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Abolish or Be Abolished?
"The weapons of war must be abolished, before they abolish us." – President Kennedy, 1961
Nuclear disarmament is a challenge that requires ongoing education around the risks tied to the very existence of the weapons themselves. PSR and our international affiliate International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), have been working on this issue for decades. While we’ve made some progress, the threat of nuclear war continues to loom over the world. With just a few missiles, the whole world could be annihilated. Prominent officials including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and President Obama are now attempting to heed Kennedy’s wise words before these weapons "abolish us." As the title of this blog post prompts, we need to destroy these weapons... or they will destroy us.
Countdown to Zero, a documentary by the producers of An Inconvenient Truth, encapsulates the impending gravity of this issue. This documentary will reach millions of Americans, bringing the reality of this terror to all of their homes. It focuses on various disconcerting issues relating to the nuclear armament problem: how some launch-codes are not sufficiently protected, smuggling of nuclear arms, and nuclear terrorism. And the scariest part is that nobody knows the location of all of the missiles.
The documentary features Ira Helfand, a PSR board member, who speaks about nuclear weapons detonating and causing a nuclear winter, or an artificial ice age. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and UN Messenger for Peace Michael Douglas both endorse the movie as well. Other stars include former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and former South African President F. W. de Klerk.
The action doesn’t stop with the screening of the documentary -- the outgrowth of this documentary is a comprehensive movement, titled "Countdown to Zero." Ultimately, the goal is for the world to eliminate nuclear weapons, and that is what this movement is striving for: zero. This looming terror needs to be destroyed, before it destroys us. I am one more for zero – are you? Contact your local PSR chapter to join the movement or PSR national at psrnatl@psr.org.
Tell Congress to approve a budget that pushes the Administration to make a bold reduction in our nuclear arsenal.
50 years ago this week, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of a cataclysmic nuclear war. Today, you can help ensure that the lessons of this crisis are not forgotten by writing a letter to the editor.
Nuclear Famine: A Billion People at Risk
The newly generated data on the decline in agricultural production that would follow a limited, regional nuclear war in South Asia support the concern that more than one billion people would be in danger of starvation. Epidemic disease and further conflict spawned by such a famine would put additional hundreds of millions at risk. Read more »
Shock and Awe Hits Home
The military operational costs of the war in Iraq, now greater than $500 billion, have surpassed those for the entire Vietnam conflict. These escalating operational costs are alarming, yet the long-term public health costs will be much greater. Read more »
Video: Nukes, Militarism and Public Health
Interview with PSR board member Dr. Andy Kanter. Read more »
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It is vital that "Countdown To Zero" gets a large audience for its crucial message! The Senate must ratify the START treaty, too.
August 8, 2010