Each year in commemoration of the more than 200,000 people who died in the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, participants write messages of peace on paper lanterns and float them down the Motoyasu River. (Photo: JMacPherson/Flickr/cc)
Hope On This Hiroshima Day
Seventy-two years after the U.S dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and three days later on Nagasaki, there is hope that we will finally see the abolition of these most deadly weapons of mass destruction, for this year on July 7 an historic treaty banning nuclear weapons, like every other weapon of mass destruction, was adopted at the United Nations. Recognizing and responding to the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear war, the world has come together and spoken.
In drafting the treaty, nations have acknowledged the science that proves how even a small regional nuclear war using less than one-half of a percent of the global nuclear arsenals would result in the deaths of two billion people on the planet from the nuclear famine that would follow.
Refusing to be held hostage by the nuclear nations any longer, 122 non-nuclear nations brought forth a bold new vision with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This Treaty sets a new norm of international behavior and responsibility and when ratified, enforces that nations never develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess, stockpile, transfer, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The treaty establishes humanitarian rights for those that have been victims of nuclear weapons or weapons testing including the right to live in an environment that has been cleared from the damage done by them. It notes that women and children are disproportionately harmed by radiation. The treaty opens for signature on September 20, and once 50 nations have signed and ratified, it becomes law 90 days later.
Nations who continue to possess and threaten the use of nuclear weapons will now be outside of international law and norms. The failed theory of nuclear deterrence will be shown for what it is, namely the greatest driver of the arms race with each step in deterrence simply setting the new benchmark which must be exceeded by adversary nations. Deterrence didn't work during the Cold War nor does it work with North Korea or any nation. Only when the U.S. and Russia embrace the reality that individual national security isn't possible without collective security, will the rest of the world feel secure in eliminating their arsenals. Now is the time for new thinking.
The Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombs, have waited their entire lives for this day. Setsuko Thurlow speaking at the United Nations after the treaty's adoption said, "I have been waiting for this day for seven decades and I am overjoyed that it has finally arrived...This is the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons." She concluded by saying, "Nuclear weapons have always been immoral, now they are also illegal."
So let us give pause this day of remembrance and recognize the opportunity before us. Each of us has a role to play in demanding that our governments ratify this treaty. Let us begin the hard work in abolishing these weapons forever. The health and future of our children depend upon it.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters 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. |
Seventy-two years after the U.S dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and three days later on Nagasaki, there is hope that we will finally see the abolition of these most deadly weapons of mass destruction, for this year on July 7 an historic treaty banning nuclear weapons, like every other weapon of mass destruction, was adopted at the United Nations. Recognizing and responding to the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear war, the world has come together and spoken.
In drafting the treaty, nations have acknowledged the science that proves how even a small regional nuclear war using less than one-half of a percent of the global nuclear arsenals would result in the deaths of two billion people on the planet from the nuclear famine that would follow.
Refusing to be held hostage by the nuclear nations any longer, 122 non-nuclear nations brought forth a bold new vision with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This Treaty sets a new norm of international behavior and responsibility and when ratified, enforces that nations never develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess, stockpile, transfer, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The treaty establishes humanitarian rights for those that have been victims of nuclear weapons or weapons testing including the right to live in an environment that has been cleared from the damage done by them. It notes that women and children are disproportionately harmed by radiation. The treaty opens for signature on September 20, and once 50 nations have signed and ratified, it becomes law 90 days later.
Nations who continue to possess and threaten the use of nuclear weapons will now be outside of international law and norms. The failed theory of nuclear deterrence will be shown for what it is, namely the greatest driver of the arms race with each step in deterrence simply setting the new benchmark which must be exceeded by adversary nations. Deterrence didn't work during the Cold War nor does it work with North Korea or any nation. Only when the U.S. and Russia embrace the reality that individual national security isn't possible without collective security, will the rest of the world feel secure in eliminating their arsenals. Now is the time for new thinking.
The Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombs, have waited their entire lives for this day. Setsuko Thurlow speaking at the United Nations after the treaty's adoption said, "I have been waiting for this day for seven decades and I am overjoyed that it has finally arrived...This is the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons." She concluded by saying, "Nuclear weapons have always been immoral, now they are also illegal."
So let us give pause this day of remembrance and recognize the opportunity before us. Each of us has a role to play in demanding that our governments ratify this treaty. Let us begin the hard work in abolishing these weapons forever. The health and future of our children depend upon it.
Seventy-two years after the U.S dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and three days later on Nagasaki, there is hope that we will finally see the abolition of these most deadly weapons of mass destruction, for this year on July 7 an historic treaty banning nuclear weapons, like every other weapon of mass destruction, was adopted at the United Nations. Recognizing and responding to the medical and humanitarian consequences of nuclear war, the world has come together and spoken.
In drafting the treaty, nations have acknowledged the science that proves how even a small regional nuclear war using less than one-half of a percent of the global nuclear arsenals would result in the deaths of two billion people on the planet from the nuclear famine that would follow.
Refusing to be held hostage by the nuclear nations any longer, 122 non-nuclear nations brought forth a bold new vision with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This Treaty sets a new norm of international behavior and responsibility and when ratified, enforces that nations never develop, test, produce, manufacture, acquire, possess, stockpile, transfer, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The treaty establishes humanitarian rights for those that have been victims of nuclear weapons or weapons testing including the right to live in an environment that has been cleared from the damage done by them. It notes that women and children are disproportionately harmed by radiation. The treaty opens for signature on September 20, and once 50 nations have signed and ratified, it becomes law 90 days later.
Nations who continue to possess and threaten the use of nuclear weapons will now be outside of international law and norms. The failed theory of nuclear deterrence will be shown for what it is, namely the greatest driver of the arms race with each step in deterrence simply setting the new benchmark which must be exceeded by adversary nations. Deterrence didn't work during the Cold War nor does it work with North Korea or any nation. Only when the U.S. and Russia embrace the reality that individual national security isn't possible without collective security, will the rest of the world feel secure in eliminating their arsenals. Now is the time for new thinking.
The Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombs, have waited their entire lives for this day. Setsuko Thurlow speaking at the United Nations after the treaty's adoption said, "I have been waiting for this day for seven decades and I am overjoyed that it has finally arrived...This is the beginning of the end of nuclear weapons." She concluded by saying, "Nuclear weapons have always been immoral, now they are also illegal."
So let us give pause this day of remembrance and recognize the opportunity before us. Each of us has a role to play in demanding that our governments ratify this treaty. Let us begin the hard work in abolishing these weapons forever. The health and future of our children depend upon it.