As rest of world readies to ban nuclear weapons UK guards its right to destroy
I don’t know about you, but for me it’s hide behind the couch time when the TV daily drags us deeper into the “Maylstrom” of chaos and confusion. Death and horror are met by evasion, or sanctimonious platitudes. Deception and dishonesty choke the very air we breathe.
It is a relief to turn from the sickening charade that is current British politics and con- sider the bigger world, to see that humanity is still struggling onwards towards the light. In this world there are good people, trying to do the right thing.
You won’t have heard a word about it on the media, but right now a truly momentous event is taking place. The United Nation is making the most important decision it has ever made since its foundation after the Second World War in 1945.
Morethan130statesarepresently drafting a treaty that will ban nuclear weapons worldwide. This will end the anomaly that nuclear weapons are the only category of weapons of mass destruction (WMDS) not specifically outlawed (biological and chemical weapons are already banned). The nuclear states are boycotting this – naturally. They know that they alone have the divine right to burn and blast untold thousands, a privilege forever denied the rest of humanity. But on 7 July this hypocritical charade will end.
The rest of the world has had enough of the Big Boys nuclear posturing. They know that either humanity has a future without nuclear weapons, or it has no future at all. And they want a future, for their children and grandchildren.
The UK signed the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968. Under Article VI of this, all the signatories agreed “to work in good faith for the elimination of nuclear weapons”. We have ignored this.
In all my long weary years of campaigning, I’ve constantly met the response, “Yes, of course, these are terrible weapons and we must get rid of them but it must be by a multilateral approach, not by reckless and dangerous unilateralism”.
Well, now’s their chance. This is real multilateralism in action. So, why is the UK boycotting the treaty? Did they not really mean what they have so often said?
BRIAN QUAIL Hyndland Avenue Glasgow