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The Forum > Article Comments > Lest we forget: the lessons of Hiroshima > Comments

Lest we forget: the lessons of Hiroshima : Comments

By Tony Smith, published 9/8/2007

It is absurd to rely on the possession of nuclear weapons to prevent their use when abolition is a better alternative.

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Appealing for unselfish behaviour by governments is wishful thinking. We would not have armaments if we had no nations. The survival of the human race will require a world government and a much smaller world population than what we have now. What are our chances of getting that before we wreck everything?
Posted by healthwatcher, Thursday, 9 August 2007 9:54:51 AM
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Let's not forget history. Some three days after Hiroshima the US dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. this killed from 40.000 to 70.000 people depending on your source. The reason for this has been argued about at length, but most actions by the US have been self interested.
Posted by Joff, Thursday, 9 August 2007 10:40:55 AM
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At last!
Somebody in the media acknowledges Hiroshima Day.
It has made me laugh for years that the world in general - the mainstream - seems to accept that Orwellian thinking - that goes like this - Peace through War - and of couse "Mutually Assured Destruction".

When Dr. Helen Caldicott entitled one of her books - "Nuclear Madness" - she was roundly attacked and belittled for her "emotional" "exaggerated" book title. They didn't even get the pun - as " MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)" was the actual name of the US and Russian policy at the time.

It is madness - the arms race, and especially the nuclear arms race. As was pointed out recently in the UK press - if an enemy country sends nuclear missiles to UK cities - then the UK's retaliation is of no benefit to the UK people. Nor is the initial attack any use to the attacker - who might now be in control of a conquered radioactive desolation.

The only "benefit" of nuclear weapons is to enrich a few people in the military/industrial/political complex - and to make little puppets, like Bush and Howard, feel as though they are (for a very brief time) important, strutting on the world media.

On August 5th, thousands of Melbourne citizens were out - at football, out at Federation Square enjoying Bananas in Pajamas at the ABC's party in Federation Square - out at all the media's well-promoted events - while a few hundred of us rallied in the CBD to remember Hiroshima, and protest against nuclear arms.

It looks as though we're going to need the new and independent media - to get some articles that really mean anything. It looks as if the mainstream media has to just fall into line with the major political parties and corporate Australia - and give the readers/viewers just "bread and circuses".

Christina Macpherson www.antinuclear
Posted by ChristinaMac, Thursday, 9 August 2007 10:49:53 AM
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Great Article Tony and unique as this subject is a scarce topic in this weeks media.
one comment suggests that we have to rely on a sympathetic govt..
Well its popular compulsory voting that get's these sort of govts in power my friend..
I'm sure popular elections are totally cazy in the type of parliment we have today.
there needs to be no opposition, no ' parties' and no voting.
win the lottery and do a stint in the big house, ask yourself.. can you make worse decisions than this govt? of course not, and why.. because it's full of egotists that have gotten their by kowtowing and back scratching doing deals and whatever other method.
we need to get rid of this system of parliment altogether
and put one in that will minimise the chance of an egomaniac like Hawke etc and nitwits like Howard and lord help us Rudd...(marginally better than gung ho all the way with usa Beasley) ever gettin hold of the reins.
It looks so easy to me.. I wonder what I'm missing.. is it the revolution ' oops better not say that eh?' is that seditious..
Posted by neilium, Thursday, 9 August 2007 11:45:20 AM
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nuclear weapons are just weapons. the danger is the people who control them. until people who complain about nuclear weapons start complaining about undemocratic governments, nothing will be achieved.
Posted by DEMOS, Thursday, 9 August 2007 12:57:43 PM
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However crummy this system of government might seem to be,to DEMOS and others, too - the parliamentary system is surely the least crummy, and the best approach to democracy that is around. In Australia, the Howard government has worked continuously to centralise the executive power. No doubt Howard admires the Bush government's achievements in getting executive power in the USA, to triumph over the houses of assembly, and the judiciary.

Still - we do have Parliament, and the Senate.

We don't have to vote for TweedleHoward and TweedleRudd. Vote Green for those much-needed intelligent voices in government. Or even Democrats - who are supposed to "keep the bastards honest".
Christina Macpherson www.antinuclearaustralia.com
Christina Macpherson
Posted by ChristinaMac, Thursday, 9 August 2007 1:35:13 PM
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