 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
I tried first the method of reason: I compared the danger of nuclear weapons with the danger of the Black Death. Everybody said, 'How true,' and did nothing. I tried alerting a particular group, but though this had a limited success, it had little effect on the general public or Governments. I next tried the popular appeal of marches of large numbers. Everybody said, 'These marchers are a nuisance'.
Source： The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, v.3:1944-1969, chap.4: The Foundation
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/AB34-010.HTM
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Since humanity has acquired the knowledge to manufacture nuclear weapons, it is not enough for countries to simply destroy their nuclear arsenals. Even if nuclear weapons manufacturing methods are made unavailable from the internet in the usual way, it is said that detailed nuclear weapons manufacturing methods are uploaded to the Dark Web (black sites).
Therefore, as Russell argues, there is a need to create something like a World Federal Government, with a minimum number of nuclear weapons to be held exclusively by the World Federal Government. However, as major powers abhor having their sovereignty restricted, it seems highly likely that a World Federal Government monopoly on nuclear weapons will only be achieved after nuclear weapons have been used in war and many lives have been lost. This is likely to happen as long as we continue to insist to each other that it is unacceptable for an enemy state to possess nuclear weapons, but that it is inevitable for our own defence that we and our allies possess nuclear weapons.
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