Saturday, August 13, 2022

August 8

There have been some major political events in the past week. On Monday. there was the first FBI search of a former President's home/hotel. It was on the anniversary of Nixon's resignation on August 8, 1974. I previously wrote about my memories of that day--All Politics is Personal (https://storiesoflivingwithghosts.blogspot.com/2016/07/all-politics-is-personal.html). 

On Friday, the Search Warrant was released. It mentioned suspicion of violation of the Espionage Act and failure to respond to a subpoena. Several commentators mentioned than Nixon's involvement in Watergate pales in comparison. The Washington Post has even reported that nuclear secrets may be involved (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/11/garland-trump-mar-a-lago/).

While further information is sure to come, the information so far is concerning. I hope that this information will, like with Watergate, result in the creation of further safeguards to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Pray to die in the Flash

For children growing up during the Cold War, "duck and cover" was a regular drill in school. Recent events make many think back to the Cold War. For the major players, it was relatively peaceful, though proxy wars caused significant suffering for people in countries, like Korea and Vietnam, where they were fought. 

Yet, nuclear war did not seem likely through much of the Cold War. Certainly, there were tense moments, like the Cuban missile crisis. But, recent events have made it seem more likely than it has seemed for most of my life. The "Doomsday Clock" sits at 100 seconds to midnight (https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Ads&utm_campaign=SearchAds&utm_content=DoomsdayClock_2022Statement&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0PWRBhDKARIsAPKHFGgBqwh-71w6xZBGmU5JOTxZwmdTK8gufrD4NBZyyyPJrnbTlmNHK2saAnh7EALw_wcB). The clock has been closer to midnight for the past few years due to risks of the spread of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons are seriously being discussed as an option by a major nuclear power (https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/03/26/what-are-tactical-nuclear-weapons-and-could-russia-use-them-in-ukraine). Yet, there would be no way to limit a nuclear war. Radiation could spread over a large area with lethal complications to nearby countries, triggering a response and possibly leading to WWIII. Through our history of nuclear weapons, the future of the world has been dependent on rational leaders of nuclear countries, who understand that a nuclear war is not winnable. The risk is that some are discussing their use, and others are testing new weapons (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/north-korea-missile-icbm.html?fbclid=IwAR2UeRLOr1QhebFH2eky9vEpGUhlr_jCF6TVwt7ETApex_29UiX4_yxj9ZY).

The current war in Ukraine exposes another risk, that of an attack on a nuclear power plant, which could also cause a nuclear disaster (https://thebulletin.org/2022/03/could-an-attack-on-ukrainian-nuclear-facilities-cause-a-disaster-greater-than-chernobyl-possibly-simulations-show/), whether that was intended or not. This could force millions of people to need to be evacuated due to the risk of radiation exposure. In the midst of an ongoing war, this evacuation would be difficult, as millions are fleeing violence due to conventional weapons. Yet, failure to evacuate after such an accident could expose many to the risk of death or radiation sickness or later malignancies. 

Clearly, "duck and cover" would do nothing to reduce the risk of radiation sickness or malignancy. There is no strategy to avoid the risks of nuclear war or damage to a nuclear power plant with release of radiation other than to avoid it. We must work to prevent what we cannot cure. Any of these events would be a global health catastrophe (https://www.psr.org/blog/global-medical-and-public-health-organizations-call-for-immediate-end-to-war-in-ukraine-and-critical-need-to-prevent-nuclear-escalation/).

If we are unable to stop this escalation, I fear for the future. I do not want to see suffering and death of billions of people all over the world. I do not want to see my family or myself among the suffering masses. Finally, I recall the advice from my parents, many years ago, to "pray to die in the flash."

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Appeasement and Fear

 As I watch news, I think back to history. In 1938, western powers consented to the annexation of the Sudetenland. In 1939, Poland was invaded by Germany on September 1. The Soviets invaded 17 days later. Poland fought valiantly yet could not succeed against 2 powerful adversaries. Poland was occupied and continued to resist, at great cost. Despite mutual defense agreements, Britain and France did not intervene, lest the war expand even more. But it did. Millions died, both in battle and being murdered in concentration camps and gulags, whether directly or because of overwork and starvation. 

After massing troops on the border of Ukraine a month ago, an invasion was begun a week ago. Already the Hague is investigating war crimes. The world has united and condemned the invasion (U.N. General Assembly in historic vote denounces Russia over Ukraine invasion | Reuters). NATO has become more united. The EU had a standing ovation when the President of Ukraine asked for a fast-tracked membership. 

The news has continued to mirror 1939 when civilians were killed in the fields, along roads seeking to escape the war. We can recall where this lead. Just as annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 did not prevent a war, WWII did not stop with the division of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union.