| Nuclear threat, justification and power | | | | in the quest of remaining in power, at the |
| | | | disadvantage of the innocent citizen. It is |
| The Ireniusian Version | | | | just a matter of power and lies. Any nation |
| | | | has its own justifications for any action it |
| The total number of people purpoted to have | | | | takes. |
| been destroyed in the Nagasaki/Hiroshima | | | | |
| nuclear bombing in Japan have been put at | | | | However, by virtually destroying Iraq because |
| around seventy thousand. A generation | | | | of a dislike of a single individual, the USA |
| eliminated from the face of the earth in a | | | | has unleashed a hatred against itself that |
| matter of seconds. What a significant loss of | | | | did not exist until this sadistic assault.The |
| lives!Let their souls rest in peace. | | | | US went up to attack Iraq even although there |
| | | | was some kind of a reluctance on the part of |
| The effects of the nuclear bombing are still | | | | the United Nations, leading interested |
| witnessed although such events took place | | | | parties wordwide to question the credibility |
| almost fifty years ago, children born blind, | | | | and impartiality of the world body in solving |
| crippled and deaf. | | | | international crisis if its decisions are |
| | | | often overuled by the United States of |
| Such have been forms of aggression in the | | | | America. |
| quest of power. It is not that the USA has to | | | | |
| be blamed for such a bombing, for there are | | | | Nuclear power activity in Iran and North |
| claims this was an act of a retaliation | | | | Korea has also caused quite a stir and is |
| stemming from the Pearl Harbour bombing in | | | | still under the spotlight of the United |
| the Pacific Ocean. Although the United States | | | | Nations and the United States. However, Iran |
| can be blamed for such an act, one should | | | | strongly points out that its a power |
| also take into consideration that the nuclear | | | | generation endeavour. The extent to which |
| bombing is not probably the last. | | | | this is true, also, somebody somewhere knows. |
| | | | |
| The Nuclear Age began in July 1945 when the | | | | But the fact still remains, that nuclear |
| US tested their first nuclear bomb near | | | | installations, whether military or civil, |
| Alamogordo, New Mexico. A few years later, in | | | | have a sad record of accidents and incidents, |
| 1953, President Eisenhower launched his | | | | shrouded in cover-ups, lies and |
| "Atoms for Peace" Programme at the United | | | | misinformation.The generation of electricity |
| Nations amid a wave of unbridled atomic | | | | in nuclear reactors produces substances than |
| optimism. | | | | can be used for the fabrication of nuclear |
| | | | weapons.The dangers associated with the |
| During and after the Cold War, the USSR had | | | | handling of weapons-useable nuclear |
| an incentivised programme on developing | | | | substances require a high level of security |
| destructive nuclear weapons. Such a programme | | | | and secrecy even in democratic |
| resulted in several physics proffessionals | | | | countries.Moreover, nuclear energy has never |
| around the country making an attempt towards | | | | been economic, despite the massive state |
| developing destructive nuclear weapons. This | | | | subsidies it has received for decades. Even |
| was a countrywide phenomena that did not even | | | | now funding still pours into the nuclear |
| take into cognisance the effects of such an | | | | sector at the expense of renewable resources |
| incentivised programme. Russia is still | | | | like solar or wind energy. |
| haunted by such communist ignorance and its | | | | |
| children will continue to suffer evil | | | | Having said that, I therefore sorely believe |
| perpetrated by its fathers. Thousands of | | | | no nation has the sole right to initiate |
| nuclear weapons are floating about the former | | | | nuclear programmes because events worldwide |
| Soviet Union and perhaps hundreds are | | | | are quite unpredictable. The United States or |
| unaccounted for. Radiation released into the | | | | any other developed nation has no right to |
| environment has led to the contamination of | | | | implement such nuclear programmes. Who could |
| soil, air, rivers and oceans; causing cancer | | | | have imagined the destructive effects of the |
| and other diseases in people. | | | | September 11 attacks when the United States |
| | | | had the world believe its homeland was secure |
| The use of nuclear power has never been | | | | against foreign terrorists? Nuclear weapons |
| "peaceful". "Inherently safe" reactors are a | | | | will still fall in the hands of the |
| myth. An accident can occur in any nuclear | | | | terrorists because potential terror knows no |
| reactor, causing the release of large | | | | boundaries. Even in the United States, there |
| quantities of deadly fission products into | | | | are terrorists since there are groups that |
| the environment.Even during normal operation, | | | | are starkly against the Bush Administration. |
| radioactive materials are regularly | | | | Terrorist organisations are everywhere. What |
| discharged into the air and water. One of the | | | | can stop nuclear weapons in the United States |
| biggest problems facing the nuclear industry | | | | to fall in the hands of terrorist |
| is what to do with the radioactive waste | | | | organisations in the United States. Homework |
| generated in a nuclear reactor. Large | | | | for the Bush Administration. |
| quantities of low and intermediate level | | | | |
| wastes in liquid or solid form require a | | | | Developing countries however must also take a |
| disposal route, and the highly radioactive | | | | reasonable position. The United States' |
| spent fuel rods have to be isolated from the | | | | attempts have met a mute or supportive |
| biosphere for hundreds of thousands, | | | | response from most developing countries or |
| sometimes millions of years.When a nuclear | | | | other nations that are against the United |
| reactor is shut down, many of its component | | | | States. Some countries even rejoiced when the |
| parts have become radioactive. They have to | | | | USA undewent the September 11 bombings. What |
| be treated as nuclear waste.The process of | | | | every nation needs to take into cognisance is |
| dealing with the power station at this point | | | | everybody is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. |
| is called "decommissioning". Over 400 | | | | Worse, developing nations. Bush is playing a |
| reactors and many other nuclear installations | | | | major role towards eliminating terrorist |
| worldwide have to be decommissioned over the | | | | activity but I do not support any nation, |
| next few decades, and there is not much | | | | developed or developing, that makes an |
| technical expertise in this field. Vast sums | | | | attempt towards playing with the nuclear |
| of money will have to be spent on nuclear | | | | fire. |
| waste disposal, decommissioning, nuclear | | | | |
| transports and the clean-up after radioactive | | | | The nuclear threat moves in parallel to the |
| accidents. | | | | AIDS pandemic. Whatever led to the existence |
| | | | of the pandemic, the whole world will live to |
| The planet is left with the legacy of nuclear | | | | know of the cosequenses of unscrupulous |
| waste, which will be radioactive for tens or | | | | adventures by certain individuals in the |
| hundreds of thousands of years. As yet, no | | | | quest for initiating misery on vulnerable |
| safe solution for its disposal exists | | | | groups. Our planet Earth will always be |
| anywhere in the world. | | | | haunted and everyperson would be affected in |
| | | | one way or another. Believe me. We are all |
| The United States had an opportunity to | | | | people despite the level of development in |
| purchase or otherwise control these weapons | | | | various countries and everybody is liable to |
| after the fall of the Soviet Union but | | | | mistakes. It does not matter who you are, as |
| typical U.S. government incompetence | | | | long as you are a person. |
| prevented help towards thwarting a looming | | | | |
| nuclear threat. It is still not too late to | | | | Nations of our Planet Earth, stop playing |
| work with Russia and other nuclear powers to | | | | with fire!!!! |
| make the world a safer place, although I feel | | | | |
| certain that numbers of nuclear devices have | | | | Feel free to provide feedback e-mail |
| slipped through the cracks and have already | | | | bravorav@yahoo.co.uk or |
| fallen into the hands of irresponsible | | | | |
| individuals. | | | | This article is free for republishing |
| | | | |
| As such, there has been a massive debate over | | | | Source: |
| nuclear power world wide. | | | | |
| | | | Occupation: university student |
| After all is said and done, is there any | | | | |
| single nation worldwide that has the sole | | | | I am Irenius Mhemba, a Zimbabwean by birth |
| right to initiate nuclear programmes? Does | | | | and currently at the University of Zimbabwe, |
| the United States, Britain and other | | | | doing Banking and Finance. |
| superpowers have the erxclusive right to | | | | |
| mobilise such potentially destructive | | | | Born in 1980 in a family of eight, I have |
| progerammes, claiming that they implement | | | | always been in Zimbabwe but have hopes of |
| enough control measures? Is it a matter of | | | | studying overseas for my postgraduate. |
| developed nations preventing other countries | | | | |
| from launching nuclear programmes, claiming | | | | I am single. |
| such programmes would be capitalised by | | | | |
| terrorist organisations? | | | | I have always taken interest in writing, |
| | | | whether it be essays, short stories, poems |
| A couple of years ago, the United States | | | | and I have got plans to write a mystery novel |
| descended upon Saddam Hussein with an | | | | before the end of 2006. |
| alarming alacrity that one cannot discern, | | | | |
| claiming he was a potential threat to world | | | | Although I am doing Banking and Finance, I |
| peace since he was believed to be initiating | | | | also have got interests in films. Its my |
| and mobilising nuclear weapon programmes. | | | | sheer hope that I am gonna be a movie |
| Whether these allegations are true, somebody | | | | director one of these years. Life is a |
| somewhere knows but I have this sentiment | | | | diverse component that seeks pleasure in |
| that most forms of aggression are based on | | | | creativity. |
| unscrupululous lies and greed. As a matter of | | | | |
| mentioning, how many repressive regimes | | | | I like eating sadza (local staple diet) and |
| worldwide are disserminating lies to citizens | | | | properly cooked vegetables. |