The Nuclear Disorder
Twenty five year old Gustavo Culliton is sitting at his desk in his small bedroom staring at the screen of his MacBook Pro. He is contemplating his homework assignment.
Since a very young age after his parents had died tragically, Gustavo has a constant drumming in his head about social issues. At times the drumming has a slow rhythmic beat that keeps pace with his thoughts, however at other times the beat starts to feel like rolling thunder and becomes very intense and is accompanied with vicious blinding flashes and immense winds that ravages his thoughts and send them flying uncontrollably.
Today’s homework has stimulated the start of a small hurricane in his mind. He searches his mind and he again remembers Van Daleo. Van is not exactly a close friend but he is a good thinker on deep subjects and also has a profound conviction on social issues. Gustavo logs into Facebook and sees if Van has replied to the status update that he posted about an hour ago.
Is the goal to avoid war or to create peace?
Gustavo drums his fingers nervously on the top of the desk as he sees no response and thinks about his colleague. In a way Van is very similar to me. He questions the order we live in but his reaction to the disorder of the present order is more practical than theoretical. He hears the beep on his computer and realizes that Van has replied. He reads quickly.
It's a deep subject
Good old Van. Gustavo is now thinking about a reply. He remembers reading an article by some guy named Jonathan Granoff and there was a nice quote: We live in an age of nuclear giants and ethical infants, in a world that has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. He pauses for a moment and then starts to type away a response on the Facebook chat window.
Most would agree with the theoretical argument against nuclear weapons
Gustavo’s thoughts continue to flow as he waits for a response from Van. Another part of Jonathan Granoff’s article comes to mind: Nuclear weapons are held by a handful of states, which insist that these weapons provide unique security benefits, and yet reserve uniquely to themselves the right to own them. The bell sounds on his computer signalling another response from Van.
We cannot un-invent nuclear weapons
Gustavo’s feels the blood rush to his face and the room starts to feel warm. He wipes some beads of sweat off his brow and then focuses on a response back to Van
Civilization has nevertheless prohibited and dismantled artifacts deemed too dangerous, damaging or morally objectionable to continue living with
Gustavo’s mind is stimulated. Its like the hurricane in his mind brought in a flood of thoughts: Like a driver speeding along the mountainous journey, the states that posses nuclear weapons are enjoying the ride however not noticing the abrupt turn ahead that leads off into rapid descent and destruction. In the distance Gustavo hears that Van has sent another message. He glances down at the screen
Can we chat in about 2 hours?
Gustavo smiles inwardly and thinks, Van is going to take a breather. He has to go think about my last comment on Facebook…that’s his errand…but the human race is really dancing to some distant, discordant music that could lead us to the final dance of death. This nuclear disorder is in essence a double standard…holding and waving the big stick of nuclear terror doesn’t promote peace but drives submissive fear in the rest of the world. Peace, harmony, goodwill, humanity, sharing, caring and all those concepts cannot be created through subjugation but has to come from deep within the human spirit. Gustavo rolls up his sleeve, logs off from Facebook and starts to type in a blank document: We have solved the mystery of the atom and forgotten the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about dying than we know about living…
Bibliography and additional reading:
Nuclear Weapons, Ethics, Morals, and Law by Jonathan Granoff
Security without Nuclear Deterrence – Commander Robert Green
Abolishing Nuclear Weapons a debate
