Peace, not another Hiroshima

Posted on August 6, 2020 by petrel41

This 2015 video says is called Hiroshima atomic bomb: Survivor recalls horrors – BBC News.

By Peter Lazenby in Britain, 6 August 2020:

75 years after Hiroshima, campaigners call for peace and disarmament

CALLS for the British government to abolish its obscene arsenal of nuclear weapons will intensify today as the world marks Hiroshima Day — 75 years since US forces dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city, killing 140,000 people.

The calls come amid progress on the criminalisation of nuclear weapons by the United Nations, where three more countries have voted to ratify the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The treaty needs 50 countries to ratify it, at which point it would become international law — though the pact is binding only on those countries which are party to it.

By last month, 40 countries had signed, with Sudan, Fiji and Botswana being the most recent signatories.

Britain, the United States and other nuclear powers have refused to sign and did not attend the 2017 session of the UN general assembly which voted for the treaty.

The abolition calls also come against the background of intensifying belligerence and military threats from United States President Donald Trump.

Campaigners against nuclear weapons said the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was bombed three days later, remain relevant today in a world where nuclear bomb stockpiles cast the shadow of potential global obliteration.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament secretary Kate Hudson said: “We are facing an increasingly dangerous military situation driven most alarmingly by Trump’s policies.

“His withdrawal from key treaties, the possibility of the resumption of nuclear testing, all increase the risk of nuclear war.

“Of course, we understand the context for this: the US is a declining power economically and seeks to assert itself militarily.

“This has been the case for some time — noticeable under the Bush administration, which sought to compel non-compliant states to bend to the US will.

“Trump’s drive to war is far more dangerous. The US National Security Strategy focuses on what it describes as strategic rivals or competitors, notably China and Russia. Its goal is to be able to defeat them militarily, to prepare for war on a massive scale.”

She said that “so-called usable nuclear weapons” have been deployed.

“Taking these two strategies together, it is clear that there is a significant danger of a US war on China and that opposing this is a fundamental task for the movement today,” she said.

“This is a conflict where nuclear weapons will be used and we need to work with all our strength to prevent such a war.”

She said the world today is “closer to tragedy” than it has ever been.

“On this anniversary, we must recommit to working together, in unity, to ensure that those hands never reach midnight.”

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings: “We must never forget these atrocities, and we must never give up on the mission to rid our world of nuclear weapons.”

Stop the War Campaign convenor Lindsey German said: “For my generation, Hiroshima meant that there could never be another major war without the destruction of all humanity.

“We still see this terrible barbarism everywhere today. The major states are nuclear-armed and there is the ever-present threat of conflict, now growing between the US and China in particular.

“Today, August 6, we should redouble our efforts to oppose war and all nuclear weapons.”

CND Cymru chairwoman Jill Evans said: “People in Wales and internationally are marking this anniversary by joining the many events online.

“We cannot hold our planned event at the National Eisteddfod, but we can still raise our voices to call on governments to act. I urge everyone to take some time this week to listen to the powerful testimony of nuclear survivors.”

How Nato promotes its nuclear agenda. The supposed ‘defensive alliance’ is anything but – as RAE STREET reminds us.

Hiroshima nuclear bomb survivors tour Britain for a global ban

Posted on April 2, 2017 by petrel41

Hiroshima survivors

Hiroshima bomb survivors tour Britain for a global ban: here.

Hiroshima nuclear bombing commemorated

Posted on August 8, 2016 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Hiroshima Atomic Bombing – That Day: A Survivor’s Story

5 August 2014

‘That Day’, Rebecca & Rich’s first film, was inspired by the story of Kosei Mito, an in-utero survivor of the atomic attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and the profound effect it had on the film’s producers. This documentary is the focal point of a large multimedia campaign to help abolish nuclear weapons.

By Peter Lazenby in Britain:

Events across Britain call for end to nukes

Monday 8th August 2016

Thousands mark the day Hiroshima burned

THOUSANDS of people in Britain and around the world commemorated the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in Japan at the weekend.

The blast killed 140,000 people, almost all of them civilians.

More than 20 events were staged in Britain on Saturday, both at major centres such as London, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford, as well as in smaller communities.

In the Pennine town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire an event was staged by Calder Valley branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

It included poetry, speeches, and songs from Calder Valley Voices choir.

Chorister and speaker Mim Goldstein told the gathering: “We have to stand united and remember the catastrophic effects of the United States’ attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 71 years ago.

“At this, the 71st anniversary, we come together in love and peace — and of course determination and anger that these weapons are being stockpiled.

“Our government has just decided to spend £205m on Trident, a system which is unsafe, illegal and can never be used.

“Despite the decision in Parliament there are many reasons to feel hope.

“In Scotland they have said they will not tolerate a nuclear weapons system in their country.

“Also, Jeremy Corbyn is a committed anti-nuclear activist.

“He is the first leader to be committed against nuclear weapons.

“Let us not stand here marking the 80th or 100th anniversary lamenting a missed opportunity.

“We cannot and must not allow a new nuclear weapons system to be developed in this country.”

Commemoration events both mark the anniversary and give momentum to the world-wide campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Events internationally included 17 rallies in cities across the United States, organised by international nuclear disarmament campaign Global Zero.

Global Zero head Derek Johnson said: “We’re mobilising this weekend to make sure the Democratic and Republican nominees understand the only way to ensure these weapons are never used again is to eliminate all of them, everywhere.

“The next US president has to put that objective at the top of the foreign policy agenda.”

Edward Barber photographed anti-nuclear protests when they were at their most vocal and imaginative. MIKE QUILLE finds much to inspire in his work: here.

Hiroshima nuclear bombing commemorations tomorrow

Posted on August 5, 2016 by petrel41

This video from Britain says about itself:

6 August 2015

Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn called for a nuclear free world at the annual Hiroshima Day Commemoration in London, Thursday, demanding that Britain discontinue its Trident nuclear programme.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Friday 5th August 2016

THE 71st anniversary of the US dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima will be marked by events across Britain and the world tomorrow.

The 1945 attack killed an estimated 200,000 people.

More than 20 towns and cities across Britain will stage commemorations, including “peace tents” and vigils.

Every year, events are held across the world for the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and as part of the fight for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Many of the ceremonies involve members of the international Mayors for Peace organisation.

The organisation is supported by 7,095 mayors around the world, including those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They have issued an open letter to the UN calling for progress on nuclear disarmament.

Japanese imperialism and Hiroshima nuclear bomb

Posted on June 26, 2016 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

The Empire Files: Untold History of Imperial Japan & the Bomb – Part 1

25 June 2016

Obama’s high-profile trip to Hiroshima was accompanied by a media storm that gave endless justifications for the US use of the atomic bomb on Japanese civilians. The myths are widely accepted in society, and underpin the notion of American exceptionalism. Abby Martin interviews Dr. Peter Kuznick, co-author with Director Oliver Stone of the bestselling book and HBO series “The Untold History of the United States,” about the real story behind the use of the atomic bombs—as well as the untold history of Imperial Japan, its role today for the US Empire, and the danger for new war on the horizon.

This video is the sequel.

Britons commemorate Hiroshima nuclear bomb

Posted on August 7, 2015 by petrel41

This video about Hiroshima, Japan says about itself:

Testimony of hibakusha by Mr. Takashi Nakata (in English)

29 July 2011

Mr. Takashi Nakata gives testimony on his experience of atomic bombing.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain, 7 August 2015, about commemorating the Hiroshima nuclear bomb, seventy years ago:

Tom Gooding

I’ve been coming to these demonstrations for years, so I don’t see any reason for stopping by the fact I can’t walk anymore. I follow all these demonstrations instead of political meetings, I’m a free-thinker.

Brenda McGraith

I’m here because it’s the 70th anniversary. We remembered the start of World War I last year and Victory Day in May, this is another very important anniversary that we need to remember.

Thais Court

I just think it’s really important to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s really important to come and show your opposition to nuclear weapons and to remember everyone who died and everything that has happened. Yes, it makes it more special that I come with my grandmother.

Monique Buchli

I feel very strongly about weapons in general. I feel they are not needed. If we work for peace and commit ourselves to create a world without war, without weapons, we would actually achieve much more. Nuclear weapons are just top of the list of the most awful weapons we ever invented and we should never use it. That’s why I am here, to tell the world, come on, stop having these horrible weapons.

The decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: here.

Hiroshima atomic bomb commemorated today

Posted on August 6, 2015 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Shigeko SASAMORI / Hibakusha Interview

May 11th (Fri) 2012, in Brooklyn, New York

Shigeko SASAMORI, a teenager in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb struck on August 6, 1945, was one of the 25 Hiroshima Maidens who were brought to New York City in 1955 for reconstructive surgery by Norman Cousins and Rev. Hiroshi Tanimoto. She has been a disarmament activist ever since.

Hibakusha Stories and Youth Arts New York will be sponsoring school visits in May of 2011.

Each school will be visited by one or more Hibakusha— survivors of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in the summer of 1945. Visits will provide students with a rare opportunity to hear eyewitness testimonies of one of the most significant events in human history and will introduce the students to the concepts of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. The two-period visit will include a brief introduction to nuclear issues, first-hand accounts from the survivors themselves, small group discussions, and a final sharing from each group.

By Joana Ramiro and James Tweedie in Britain:

NEVER AGAIN

Thursday 6th august 2015

Exactly 70 years ago the world’s first atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima

HUNDREDS of thousands of people all over the world united today to tell world leaders: “Don’t forget Hiroshima,” 70 years after the atomic bomb annihilated the Japanese city.

And today — exactly 70 years on from the Hiroshima bombing and almost to the day of the equally devastating Nagasaki bombing — medics at Japanese Red Cross Society hospitals are treating thousands of survivors — known as Hibakusha — for long-term health effects.

Nearly two-thirds of deaths at the institutions are due to cancer.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Peter Maurer said: “What more compelling argument could there be for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, especially as most of the bombs in the arsenals of nuclear-armed states today are more powerful and destructive?”

In the year last year alone, the Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors hospitals treated almost 11,000 of the nearly 200,000 living survivors.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies president Tadateru Konoe will appeal for world leaders to sit at peace memorial ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki this week.

“This commemoration is a reminder of the indiscriminate humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons,” he said.

“It is a reminder that these consequences travel across space and time and that, once unleashed, they can never be contained.”

Meanwhile events in London and Edinburgh today will also mark the countdown towards the potential renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons in March 2016. Heading the ceremony in the capital will be Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn, a long-standing anti-nuclear advocate, who called on the government to lead the disarmament.

“The 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima should serve as a reminder to us all of the human cost of war,” Mr Corbyn told the Star.

“It should also remind us of the lack of progress in achieving nuclear disarmament, despite global agreement on the need to do so. “We must break the impasse in global negotiations and push forward to an agreement that sees these weapons banned, as we have with chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction.”

Mr Corbyn will stand alongside the Green Party’s Jenny Jones AM, writer AL Kennedy, Battersea Peace Pagoda Reverend Gyoro Nagase and others during the two-minute silence honouring the hundreds of thousands killed in the bombings.

The event will be hosted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, whose general secretary Kate Hudson said she was mourning both the 1945 victims and those “whose lives have been blighted by their effects.”

She added: “On this poignant anniversary we must reaffirm our determination that this should never happen again.

“The British government can play its part by scrapping Trident and kick-starting global abolition.

“Senior military figures say that Trident is militarily useless and the British public thinks it’s immoral and exorbitantly expensive.

“Today of all days we should remember what the effects of a nuclear bomb are and realise the only way to stop another detonation — by accident or design — is by getting rid of all of them.”

Participants will be laying white flowers by the Hiroshima Commemorative Cherry Tree planted on the square in 1967.

In Scotland, members of Trident Ploughshares will be kicking off a fasting period of three days in an event launched by MSPs Fiona Hyslop and Bill Kidd.

The fast will last from today, when Hiroshima was hit by the first atomic bomb, until August 9, the date of the Nagasaki attack.

Abe is determined to overrule his country’s constitution and restore its historic rule over the region, writes KENNY COYLE. JAPANESE premier Shinzo Abe seems intent on marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII with empty gestures of regret, while at the same time stoking Japan’s future military ambitions: here.

Ban nuclear weapons, Jeremy Corbyn writes

Posted on May 24, 2015 by petrel41

This video from Japan says about itself:

Survivor Dr Hiromi Hasai recalls the horror of Hiroshima

20 October 2011

As part of the War In Profile series of events, A-Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a poignant look at the effects of the first and, so far, only use of hostile nuclear weapons from World War II on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

Warning: this Interview contains graphic vision of horrific human injuries and death. Viewer discretion strongly advised.

By Jeremy Corbyn in Britain:

Objective: a nuclear free world

Saturday 23rd may 2015

The permanent members of the UN security council claim they want disarmament but at the same time develop ever more efficient ways of destroying the planet, writes JEREMY CORBYN

The UN Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference is held every five years. It is meant to monitor the effects of the spread of nuclear weapons around the world and ensure that the treaty is upheld.

Fundamentally the treaty has two big objectives: that all non-nuclear states who sign should not acquire or develop nuclear weapons, and that the existing nuclear weapon states (Britain, France, China, Russia and the US) should take steps to disarm, thus reaching the objective of a nuclear free world.

This review conference is drawing to a close and at the time of writing, the final declaration has not even been presented to the rather jaded delegates who’ve spent three weeks haggling over its details in endless committee meetings all over the UN in New York.

In reality it is the eternal debate of the permanent five and, despite all the public rhetoric, none have effectively moved towards nuclear disarmament — but in all cases have reduced the number of warheads they hold.

The development of nuclear weapons by India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel is obviously a threat and a danger, and an even greater danger would be the development of nuclear weapons by any other state. Interestingly, South Africa, the most prominent country to unilaterally give up nuclear weapons, is playing a very crucial role at the conference and its ambassador, Abdul Minti, commands huge respect amongst the many peace organisations in New York.

Before the conference began, there was a march of 7,500 people on the UN, with supporters from 20 countries who presented a letter to Taous Feroukhi who is the president of the Review Conference.

She accepted the seven million signature petition which called on all parties of the NPT to immediately develop a timetable to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons, and called upon India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan to join the process without delay.

One of the issues has been the dishonesty of the nuclear weapon states who claim to be reducing the number of warheads and in some cases de-targeting existing ones. This narrative is undermined by a very interesting article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists nuclear notebook by Andrew Lichterman, who noted that “new or improved nuclear weapons programmes underway worldwide include at least 27 ballistic missiles, 9 cruise missiles, 8 naval vessels, 5 bombers, 8 warheads, and 8 weapons factories.”

Rearmaments around the world stretch from the US to China, with Britain preparing to spend £100bn on the development of the new generation of Trident nuclear submarines.

Last December was the third conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons hosted by the Austrian government in Vienna, which concluded with the Austrian pledge that “mindful of the unacceptable harm that victims of nuclear weapons explosions and nuclear testing have experienced, and recognising that the rights of these victims have not been adequately addressed,” calls for a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

Belated participation in the conference in Vienna by the US and Britain sadly was only used as a platform for them to claim that their security depended on their nuclear weapons. It is quite possible that South Africa will host another Humanitarian Effects of Nuclear Weapons conference and thus further isolate the nuclear ambitions of the nine nuclear states of the world.

The 2005 conference called for the establishment of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Zone in the Middle East and a conference to set this in motion which would have to include both Iran and Israel to have any effect.

This conference has never been held despite Finland being tasked with hosting it, and at the last review conference in 2005 there was a unanimous vote to hold the conference. Since then the progress of negotiations with Iran has provided the basis on which the conference could be held. The exasperation of delegates regarding this lack of progress is clearly boiling over and the Russian delegation is tabling new proposals on how to take the matter forward.

Quite simply, if there is not a process of nuclear disarmament in the region, then any one of the immensely wealthy countries could purchase or provide their own nuclear weapons.

The case of the Marshall Islands who were the victims of 67 nuclear tests between 1946 and ’58 has become a cause celebre, and the government of the Marshall Islands has now instituted a case in the International Court of Justice against the one member on the P5+1 — five permanent members of the UN security council, namely China, France, Russia, the Britain, and the US, plus Germany — which subscribes to the International Court of Justice for its non-fulfilment of the disarmament obligations of the NPT.

The case is proceeding in the court.

Albert Einstein said: “Bullets kill men, but atomic bombs kill cities. A tank is a defence against a bullet, but there is no defence against a weapon that can destroy civilisation …”.

Depressing as the outcome of the conference looks, the cause of peace and nuclear disarmament is more vital than ever.

Britain has a huge role to play in this, with the newly elected Conservative government promising to pledge £100bn on replacing the Trident system which runs completely counter to the high-minded rhetoric of the P5 who claim they really want disarmament while at the same time developing ever more efficient ways of giving themselves the ability to destroy the planet.

The NATO military alliance is preparing to implement a more aggressive nuclear weapons strategy in response to alleged “Russian aggression,” according to NATO sources cited by the Guardian Wednesday evening: here.

Nagasaki mayor criticizes Japanese government militarism

Posted on August 9, 2014 by petrel41

This video is called Shock Doctrine in Japan: Shinzo Abe‘s Rightward Shift to Militarism, Secrecy in Fukushima’s Wake.

From Associated Press:

Japanese defence policy questioned on 69th anniversary of atomic bombing

Mari Yamaguchi

Published Saturday, August 9, 2014 7:59AM EDT

TOKYO — The mayor of Nagasaki on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s push toward Japan’s more assertive defence policy, as the city marked the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing.

In his “peace declaration” speech at the ceremony in Nagasaki’s Peace Park, Mayor Tomihisa Taue urged Abe’s government to listen to growing public concerns over Japan’s commitment to its pacifist pledge.

Thousands of attendants, including U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and a record number of representatives from 51 countries, offered a minute of silence and prayed for the victims at 11:02 a.m., the moment the bomb was dropped over Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, as bells rang. They also laid wreaths of white and yellow chrysanthemums at the Statue of Peace.

The U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, prompting Tokyo’s World War II surrender. The first on Hiroshima killed 140,000 people and the Nagasaki bomb killed another 70,000.

The anniversary comes as Japan is divided over the government’s decision to allow its military to defend foreign countries and play greater roles overseas by exercising what is referred to as collective self-defence. To achieve that goal, Abe’s Cabinet revised its interpretation of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution.

Pacifism, enshrined in the constitution, is the “founding principle” of postwar Japan and Nagasaki, Taue said.

“However, the rushed debate over collective self-defence has prompted concern that this principle is shaking,” he said. “I strongly request that the Japanese government take note of the situation and carefully listen to the voices of distress and concerns.”

Polls show more than half of respondents are opposed to the decision, mainly because of sensitivity over Japan’s wartime past and devastation at home.

Representing the Nagasaki survivors, Miyako Jodai, 75, said that Abe’s government was not living up to expectations.

Jodai, a retired teacher who was exposed to radiation just 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) from ground zero, said that the defence policy that puts more weight on military power was “outrageous” and a shift away from pacifism.

“Please stand by our commitment to peace. Please do not forget the sufferings of the atomic bombing survivors,” Jodai said at the ceremony.

The number of surviving victims, known as “hibakusha,” was just more than 190,000 this year across Japan. Their average age is 79. In Nagasaki, 3,355 survivors died over the past year, while 5,507 passed away in Hiroshima.

Abe kept his eyes closed and sat motionless as he listened to the outright criticism, rare at a solemn ceremony.

In his speech, he did not mention his defence policy or the pacifist constitution. He repeated his sympathy to the victims and said Japan as the sole victim of nuclear attacks has the duty to take leadership in achieving a nuclear-free society, while telling the world of the inhumane side of nuclear weapons.

The speech had minor tweaks from last year’s, after Abe faced criticism that the speech he delivered in Hiroshima on Thursday was almost identical to the one from the previous year, Kyodo News reported.

World War I dead, Hiroshima dead and British nuclear weapons

Posted on August 6, 2014 by petrel41

This video from the USA says about itself:

On August 6, 2007, activists in Syracuse, NY, marched for a nuclear free future. As part of this Hiroshima Day parade they called for an end to nuclear weapons, an end to nuclear power, and for a responsible energy policy.

By Symon Hill in Britain:

An insult to the dead

Wednesday 6th August 2014

Today, on Hiroshima Day, SYMON HILL calls on our political leaders to mark WWI by doing the decent thing – abolishing Trident

FEW things illustrate the absurdity of British political debate more than the row over the notes attached to wreaths from party leaders to mark the World War I centenary.

Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg were accused of insulting the people killed in war because they did not write personal messages on their wreaths.

David Cameron’s wreath came with a handwritten note and signature.

This is a row drummed up by politicians and commentators utterly detached from the realities of war.

Cameron and Clegg insult the victims of war every day by ploughing billions into the sixth-highest military budget in the world.

Just as we should “never forget” World War I, today we mark the anniversary of another event that should always be remembered.

At 8.15am on August 6 1945, US forces, with the backing of the British government, dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in Japan. Around 70,000 — 80,000 people were killed instantly.

Numbers are difficult to estimate, but the death toll by the end of the year may been double this figure.

Some died of radiation and injuries. With over two-thirds of the city’s buildings destroyed, many became homeless and slowly died of starvation or hypothermia.

Three days after the bombing, the US dropped a similar bomb on Nagasaki.

It is a chilling thought that those bombs were relatively small in their impact compared to what some of today’s nuclear arms can do.

If Cameron were serious about honouring the dead of past wars, he would not have just spent millions upgrading the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire, where major parts of Trident nuclear weapons are developed.

The payment implies an arrogant assumption that MPs will back Cameron’s plan of renewing Trident when the decision comes before Parliament in 2016.

If Miliband wants to honour the dead, he still has time to speak up for a different approach to the world.

This would include reduced military spending and an end to arms exports to oppressive regimes.

It would have to include opposition to the renewal of the British government’s nuclear arsenal.

If he took such a stance, Miliband would be aligning himself with public opinion.

Trident is an issue on which the British public are well to the left of most politicians.

A poll in 2010 showed 63 per cent opposed to Trident renewal. This had risen to 79 per cent by April this year.

Protests and blockades are becoming ever more frequent at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, many co-ordinated by the diverse activist group Action AWE.

Along with CND, Action AWE will mark the Nagasaki anniversary on Saturday by unfurling a seven-mile scarf between the two AWE bases of Aldermaston and Burghfield.

Over 4,000 people have knitted parts of this scarf. The novelty of their action has triggered local media interest where the knitting is taking place and brought the anti-Trident message to people who may not otherwise have heard it.

History shows time and again that the build-up of arms makes war more likely, not less.

In the early years of the 20th century, right-wing politicians were keen to quote the Roman saying, “If you want peace, prepare for war.”

As we remember both World War I and the Hiroshima bombing, it should be obvious that if we prepare for war, we will get what we have prepared for.

Symon Hill is a socialist Christian writer and campaigner. He is teaching about the peace movement in World War I for the Workers’ Educational Association.

Political and military leaders from Europe and the US used commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I to press for new wars: here.

An extraordinary pro-war propaganda juggernaut has been set in motion in Australia this week, with commemorations held across the country to mark the centenary of World War I: here.

A remarkable document published July 31 on US military planning calls for the Pentagon to prepare to wage as many as half a dozen wars at the same time, including wars in which the antagonist possesses nuclear weapons: here.

Japan marks 69th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing: here.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui challenges world leaders to see atomic bomb-scarred cities first-hand to be convinced that nuclear weapons should not exist: here.

“War Makes Everyone Crazy”: Hiroshima Survivor Reflects on 69th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing: here.

NOAM CHOMSKY TACKLES THE NUCLEAR ERA: “If some extraterrestrial species were compiling a history of Homo sapiens, they might well break their calendar into two eras: BNW (before nuclear weapons) and NWE (the nuclear weapons era). The latter era, of course, opened on August 6, 1945, the first day of the countdown to what may be the inglorious end of this strange species, which attained the intelligence to discover the effective means to destroy itself, but — so the evidence suggests — not the moral and intellectual capacity to control its worst instincts.” [HuffPost]