Historic UN vote to ban nuclear weapons

Once again, the United States has stood in belligerent defiance of world opinion, evolution, common sense, and world peace.

History was made at the United Nations today. For the first time in its 71 years, the global body voted to begin negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
Eight nations with nuclear arms (the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, and Israel) opposed or abstained from the resolution, while North Korea voted yes. However, with a vote of 123 for, 38 against and 16 abstaining, the First Assembly decided “to convene in 2017 a United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.”

So even "crazy" North Korea could see the madness of a nuclear armed world.

The Obama Administration was in fierce opposition. It lobbied all nations, particularly its allies, to vote no. “How can a state that relies on nuclear weapons for its security possibly join a negotiation meant to stigmatize and eliminate them?” argued Ambassador Robert Wood, the U.S. special representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, “The ban treaty runs the risk of undermining regional security.”

Got that? It's wrong to "stigmatize" countries willing to use nuclear bombs.
For some reason, the same logic didn't apply to biological weapons or chemical weapons, but does apply to landmines (also under a Democratic President).

Just a few months ago President Obama was announcing big plans for reducing nuclear weapons, despite all evidence showing otherwise.

A new census of the American nuclear arsenal shows that the Obama administration last year dismantled its smallest number of warheads since taking office.
The new figures, released by the Pentagon, also highlight a trend — that the current administration has reduced the nuclear stockpile less than any other post-Cold War presidency....
The lack of recent progress in both arms control and warhead dismantlement also seems to coincide with the administration’s push for sweeping nuclear modernizations that include improved weapons, bombers, missiles and submarines. Those upgrades are estimated to cost up to $1 trillion over the next three decades.
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the best interests of world peace in mind at all times{double snark}.

$1 Trillion is a small price to pay for world {snark} peace and if the Leader Of The Free World takes this position then he must be in possession of top secret publicity that us proles don't have. "Best President Evah"

Selah

Yes it's horrible. Yes we're a police state. Yes elections are routinely stolen. Yes the 99% just plain don't count. And Yes we're in for a reinforcing shot of the same.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

If I was on that committee, I would rescind it and demand her return it.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Pluto's Republic's picture

It would be a shame if something bad happened to them. They wouldn't dare embarrass the United States. After all, they are positioned perfectly for a false flag attack that can be blamed on Russia. And they know that.

The Nobel Committee debased itself when it acted as a propaganda tool for the Neocons in 2009. They're like low calibre groupies who sleep with every member of the band before they even go on tour.

I was sorry to see that Bob Dylan finally broke down and accepted the shameful thing.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Pluto's Republic's picture

Remember when the Obamas traveled overseas in 2009 — in the middle of a national debate over health care and Afghanistan — to make a personal pitch to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago?

Remember when they came home empty handed?

The International Olympic Committee had instead picked Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Rio de Janero for 2016 Summer Olympics. [In turns out, that both would be sabotaged by propaganda and both would be followed with a US push for regime change.]

But there is more to the story.

On that same fateful trip to Copenhagen, President Obama also met with his commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, aboard Air Force One. In the meeting, arranged by his Neocon national security team, the President was told how to proceed in the war. He was handily snared into the disastrous Afghan Surge, which would entangle him permanently in the expanding war machine.

Upon the President's return from Copenhagen, the US was stunned to learn the International Olympic Committee had rejected the President's Olympic bid. The White House dismissed those concerns, saying that promoting US interests is always the right thing to do.

It was October 2, 2009. The Obama Administration was just getting started, and the nation was still committed to President Obama's election narrative. But now, all of that would begin to unravel.

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley wrote:

President Obama's failure to bring the Games to Chicago won't cause any enduring political damage.

"It opens him to criticism and it makes it difficult for him for a while. But will it mean NATO isn't going to send more troops to Afghanistan because he didn't get the Olympics? No. Does it mean that any Republican or Democrat will change their mind on health care? No.

"He's going to be in a lot bigger trouble if he doesn't deliver on health care, believe me," she said.

Crowley couldn't know that everything was in play again. The wars were just getting started and the Public Option was already in the past.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
edg's picture

Reagan was a Republican and was a leading proponent of eliminating nuclear weapons. I guess Democrats are now truly the party of war.

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Neoliberals like investments that pay off big.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

for the Party of War. There is no nuclear weapons industry without war, no armaments industry, and no war at all without well-armed enemies we manage to arm.

Do you think the Clinton and McCain teams really thought arming unnamed militias would win a war with Assad? Or do you think they knew Assad would respond with overwhelming violence and slaughter civilians, creating a never-ending arms dealers' dream? Do you think they've noticed the plan is not working, not succeeding except to slaughter more innocent civilians? Or do you think they see the beauty in it, as it is never-ending. Do you think they relate to anything but bucks?

I notice, in response to the FBI-Comey-email investigation today, that the Republicans are focusing on Hillary's having lied to the FBI or obstructed justice or mishandled classified information. They don't mention Comey's connection to Lockheed, Hillary approving arms sales for Lockheed, Lockheed paying alms to the Clinton Foundation. They won't even touch Lockheed because Lockheed is their Daddy.

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MsGrin's picture

of nukes, or at least tried to...

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

sojourns's picture

Along with prize money.

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

WindDancer13's picture

Why is "charities" in quotation marks one might ask?

Obama announced early that he would donate the full 10 million Swedish kronor (about US$1.4 million) monetary award to charity.[16] The largest donations were given to the housing charity Fisher House Foundation who received $250,000, and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund which received $200,000. Eight organizations which support education also received a donation. $125,000 was donated to the College Summit, the Posse Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, and the American Indian College Fund. $100,000 was donated to Africare, and the Central Asia Institute. Wikipedia

[Emphasis added]

Form 2012: Greg Mortenson, Central Asia Institute mismanaged money, reach $1M settlement with attorney general’s office

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We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass

sojourns's picture

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

How will corporatism keep the world in line if the Imperial Military can't vaporize the recalcitrant?

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Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.

Not the first time. Will it be the last time?

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lotlizard's picture

North Korea, whose leadership is commonly portrayed as insane and dangerous . . . ?

Makes you wonder which countries and regimes are really the insane ones.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

I'm not wondering that. Shocking! Shok

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

blazinAZ's picture

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There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.
--Amiri Baraka