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War & Peace
Where is the nuclear abolition movement today?
Protest in New York City during the 2010 NPT Review Conference
The vision of a world without nuclear weapons has not only inspired a widespread and important social movement in past decades,[1] but continues to do so today. Nuclear disarmament is currently a central demand of the world peace movement—a complex network of organizations drawn together on the international and national levels, as well as on the basis of constituency. In addition, nuclear abolition garners the support of many other civil society groups, such as religious bodies, labour unions, environmental groups and political parties. Furthermore, much of the public also backs the development of a nuclear-weapon free world. This article will examine today’s activist campaign against nuclear weapons, as well as public opinion. It also will explore some of the obstacles faced by disarmament activists and discuss how the efficacy of their disarmament campaign might be improved.
Bruce Gagnon: REACHING THE HEARTS OF EMBASSY WORKERS, Jeju Island South Korea,
Walk the Walk in Western Australia with Footprints for Peace
From our friends, the tireless walkers of Footprints for Peace, an invitation to join them. In person, in solidarity, in spirit, and however else you feel inspired.
From Footprints for Peace: A call to walk for a nuclear-free future.
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Nuclear Free Future Campaign Coordinator
Footprints for Peace, Australia
www.nuclearfreefuture.com
City on Fire
Lynn Eden looked at the effect of only ONE bomb in this chilling examination of an often ignored consequence of nuclear warfare- the firestorm. Military experts have said the likelihood of only a single bomb being dropped would be low to non-existent. Multiple bombs would make this scenario even more devastating.
City on Fire
by Lynn Eden
By ignoring the fire damage that would result from a nuclear attack and taking into account blast damage alone, U.S. war planners were able to demand a far larger nuclear arsenal than necessary.
A-infos Radio Project Helen Caldicott on the Three Global Crises
| New World Notes | |
| Weekly Program | |
| Helen Caldicott, MD | |
| Kenneth Dowst | |
| For non-profit use only. | |
Attribution Non-commercial (by-nc)  |
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| No Advisories - program content screened and verified. | |
| Famed antinuke crusader Helen Caldicott, MD, displays her signature combination of wit, compassion, passion, and technical expertise. She spoke in Houston on November 12, 2010. Caldicott discusses, in turn, what she sees as the three greatest threats to life on earth--global warming, nuclear war, and nuclear power--and urges the audience to take concrete actions against each. She even suggests a few specific actions. With preface by K.D. & a song by Tom Lehrer. |
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For more info and to download podcast or listen to program CLICK HERE
Secret files from 70s reveal Trident strike needed 'to kill 10m Russians'
One more example of the surreal and terrible logic of military thinking.
The Guardian l Rob Edwards 26 December, 2010
Secret files from 70s reveal Trident strike needed 'to kill 10m Russians'
Whitehall documents written in 1970s and marked 'personal and top secret' show logic of British Cold War deterrent
The British government opted for the Trident nuclear weapons system because it estimated it could kill up to 10 million Russians and inflict "unacceptable damage" on the former Soviet Union, according to secret Whitehall documents written in the 1970s.
The macabre calculations that underpinned the decision in 1980 to replace Polaris nuclear missiles with Trident have been revealed by a Ministry of Defence memo, marked "personal and top secret". In a nuclear war, Britain would have had to be prepared "to finish what we start", it said.
Other MoD documents set out in chilling detail exactly how an attack on Moscow and St Petersburg could cause enough death and destruction "to bring about the breakdown of the city as a functioning community".
A Human Approach to World Peace: The Dalai Lama
On this day, a message from the Dalai Lama. He needs no introduction, and his words speak for themselves. His message must be heard and understood by all, individually, in order that we truly become one people, working together compassionately in these troubled times.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet 25 December, 2010
When we rise in the morning and listen to the radio or read the newspaper, we are confronted with the same sad news: violence, crime, wars, and disasters. I cannot recall a single day without a report of something terrible happening somewhere. Even in these modern times it is clear that one's precious life is not safe. No former generation has had to experience so much bad news as we face today; this constant awareness of fear and tension should make any sensitive and compassionate person question seriously the progress of our modern world.
It is ironic that the more serious problems emanate from the more industrially advanced societies. Science and technology have worked wonders in many fields, but the basic human problems remain. There is unprecedented literacy, yet this universal education does not seem to have fostered goodness, but only mental restlessness and discontent instead. There is no doubt about the increase in our material progress and technology, but somehow this is not sufficient as we have not yet succeeded in bringing about peace and happiness or in overcoming suffering.
We can only conclude that there must be something seriously wrong with our progress and development, and if we do not check it in time there could be disastrous consequences for the future of humanity. I am not at all against science and technology - they have contributed immensely to the overall experience of humankind; to our material comfort and well-being and to our greater understanding of the world we live in. But if we give too much emphasis to science and technology we are in danger of losing touch with those aspects of human knowledge and understanding that aspire towards honesty and altruism.
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations WASHINGTON, DC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 22, 2010
CONTACT: SFRC Communications, 202-224-3468
Chairman Kerry’s Closing Floor Statement On New START
Washington, D.C. – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today delivered closing remarks regarding the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on the Senate floor.
The full text of Chairman Kerry’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. President, as we end our debate on the New START Treaty, I believe we can say the Senate has done its duty, and done it with diligence, serious purpose, and honor. And I am confident that our nation’s security—and that of the world—will be enhanced by ratifying this treaty.
We began providing our advice on this treaty a year and a half ago, when negotiations between the United States and Russia first began. Over the subsequent months we listened and questioned and pushed as the administration’s negotiators shaped this agreement. And once it was submitted for our review in May, we scrutinized it carefully through hearings and briefings and hundreds of questions. Three different committees reviewed this treaty, including of course the Foreign Relations Committee, which ultimately drafted the resolution of advice and consent that we have been considering. That resolution was the product of a bipartisan effort, and I am pleased to say that the resolution we are voting on now is the product of further bipartisanship, with amendments from our Republican colleagues that we accepted last night and this morning.
When we began this debate eight days ago, I quoted Chris Dodd’s farewell address, in which he reminded us that the Founding Fathers had designed the Senate with these moments in mind. I think over the past week we have lived up to our moment. Senators have had the opportunity to speak and debate. The fact is, we have considered this treaty—a less complicated or far-reaching treaty than START I—for longer than we considered START I and START II combined. But this time gave us the opportunity to explore the nuclear challenge in great depth in a Senate that has not considered arms control for some time. We have discussed the requirements of nuclear deterrence, the need for missile defenses, the importance of our nuclear weapons complex, the need to negotiate on tactical nuclear weapons, and the centrality of verification to arms control.
I know that we have not always agreed on all of these issues, but we have considered them with the gravity and the seriousness that the subject requires. In the end, I hope that most of us have come to agree that we should provide our consent to this critical treaty.
Bruce Gagnon: Organizing Notes Interview with Helen Caldicott
How to Survive a Nuclear Attack
Shelter in place for how long exactly? And who will be there to provide accurate information? Notice that the example of people outside L.A. carefully avoids mentioning people in L.A.
One of the unspoken problems of the aftermath of a nuclear bombing is the same as in a nuclear accident- it's not that evacuation plans don't exist, it's that they are not implementable. There is no realistic expectation of avoiding massive casualties in the event of a nuclear attack, or a nuclear meltdown. It is irresponsible, as we struggle to get the Republican side of the government to accept the necessary goal of nuclear disarmament, to suggest that staying inside your home or an office building will really protect you in the long run.
Instead of handing out misleading panaceas to reassure americans that nuclear attacks are survivable, we should put our focus on preventing them by working towards peaceful solutions to the problems facing us.
CBSNews l 16 december, 2010
Touching on a subject most people prefer to avoid, the Obama administration is planning to educate the public about dealing with the effects of a nuclear bomb.
"We have to get past the mental block that says it's too terrible to think about," W. Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told the New York Times. "We have to be ready to deal with it."
Martin Hellman, professor emeritus of electrical engineering at Stanford and co-inventor of public key cryptography, who has been focusing on nuclear deterrence for the past 25 years, said that a baby born today, with an expected lifetime of 80 years, faces a greater than 50-50 chance that a nuclear weapon attack will occur unless the number of weapons and available weapons-grade material is radically reduced.
