"A Padded Cell But For Who?"
According to Al Jazeera today, Jimmy Carter has revealed in a speech that: "The US has more than 12,000 nuclear weapons, the [former] Soviet Union has about the same; Great Britain and France have several hundred, and Israel has 150 or more."
Seeing these totals and the names ‘Israel‘ and ‘America‘ makes me scared. Very. Why? Those two countries have more than their fair share of religious fanatics and crazy imperial nationalists.
Of course, to this total we have to add the atomic weapons that China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea possess (and probably many more nations that have either developed them themselves or been supplied with them by some of the competing major powers). That would make more that 30,000 plus nuclear weapons sitting in missile launch sites or on ships or in bombers. Ominously, they are just waiting there and there are lots of itchy trigger fingers around!
Can you imagine what the world would be like if 30,000 atomic weapons were detonated, or 20,000, or 5,000 or even 1,000? Have a look at photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where they used Tom Thumb devices and then multiply that horror infinitely.
How have we got to this point? What madness has possessed humans to arm themselves to the stage that any future war can have no winners? Why have we allowed our leaders to move in this direction when clearly they must be deranged?
George Bush has said over and over that, with Iran, the ‘nuclear option’ is on the table. He loves saying it. He obviously gets off on saying it. Perhaps he thinks such boasting makes up for his tiny genitals and the lack of a brain. Golda Mier, in the past, has proudly said that Israel, if pushed, will use atomic weapons even if that means destroying the whole Middle East. The current crop of Israeli leaders entertain similar lunatic ideas. Armageddonists all over the world can’t wait for the nukes to start falling and the Second Coming or the Rapture to begin!
There is no sane human being on this earth that would approve of the current fraught world situation or the use of nukes. Yet those who we elected to lead us have taken us there. We, the people, have been fed a load of old cobblers. We who live in so-called ‘democracies’ don’t!
We are ruled by cunning despots who use us as pawns in their games as they seek infinite wealth and/or power. They will use nukes at the drop of a hat if it suits their purposes. Surely it’s time to stop this madness and take back our world, turn it into a place of peace.
But obviously, first of all, we have to put most of our leaders into padded cells where they belong.
And if we can’t do that, then start digging!
Amazingly it was John McCain today saying that he wants to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and will reduce Americas nucear arsenal significantly and seek the same from Russia & China. It is not the total outlawing i would like to see but is a step in the right direction.
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Beware the words of a politician, Lucy. They generally speak with forked tongues.
Cheers.
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John McCain promoting the reducing of America’s nuclear arsenal? LOL My goodness, anyone who believes he would actually do that if elected Pres’dent needs to consider using milk on their Cheerios instead of vodka in the mornings. If I had a dollar for every “promise” a politican made pre-election, that he then broke or ignored after he was elected, I would be a Republican with a yacht and a hefty stock portfolio comprised of mostly oil and gas corporations.
Sorta like that one guy who promised to “unite and not divide” back in 2000…or the one who said “read my lips: no new taxes”….or maybe it was the one who said “I will restore honor and dignity to the White House”…hmm…um, gee, those were all Republicans…uh….never mind… what party is John McCain in again?
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The one that most politicians are in, Demon. It’s called the Me-First Party! Cheers.
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It is all part of the natural process. Either we survive or we do not. Nature really does not care. Nuclear weapons are just one of many challenges we humans face. Over population, resource depletion, pollution, global warming and human arrogance and greed threaten our long term survival.
The twenty-first century will be the defining century for the human race. We are playing what I call “The Numbers Game.”
How many people can we stuff onto planet Earth and not destroy our habitat? How many tons of greenhouse gases can we pump into the atmosphere and not cause a run away greenhouse catastrophe? How many roads and buildings can we build on prime agriculture land before we run out of growing space needed to feed a growing population? How many fish can we take out of the oceans before there are no more fish? How many tons of dangerous chemicals can we flush out into the environment before we poison our planet beyond repair? How many nukes can we “actually” use in a conflict before the resultant radiation kills everything on the planet? And so forth…….
Every question above has a critical number associated with it. No one can really say what the number might be. Many of us do not care.
Our major religions tell us that our big daddy in the sky will come down in the nick of time and “save” the “true” believers. Most of us are just so greedy and arrogant and self centered to be bothered.
There are some crying in the wilderness but they are being drowned out by the majority who are sheep being led to the slaughter by religious and political leaders who are only interested in their own power and privileges.
We humans are playing a very dangerous numbers game.
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The nuclear weapon threat although a worry is way down on the list of the human tragedy, that is slowly catching us all in its web.
The powers that be know the writing is on the wall,but there is nothing they can do.
In some small way you see it in your own neighborhood,the muggings,the bashing of old ladies,kids screaming around the streets in high powered vehicles and parking them in peoples bedrooms,the Police investigating crime one day and committing it another.
The large retail outlets offering up to 4 yrs interest free terms, for a piece of shite that has been made by slave labor in China, that will be rooted before it’s paid for.
Our kids being told the world is their oyster,only if they come and stand behind a counter in some smelly hamburger or chicken outlet,.and be turned into a mind dead zombie.
You know,I was watching the first Q&A the other evening on my local A.B.C. with Rudd as the guest,some dude was heart broken on a 150.000k a year,about him losing the baby bonus!!! He and his wife were getting into a flap about “Should they have a baby” Well maybe just the sex who knows?
Not a great profound earth shattering observation I know! But it told me volumes about where we are at in the world.
It’s funny,as the mortgage foreclosures pile up,and the price of fuel will cost more a year than the vehicle it’s going in,and the mobile phones are put in the bin, may be, just maybe the retards who thought all this could go on forever, just may be seeing a trend.
I am not holding my breath.
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Hey, Phill, they still think it’s going to go on forever.
Look at the world reaction to global warming: take food which starving people need and turn it into petrol so we can keep those vehicles running.
Madness. Total madness!
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Odd Points :
When Australia gave up development of nuclear weapons it seems to be the only country that ever did. If Nelson purchased cluster bombs are we 100% sure he didn’t included a few nuclear warheads to deal with those fractious East Timorese.
Depleted Uranium has already caused the next nuclear holocaust – in Iraqi and the Balkans.
The impending nuclear catastrophe is not one of deployment against Iran , but in the failing storage facilities in the U.S now that will be ironic
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“Forgive them for they know not what they do!”
Wise words. Fitting, don’t you think?
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David F., I neglected to respond to your excellent post. Sorry.
Your point about the ‘Religious’ types not caring about our planet and nuclear war because they believe they are going to another place (poor fools) is an excellent one. Politicians, of course, are blighted by another form of madness, that of power.
The chaos theory prevails. Won’t someone lock me up?
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Quite Fitting.
I have become fascinated with the proposition that we react to worse of ourselves we see reflected in others.
US govt as the premiere terrorist organization denounces any who question their actions as the same.
A persons fear of their own failings manifests a perfect god.
A desire for a higher income appears as criticism of those in that position.
Fear is the most dangerous reflection those who fear difference the most seem to be the ones promising the nuclear solution.
I am coming to enjoy my fears and failings , developing a bemused and compassionate attitude to them . Working through my absolute distrust of the police , I see my fear of hysterical self validating consensus in society. Something I am sure that Bill Henson has come to fully appreciate.
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‘I am coming to enjoy my fears and failings , developing a bemused and compassionate attitude to them…’ you say, Jonah!
I feel the same way but it’s when I see the fears and failings of others that I start to get worried!
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Quick response to Lucy … Russia has already drastically reduced their nuclear arsenal. This was likely more financially motivated than political, but they have been urging the US to do the same for years and so far … ???
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Wonderful article and sincere comments. Thought-provoking, though chilling. Thanks.
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