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