Editor’s Note: The following article, written by historian Lawrence Wittner, presents an important perspective at a time when, it could be argued, our nation is continuing its descent into racism. One of the ten steps any would-be dictator must take to destroy constitutional freedoms – the suspension of the rule of law – has begun, with Trump sending armed Federal police to cities (such as Portland) where they are beating and detaining people with no due process. They are already here in Seattle, and likely on their way to other major cities (to allegedly protect Federal property). May we hear Lawrence […]
READ MORETag Archives: United Nations
Addressing the threats to Planetary Survival!
Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action is a signatory to the Earth Day 2020 sign on statement from members of the Abolition 2000 global network to eliminate nuclear weapons: “Addressing the threats to Planetary Survival” The year 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day[i] and finds the planet facing existential threats like never before in human history. The threat from climate change is manifesting itself more and more strongly as the years go by through extreme weather events, forest fires on a vast scale, the bleaching of coral reefs, and receding glaciers, among others. This year also sees the […]
READ MORE
Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Help Curb War and Militarism?
By Lawrence Wittner (Guest Contributor) [Dr. Lawrence Wittner (https://www.lawrenceswittner.com/ ) is Professor of History Emeritus at SUNY/Albany and the author of Confronting the Bomb (Stanford University Press).] Decades ago, when I began teaching international history, I used to ask students if they thought it was possible for nations to end their fighting of wars against one another. Their responses varied. But the more pessimistic conclusions were sometimes tempered by the contention that, if the world’s nations faced a common foe, such as an invasion from another planet, this would finally pull them together. I was reminded of this on March […]
READ MORE
United Nations Adopts Historic Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons
This morning in New York, at the end of its final session, the United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Unlike other treaties, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, this is the first true multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty negotiated since the dawn of the nuclear age. The final vote was 122 to adopt, 1 against (Netherlands), and 1 abstention (Singapore). The Netherlands was the only NATO country to participate in the negotiations. All of […]
READ MORE
GZ endorses IPPNW statement on Korea crisis
Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (Ground Zero) is deeply concerned about the Korea crisis. The tense situation that continues to evolve has been likened to a “Cuban Missile Crisis in slow motion.” There is no military solution to the standoff with theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK); diplomacy is the only reasonable approach. In addition to the immediate dangers involved, this situation points to much greater issues that must be addressed in order to prevent proliferation and reduce the risks posed to humanity by nuclear weapons. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)has issued a statement on the Korea crisis […]
READ MORE