Disarmament does not lead to peace. Disarmament is a consequence of peace.
- Stephen Schuker, 2002
Nuclear Disarmament should be seen as a sign of tremendous human progress. The Twentieth Century saw mankind reach for the bomb and with it the power of life and death over all complex life on the planet. The threat now of Environmental Destruction from pollution or biological weapons manufacture pales in comparison to the nuclear button. Nuclear armament has been the first existential threat humanity has faced in all recorded history. It surely will not be the last. This threat has not been nor probably will it ever be completely eliminated. Nevertheless, the current push towards global reduction of arms reflects increasing world peace and security.
1 comment:
I'm still mulling over whether having nuclear weapons might not decrease the likelihood of major wars between states.
Of course, it does help not having them permanently armed and targeted at potential enemies, like in the Cold War days. And of course proliferation does lead to the likelihood of some millenarian group getting their hands on one eventually. Still, its worth having the debate...
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