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How a small activist sailing ship successfully challenged the nuclear arms race

The 1958 voyage of the Golden Rule offers important strategic lessons on how to confront an overwhelming evil and win.

Waging Peace , George Lakey May 19, 2023

In today’s polarized context, progressive movements need their best strategic thinking. One source for inspiration should be the Golden Rule, a historic sailing ship that’s currently visiting ports along the Eastern U.S.

Organized by Veterans for Peace, this national tour puts the 1958 Golden Rule voyage back in the news. Nearly 65 years ago, the Golden Rule defiantly sailed toward the Pacific Ocean site where U.S. nuclear weapons were being tested, sparking a movement that forced the U.S. government to sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Putting the opponent in a dilemma

The strategy deployed by the voyage of the Golden Rule — and the civil rights movement before it and the Phoenix after it — builds the kind of power more activists could be using today. It comes from a tactic I call a “dilemma demonstration,” which basically puts the opponent in a lose-lose situation.

The Montgomery city government, for example, was in a dilemma. If it allowed Rosa Parks to continue to sit wherever she pleased, it would have lost its segregated transit policy. At the same time, however, it also lost by arresting her, because it stimulated a widespread resistance movement.

Similarly, if the U.S. government allowed the Golden Rule crew to reach the nuclear testing zone and the crew members developed cancer, the government would have lost. It would publicize the growing medical evidence that the U.S. government was actively spreading cancer among American babies.

In 1958, the U.S. chose the other horn of its dilemma: arresting the gallant crew of the Golden Rule, which of course also benefitted the nuclear test ban movement. The impetus helped the movement grow large and pressure the U.S. government into signing the 1963 treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere.

Dilemma demonstrations have shown their power in a wide range of situations……………………………………..

We’re lucky that Veterans for Peace rebuilt — and is sailing — the Golden Rule once again. It gives all of us activists inspiration and the opportunity to think more about how to use direct action for building our movements.  https://wagingnonviolence.org/2023/05/how-the-1958-golden-rule-voyage-successfully-challenged-the-nuclear-weapons-arms-race/

May 20, 2023 Posted by | 2 WORLD, opposition to nuclear | Leave a comment

G7 Hiroshima summit fails to deliver progress on nuclear disarmament


https://www.icanw.org/g7_hiroshima_summit_fails_to_deliver_progress_on_nuclear_disarmament?utm_campaign=g7_disarm_statement_response&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ican 19 May 23

The G7 has just released its “G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament”, a joint statement which falls far short of providing any meaningful outcomes for nuclear disarmament. After months of preparation and amid high expectations, the leaders are missing the moment to make the world safer from nuclear weapons, instead of confronting nuclear threats with a concrete, credible plan for nuclear disarmament – like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons- they are barely even paying lip service to the horrors of Hiroshima, the first city attacked by nuclear weapons.

The statement recalls the unprecedented devastation and extreme and inhumane suffering experienced by the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the atomic bombs were dropped and reconfirms the G7 leaders’ determination to realise a “world without nuclear weapons.” Yet it fails to commit to concrete measures towards that goal and even emphasises the importance of reserving the right to use nuclear weapons. The G7 are trying to sell decades-old and insufficient initiatives as a new “vision”, when at the same time they themselves are complicit in the rising nuclear risks and promoting mass murder of civilians as a legitimate form of national security policy.

ICAN’s Executive Director Daniel Hogsta responded to the statement “This is more than a missed opportunity. With the world facing the acute risk that nuclear weapons could be used for the first time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, this is a gross failure of global leadership. Simply pointing fingers at Russia and China is insufficient. We need the G7 countries, which all either possess, host or endorse the use of nuclear weapons, to step up and engage the other nuclear powers in disarmament talks if we are to reach their professed goal of a world without nuclear weapons”

In light of Russia’s unacceptable threats nuclear threats, the G7 leaders failed to offer a progressive and credible response, effectively walking back earlier language by the G20 that clearly condemned all nuclear threats, with equivocations meant to give the nuclear armed states in the group some cover: “ In this context, we reiterate our position that threats by Russia of nuclear weapon use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, in the context of its aggression against Ukraine are inadmissible.” This is a step back from acknowledging that all nuclear threats are inadmissible, no matter who they come from.

The statement also refers to the importance of transparency. Again, this is something where some of the G7 states must look at the example they are setting- the UK, for example, decided in 2021 to be less transparent about their arsenal.

Failure to heed the survivors’ call

The statement fails to meaningfully acknowledge the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, and above all, it fails to meet the hibakusha’s demands for real action to eliminate nuclear weapons. Instead of rising to meet the urgency and weight of this moment, the G7’s inaction is an insult to the hibakusha, and the memory of those who died in Hiroshima.

Earlier in the day, the G7 leaders reportedly spent less than 30 min inside the Peace Memorial Museum before placing a wreath at the cenotaph. They also met briefly with atomic bomb survivors, but this statement shows they did not actually listen to what the Hibakusha are asking for. They intend to ignore the risks and the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and to continue to be complicit in the risks they pose.

Satoshi Tanaka, survivor of the atomic bombing and Secretary General of the Liaison Conference of Hiroshima Hibakusha Organisations said: “This is not the genuine nuclear disarmament that Hibakusha are calling for. This is an evasion of their responsibility. Prime Minister Kishida has said that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the final passage for a nuclear weapon-free world. No, it is not a final passage. It is the entry point. PM Kishida and other G7 leaders should accept the TPNW and start the real process of eliminating nuclear weapons.”

Nuclear weapons are illegal under international law.

The next opportunity for the G7 to show that they are serious about addressing the nuclear threat is to participate in the next meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. That’s where the responsible states meet to implement a plan for global disarmament.

May 20, 2023 Posted by | 2 WORLD, weapons and war | Leave a comment

$3 BILLION Pentagon ‘accounting error’ means more weapons for Ukraine

What’s a lazy couple of billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars when there’s a war in Eastern Europe to fight? That question was answered Thursday when the Defense Department revealed it can send more weapons to Ukraine without Congress spending approval after the Pentagon overestimated the value of the arms it has already sent Kyiv by some $3 billion.

AP reports the error was caused when officials wrongly used valuation for new equipment, rather than for used equipment drawn from U.S. stocks, to assess the cost of weapons already despatched to the war zone.

The poor accounting methodology has been exposed as the Pentagon faces increased pressure by Congress to show accountability for the billions of dollars it has sent in weapons, ammunition, equipment, and training to Ukraine and as some lawmakers question whether that level of support is sustainable.

In many of the military aid packages, the Pentagon has opted to drain stockpiles of older, existing gear because it can get those items to Ukraine faster. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh addressed the financial mess by saying:

During our regular oversight process of presidential drawdown packages, the Department discovered inconsistencies in equipment valuation for Ukraine.

In some cases, ‘replacement cost’ rather than ‘net book value’ was used, therefore overestimating the value of the equipment drawn down from U.S. stocks.

She added the mistake hasn’t constrained U.S. support to Ukraine or hampered the ability to send aid to the battlefield.

According to the AP report, a defense official said the Pentagon is still trying to determine exactly how much the total surplus will be.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the comptroller has asked the military services to review all previous Ukraine aid packages using the proper cost figures.

The result, said the official, will be that the department will have more available funding authority to use as the Ukraine offensive nears.

The aid surplus was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

To date the U.S. has provided Ukraine nearly $37 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The rush of U.S. weapons to Ukraine has already sparked a warning that domestic military stockpiles have been pushed to “dangerously low levels” not seen for decades. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/05/19/oops-3-billion-pentagon-accounting-error-means-more-arms-for-ukraine/

May 20, 2023 Posted by | USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Nuclear Free Local Authorities condemn UK Environment Agency’s failure to protect fish in Hinkley Point C’s nuclear project

 NFLAs condemn ‘craven climbdown’ by Environment Agency over Acoustic
Fish Deterrent. In response to an ongoing consultation, the UK / Ireland
Nuclear Free Local Authorities has condemned the Environment Agency for
cravenly climbing down when faced with EDF Energy’s demand that it be
excused from providing an Acoustic Fish Deterrent at the new Hinkley Point
C nuclear power project, and has urged them not to waive this requirement.


The Environment Agency’s latest recommendation represents a complete
volte-face on its previous position on the permit requirements, which was
taken after an in-depth examination by an inspection team and by
verification by the Secretary of State. NFLA England Forum Chair,
Councillor David Blackburn said: “The consequences of the Environment
Agency granting this concession will be catastrophic for the local fish
population and marine environment.

 NFLA 18th May 2023

NFLAs condemn ‘craven climbdown’ by Environment Agency over Acoustic Fish Deterrent

May 20, 2023 Posted by | environment, UK | Leave a comment

Western Weapons to Ukraine: Black Market for Terrorists “On Command”.

Global Research, May 18, 2023

For almost as long as the West supplies Ukraine with weapons to kill Russians, it is known that most of these weapons – billions of dollars and euros-worth of weapons, would never reach the front, but would instead be sold on the black-market.

The West knew that from the very beginning. BBC and CNN were reporting on this calamity already in 2022. At one point BBC was reporting that up to 70% of the weaponry supplied by the West would disappear on the black market.

Of course, in the meantime all such references have been either deleted from the internet, or “fact-checked” away. The mainstream of the mainstream may not be seen or heard to say the truth. They are paid to lie or be silent.

However, there are some who speak up, who do not mind risking their reputation – but dare bringing the truth to the people. Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh is one of them. He recently spoke to Afshin Rattansi, a British broadcaster, journalist and author who presents Going Underground which is broadcast around the world, except in the UK and EU, on television stations including the RT network.

According to his data, Hersh said, shortly after the conflict started between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, “Poland, Romania, other countries on the border were being flooded with US and allies supplied weapons which were shipped to Ukraine to support the war against Russia.”

Hersh noted that there was concern in the West, especially about Stinger shoulder-launched missiles, as they could be used to “shoot down an airplane at considerable height.”

In other words, the West was concerned that these shoulder launchers could shoot down Western civilian planes, either by accident or, of course, also on purpose, depending in who’s hands they landed.

So the West knew from the very beginning that most of their weaponry – paid for with US, European, UK and other so-called Western allies’ taxpayer’s money – ended up on the black market, often through what is called the “Dark Net”.

Journalist Hersh also said that “CBS wrote a story about it that they were forced to retract.” When asked why the story was withdrawn, the CBS journalists said, “We are on the side of Ukraine. We all hate Russia.”

This referred most likely to a CBS documentary, “Arming Ukraine”, aired in August 2022, in which CBS claimed that only about 30% of military aid actually reached the frontline. This part was removed, as it was taken out of similar reports by BBC and CNN.

People must not know that 70% of the weapons they paid for Ukraine to kill Russians, are going to the black market, most probably ending up in hands of terrorist groups. They would be so disappointed and risked no longer supporting their governments’ anti-Russia stance.

On many occasions, Russian official warned about Western supplied arms being smuggled outside Ukraine, causing a severe security risk. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova estimated in October 2022, the black market at $1billion per month. See this for the full interview and this 6-min video clip (below) by “CRUX” Finland, confirming Russia’s concern of western weapons via black-market feeding world terrorist gangs.

There is logic behind the fact that up to 70% of Western weaponry ends up on the Dark Net or directly on the black market being sold to all sorts of potential organizations, no questions asked. Amazing, isn’t it?

And the logic is that the Ukrainian army is far from being equipped to absorb and handle these masses of weaponry, some of them highly sophisticated, for which no Ukrainian soldiers were trained. But the West knows all that.

Ms. Donatella Rovera, a senior crisis adviser with Amnesty International, told CBS,

“There is really no information as to where they’re [the weapons] going at all. What is really worrying is that some countries that are sending weapons do not seem to think that it is their responsibility to put in place a very robust oversight mechanism.”

Likewise, a US intelligence source told CNN already in April 2022 that Washington has “almost zero” idea what happens to these arms, describing the shipments as dropping “into a big black hole” once they enter Ukraine.

Also, Canadian sources said that they have “no idea” where their weapons deliveries end up.

And so does Europol; they believe that some of these weapons have ended up in the hands of organized crime groups in the EU.

Russian government officials are afraid that many of these weapons are ending up in the Middle East.

According to Transparency International, Ukraine is consistently ranked as one of the most corrupt countries, if not the most corrupt country, in the world.

May 20, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Global heating is predicted to trigger more nuclear outages in France every year.

extreme heat and droughts amid
climate change could impact nuclear plants, which use water to cool down.

 EDF expects to lose 1.5% of its nuclear output, or about 5 TWh, annually
by 2050 due to the impact of global warming based on an average production
of 400 TWh, an executive said on Tuesday.

This compares with a current
average loss of nuclear power output caused by global warming of 0.3%, or
1.2 TWh, Cecile Laugier, head of environment at EDF’s nuclear branch,
told reporters. This echoes a report released in March by France’s Court
of Auditors, which said global warming could trigger three to four times
more outages than today. Increased risk of extreme heat and droughts amid
climate change could impact nuclear plants, which use water to cool down.

 Montel 16th May 2023

https://www.montelnews.com/news/1499729/heat-to-cause-15-yearly-nuclear-output-loss-by-2050–edf

May 20, 2023 Posted by | climate change, France | Leave a comment

Energy minister Andrew Bowie in visit to Suffolk projects

 Energy Minister Andrew Bowie is on a fact-finding visit to Suffolk where
he found out about the job prospects at Sizewell C – but also heard the
concerns of those opposed to the project. Mr Bowie is minister of state at
the new Department for Energy and Net Zero – responsible for maintaining
the nation’s power and moving to a greener economy.

He started his visit at
Suffolk New College in Ipswich where he visited its Net Zero Skills Centre.
He and local MP Tom Hunt met with students and got to meet with some of the
people participating in their apprenticeship program. The Net Zero Skills
Centre aims to equip and train students with knowledge and experience of
sustainable technologies.

Mr Bowie later headed up the coast where he met
groups and businesses concerned about the impact of Sizewell C on the area.
Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C said: “We welcomed Mr Bowie to Theberton
& Eastbridge Village Hall this afternoon. “We reiterated our continued
opposition to Sizewell C and our view that the East Suffolk Council
election results amount to a rejection of his Government’s energy
policies.” The meeting included Harry Young, Chair of the Suffolk Coast
Destination Management Organisation and Nick Burfield, former Policy
Director of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. Adam Rowlands, Suffolk Area
Manager of the RSPB, was also able to join the meeting at Stop Sizewell
C’s invitation.

 East Anglian Daily Times 18th May 2023

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23529555.energy-minister-andrew-bowie-visit-suffolk-projects/

May 20, 2023 Posted by | politics | Leave a comment

TODAY. Pathetic war-mongering response by G7 stuffed shirts at the historic Hiroshima nuclear-bombing site.

Look at them ! Our taxes paid for their travel, their accomodation, their fine food- and all the surrounding blah blah – as they spent the briefest possible time at the remembrance of the horrific atomic bombing, and they paid lip service to the pleas of the Hibakusha for no nuclear weapons.

No, the tone of the meeting was to castigate Russia, and prepare for more war in Ukraine.

Russian threats of using nuclear weapons were condemned (and rightly so), but not a mention of Western nations policies of first use of nuclear weapons.

The hypocrisy of it all – in the place where the only country to ever let fly a nuclear attack now poses as the saviour of peace – while making sure that all its hanger-on nations ignore the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Meanwhile – Vladimir Zelensky doing his frantic rush – first at that citadel of integrity – Saudi Arabia – to drum up further $billions of weaponry . Then to be welcomed to a pitch at the G7 in Hiroshima.

By the way – I guess that I should be following the new Western fashion of saying Volodymyr – a tactical change from the old spelling – it must have sounded too Russian. too Putinesque?

May 20, 2023 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Nuclear Fusion breakthrough hits hurdles as five experiments fail

Japan Times, BY DAVID R. BAKER, BLOOMBERG 17 May 23,

The U.S. government lab that made a long-awaited breakthrough in fusion energy late last year has run five similar experiments since then without being able to replicate the results.

The milestone came in December as the the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near San Francisco reported achieving the first fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create — a threshold known as ignition. The achievement opened the possibility of power plants one day running on nuclear fusion, the same energy source as the sun.

Since then, the lab has run five similar experiments, shooting the world’s most powerful laser at small diamond capsules filled with hydrogen, said Lawrence Livermore Director Kim Budil. But so far, ignition hasn’t been achieved again…………….

Speaking at an event at the lab Monday celebrating December’s breakthrough, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the federal government would spend $45 million over the next four years to create a series of research hubs pursuing the kind of fusion achieved at Lawrence Livermore, known as inertial confinement. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/05/09/business/nuclear-fusion-experiments-fail/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | technology, USA | Leave a comment

Pentagon seeks authority to transfer nuclear submarines (and costs) to Australia

Finally, the Pentagon is also asking Congress for permission to accept Australian payments to bolster the U.S. submarine industrial base. Australia has offered to make an undisclosed sum of investments in the U.S. submarine industrial base as part of AUKUS.

Defense News, By Bryant Harris and Megan Eckstein 17 May 23

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense asked Congress to authorize the transfer of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia as part of the trilateral AUKUS agreement with the U.K.

Three legislative proposals, submitted on May 2 and first posted online Tuesday, would greenlight the sale of two Virginia-class submarines to Australia, permit the training of Australian nationals for submarine work and allow Canberra to invest in the U.S. submarine industrial base………………

“Importantly, the proposals spell out a clear path forward to facilitate the transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia while ensuring we have the necessary authorities to accept the Australian Government’s investments to enhance our submarine industrial base capacity and provide training for Australian personnel.” – Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee’s sea power panel

AUKUS stipulates that Australia will buy at least three and as many as five Virginia-class submarines in the 2030s as part of phase two of the agreement, giving Congress more than a decade to authorize the sale. This year’s proposal, which the Pentagon hopes will become part of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, asks that Congress approve just two of those submarines “without a deadline to consummate the transfers and without specifying the specific vessels to be transferred.”

The proposal argues that this “small amount of flexibility is necessary” since the transfers depend on Australian readiness to operate the submarines, which will involve developing Australia’s submarine industrial base through training and appropriate shipyard infrastructure.

To that end, a second legislative proposal would authorize U.S. defense service exports directly to Australia’s private sector in order to train its own submarine workers……..

Finally, the Pentagon is also asking Congress for permission to accept Australian payments to bolster the U.S. submarine industrial base. Australia has offered to make an undisclosed sum of investments in the U.S. submarine industrial base as part of AUKUS.

The Pentagon states in the legislative proposal that those funds would be used to “add a significant number of trade workers” that will help address “the significant overhaul backlog” for the Virginia-class submarine. Australian monies would also be used for “advance purchasing of components and materials that are known to be replacement items for submarine overhauls” and “outsourcing less complex sustainment work to local contractors.”

Congress is also making its own investments to expand the U.S. submarine industrial base as the Navy ultimately aims to build two Virginia-class and one Columbia-class submarines per year. Courtney helped secure $541 million in submarine supplier development and $207 million in workforce development initiatives as part of the FY 23 government funding bill.

Austal USA, the American subsidiary of Australia-based Austal, plans to open a new facility at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama to begin construction on nuclear submarine modules for General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard in Connecticut, which produces both Virginia and Columbia-class submarines. Austal expects it will need 1,000 new hires in Mobile to staff that facility.

At Electric Boat, the prime contractor for the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine programs, the hiring need will be even greater. The company currently employs more than 19,000 people, after hiring 3,700 new workers in 2022, according to local newspaper The Day. But the company needs to hire 5,750 new workers this year, to manage attrition and to help grow the workforce to about 22,000 to handle the increased workload.

The legislative proposal notes that Australian funds “would be applied to recruitment, training, incentivizing, and retention of key skilled trades, engineering and planning personnel in both nuclear and non-nuclear disciplines that are required by the additional AUKUS workload.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/05/17/pentagon-seeks-authority-to-transfer-nuclear-submarines-to-australia/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | politics international, USA | Leave a comment

Sceptical opinions about Vladimir Zelensky.

Admittedly these comments come from a pro Russian site.

The pity is that there is no scepticism about Zelensky in the Western media – who don’t understand that we are not formally at war against Russia.

My own opinion is that Zelensky is a prisoner of his own (ill-informed) charisma. He does not now dare to negotiate with Russia – if he tried, he would be probably be killed very quickly by Ukraine’s right-wing zealouts.

Adonis Cirillo Forgotten Fact :
The Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts Self-Governance Referendums were part of the original Minsk Agreements…

That everybody agreed to…

Including the United Nations!

D_Banner “other EU countries that want to see an end to the fighting “. It’s not that hard to fix. The war will stop the day after they stop paying for it.

TBTB The US has its own special units surrounding Zelensky. He can’t make any move or statement the US does not allow or he will ‘suffer an accident’ to be blamed on Russia, of course. The scripts are ready. But Seymour story has some veracity as the burden of supporting Ukrainian refugees and subsidizing the neo-Nazi regime while facing inflation and economic crisis is too much for many Europeans. Sooner or later, Europe will split into camps, those who will stick with the US hawks and those who dissent. Time is not on the West side. The biggest threat for the cabal is the rapid expansion of the BRICS and dedollarization.

Gamab Sol you can bribe him all you want – he won’t stop this war until all of Ukraine belongs to private American equity firms, and full scale war with Russia is provoked. It would be better to take Ukranian refugees in, than to negotiate with piano comedian

Scorched Earth Zelensky decides totally nothing.
The US decides whether the war stops or not.

Lectrodectus Ukraine Is Now A Country In Ruin, Millions Displaced, Thousands Of Ukrainian Soldiers Killed, All This Could Have Been Avoided If Zelensky Had Of Implemented The 2014 Minsk Treaty… The Aftermath Of This (Avoidable) Conflict Will Condemn Future Generations Of Ukrainians To Decades Of Extreme Financial Hardship As It Will Be They Who Will Be Made To Repay The Billions Upon Billions Zelensky And His Neo-Nazi Regime Have Borrowed To Wage Their Personal War Against Russia. A Bleak Future Awaits All Ukrainians. Merkel And Macron..Were Instrumental In Preventing The 2014 Minsk Agreement From Being Implemented, Both Should Stand Trial In The Hague (ICC) For Aiding And Abetting Zelensky With His War Against Russia.

RNC91 These neighboring countries need to understand that the Clown Zelensky can’t and won’t stop this conflict without the corrupt Big Brother, aka, US telling him to do so. The US wants a war with Russia and if they keep pushing the stick in the bears face, it will happen.

Scorched Earth Zelensky decides totally nothing.
The US decides whether the war stops or not.

Kingdomcome23 I believe Hersh. So this European tour is really just a fake PR stunt? So they can all save face? There are people speculating that half of Washington DC is wanting to wrap this up too. Maybe we are watching a script leading up to a peace negotiation. All the players are probably just making plans to launder as much as they can before it ends. They’d better wrap it up before Putin decides to take the entire country like colonel Macgreggor keeps mentioning. They’ll end up losing their opportunity to launder more money in the rebuild phase.

Darkness This is another good proposal to get Zelensky to start peace talks with Russia. Let him keep what he wants but he also needs to show the world signs that he is ready for peace. If Zelensky is ready for peace we will support him.

SaxonGreene One wonders how much the publicity campaign corporation(s) has been getting paid, more recently. Their attempts at the emotional, manipulative advertising of “trust, unity, assurance and togetherness” fall flat, are not convincing, but obtrusive and off-putting. Their casting of Zelensky as the Supreme Arbiter and Ruler of the West is clearly one that appeals to Zelensky and his plutocratic masters’ egomania.

RichardD And so, the comedian might get his highest ever pay off/ show of his career in a final act as the Hero that stops everyone’s bleeding for this war, all he needs to do is having Biden committed so the US support is stopped and all is over

Kingdomcome23 “Zelensky has been promoting his ten-point peace plan, which calls for Russian forces to withdraw to borders claimed by Ukraine, to pay reparations, and to submit to war-crime tribunals.” 🤣 What is Zelensky smoking, anyway? Is he being told to say this or is he just that stupid?

Jae19821982I cannot believe so many of my countrymen still think this conflict is being driven by Russia. Its not. Its being driven by the US and the WEF (who have 60%+ of US politicians in their pocket).

freddienerk What those countries fear is not the current refugees but when Kiev regime collapses or is liquidated, millions will flee Ukraine in panic. There will be huge traffic jams as people are desperate to leave because the Kiev regime will be bankrupt and no law and order. It will be everyone trying to grab what they can, legally or not. Just like when Saigon and Kabul fell, panic and riots. So they want Zelensky to get out of the way and have someone else negotiate a capitulation and preserve security. Good luck with that! more https://www.rt.com/news/576436-zelensky-poland-us-hersh/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

At Hiroshima, Leaders Should Choose to End All Nuclear Threats

In January 2023, Biden and Kishida made a joint statement “We state unequivocally that any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine would be an act of hostility against humanity and unjustifiable in any way.”

The caveat that such a judgment applies only to Russia in Ukraine is stunning.

Facing Russia’s nuclear threats, the U.S. and its allies must not whitewash their own

Scientific American By Zia Mian, Daryl G. Kimball on May 17, 2023

At a meeting of the G7 nations this week in Hiroshima, the first city destroyed by the bomb, President Joe Biden and other leaders have a chance to begin addressing the long-standing problem of states threatening to use nuclear weapons. Russia’s nuclear threats of the past year in support of its invasion of Ukraine have flashed for all to see a core purpose of nuclear arsenals: coercion and intimidation. At this historic gathering, Biden and his counterparts need to act on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s proposal that the G7 “demonstrate a firm commitment to absolutely reject the threat or use of nuclear weapons.”

To do so, the U.S. and its allies must acknowledge that any and all threats to use nuclear weapons, not just Russia’s, are unacceptable.

It is well known Hiroshima was destroyed without warning on August 6, 1945 by the U.S. Less familiar is that this devastation was followed that day by the first threat to use nuclear weapons. President Harry Truman threatened Japan “If they do not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the likes of which has never been seen on this earth.” Another threat came on August 9 when a second atomic bomb had destroyed Nagasaki; Truman announced “We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan’s power to make war. Only a Japanese surrender will stop us.”

All G7 states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.) have condemned President Putin’s February, April and September 2022 threats of Russian nuclear weapons use. But like Russia those states themselves have chosen military strategies that depend on threats of nuclear weapon use.

A statement from the G7 nuclear nonproliferation directors group, issued April 17, predictably asserts that, unlike Russia, their nations’ security policies “are based on the understanding that nuclear weapons, for as long as they exist, should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war and coercion.” Just as predictably, Russian officials claim Putin’s comments are simply a deterrent against direct U.S. or NATO military intervention in Ukraine.

Regardless of intent, the underlying nuclear logic is the same, however. It was described by defense intellectual Daniel Ellsberg in a famous 1959 lecture “The Theory and Practice of Blackmail.” Ellsberg observed:

“Nuclear weapons have one preeminent use in politics: to support threats. These threats recommend themselves, almost inescapably, as tools of policy not only to expansionist powers but to status quo nations.”  He expounded: “Call it blackmail, call it deterrence, call both … coercion: the art of influencing the behavior of others by threats. The key here of course is that with nuclear weapons we are dealing with threats of force.”

…………………………………………….. In 2017, backed by NGOs, a group of 122 nations at the U.N. agreed to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Among its binding obligations is “never under any circumstances to … use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” There are almost 100 signatories to the treaty so far. No nuclear-armed state has signed.

…………………….. In June 2022, at their first meeting, TPNW states declared that “any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is a violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations,” and condemned “unequivocally any and all nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit and irrespective of the circumstances.” 

The scale of destruction implied by threats to use nuclear weapons is beyond any moral measure.  

In January 2023, Biden and Kishida made a joint statement “We state unequivocally that any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine would be an act of hostility against humanity and unjustifiable in any way.”

The caveat that such a judgment applies only to Russia in Ukraine is stunning.

If we are to avert catastrophe, the nuclear use policies of the United States and the other nuclear-armed states need to acknowledge that any and all threats to use nuclear weapons need to be treated alike. G7 leaders should look to a statement organized by the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction, endorsed by more than 1,000 scientists, which states that “any threat to use nuclear weapons, at any time and under any circumstances, is extremely dangerous and totally unacceptable.” It goes on to “call on all people and governments everywhere to clearly condemn all nuclear threats, explicit or implicit, and any use of such weapons.”

As a first step, President Biden, along with the other G7 leaders, all of whose countries either have nuclear weapons or rely on U.S. nuclear weapons being used on their behalf, should declare that the U.S. and its allies will act as they demand others do, and will accept being judged by the same standards they apply to others. They must accept, without any self-serving caveat, that any use of a nuclear weapon, by any state, under any circumstances, would be “an act of hostility against humanity and unjustifiable in any way.”

If G7 leaders choose, the Hiroshima summit can mark their turning away from seeking to justify their own nuclear threats as acceptable tools of policy. It is time for a human-centered standard for judging nuclear threats, one that holds regardless of those making the threats, their targets or the political goal.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/at-hiroshima-leaders-should-choose-to-end-all-nuclear-threats/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

France to speed up nuclear power deployment

By Davide Basso | EURACTIV.fr 17 May 23

A bill to speed up the construction of new nuclear reactors was approved by the French parliament on Tuesday (16 May), with the government hailing it as an environmental step forward.

Lawmakers on Tuesday validated the bill to accelerate the construction of new nuclear reactors. The compromise text struck between the National Assembly and the Senate was voted by 339 votes to 399.

MPs from the majority (Renaissance, Horizons, Modem), the independents (LIOT), the right (Les Républicains) and the extreme right (Rassemblement national) voted in favour of the text, in addition to a dozen communist MPs.

Among the opponents, the Greens, the radical left (La France insoumise) and a handful of Communists voted “against” while the Socialists abstained.

Once it comes into force, the new law will speed up the construction of new nuclear reactors by simplifying the required administrative procedures and planning documents. The Energy Transition Ministry expects future construction times to be reduced by at least two years.

In addition, a 50% cap on nuclear power’s share of France’s electricity mix was removed. The text also provides for tightening the penalties for those who illegally enter a nuclear power plant, now set at a maximum of two years imprisonment.

….. Environmental NGOs denounced “a law that is disconnected from ecological and climatic imperatives”. Greenpeace, in particular, questioned “the slowness of the construction of nuclear reactors”, as well as “the safety” and “the conflicts of water use” that are to be expected……………….  https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/france-to-speed-up-nuclear-power-deployment/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | France, politics | Leave a comment

How the West, and Zelensky, derailed the Minsk Agreements between Ukraine and Russia

Adonis Cirillo, commenting on Rt.com, 17 May 23

Everyone knows, or should know, that the ‘Western’ sponsored Maiden Revolution (coup d’état) KILLED Ukraine, and more than 14,000 of its own citizens since 18 Feb, 2014.

If you are undecided or uneducated to the events leading up to the West’s coup d’état, you may download & watch “UKRAINE ON FIRE” 2016 Oliver Stone documentary. (ED. note – Youtube has banned viewers from downloading this film, – but not pro-Ukrainian videos )

(you will see US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland (the Maidan ‘midwife’), US Democrat & Republican Congressmen (e.g., Lindsey Graham), US Advisors (e.g., John Bolton), and NGO’s inside Ukraine before, during, and after the coup d’état)

If you continue to unwind history, you will discover that Ukraine of today is inextricably linked to the Bush/Gorbachev Agreements of 1989-90 and the subsequent Western Violations thereof (e.g., The continued expansion of US & NATO forces in Europe).

NOTE : Ex-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the Minsk Agreements “meant nothing” and claimed credit for giving Kiev enough time to militarize. – RT 17 June, 2022 | Ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Minsk accords were signed in order to “give Ukraine time” to make the country stronger – Zeit Newspaper 7 Dec, 2022 | Ex-French President François Hollande agreed with Merkel, saying that her comment was “right on this point.” … “It is the merit of the Minsk agreements to have given the Ukrainian army this opportunity,” – RT 30 Dec, 2022 | Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky took credit for derailing Minsk Agreements – RT 9 Feb, 2023  https://www.rt.com/news/576436-zelensky-poland-us-hersh/

May 19, 2023 Posted by | politics international, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Ukraine’s neighbors ready to pay off Zelensky to stop conflict – Seymour Hersh

 https://www.rt.com/news/576436-zelensky-poland-us-hersh/ 17 May 23

EU nations have privately urged the president of the war-torn country to end the fighting, a US official told the veteran journalist.

Poland is leading a group of European nations that are secretly urging Vladimir Zelensky to find a way to settle the conflict with Russia, veteran journalist Seymour Hersh has reported, citing a “knowledgeable” American official.

According to US intelligence, other EU countries that want to see an end to the fighting include Hungary, Germany, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Hersh wrote in an article published on his Substack page on Wednesday.

“Hungary is a big player in this and so are Poland and Germany, and they are working to get Zelensky to come around,” the unnamed official claimed. Those countries have made it clear that “Zelensky can keep what he’s got if he works up a peace deal even if he’s got to be paid off, if it’s the only way to get a deal.”

By “keep what he’s got,” the source was referring to the Ukrainian president’s villa in Italy and interests in an offshore bank, Hersh clarified.

However, Zelensky has so far rejected the proposal, while other major European players – France and the UK – “are too beholden” to the Biden administration, which is continuing to back the Ukrainian leader, the official said.

One of the main reasons why Poland and the others want the conflict to end is because the burden of accommodating Ukrainian refugees has become too much for them, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist wrote.

The problem for those countries “is how to get the US to stop supporting Zelensky,” Hersh’s source suggested.

He claimed that US intelligence is well aware that “Ukraine is running out of money and… that the next four or months are critical. And Eastern Europeans are talking about a deal.”

However, he added that “it’s not clear to the intelligence community what the president and his foreign policy aides in the White House know of the reality.”

The US is “still training Ukrainians how to fly our F-16s that will be shot down by Russia as soon as they get into the war zone. The mainstream press is dedicated to Biden and the war, and Biden is still talking about the Great Satan in Moscow while the Russian economy is doing great,” the official explained.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it’s ready to resolve the conflict at the negotiating table. However, it did not receive any proposals from Ukraine and its Western backers that it could consider reasonable.

Zelensky has been promoting his ten-point peace plan, which calls for Russian forces to withdraw to borders claimed by Ukraine, to pay reparations, and to submit to war-crime tribunals.

Moscow has rejected the plan as “unacceptable,” saying it ignores the reality on the ground and is actually a sign of Kiev’s unwillingness to solve the crisis through diplomatic means.

May 19, 2023 Posted by | politics international, Ukraine | Leave a comment

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