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Rolla Peace News July 27, 2021 |
Dear Friends:Editor's note: Please consider writing for our newsletter. It's always very exciting to be able to publish submissions from our readers.In this newsletter is: 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Secession: “Making America Great Again” b) Did China Just Kill Nuclear Non-Proliferation? 1. NOON VIGIL FOR PEACE: THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021 We vigil for peace in front of the Rolla Post Office, THIS THURSDAY, JULY 29, FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM (and most subsequent Thursdays until Peace is established). Please join us this Thursday in saying NO WAR AGAINST CHINA or any other country. The temperature is predicted to be in the 90s. If you do not feel comfortable standing with us in front of the Post Office, please consider driving by and showing your support for our message by honking your horn and flashing a peace sign. Note 1: Since there are so few of us, generally 2 or 3, no need to cancel; but let's maintain social distancing. Note 2: In case of inclement weather, vigils may be canceled or terminated early. 2. THE MISFIT MATHEMATICIAN (Tom's column, http://tomsager.org) a) Secession: “Making America Great Again” b) Did China Just Kill Nuclear Non-Proliferation? Secession: “Making America Great Again” Last month, Yougov polled the US public for Bright Line Watch and found that a whopping 37% would support seceding from the United States of America and joining a regional entity. The number supporting secession has increased over a similar poll six months ago. Among southern Republicans, the number that would support secession has reached 66%.“We'll try to stay serene and calm While Bright Line Watch cautions that “this survey item reflects initial reactions by respondents about an issue that they are very unlikely to have considered carefully,” as politics become more and more polarized and divisive, break-up and collapse become more and more likely. Partition is a really bad idea. All you need do is look at a few historic examples to see what would be in store: South Asia: partitioned between India and PakistanIn the first five cases, the partitioned entities are at war or in imminent danger of resuming open warfare. The first four cases involve at least one nuclear-weapon state; the first case involves two. Here are a few questions worth asking: If the United States breaks up into regional entities, which ones get the nuclear weapons? With thousands of nuclear bombs on hand, there ought to be plenty to go around. Would they use or threaten to use them on each other? Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami has suggested exploring bombing Cuba. Should he get his hands on a nuclear bomb, would he use it to bomb Cuba? Some have suggested sealing our southern border to immigration. Would they consider using a few nuclear bombs to seal the border for generations to come? If this sounds dystopic to you, then I would suggest putting aside your divisive politics and learning to get along with one another. We're all in this together. If we can't learn to get along and share, there won't be much left for anybody. Note: Scroll half-way down the Bright Line Watch article for discussion of secession. There is also a short discussion of this article in The Hill.Did China Just Kill Nuclear Non-Proliferation? In response to a suggestion by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister, Taro Aso, that “If a major incident happened (over Taiwan), ... Japan and the U.S. must defend Taiwan together,” China has threatened Japan with nuclear annihilation in a video posted to the Chinese Communist-Party-sanctioned channel, Xigua:“Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war;” The video has since been taken down, although it has been reposted on youtube and partially on twitter with English subtitles.“When we liberate Taiwan, if Japan dares to intervene by force, even if it only deploys one soldier, one plane, and one ship, we will not only return reciprocal fire but also start a full-scale war against Japan. We will use nuclear bombs first. We will use nuclear bombs continuously until Japan declares unconditional surrender for the second time.” This is a real about-face for China which previously had been the only nuclear weapon state with a policy of “no first use of nuclear weapons.” So, how will Japan react to this? Perhaps they will create their own nuclear force. They certainly have the technology, know-how and resources; and with US power in the western Pacific waning, they may feel that the US “nuclear umbrella” can no longer be relied upon. And how about Iran? With nuclear chaos reigning, and being but a stone's throw from five nuclear-weapon states: Pakistan, India, China, Russia and Israel, might they not decide against a return to the moribund nuclear deal (JCPOA). Other non-nuclear states may also follow suit. Every day, it seems, the world becomes a more dangerous place. It is indisputable that China suffered greatly at the hands of Japan, during the first half of the 20th Century. After the fall of Nanjing in 1937, Japanese soldiers would throw Chinese babies in the air and catch them on their bayonets. The orgy of rape and murder lasted two weeks. Up to 300,000 died. All in all, China may have lost over 20 million people to Japanese aggression during World War II. Nevertheless, China has just threatened to totally annihilate Japan, using nuclear bombs continuously, perhaps killing Japan's entire population of 125 million. What I said in the previous snippet about the United States goes double for the World: On a more optimistic note, the Seychelles have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons bringing to 55 the number of state parties. Likely, they are the only 55 sane countries in the world. How about your country?“If this sounds dystopic to you, then I would suggest putting aside your divisive politics and learning to get along with one another. We're all in this together. If we can't learn to get along and share, there won't be much left for anybody.” Note1: The historic data above are from Wikipedia and may be disputed. Rolla Peace News is distributed by email once a week on Tuesday evenings (except on rare occasions) and is posted on the web at http://tomsager.org (click on Rollaites for Peace: near the top of rightmost column).Wage peace, Tom yushasager (at) yahoo.com |