Program Archive - Capital District Humanist Society

Lawrence Wittner is a SUNY professor emeritus of history and author of numerous books. He spoke about what he said is a “recent drift toward nuclear war.”

Starting on a positive note, he acknowledged that despite the 1945 nuclear bombings, and the years since “bringing the world to almost certain brink of destruction,” we have avoided that, “an enormous accomplishment.” Only nine nations ended up having nukes, and worldwide, the numbers of those weapons have fallen by 80%.

Wittner contended that this de-escalation did not “come naturally” to world leaders, but they were pressured in the 1980s by a “worldwide uprising” by people opposed to nukes. In particular, he said, they forced a turnaround in President Reagan’s “hardline” warlike proclivities, leading to “grudging” arms control. Wittner recited a series of such measures from the 1960s to ’80s, but said this ground to a halt in the ’90s, anti-nuke organizations dwindled in size, and the public forgot the issue.

The UN has passed a treaty calling for total nuclear disarmament, but those countries possessing such weapons have ignored it. President Obama did endorse the idea of a nuclear-free world; he also got the Senate to ratify a new START treaty with Russia. But Wittner lamented that the price was a deal with Republicans to modernize our nuclear arsenal.

Trump is hostile to arms control, has ended the Reagan-Gorbachev INF treaty (which had eliminated thousands of nukes), charging Russian violations; and the mentioned START treaty is “on the chopping block.” This would leave no arms control agreement between America and Russia. Meantime Trump, building upon Obama’s “modernization,” is embarked on what Wittner characterized as the costliest nuclear arms buildup in world history (estimated at $1.7 trillion over three decades).

He said Trump is vindictive and mentally unstable, and more likely than his predecessors to start a nuclear war. Some of his bluster against North Korea and Iran was quoted. Wittner pointed to the “emotional power” of nationalism heightening the danger some leader would start a nuclear war. He also warned that a conventional war could escalate into one; or that terrorists could get hold of a nuke.

Wittner noted that the organization of scientists behind the “Doomsday clock,” originally set at seven minutes to midnight, re-set it in 2018 to two minutes, and in 2020 to100 seconds – “the most dangerous situation humanity has ever faced.”

But, said Wittner, humanity is not so eager for nuclear immolation. Polls show extreme aversion to nuke use and overwhelming support for arms control. Even half of Republicans favor abolition of nuclear weapons. Maybe, he concluded, people have enough wisdom to restrain themselves and their governments from nuclear destruction.

By Frank S. Robinson