The Case for Disarmament: Some Personal Reflections on the United States and Disarmament

Nuclear war would represent an unparalleled catastrophe for civilization. Even preparation for it wastes resources, drains the world economy, breeds hatred, fear and suspicion, degrades moral principles, and demeans respect for human life. The United Nations has proved inadequate to prevent war. Arms control is merely an effort to manage the war system, not to end it. Deterrence is bound to fail eventually, and U.S. military policy has already shifted to preparation for nuclear war. In a 1961 Joint Statement of Agreed Principles for Disarmament Negotiations, the United States and the USSR agreed (1) to abolish all national military establishments, (2) to strengthen the United Nations for peacekeeping and conflict resolution, and (3) to establish an International Disarmament Organization with the right of unrestricted access to monitor the agreement. After two decades of U.S. obstruction, it is time to establish a vigorous U.S. effort to elaborate and update the Agreed Principles as the foundation for an effective, acceptable alternative to war. The development of effective institutions to establish disarmament in a peaceful world and to manage the economic, political, and social challenges of the increasingly interdependent world community demands active and dedicated attention.