| Nuclear Disarmament: Confronting the War Industry |
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Dr. Charles Mercieca ~ STWR Member President of International Association of Educators for World Peace NGO, Nuclear Disarmament: Confronting the War Industry In the field of politics, nuclear disarmament seems to refer to the abolition of atomic weapons, which were used in World War II by Americans to devastate Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan. The human life was so much devastated that numerous articles and books were written in this regard. Besides, several videotapes were made to commemorate this satanic war device that is destined to make everyone a loser and no one a winner.
Barbarism of Nuclear Industries To this end, the Center for Defense Information in Washington, DC had made a videotape entitled: The Legacy of Hiroshima. In spite of the fact that it shows in a very vivid way, the brutality and barbarism of the atomic bomb, the United States proceeded to manufacture well over 70,000 nuclear weapons over the past 60 years since they were used in World War II. In the Semitic culture, there is a proverb, which is still being used widely in Malta among others, that runs as follows: Min jghamililek darba, jghamililek elf darba -- the one that frustrates you once, will frustrate you one thousand times. Since the United States was the only one nation that used the nuclear bomb, it is highly probable that this nation would use it again sooner or later. This is revealed by the fact that when all the nations of the world voted to eliminate nuclear weapons, and even landmines, the United States was virtually the only dissenter. It explains by Nelson Mandela stated, at the outbreak of the Iraqi war, that “the USA has emerged to become the most dangerous country in the world.” Mandela’s statement was vindicated by US President George W. Bush when he said that “the USA reserves the right to launch pre-emptive strikes against any other nation without warning if such an attack would benefit the American nation.” The United States always pursues this war policy to get what it wants through the military when it fails through diplomatic means. Since World War II ended, the United States has been responsible for the overthrow of numerous governments in every global area that included Iraq. Several videotapes were made that reveal how the United States, regardless of what its political leaders claim, survives economically on the continued waging of wars. Hence, peace, in the strict sense of the word, is viewed as the economic enemy that must be obliterated from the surface of the world by all means. We may understand why this nation has emerged to become the greatest manufacturer of weapons of destruction and military machinery. We may realize why this country sells all kind of military equipment for profit to all the nations, friends and enemies alike, as we witnessed in the Iran-Contra Affair. Nation of Plutocracy at Work Nuclear disarmament is easier said than done. As former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark said: “The United States has never been a democracy; from the outset it proved to be a plutocracy where everything is ruled and governed by the wealthy.” Of course, the wealthy own all the big corporations that run the entire nation, including the government. What is ironic in this lies here. The American people elect their public officials who then use their office to promote the exclusive interests of the products manufactured by such big corporations, even when it proves to be fully detrimental to the welfare of the same people that elected them to the office they hold! This constitutes a real problem not only to the American people, who are beginning to feel literally hopeless, but to the entire world as a matter of fact. Since the United States is run by big corporations that control the government with iron fist, with whom are the nations of the world going to deal when they feel fully exploited? This is one of the greatest problems that the United Nations has been facing in dealing with the United States. The United Nations, by its very structure, exists for the people to enable them to live a healthier life where they all have adequate food to eat and decent homes to live in. Governments are expected to make sure their industries do not damage the people’s environment. On the other hand, the United States exists for the exclusive financial interests of big corporations even when it is detrimental to the health of the people as to let them live homeless, without food, and deprived from all necessities of life. This explains why the USA cancelled the Kyoto agreement that would have regulated the deadly pollution of toxics that are emitted by big industries. As a result, in the United States alone some two million people incur and die of cancer every year. Political leaders of various countries are bribed with millions of dollars so that US big corporations would get the green light to exploit the rich resources of such nations, while letting the native population starve to death and die in the streets lie strayed animals. Some political scientists remarked that the difference between the Chinese and the American government lies here. In China those who become openly critical of their governmental policies, soon disappear and no one ever knows what happened to them. On the other hand, in the United States those who become openly critical of their governmental policies are totally ignored by the news media. Nothing is ever said on television and in the press about what the American people are saying and doing through well elaborate demonstrations for peace. Those that know of such events are the participants and the people who live in the area. US big corporations, which nowadays own the major news media in the nation, keep tight censorship of any event that is critical of wars. Emergence of Reliable Sources A new movement in the United States seems to be emerging that is taking over where the US news media leave off. More and more people in the United States are increasingly becoming more skeptical of the news they receive especially through television and the press. More and more are seeking to know what is going on in both the United States and the world at large through the internet, through videotapes that are made objectively by several conscientious groups, and through DVDs that can be seen repeatedly by all those who are genuinely interested in the universal welfare of all people without exception. Such unique opportunities that are available to us cannot be taken lightly. To this end, both the Center for Defense Information in Washington, DC and the Maryknoll World Productions have produced several videotapes that will enable viewers to see the reality of the mess that surrounds us objectively, as God sees it without any distortion and deceit. Besides, several individuals who are highly dedicated to the cause of harmony, prosperity and peace have gone out of their way to produce audio-visual material that brings into the open the elaborate deceptions fabricated by government officials always in the best interest of US big corporations. Such material is not easily obtained in bookstores out of fear of harassment. However, they could be obtained directly from the source of origin. Since such material that exposes the war industry is highly informative, we must take the initiative to secure such items by all means. After all, our greatest and most important challenge in this life is to find out the truth and to see things into proper perspective same way as God sees everything without any deception whatsoever. Two of the most important videotapes may be enlisted as: (1) School of Assassins and (2) Arms for the Poor. Both are produced by Maryknoll World Productions, P.O. Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545, Phone: 800-227-8523. School of Assassins refers to the US Army School of the Americas whose job is supposedly to bring young men from South American countries to train them in freedom and democracy. In practice, such a school teaches these young men to overthrow their democratically elected government and establish dictatorship. In this process, they are taught psychological warfare, which consists of going into a village and just kill everyone they find: women, children, the elderly, the sick, priests, nuns, you name it. Arms for the Poor shows how the United States government furnishes to governments all over the world with weapons of destruction, commonly known as military aid, instead of food, educational material, medicine, homes, hospitals and anything constructive. It also shows how such governments use then such weapons to kill their own people brutally when they dare to protest in the streets the injustice they are experiencing through numerous governmental abuses. Beneficial Contributions The Center for Defense Information in Washington, DC has produced numerous videotapes all of which are pertinent in the sense that they help us understand how the war industry has emerged into becoming our number one mortal enemy in the world. Ironically, the politicians that boost the financial interests of the weapons industry tell their people that “such weapons and military equipment are needed to “defend the United States!” They also use as justification the well elaborate gimmick that goes by the name “national defense and security!” Among such videotapes we have: (1) Why Military Spending Goes Up, (2) Arming Dictators, (3) Protectors and Polluters, (4) Does the US Need Nuclear Weapons? (4) Selling Weapons, (5) Lifting the Veil of Military Secrecy, (6) The Media and the Image of War, (7) The Military and the American Society, (8) Conversation with Noam Chomsky, (9) Defense Jobs at the Economy’s Expense. All of these videotapes, each of which lasts for 29 minutes, demonstrate clearly how in the United States the continuous promulgation of wars has become a lucrative business and how the war industry is determined to survive through unending wars till the end of times. This means very clearly that, as long as we let the weapons industry gets its way, our life is constantly being endangered and the future of our children is utterly dark with their longevity shrinking faster than possibly imagined. The above mentioned videotapes may be secured from: Center for Defense Information, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, Phone: 202-332-0600. Can we bring the war industry under full control in spite of the fact that it controls the US government with iron fist? Needless to say, the answer is a qualitative yes, if we were to follow what Socrates advised some 2,400 years ago. He said: “Every problem we encounter, no matter how big it may be, could be solved if we were to take the first step, namely, bringing it into the open for everyone to see.” He added saying: “Unless people are aware of a problem they will do nothing about it, but once they do become aware, then they will proceed to take needed steps and the problem is solved.” Enlightenment of Americans Among the most advanced nations, the American people have emerged to become the most ignorant in the world when it comes to knowing the real sources of all the crucial problems their nation and the world at large are facing. As stated earlier, this is due to the censorship imposed by US big corporations, headed by the war industry, which control all the major American news media. Mr. Frank Dorrel of California is a dedicated peace activist whose concern is the abolition of needless human suffering in the world. He tried to follow Socrates’ advice by bringing into the open the real intent and purpose of the war industry. He did this: (1) through the printing of a fully illustrated book entitled: Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can’t Kick Militarism, which has been recently updated to include the War in Iraq, and (2) through a DVD entitled: What I’ve Learned about the U.S. Foreign Policy: The War against the Third World. In this two hour DVD presentation, he covers ten brief segments: (1) Martin Luther King, Jr., (2) John Stockwell, Ex CIA Station Chief, (3) Cover-up: Behind the Iran-Contra Affair, (4) School of Assassins, (5) Genocide by Sanctions, (6) Phil Agee, former CIA Case Officer, (7) Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now, (8) The Panama Deception, (9) Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General, and (10) S. Brian Wilson, Vietnam Veteran for Peace. Both the Dorrel’s book and DVD may be secured from: Frank Dorrel, P.O. Box 3261, Culver City, CA 90231, Phone: 310-838-8131. His website is: www.addictedtowar.com If we were to become familiar with most of the above items, our minds are bound to become fully alerted to a sad reality that it cannot be kept in secret any longer. The inspiration we are bound to receive will enlighten us as to what steps we could take to convey the truthfulness to everyone concerned but in particular the younger generation who has a moral sacrosanct right to live in peace by bringing the war industry fully under control. We have now enough knowledge at our disposal to replace the culture of war with the culture of peace.
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