Remembering Hiroshima, 60 Years Later
Sixty years ago today, at 8:15 AM, the Enola Gay dropped the world's first atomic bomb used in military action, leveling the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Approximately 140,000 people died due to the bomb and its aftermath.
It is a moment that will forever be remembered, and people around the world are doing just that. But the question remains-have we learned anything from this incident?
Sadly, I would say we have learned very little. Nuclear proliferation continues. True-we did sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970. This has generally been effective in preventing new nuclear states. Yet it didn't prevent Pakistan from testing a nuclear weapon. And Washington recently sold India sensitive nuclear technology.
Disturbingly, the recently-appointed U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, has belittled arms-control agreements in the past. He accused the Clinton administration of
He also helped the U.S. withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. And this is the man who is going to bring world peace? These are sad times we are living in. Not only have we forgotten Hiroshima, but we are well on our way to making the same mistakes again. The Department of Defense is now investigating new nuclear weapons that have the ability to strike underground. These so-called "bunker busters" are an insult to the victims of Hiroshima. The U.S. should be ashamed.
It is a moment that will forever be remembered, and people around the world are doing just that. But the question remains-have we learned anything from this incident?
Sadly, I would say we have learned very little. Nuclear proliferation continues. True-we did sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970. This has generally been effective in preventing new nuclear states. Yet it didn't prevent Pakistan from testing a nuclear weapon. And Washington recently sold India sensitive nuclear technology.
Disturbingly, the recently-appointed U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, has belittled arms-control agreements in the past. He accused the Clinton administration of
"...fascination with arms control agreements as a substitute for real nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction."(John Bolton, "A Legacy of Betrayal," Washington Times , May 12, 1999.)
He also helped the U.S. withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. And this is the man who is going to bring world peace? These are sad times we are living in. Not only have we forgotten Hiroshima, but we are well on our way to making the same mistakes again. The Department of Defense is now investigating new nuclear weapons that have the ability to strike underground. These so-called "bunker busters" are an insult to the victims of Hiroshima. The U.S. should be ashamed.
posted by Ben at 11:12 AM
3 Comments:
Indeed, it is very sad how our country--and our world--seem to refuse to learn from the mistakes of the past. As they say, perhaps experience is just making the same mistakes over and over again. At the same time, I've got to believe that we as a species will eventually wake up to the idiocy and the pointlessness of war. Despite Bush, despite Boulton, despite Iraq, despite it all, I still think that peace is possible someday. Let's hope that on the 100th anniversary of Hiroshima, things will look brighter. :-) If more people come to share your dedication and your commitment, peace will have a better shot at defeating war.
I think the vast majority of people in this country, and the world as a whole, DO realize that war should only be used as a last resort. Unfortunately our leaders do not share these sentiments.
and mike, thanks for the inane comment.
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