Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

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JackDaydream
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Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by JackDaydream »

About 3 years ago I mentioned CND to a woman I was working with who was wearing a badge of the symbol alongside other badges. I discovered that she didn't know what it meant and it was more of a fashion statement. I know that the CND movement was still existent because I went to a CND fair in Wimbledon around about this time. I grew up as a CND supporter, with my mother supporting pacifism and my father had some sympathy with CND principles, but was concerned that it was rather subversive to go on marches.

The campaign was strong in the latter half of the last century, with Bob Dylan and many others writings protest songs about war and nuclear weapons. Bertrand Russell was involved as in protest in addition to his career in academic philosophy. The movement played a role in campaigning in the Gulf War. But, the threat of mass nuclear destruction hovers over the human race, including the Ukrainian crisis.

So, I am wondering about the philosophy of war, peace and the future. It is interrelated with politics, which is why I put it into the politics section. Does philosophy have anything to contribute and how may the issue of war and nuclear weapons be considered critically and practically. In situations such the current Ukrainian one the situation of war is so dire that it is beyond the people there protesting because they need to escape. There were some protests against what was happening, including one in Trafalgar Square in London. To what extent does protest make a difference? How may the growth of the arms race and chemical warfare be viewed? Even without nuclear weapons, is there such a thing as a just war? What do you think?
stevie
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Re: Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by stevie »

For a democratic nation it is beneficial to have a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and to be unconditionally ready to use it to strike back if being attacked with nuclear weapons. The world must know without doubt that one is ready to use one's nuclear arsenal if one is attacked and that one will accept destruction of all and everything and that thus an attacker will definitely die second.
There is freedom of demonstrations nearly for all and everything, so people may demonstrate for peace or for war, as they like it but the government of a democratic nation must not be affected by demonstration for self-disarmament because at any rate disarmament is a no-go if not based on mutual contracts and proof surveillance. In a democratic nation defeatism must be fought and a mentality of 'freedom or death' must be cultivated.
mankind ... must act and reason and believe; though they are not able, by their most diligent enquiry, to satisfy themselves concerning the foundation of these operations, or to remove the objections, which may be raised against them [Hume]
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JackDaydream
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Re: Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by JackDaydream »

stevie wrote: April 5th, 2022, 9:10 am For a democratic nation it is beneficial to have a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and to be unconditionally ready to use it to strike back if being attacked with nuclear weapons. The world must know without doubt that one is ready to use one's nuclear arsenal if one is attacked and that one will accept destruction of all and everything and that thus an attacker will definitely die second.
There is freedom of demonstrations nearly for all and everything, so people may demonstrate for peace or for war, as they like it but the government of a democratic nation must not be affected by demonstration for self-disarmament because at any rate disarmament is a no-go if not based on mutual contracts and proof surveillance. In a democratic nation defeatism must be fought and a mentality of 'freedom or death' must be cultivated.
It is likely that the dominant ideologies of many Western nations is bound up with the emphasis on nuclear weapons. The underlying emphasis was upon such weapons as an aspect of these as a deterrent initially, but it seems that a shift may be occurring, in which the use of them is seen as a means of defence and protection. The difference here is major, especially in the hands of leaders with human weaknesses. Once such action starts, it is hard to know where it may end.

Of course, the process is complicated as there has always been the question of what if some nations stopped using them, while others didn't. This rationale may have been one on which the Cold War of the twentieth century was bound. It may be happening again and it may be that symbolic gestures of protest may only be that, giving people the illusion in which they have a say while in actual practice they don't.
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Re: Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by JackDaydream »

I apologise for creating such a gloomy thread. I wrote it when I had been lying in bed all night unable to sleep. Today, it has glared at me like a dark monstrosity, a bit like Metallica's 'Hardwired to Self Destruct' and Slipknot's 'When All Hope is Gone'. How dark should one go in thinking of the worst possibilitues?

Yet, the fear of nuclear war is hanging over the world like an ominous spectre. I keep seeing references to the threat of nuclear war on my phone. Really, I am not trying to create a negative threat, but wondering if humanity has the power to stop it. That is why I was thinking of the peace movement, but, of course, that developed in a different era. I don't believe in false optimism but am querying whether the people of the world have any power to stop it, although already many have died and suffered greatly. I am aiming for a critical.and realistic evaluation and consideration of what philosophy, if anything, can bring to the politics of the chaotic situation..Of course, the issue of nuclear weapons is connected to ecological problems because it comes down to humans and technology.
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Re: Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

stevie wrote: April 5th, 2022, 9:10 am For a democratic nation it is beneficial to have a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and to be unconditionally ready to use it to strike back if being attacked with nuclear weapons. The world must know without doubt that one is ready to use one's nuclear arsenal if one is attacked and that one will accept destruction of all and everything and that thus an attacker will definitely die second.
Wow! 😮 Is this all that stands between us and a Nuclear Winter (never mind all the other stuff)? We are humans, and we only have to consider our history to see how risky this 👆 strategy is.

Maybe climate-change won't have the opportunity to wipe us out after all...?
Pattern-chaser

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JackDaydream
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Re: Nuclear Weapons and the Protest for Peace: How May War, Peace and the Future Be Approached in Philosophy?

Post by JackDaydream »

Pattern-chaser wrote: April 6th, 2022, 10:14 am
stevie wrote: April 5th, 2022, 9:10 am For a democratic nation it is beneficial to have a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and to be unconditionally ready to use it to strike back if being attacked with nuclear weapons. The world must know without doubt that one is ready to use one's nuclear arsenal if one is attacked and that one will accept destruction of all and everything and that thus an attacker will definitely die second.
5

Wow! 😮 Is this all that stands between us and a Nuclear Winter (never mind all the other stuff)? We are humans, and we only have to consider our history to see how risky this 👆 strategy is.

Maybe climate-change won't have the opportunity to wipe us out after all...?
I wonder how much really 'stands between us and a Nuclear Winter'. It definitely seems that there seems to be more of an intention to use such weapons than before. Nuclear warfare has already been used in wars and the argument for it seemed to be more along the line of it being a deterrent.

Of course, in the Ukrainian situation the fear of escalation to a potential Third World War is giving power to Putin because leaders are afraid of what he might do. With the development of all the weapons which have been developed the biggest danger is that some people in authoritative positions may abuse power and be ready to unleash mass destruction.

The sanctions against Russia can be seen as a form of protest although Putin has indicated possible revenge for this. It may be that Nato's role is critical and the situation needs to be handled with so much caution and responsibility. I have read how there were many times in the initial Cold War when full scale nuclear war could have broken out, especially when there was a mistaken message sent. There is probably a lot going on behind the news headlines which we don't know about. So, it is hard to know how much is fabricated moral panic, such as remarks on the internet, and how much the real dangers of a full scale nuclear war.
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