the USA abolish all the nuclear
agreements and justify reviving a nuclear arms race? There is no way the
lifting of bans on nuclear weapons will make this a safer world. Why wouldn't
other nations seek to follow suit? American officials have been freely doling
out advice to other nations on the proper way to disarm. They should take their
own advice.
Reasons to
Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Legal Obligations
The nuclear
weapons states have promised to the
international community to negotiate in good faith to achieve nuclear
disarmament. When they signed the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) accepted this obligation and extended their
promises at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and again at the 2000
NPT Review Conference. India and Pakistan, which are not signatories of the
NPT, have committed themselves to abolish their nuclear arsenals if the other
nuclear weapons states agree to do so. The only nuclear weapons state that has
not made this promise is Israel. Israel is a ‘nuclear terrorist’
state because it has not declared his
nuclear armament in the International Atomic Energy Agency. The International Court of Justice, unanimously
highlighted the obligation to nuclear disarmament in its 1996 Opinion: "There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a
conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under
strict and effective international control." However the USA has denied the
competence of this Tribunal Court, even to try the American criminals of war.
“Double
Standard” for Non-Proliferation
The
obligation to reduce the world's nuclear arsenals to zero is limited only to
the small countries. If nuclear weapons states continue to maintain the
position that nuclear weapons preserve their security, it is only reasonable
that other nations with less powerful military forces, such as North Korea,
will decide that their security should also be maintained by nuclear weapons. The
failure of nuclear weapons states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals will
likely result in the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other nations.
Thus the Non-Proliferation Treaty will be in jeopardy.
The
Nuclear Terrorism.The existences of nuclear weapons endanger our safety because they are susceptible for use by terrorists groups. Nuclear weapons and production sites all over the world are vulnerable to terrorist attack or to theft of weapons or nuclear materials. It is highly dangerous in the case of micro-nukes.
The Nuclear Accidents.
Although the dissolution of ex-Soviet Union has decreased enough the danger of accidental attack, the risk of accidental war through miscommunication, miscalculation or malfunction is especially dangerous given the thousands of nuclear warheads deployed and on high alert status still exists. Given the short time periods available in which to make decisions about whether or not a state is under nuclear attack, the fanatical attitude of the terrorist groups and the paranoia of the hawks in Washington that want to impose by any means the US global domination, this increases the likelihood of a nuclear accident.
The Ethical Problem of Mass Destruction.
The Ancient Greeks in the 6th century b.C had agreed in the Amphiktyonic Conferences that during the wars they should save cities, non-combatant population, water springs, cultivation, trees ect. It is highly immoral to day-2.500 years later-to base the security of a nation on the threat to destroy cities and potentially murder millions of people. This immoral policy is named nuclear deterrence, and it is relied upon by all nuclear weapons states. Nuclear deterrence is a dangerous policy. Its implementation places humanity and most forms of life in jeopardy of annihilation. However violence brings violence and terrorism the anti-terrorism. We have to phase out this vicious circle by measures directing toward Détente and Peace
The Misjudgment of the Leaders.
Nuclear weapons undermine the spirit of Democracy by giving a few leaders the absolute power to destroy the whole world, without the people’s consent. One person to have so much power is against the physical law. If these arrogant leaders make a mistake or misjudgment-as happens frequently in the present times-everyone in the world will pay for it.
The Lack of Openness.
Decisions about nuclear weapons have been made largely in secrecy with little involvement from the public. In the United States, for example, nuclear weapons policy is set forth in highly classified documents, which are not made available to the public and come to public attention only by leaks. The concentration of the absolute power to one leader is heading in the Orwelian oppressive empire. It is time the people to take the issue in their hands.
The Drain on Resources.
Nuclear weapons have drained resources,
including scientific resources, from other more productive uses. A 1998 study
by the Brookings Institution found that between 1940 and 1996 the United States
alone had spent more than $5.5 trillion on nuclear weapons programs. The United
States continues to spend some $25-$35 billion annually on research,
development and maintenance of its nuclear arsenal. The present nuclear
research program of the Pentagon’s is $400.5 billion. All of these misspent resources represent lost
opportunities for striking the poverty and improving the health, education,
climate and welfare of the people of the world. Instead of a new
generation of nuclear weapons the people want more food and education. The
Third World is hungry for investments that now go to harmful armament.
Mother- Nature is sending SOS“Distinguished leaders throughout the world, including generals, admirals, heads of state and government, scientists and Nobel Peace Laureates, have warned of the dangers inherent in relying upon nuclear weapons” These warnings have gone unheeded by the leaders of nuclear weapons states. The Mother- Nature is crying desperately: “For how long I will call you?
IT’S TIME TO STOP THE PARANOIA OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS”
To Take over Our Responsibility.
We each have a responsibility to our children, grandchildren, future generations and the human civilization to eliminate the Nuclear Weapons. We cannot live forever engulfed with the danger of nuclear weapons.
Conclusion
I think
that life is stronger than death. The
humanity is not going to suicide committing
destruction of our planet. I am optimistic that the new generations will
understand the real danger of nuclear weapons and very soon they will abolish them as the
nature abolished the useless dinosaurs. There are so many problems (overpopulation,
ecological catastrophe, exhaustion of the raw material, great revolutions ahead
etc) in front of the humanity that the use of nuclear weapons will
deteriorate and accelerate the end. The main problem now is how man
change his present “way of thinking” concerning the real meaning
of profit ? How he can redefine the meaning
of “progress” and ‘Happiness’ ? For me
progress can be achieved only when we succeed the psycospiritual upgrade of the
human beings and trust and tolerate each other. Let us not forget Einstein's
first impressions of the United States
and Americans, in a news interview for Nieuwe Rotterdamsche
Courant in 1921, which are still valid today: "The United States is the most powerful among the technically
advanced countries in the world today. Its influence on the shaping of
international relations is absolutely incalculable. But America is a large
country, and its people have so far not shown much interest in great
international problems, among which the problem of disarmament occupies first
place today. This must be changed, if only in America's own interest. The last
war has shown that there are no longer any barriers between the continents and
that the destinies of all countries are closely interwoven. The people of this
country must realize that they have a great responsibility in the sphere of
international politics. The part of passive spectator is unworthy of this
country and is bound in the end to lead to disaster all round."
Kostas
Konstantinidis
Author-Journalist
and member of the
Group of ex-NATO Generals for
Peace & Disarmament
No comments:
Post a Comment