WMD Policies

On U.S. Weapons of Mass Destruction Policies

By Roy D. Follendore III

September 30, 2002

Perhaps the single most important contribution that Albert Einstein brought to humanity was probably not the idea that energy and mass are the same thing, it was the Scientific realization that observations and measurements are the same things. When we use our minds to measure things, we affect the measurement through our very observation. The United States is rightfully concerned that countries are acquiring weapons of mass destruction. This was brought on because the idea of what is a weapon of mass destruction has changed radically in the last year. Before 911, commercial airlines were not considered capable of destroying thousands of people. Since then, we have seen a tiny taste of the wide spread effects that biological toxins are capable of having. We are observing and measuring the problems that we see. In doing so we are also manipulating our measurements.

One way we do this is to ignore the issue of perspective by ignoring empathy. We Americans simply ignore the fact that the overriding objective is to find the best long and short term ways for countries to get along. We have moved into a struggle for world domination with a parochial viewpoint. The way that we choose to see things becomes the way that we believe others should see things. There has become a tremendous gap between the American perspective and the the perspective of the world. We are ignoring the simple fact that for the majority of people on this planet we share, it is the United States that they most fear.

The assumption that America will persuade everyone that it operates in their interest is foolish. Most of the civilizations of this world are fearful of America at this particular moment in history. When other citizens of the World look at America, they do not see American intentions like we Americans do. From their perspectives, the American economy is based on predatory and competitive practices which have historically striped valuable resources out from under third world nations. They see that the United States covertly intervenes into foreign affairs in order to gain the economic and political advantage. They see that United States has established and maintained planetary surveillance of worldwide public and private communications. They recognize that the United States has developed and maintains huge stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. Add to this the fact that the United States remains the only Government that has ever used nuclear weapons on our enemies. Moreover, the United States has recently established a first strike policy. The United States has regularly used medium range cruise missiles to attack targets when we have been threatened. Beyond this, they read our intentions by the fact that the United States has the only anti-missile defense in R&D which may be practical against long range missiles. And they know that the United States has refused to become a member nation of the World Court in order to maintain immunity from prosecution, even while it has taken the role of World Police without election.

On the other side of the coin, if we Americans were to hold up a clean and clear mirror to this great country and examine what we see, there are other kinds of warm soft facts of America that others of this World might see, regardless of our intentions. We Americans do have good intentions. There is no doubt of the good in of our American society as a whole. Americans are caring and we have chosen to shed our blood for other countries on many occasions. We constantly give back something important and good to our fellow man. Our farms have fed much of this planet. Our American technologies have revolutionized the nature of work for all people. We have changed the concept of medicine and improved it for the good of all people. Internally our Nation has found a way for many ethnic cultures to coexist with deliberate freedom and justice and we have shared that too. We Americans have seen the horror of the weapons we have created, we have learned, and we have been attempting to control them for the good of all humanity. We have put our faith in free enterprise and human rights. All of this has given America a manifest destiny to help lead this World of civilizations, though not to rule it.

But 911 seems to have suddenly changed the way that we Americans think about things. The unprecedented fundamentalist religion based terrorism that attacked the American economic and military seats of power has also attacked and damaged the political systems which govern our decisions. This was a mistake by our self appointed enemies because at this moment in history, the measure of what we see as ourselves from our own minds eye is clearly not that which others see. For the past year there has been a real psychological need for Americans to hold on to the ideal that our leadership truly understands the diverse cultural problems we face. We want to give our leaders the opportunity to handle those problems. There is also a real and more fundamental need for Americans to understand and come to grips with images of an undeclared terrorist strike on American soil. This has become a prospective that underlies a basic insecurity of the American Government at this moment. Because terrorism has been brought to our soil, America feels that we have a right to confront and attack all of the military threats we face head on.

At this moment, our United State Government is involved in the perhaps the most critical decision it has ever made. The American Government is making the choice to go to war with another nation, because our administration believes that the dictator of that country is manufacturing weapons of mass destruction and might use them. There is no mistaking the fact that what we are requiring is an unconditional surrender, not a concept for on site inspection. Furthermore, what has been called the Bush doctrine states that this will not be the only country we can be expected to attack in the future because of these justifications. This is a highly aggressive military international doctrine and our President is saying that if necessary, America will go this path alone, regardless and in spite of World opinion.

So there is a choice that we Americans must now make that will be reflected in this November election. Either we choose to travel on this path to war so that we exercise our power in an attempt to determine what we think the World should become; or we may share the prospects of deciding our future with majority of our fellow beings on this globe and in so doing retreat as is necessary to adjust our strategies to meet perspectives as they may arise. Whatever we do we must constantly remember that many nations have weapons of mass destruction and that those who are friendly today may not be tomorrow. We also must consider that international policies based on the possession of weapons of mass destruction fail to account for the fact that such weapons are possible from common systems not designed to be weapons. Even waste can be weaponized.

In the final analysis, it is the American people who choose war over peace. Any solutions that may come from war, also bring on many more problems. The country of Iraq may become the first enemy of America that we have simply targeted to overthrow because of what they are planning instead of what they have been doing to us and our allies. The intelligence that brings our leaders to this conclusion is either not being presented to the American people, or does not exist. If a weapon of mass destruction were to be presented it could undoubtedly be destroyed. But because they have not been shown to exist, it is not just the existence of the weapons but their potential to exist and be used that seems to be inviting our policymakers to make war. It is the incredible power of these weapons in the common hands of potential terrorists that is changing the balance of power.

Civilization came into existence when the mankind began to consider, organize and act in terms of the greater good. When an individual became stronger and wiser he became the leader to fight against that which is external to the group. That leader must take actions which protect his group from tools which others may use to harm his. That is the nature of survival of the fittest. The end of this ancient survival doctrine come when there is no longer any external group. At that point, mankind must learn to regulate itself internally. The United States helped to create the United Nations and we are a part of that whole. It therefore seems reasonable that the policies we make unilaterally about weapons of mass destruction shall determine the legitimacy of a democratic free world. By acting unilaterally and without the benefit of the United Nations and NATO, there is an equally perilous set of consequences to weapons of mass destruction being engendered. If America is to ever understand the forces progress that must come to bear for world peace, then it must recognize that what is at stake must involve a commitment to peace. To make that kind of commitment we must first understand the differences between the way that others view us and the way that we choose to view ourselves.

Policies entirely based on threats from weapons of mass destruction can not in the long run protect the peace of mankind.

.