Translate:
EN
Translate:
First off, to put the subject in perspective, there exists in the nuclear arsenals of the nine nations who have nuclear weapons today, over 15,000 nuclear warheads, most of them hundreds of times more powerful than the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan at the end of WWII. Between Russia and America, they share nearly 13,000 of those. Essentially, two men could start a nuclear war, one which would turn Earth into a radioactive dead-zone.
The question that begs to be answered is why do these nations, which includes China, India, Pakistan, France, Israel and Britain, and of course North Korea, have such weapons and why have we, the people, permitted the propagation of weapons of mass destruction; moreover, why are we empowering a handful of men with the fate of the human race?
The "logic" proposed by the propaganda machinery of the post WWII era military and governing officials, was that nuclear weapons would decrease war.
Assuming that reasoning holds any water, why then, have Russia and China continued to build massive military powers, both whom are leveraging their muscle as we speak, and why has the United States built the 2nd largest arsenal of such when they claim to be the protectors of the free world?
Given the proliferation of wars and conflicts, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and countless hundreds of others, resulting in tens of millions dead, are nuclear weapons really bringing peace to our world, or are they actually numbing down humanity, removing our innate abilities as people from the equation, the power to communicate and our empathy for one another.
B.A.N. an acronym for Ban All Nukes, is an initiative started by author of speculative fiction, Réal Laplaine, to add to the international momentum started by such groups as ICAN, Beyond the Bomb, and others, and who, in several of his books helps to raise awareness about our current circumstances, where a handful of men have been empowered to hold nine billion people hostage with weapons of mass destruction, so much the case, that instead of taking away that power and removing the threat, people have generally accepted the matter with apathy - an apathy that must be changed if we are to ensure the future, our children's future and their children's.
"An international treaty banning all nuclear weapons that has been ratified by 51 countries and that campaigners hope will help raise the profile of global deterrence efforts comes into force on Friday.
Although in some respects the step is largely symbolic because the world’s nuclear powers have not signed up, the treaty will be legally binding on the smaller nations that have endorsed it, and it is backed by the UN leadership.
The treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons (TPNW) outlaws the creation, ownership and deployment of nuclear weapons by signatory states and places obligations on them to assist other victims of nuclear weapons use and testing." - The Guardian
Under the banner of B.A.N. or Ban All Nukes, another initiative was born - M.A.N. which stands for MCs Against Nukes. M.A.N. was launched in Sweden in March 2022 in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and his not so subtle threat to the world that he was prepared to use a nuclear assault to defend his insane aggression. In June 2022, Motorcyclists rode into the center of Gothenburg and staged a passive gathering at Götaplatsen. Media showed up to interview the motorcyclists. Göteborgs-Posten, one of the largest papers in Sweden, followed that up with a release, which you can see at this link HERE. In the wake of that ride, M.A.N. was contacted by a senior official of the Swedish branch of Swedish Doctors Against Nuclear Weapons, and the head of ICAN the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons who spotlighted the MC ride through ICAN channels. Moreover, we were also contacted by a senior official of Sweden's United Nations who became aware of our efforts to ban nuclear weapons. Overall, a tremendous kick-off for B.A.N. The next MCs Against Nukes ride into Gothenburg, Sweden, is scheduled for Saturday 13 August. If you'd like to participate please go to this event link and confirm at JOIN THE RIDE
M.A.N. or MCs Against Nukes is an official motorcycle tour, starting in Gothenburg, Sweden, covering a couple hours during which time motorcyclists of all kinds, two, three and four wheelers, will converge and ride, spreading the message that nuclear weapons need to be banned in the world. EVERYONE IS WELCOME. The sponsor for this ride is B.A.N. an acronym for Ban All Nukes, an initiative to abolish nuclear weapons in the world. Exact time and location will be announced soon, as the organizers are busily at work as we speak.
All participants will receive a patch, (see above) to stick to their jackets, bikes, carriers, etc. And as we proceed through the city, we will be handing out leaflets and small stickers encouraging people to become proactive in this campaign against these weapons of mass destruction. If you are interested and would like to receive an invitation when the event details are finalized, please go to B.A.N. at Facebook and like our page and you will receive an invitation for the event soonest. Every voice counts, and every person matters – it is an important message to send to the world, and we look forward to seeing many participating.
Follow B.A.N. on Facebook and for updates on the upcoming tour.
One could argue that weapons of different kinds fit the bill, or gravity, or some other physical force such as the sun, constellations etc., and of course, on a purely physical level all of that would be true. But there is one thing more powerful than all of them, because it is the ONE thing that can mold those powers, leverage them, transcend and manipulate them and that is the power of a MIND. Two centuries ago, we lived in a horse and buggy era, by candlelight, eking out our survival and hoping to live longer than the diseases that assaulted us. Today we're flying to the stars. Today we have hand-held devices that allow us access to an ocean of information and knowledge. Those developments are not because of "evolution" or some "god", they are the result of our ability to envision, to dream, to project and to find ways to make those visions into reality.
A dreamer, Steve Jobs, who wanted to bring computers into the homes of everybody, to empower us, changed the world. Today, smart phones, digital pads and computers are intrinsically weaved into our lives. Just twenty-five years ago, that was not the case.
Ideas are more powerful than anything, because once they are accepted, they have the power to change us and our world - especially when those ideas are packed with emotion.
77 years ago, no one had heard of something called a weapon of mass destruction - an atomic bomb. When America dropped two atomic warheads on Japan in 1945, justifying their use to end a war which the Japanese had already clearly lost, it introduced a new idea to the world - the idea that weapons of such magnitude were justifiable in the pursuit of peace, and that their necessity was predicated on never having another world war.
This "idea" has inculcated the last 7 generations of humanity with the mentality that weapons of mass destruction are a necessity, and that we must live with them, an idea fostered by those who saw opportunity in creating a new arsenal of weapons, so many of them over the years to follow, that now, there exists over 15,000 nuclear warheads hundreds of times more powerful than those dropped on Japan.
Frightening as that is, the more shocking thing is that this idea has become normalized and accepted in our culture, where most people accept this reality without questioning it. I imagine if one had surveyed people back before 1945 and asked them if they would agree to their governments developing weapons that could wipe whole cities off the map, that a majority of them would have declined the offer.
George Orwell, in his book, 1984, presents a picture of a dystopian Earth, where the very meanings of words and concepts have been carefully and deceitfully altered to give them new interpretations. In that world, freedom is equated to government control and a complete lack of privacy, free thought is seen as the enemy and traitorous to the sanctity of the system, war is good and necessary, and hate is redefined as love. These are just ideas, but they were planted in the minds of a culture with enough emotional impact to make them stick, just like 9/11 fostered a new cultural mentality, a willingness to give up some of our privacy and freedom, to achieve more security - thus, many more cameras, government surveillance, entire agencies developed to watch the people.
Since 1945, the world has been taught that nuclear weapons = peace. That it is not far from Orwell's depiction of dystopia, and certainly the very idea is as untrue as it is oxymoronic.
Nuclear weapons have not stopped wars. Not in the least, because in the last 7 decades since WW II, wars have continued and millions have died, and superpowers have built up massive military establishments, including thousands of nuclear weapons. The existence of nuclear weapons, and the fear of annihilation which they bring, have NOT reduced war, they have simply lulled the world into an apathy and acceptance that their use could actually end our culture.
We don't need weapons of mass destruction to deter human beings from war, any more than we need a bullet in the head. We need to tap into something far more powerful than fear, because fear is only used by cowards and tyrants; and governments who rely on such weapons have already demonstrated their inability to do the job of true leadership, which involves communication, diplomacy, empathy, understanding, all those things that transcend pure force. And while it is necessary to use the occasional knuckle sandwich to deal with bullies who appear, we certainly don't have to drop nuclear bombs on them.
Our leaders need to reset their moral compasses and get centered again on what the job is really all about. Leading a nation is not a matter of pulling more muscle than someone else - it's about leading it to new levels, new advances, a better life.
There is no better life when weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs, are being used to hold the world hostage by a handful of men who have not only failed to grasp their real job as leaders, but who are simply playing another game while pretending to lead. It's time for every individual to realize that the world doesn't belong to these few men who can wage war at our expense. It doesn't belong to them, it belongs to us.
It's time for a new idea to take root, that peace is possible without weapons of mass destruction, and to that end, we must not only abolish nuclear weapons, it's time to raise the bar on leadership.
Clearly, it is possible today for just about anyone to jump on the saddle and run a nation, but maybe it's time to set some baseline criteria in place.
It's accepted standard around the world that we don't let doctors, or pilots, or engineers operate until they are trained and licensed to do so. You wouldn't let a doctor perform surgery on you if he/she wasn't trained, or step into a plane with someone who was not certified to fly it, or live in a building engineered and built by a hack, and yet, we do exactly the opposite with leaders. We allow anyone to step up to the soap box and with enough votes and financial backers, he/she is handed the reins to a nation and the lives of millions.
Shouldn't there be some criteria, a baseline for leadership, just like we require of doctors, pilots etc.? Some standard that requires they have demonstrated true leadership skills, actual contribution to their society, the ability to deal with the challenges they will face, and certainly, the mental fortitude and integrity that assures us that they are not following an agenda that backseats the true interests of the people they are meant to serve.
It's only reasonable to assume that the people we elect to lead us are demonstrably capable of doing so and are not war mongers or the types who like to build bombs instead of peace.
The industry of war is one of the largest industries in the world today - that should tell you why nuclear weapons exist and continue to be built - it's very profitable stuff.
There are many people, as we speak, who are fighting to legislate the abolishment of nuclear weapons, and many nations have stepped up to the line, but the 9 nations who actually possess these weapons, refuse to do so. What does that tell you about their leadership?
Time for change.
Article by author, Réal Laplaine www.reallaplaine.com
"So, here's a new idea. Nuclear weapons have not stopped wars. In fact, in the last 7 decades since WW II, wars have continued and millions have died, and meanwhile, governments in 9 nations, have built up a nuclear arsenal to threaten one another with."
This quote is from an article by The Guardian, dated 3 January 2022:
"Five of the world’s most powerful nations have agreed that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought” in a rare joint pledge to reduce the risk of such a conflict ever starting.
The pledge was signed by the US, Russia, China, the UK and France, the five nuclear weapons states recognised by the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) who are also the five permanent members of the UN security council. They are known as the P5 or the N5.
Such a common statement on a major issue of global security has become a rarity at a time of increasing friction between Russia, China and the west. With Moscow threatening to invade Ukraine and China signaling its readiness to use military force against Taiwan, the joint statement represents a renewed commitment to prevent any confrontation turning into a nuclear catastrophe."
Keep in mind what this really means. Russia is bordering on war with Ukraine, China is threatening Taiwan, and we're supposed to believe the word of these military aggressors - who have over 15,000 nuclear weapons between them? Read between the lines, because what it really translates to is a reminder that they have the weapons and if pushed too far, they will use them; and frankly, would you accept the word of the Russian or Chinese President, who are threatening military assaults against other nations as we speak? It is a parade, a show, but it isn't very convincing, and it certainly is not a guarantee that given the circumstances, hell would not be unleashed on the world by men with other agendas - certainly not peace.
The only answer is to abolish nuclear weapons, because in the hands of dictators, tyrants and autocrats, such as Russian, China, North Korea, etc., even more democratic leadership elsewhere, it's simply one button away from a global holocaust.
Join a movement to ban nukes. Every voice counts, and if our voices aren't being heard, then we better yell even louder.
Speak up against them. Don't permit the continued "normalization" of a world where weapons of mass destruction are being used to hold everyone hostage by a handful of men who have no right to do so.
Do something proactive because if we don't, a small handful of men, about nine in fact, ego-driven, power-hungry and certainly off-center, will do something insane and then it's too late.
Add your voice and support by following B.A.N. Ban All Nukes on Facebook
Article by,
Réal Laplaine Author of speculative fiction novels
His book, Twilight Visitor - a contemporary geopolitical thriller where an energy-desperate China invades Iran for its oil fields and Iran retaliates with a nuclear weapon fired at Beijing, has received top reviews, and has been compared to the works of Dan Brown, Jack Higgins and Tom Clancy
Like all baby boomers of the post WWII era, I grew up in an era which never existed before my time - it was the era of the threat of nuclear war. As young kids in elementary school, we routinely did bomb drills, aware that at any time, something could fall from the sky and kill us. It was a pretty brutal reality to face at the age of seven or eight, and I think for most, it just became normalized to face the possibility of evisceration - that at any time, the Cold War between America and the USSR, could result in everyone suffering a horrible fate. For over seven decades now, kids have grown up with a mental state, a sort of complacent zeitgeist, that nuclear weapons exist and that if used, would probably result in a very decimated world. In the wake of America's use of two atomic bombs on Japan, governmental, military and other invested agencies started a campaign to the effect that nuclear weapons would be a deterrent to war. It was pure propaganda, because in the last seven decades, we've seen many wars waged in many places, many of them by America, and tens of millions have died...so, one might question the workability of that mantra. More to the point, since ego-driven testosterone men, mostly men, like to shoot bullets at one another for reasons mostly associated with landgrabs (witness current Russia) or other agendas that make the industry of war one of the most profitable ones in the world, why do nuclear weapons exist? And why should we permit a handful of men, literally nine men in nine different countries who possess such weapons, the power to use them to the end of a catastrophic result for the human race? The question that begs to be answered is quite simple: who does planet Earth belong to?
Read full article here
"Those who insist on building a military prowess, including weapons of mass destruction, are not intent on promoting peace, they are proponents of war, conflict and hatred."
How many would die?
Copyright © 2023 Author, Real Laplaine - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy