August, 19 2010, 01:06pm EDT
New Video Dismantles Myth of Nuclear Deterrence
Sophisticated Animation by 18-Year-Old Filmmaker
SANTA BARBARA, Calif
The Nuclear Age Peace
Foundation has collaborated with a remarkable teenage filmmaker to create a new
video that debunks the Cold War theory that nuclear weapons make us secure.
Called "The Myth of Deterrence," the five-minute video
challenges the dangerous idea that has been at the heart of U.S. foreign policy and nuclear
strategy for many decades.
The video can be viewed at the Foundation website https://www.wagingpeace.org/. It was
scripted by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation President David Krieger and
Director of Programs Rick Wayman, together with filmmaker Erik Choquette.
"The major point of this short video
is that deterrence is a theory, and its reliability is a myth," said Dr.
Krieger. "Deterrence cannot be relied upon for protection. It can
fail at any moment, and the consequences of failure would be
catastrophic. A true understanding of the limits of deterrence provides a
powerful argument for eliminating nuclear
weapons globally."
The inventive and sophisticated animation in the video was created by 18-year-old
Choquette - as a summer project before
he heads off to film school at New
York University.
A Santa Barbara
native, Choquette had won the Foundation's video contest two years
running, in 2008 and 2009, and so was commissioned to create "The Myth of
Deterrence."
Co-writer Rick Wayman says the project
sought to expose the truth about nuclear weapons policy. "The concept of
nuclear deterrence is something that I was taught from a young age is
indispensable to national and global security," Wayman said. "This
video turns the myth of nuclear deterrence on its head and shows that not only
is it based on a number of shaky assumptions, but it also makes the world a
much more dangerous place.
"This new five-minute animated video
will encourage people to think critically about nuclear deterrence and inspire
them to act to create a peaceful world without nuclear weapons."
For more information or interviews, contact David
Krieger at (805) 965-3443. Outside of office hours, contact Rick Wayman, NAPF
Director of Programs, at (805) 696-5159.
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons, and to empower peace leaders.
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