Friday, July 17, 2015

Beware of War Hawks

To live life always on the edge of destruction is a weight many of us of advanced age have endured far too long. We were just coming into the age of understanding at the end of WW2 brought about by the detonation of two Atomic Bombs on Japan. Weekly if not daily our grade school class practiced huddling under our desks in preparation for an airplane dropping bombs. At home, a Light Warden patrolled the street and if any light source escaped the window blinds the owner was notified to correct under penalty of the law. Young minds are very impressionable. 

As teenagers, little did we understand of the concept of "Mutual Assured Destruction". Growing older, we lived daily with Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as, nuclear proliferation by Russia, China, Israel, and numerous other countries. The World seems awash in nuclear bombs that no sane country is willing to launch.

It's a scary feeling to think that the World has numerous 
means, nuclear warheads, of "Mutual Assured Destruction" which aren't launched because, if they were, others would fly right back at them. Life on Earth, in a twinkling of an eye, would cease as common Man understands it. I always ponder this question: what can I really do ?

In my limited time left on Earth, I can raise the concern that the USA must lean on diplomacy rather than ply bombast. Today the USA begins a 60 day review of a treaty with Iran concerning nuclear armliment. Do we talk or do we bomb is the ultimate decision we must face ? "Mutual Assured Destruction" is an alternative Man has devised to save our World, tenuous as it sounds, from an unspeakable debacle. Even War Hawks won't be able to hide from a world wide launch of nuclear missiles. Now they talk with bravado and gusto but when "the rubber meets the road" these Hawks will be the first to hide in some cave somewhere and die a horrible slow death. Maybe they need a desk to crawl under.

Ronald C. Downie

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