Wow! Honduras, hey? Nothing more to worry about then. Can anyone say how many signatories to the treaty actually have nuclear weapons of their own? Does anyone these days actually believe just signing something makes any difference and that China, the US and Russia will give up nuclear weapons?

I would rather know that there are nuclear weapons in the hands of the major powers as a deterrent.

Meanwhile, in Australia, we are not allowed even nuclear power, and we are virtually defenceless, without decent conventional weapons, and where the few armament industries there are are just job creating to keep certain politicians in power - bugger all to to do with defence.

7 Australia $61,997,911 15-Jan-20

USD paid..

Your last paragraph says:

"Hopefully, over time, as more countries sign and ratify the treaty, world public opinion will pressure the nine Nuclear weapons states to re-evaluate their nuclear postures, and 'the people of the United Nations' will finally achieve what they have desired for the last seventy-five years, a world free from the threat of nuclear catastrophe."

I certainly hope you are correct, but I see no signs that indicate any progress in this direction. How could the West get Russia, China, and North Korea to agree, destroy all their weapons and manufacturing facilities and not cheat?

1. Treaties are nice and have an impact - if they have verification and enforcement mechanisms.

But the one at issue in the article doesn't.
_______________

2. Several countries (like South Korea, Japan and Taiwan) aspire to defend themselves with nuclear weapons against nuclear weapon states at their doorstep.

How can you deny South Korea, Japan and Taiwan the right of effective nuclear defence?

The problem is that not all countries are rational.
Here is a text from a Utube from an authority in Pakistan;

In a video posted on his official YouTube channel on October 24, 2020,
Pakistani politician and Islamic scholar Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi
urges the Pakistani government to declare Jihad against “those who
slander the Prophet Muhammad.” He urges the government to “use the
atom bomb” and “[Let] everyone die.” He continues to say that he is
declaring Jihad against those who slander the Prophet. Rizvi is the
founder of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan political party in Pakistan,
which was established to combat any change to the country’s blasphemy
laws.

Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi: “Today, France is challenging you
[government of Pakistan]. Why have you kept the tenth atom bomb
[hidden] inside? Use that atom bomb outside. Use that atom bomb
outside. Declare a Jihad. [Let] everyone [in France] die.
There would be no shame before the Prophet on the Day of Judgment.

France of course would respond in like manner.
The problem is a threat coming from a muslim source cannot just be
treated as some crackpot.
Because of this crackpots status probably France has taken precautions.
Muslims having control of nuclear weapons is a major worry.
They believe that a retaliatory strike would have themselves in paradise immediately.

If this abomination of a treaty is not honoured by all as an all in treaty! then it should not stand as a treaty any can sign or adhere to!

Given the actual proliferation that has already occurred, is occurring, will undoubtedly occur! We should no longer be chained to it by stupidity personified!

If plain old fashioned common sense, the foreseeable economic and defence outcomes won't engender a change of mind/heart? Then the rise and rise of a communist, totalitarian, nuclear-armed, sabre rattling patently malevolent China, should!

Forget the expressed concerns of the blatantly obvious fifth columnists, in greenie clothing, amoung us and just crack on with it!
Alan B.

We can cover millions of acres of ground with solar panels and conceivably create gigawatts of energy at 5 cents PKWH, we could export to the world? For an outlay of a trillion-plus AUD? Multiply that number by four then adjust or a hundred years of inflation in order to compete on a level playing field with MSR thorium/nuclear waste burning MSR.

Desert ground that just needs water to become broad-scale, million acre, agriculture/food and fibre production

Given the useful life of solar panels and the cost 25 years out, then another 25 years, then another and another! What will they cost then and again later? Or are we unable to contemplate our future beyond 25 years max?

Why is it stupidity personified cannot see past the next three or four years as they squander the peoples' money?

If we replace the above with a MSR thorium nuclear model, then the life of a properly maintained project could be stretched to 100 years, with no more than routine maintenance, even as the income earned is ever adjusted upward for inflation/the CPI!?

WE shouldn't further ratify this BS treaty but withdraw and wash our hands of it, given it cannot be universally applied or enforced! And tantamount to shooting ourselves in our own economic foot! And for what?
Alan B.

Australia needs nuclear weapons to defend itself from nuclear armed Communism.

Australia needs to position itself as a non-aligned nation, not cow tailing to the United States, or acting belligerently towards our neighbours, including China. Only through cooperation can all nations find true world peace. Nuclear disarmament should be our absolute priority. As for claims of "Australia needs nuclear weapons to defend itself from nuclear armed Communism." Absolute hogwash!

What should be and what actually is are two very different kettles of fish, to coin a phrase. One can, like Paul145, bury the head somewhere warm and comfortable, or deep in the suburbs of St Petersburg and refuse to address our literal reality or allow sanity to prevail and become a nuclear-powered economy with enough nuclear capacity to ensure we never need to use them!
Alan B.

We need to lock up Paul1405 in solitary confinement as traitors to Australia- and only allow them to ingest from Libraries of non- communist books in a communist prison. What delicious torture. Maybe we can let him out for exercise once a month to mix with the non-racial, mixed-sex prison population- I'm sure it will be an interesting exercise in gang warfare and sexual dominance.

Paul, you obviously do not understand the relationship between China
and other countries. It is not a brotherhood of all but a relationship
as defined by Pres Xi Jing Pin;
The United States is not a sovereign country.
If the US is not sovereign, where do you think we stand ?

All other states are Vassal states to the Central Kingdom.
As such they all owe tribute to the Central Kingdom.
It all comes down to their natural assumption of their superior place
in the world.
This is the basis of their insisting that they own part of the open
ocean and can forbid others from transiting that ocean.
They could just as easily declare the Tasman Sea forbidden to
Australian, New Zealand and other shipping.
They believe they can lock up whole nations and get very offended
if you question any of their imperial actions. They ban Australian
trade because we had the affrontry to ask how the virus got out.

Paul, you need to come down out of your ivory tower and see what
the real world is really about.

CM, I see your type as warmongers, intent on the eradication of innocent men, women and children, forgive me if I don't agree with you. Fortunately the majority of Australian also disagree with your infantile approach with all that Americanism.

Bazz, a nice lot of waffle from you.

Yep CM

Trump's SS has Camps, like Gitmo, for extremists like you.

We can't rely on the US. Not now after what we've all seen unfolding there.

Stop being so hard on Paul.

Why shouldn't he believe that a few words on a bit of paper will be sure to control the ratbags in charge in China & Iran among others, even when they feel strong enough to master the world.

Perhaps we don't need to arm our defense forces with guns & missiles when some flags with the worde of the treaty printed on them would have equal deterrent force.

Well Paul, all you need to do is just watch China's actions.
They saw off part of the Ocean for themselves, take other countries
Islands, go drilling in Vietnamese waters for oil & gas and sink their
ships if they object.
Take over Indonesian fishing waters, take over Argentina's fishing waters and so on and on.
But that is all OK isn't it ? Of course it is the Central Kingdom's
rights isn't it ?
Where next ? I wonder if Biden will be a soft touch ?

It is easy to dismiss this treaty as empty words etc, but when it was started all the skeptics dismissed it and said it would never be ratified. But now it has been ratified.

They said the same things about treaties to ban landmines and chemical weapons but they are now banned and a verification regime is in place.

This treaty will slowly bring even more stigma to nuclear weapons just like the stigma surrounding land mines.

Sophie. One recalls how the world tried to appease fascist Germany prior to WW11.

It's incredibly naive to believe as you seem to. that the power-hungry would be constrained by words on paper, common decency, civil conventions or the law!

None of these things or practices has held sway over folk with another agenda. Donald Trump, e.g., has lost the Presidency. But refuses to put his big boy pants on/bow to the will of the people like a grown man.

Would sic his dogs/armed loony tunes on non- whites, use every trick in his book to avoid bowing to the clearly expressed will of the people!

If anyone now believes that China will be contained by treaties, convention or the rule of law, they're like you, dreaming.

One of the real lessons of life is the one where you have to stand up to bullies/stand your ground. Otherwise, you'll live the rest of your life on your knees, giving up all that is of value in your life, self-esteem, family and friends.

Sure, speak softly, but carry a big stick. And hope and pray that that stick is big enough that stops those who would try and force an outcome, to stop, consider the inevitable consequences for them if they force you to use it.

Soldiers are the last ones that want to pick a fight, given they're always the ones doing the fighting, the bleeding, dying!

But if it's forced on them by the actions of others, need to have the means to prosecute to the greatest effect!

The big stick for us is, a nuclear capability that is large enough never ever to have to use it to defend life and liberty!

Oblige the intending evil-doers to find a peaceful solution to their alleged grievances!

I see the distribution of truly affordable energy, almost unlimited potable water, reticulated to wherever it's needed as central to the objectives of peace and prosperity for all. The only means that'll actually allow that outcome, is a nuclear-powered one!
Peace and Love, Alan B.

You’ve got SFA chance of that ever happening.

Countries don’t trust each other and never will.
If you try it, they’ll maybe sign a treaty but
Welcome to the world of underground hidden nuclear weapons.

When are the left going to stop thinking they alone,in thousands of years of warfare
can stop it in their short little lifetimes. Grow up, and see things clearly for gods sake
and for your own children and country’s sake.

Hassy, I see you are still sitting in the peanut gallery with the racists and fascists. Do you still wish to use nuclear weapons to launch a pre-emptive attack on 200 million innocent men, women and children in Pakistan? Something you put forward on the Forum, have you forgotten, I haven't, and it something you never retracted. To think you claimed to be flying around in military aircraft, hope they never had bombs attached, what could have happened with a person of your mind set at the controls? You are in good company, you have so many of the like minded on the Forum.

Our signing onto the landmine ban was nuts. Gesture politics at it's worst.
With our landmass and small defense force landmines and even chem weapons should be a must have for defensive purposes.

So Alan B. You didn't have any comment about the international ban on landmines or chemical weapons. Are they also naive?

Ok jamo So you have no problem with the thousands of people (often children) who are killed by remaining land mines around the world. And you support chemical weapons! On both these matters you are entirely at odds with the international community including an overwhelming number of governments. But that's OK. You're entitled to hold extremely unpopular and fringe views.

If Sophie C is not happy to have landmines then perhaps she and her friends would be happy to defend our territory with themselves. When push comes to shove no one will give up their lives and that of their families to arbitrary top down UN principles. I guess men are constantly aware of the possibility that some day they could be asked to go to war- I don't think that many women think in the same way- though there are many women that understand the sacrifices of there ancestors in their lives today. When remembering history men think "that could be me getting my leg cut off by a carpentry saw". Many countries have broken international weapons agreements- Nuclear Test/ Ballistic Missile are two examples. So I guess these views are not as "fringe" as you would think.

I find the peace lobby very one sided in their views on violence- (often preceding from a communist or social anarchist position)- in this they do much harm.

The enemy wants you to put down your guns. Sophie C probably embodies the enemy.

The naivety of the peaceniks has to be seen to be believed.

All we are saying - is give war a chance!

A nuclear ban treaty by a group of mostly minor countries that are never likely to have the capability to create nukes is like landlocked countries voting to ban fishing.

There is already a non-proliferation treaty which essentially says the same thing. This is virtue signalling on a global scale.