It's Time to Rid the World of Nuclear Weapons
Skeptics may say a nuclear-free world is an impossible dream, but they said that about slavery and apartheid too
This year the nuclear bomb turns 65 - an appropriate age, by
international standards, for compulsory retirement. But do our leaders
have the courage and wisdom to rid the planet of this ultimate menace?
The five-yearly review of the ailing nuclear non-proliferation
treaty, currently under way at the United Nations in New York, will
test the strength of governments'
commitment to a nuclear-weapon-free world.
If they are
serious about realizing this vision, they will work now to shift the
focus from the failed policy of nuclear arms control, which assumes that
a select few states can be trusted with these weapons, to nuclear
abolition. Just as we have outlawed other categories of particularly
inhuman and indiscriminate weapons - from biological and chemical agents
to anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions - we must now turn
our attention to outlawing the most iniquitous weapons of all.
Gains
in nuclear disarmament to date have come much too slowly. More than
23,000 nuclear arms remain in global stockpiles, breeding enmity and
mistrust among nations, and casting a shadow over us all. None of the
nuclear-armed countries appears to be preparing for a future without
these terrifying devices. Their failure to disarm has spurred nuclear
proliferation, and will continue to destabilize the planet unless we
radically alter our trajectory now. Forty years after the NPT entered
into force, we should seriously question whether we are on track to
abolition.
D is not an option for governments to take up or
ignore. It is a moral duty owed by them to their own citizens, and to
humanity as a whole. We must not await another Hiroshima or Nagasaki
before finally mustering the political will to banish these weapons from
global arsenals. Governments should agree at this NPT review conference
to toss their nuclear arms into the dustbin of history, along with
those other monstrous evils of our time - slavery and apartheid.
Skeptics tell us, and have told us for many years, that we are wasting our time
pursuing the dream of a world without nuclear weapons, as it can never
be realized. But more than a few people said the same about ending
entrenched racial segregation in South Africa and abolishing slavery in
the United States. Often they had a perceived interest in maintaining
the status quo. Systems and policies that devalue human life, and
deprive us all of our right to live in peace with each other, are rarely
able to withstand the pressure created by a highly organized public
that is determined to see change.
The most obvious and
realistic path to a nuclear-weapon-free world is for nations to
negotiate a legally binding ban, which would include a timeline for
elimination and establish an institutional framework to ensure
compliance. Two-thirds of all governments have called for such a treaty,
known as a nuclear weapons convention, and UN secretary general Ban
Ki-moon has voiced his support for the idea. Only the nuclear weapon
states and NATO members are holding us back.
Successful
efforts to prohibit other classes of weapons provide evidence that,
where there is political momentum and widespread popular support,
obstacles which may at first appear insurmountable can very often be
torn down. Nuclear abolition is the democratic wish of the world's
people, and has been our goal almost since the dawn of the atomic age.
Together, we have the power to decide whether the nuclear era ends in a
bang or worldwide celebration.
Last April in the Czech
capital, Prague, President Barack
Obama announced that the United States would seek the peace and
security of a world without nuclear weapons, but he warned that
nations probably would not eliminate their arsenals in his lifetime. I
am three decades older than the US president, yet I am confident that
both of us will live to see the day when the last nuclear weapon is
dismantled. We just need to think outside the bomb.
Desmond Tutu is a patron of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In the coming weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
This year the nuclear bomb turns 65 - an appropriate age, by
international standards, for compulsory retirement. But do our leaders
have the courage and wisdom to rid the planet of this ultimate menace?
The five-yearly review of the ailing nuclear non-proliferation
treaty, currently under way at the United Nations in New York, will
test the strength of governments'
commitment to a nuclear-weapon-free world.
If they are
serious about realizing this vision, they will work now to shift the
focus from the failed policy of nuclear arms control, which assumes that
a select few states can be trusted with these weapons, to nuclear
abolition. Just as we have outlawed other categories of particularly
inhuman and indiscriminate weapons - from biological and chemical agents
to anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions - we must now turn
our attention to outlawing the most iniquitous weapons of all.
Gains
in nuclear disarmament to date have come much too slowly. More than
23,000 nuclear arms remain in global stockpiles, breeding enmity and
mistrust among nations, and casting a shadow over us all. None of the
nuclear-armed countries appears to be preparing for a future without
these terrifying devices. Their failure to disarm has spurred nuclear
proliferation, and will continue to destabilize the planet unless we
radically alter our trajectory now. Forty years after the NPT entered
into force, we should seriously question whether we are on track to
abolition.
D is not an option for governments to take up or
ignore. It is a moral duty owed by them to their own citizens, and to
humanity as a whole. We must not await another Hiroshima or Nagasaki
before finally mustering the political will to banish these weapons from
global arsenals. Governments should agree at this NPT review conference
to toss their nuclear arms into the dustbin of history, along with
those other monstrous evils of our time - slavery and apartheid.
Skeptics tell us, and have told us for many years, that we are wasting our time
pursuing the dream of a world without nuclear weapons, as it can never
be realized. But more than a few people said the same about ending
entrenched racial segregation in South Africa and abolishing slavery in
the United States. Often they had a perceived interest in maintaining
the status quo. Systems and policies that devalue human life, and
deprive us all of our right to live in peace with each other, are rarely
able to withstand the pressure created by a highly organized public
that is determined to see change.
The most obvious and
realistic path to a nuclear-weapon-free world is for nations to
negotiate a legally binding ban, which would include a timeline for
elimination and establish an institutional framework to ensure
compliance. Two-thirds of all governments have called for such a treaty,
known as a nuclear weapons convention, and UN secretary general Ban
Ki-moon has voiced his support for the idea. Only the nuclear weapon
states and NATO members are holding us back.
Successful
efforts to prohibit other classes of weapons provide evidence that,
where there is political momentum and widespread popular support,
obstacles which may at first appear insurmountable can very often be
torn down. Nuclear abolition is the democratic wish of the world's
people, and has been our goal almost since the dawn of the atomic age.
Together, we have the power to decide whether the nuclear era ends in a
bang or worldwide celebration.
Last April in the Czech
capital, Prague, President Barack
Obama announced that the United States would seek the peace and
security of a world without nuclear weapons, but he warned that
nations probably would not eliminate their arsenals in his lifetime. I
am three decades older than the US president, yet I am confident that
both of us will live to see the day when the last nuclear weapon is
dismantled. We just need to think outside the bomb.
Desmond Tutu is a patron of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
This year the nuclear bomb turns 65 - an appropriate age, by
international standards, for compulsory retirement. But do our leaders
have the courage and wisdom to rid the planet of this ultimate menace?
The five-yearly review of the ailing nuclear non-proliferation
treaty, currently under way at the United Nations in New York, will
test the strength of governments'
commitment to a nuclear-weapon-free world.
If they are
serious about realizing this vision, they will work now to shift the
focus from the failed policy of nuclear arms control, which assumes that
a select few states can be trusted with these weapons, to nuclear
abolition. Just as we have outlawed other categories of particularly
inhuman and indiscriminate weapons - from biological and chemical agents
to anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions - we must now turn
our attention to outlawing the most iniquitous weapons of all.
Gains
in nuclear disarmament to date have come much too slowly. More than
23,000 nuclear arms remain in global stockpiles, breeding enmity and
mistrust among nations, and casting a shadow over us all. None of the
nuclear-armed countries appears to be preparing for a future without
these terrifying devices. Their failure to disarm has spurred nuclear
proliferation, and will continue to destabilize the planet unless we
radically alter our trajectory now. Forty years after the NPT entered
into force, we should seriously question whether we are on track to
abolition.
D is not an option for governments to take up or
ignore. It is a moral duty owed by them to their own citizens, and to
humanity as a whole. We must not await another Hiroshima or Nagasaki
before finally mustering the political will to banish these weapons from
global arsenals. Governments should agree at this NPT review conference
to toss their nuclear arms into the dustbin of history, along with
those other monstrous evils of our time - slavery and apartheid.
Skeptics tell us, and have told us for many years, that we are wasting our time
pursuing the dream of a world without nuclear weapons, as it can never
be realized. But more than a few people said the same about ending
entrenched racial segregation in South Africa and abolishing slavery in
the United States. Often they had a perceived interest in maintaining
the status quo. Systems and policies that devalue human life, and
deprive us all of our right to live in peace with each other, are rarely
able to withstand the pressure created by a highly organized public
that is determined to see change.
The most obvious and
realistic path to a nuclear-weapon-free world is for nations to
negotiate a legally binding ban, which would include a timeline for
elimination and establish an institutional framework to ensure
compliance. Two-thirds of all governments have called for such a treaty,
known as a nuclear weapons convention, and UN secretary general Ban
Ki-moon has voiced his support for the idea. Only the nuclear weapon
states and NATO members are holding us back.
Successful
efforts to prohibit other classes of weapons provide evidence that,
where there is political momentum and widespread popular support,
obstacles which may at first appear insurmountable can very often be
torn down. Nuclear abolition is the democratic wish of the world's
people, and has been our goal almost since the dawn of the atomic age.
Together, we have the power to decide whether the nuclear era ends in a
bang or worldwide celebration.
Last April in the Czech
capital, Prague, President Barack
Obama announced that the United States would seek the peace and
security of a world without nuclear weapons, but he warned that
nations probably would not eliminate their arsenals in his lifetime. I
am three decades older than the US president, yet I am confident that
both of us will live to see the day when the last nuclear weapon is
dismantled. We just need to think outside the bomb.
Desmond Tutu is a patron of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons