PUTNEY — The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), after several years in the making, entered into force and became part of international law one year ago, on Jan. 22, 2021.
The TPNW outlaws the development, manufacture, testing, possession, transfer, acquisition, stockpiling, use or threat of use, control or receipt, stationing, or development of nuclear weapons or providing assistance in these activities.
The U.S. and all other nations that possess or are “protected” by nuclear weapons have refused to sign or ratify the treaty; 59 nations without nuclear weapons did.
Those nations that did sign or ratify the TPNW are expressing impatience with the nuclear weapons nations in not meeting their obligation to disarm under the provisions of the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
The NPT requires the U.S. and the other signers to pursue nuclear weapons disarmament “in good faith” at an early date. Instead, over 50 years after the NPT went into effect, nuclear warriors still rely on the disproven theory of “nuclear deterrence” to justify these weapons.
The U.S. is now modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal at a total cost of $1.5 trillion. How insane is that, at a time when the Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is now at 100 seconds to midnight? That's the closest to midnight since the clock began in 1947.
It's clear that the nine nations that possess nuclear weapons and the umbrella nations that are “protected” by them (i.e. NATO nations) are pursuing a nuclear weapons–provided policy of dominance, power, and control over nations that cannot rely on the threat of apocalyptic violence as a defense.
We are now living in a time that is like no other. Climate change denial/delay or an uncontrolled nuclear war that is brought on by intention or accident can wipe out most of humanity and Earth's creatures.
I believe that only consciousness - or getting in touch with our true selves - will provide us with the strength and answers needed to turn things around. Then it will be possible to see the truth through the lies.
We Earthlings need one another. We either hang together or hang separately. Humans, arise! Abolish war! And, please do it nonviolently.