Articles by Lawrence Wittner
We found 4 results.
The “Merchants of Death” Survive and Prosper
Lawrence Wittner | PeaceVoice – TRANSCEND Media Service,
1 Jan 2018
In mid-1930s, an exposé of the international arms trade had a major impact. Convinced that military contractors were stirring up weapons sales and war for their own profit, many people grew critical of these “merchants of death.” Today, some eight decades later, their successors, now more politely called “defense contractors,” are alive and well.
→ read full articleNational Illusions and Global Realities
Lawrence Wittner | PeaceVoice – TRANSCEND Media Service,
19 Jun 2017
For as long as they have existed, nations have clung to the illusion that their military strength guarantees their security. The problem with this kind of thinking is that the military power that one nation considers vital to its security fosters other nations’ sense of insecurity. In this climate of suspicion, an arms race ensues, often culminating in military conflict. Also, sometimes the very military strength that a nation intended for protection ends up emboldening it to engage in reckless, aggressive behavior, leading to war.
→ read full articleCan Our Social Institutions Catch Up with Advances in Science and Technology?
Lawrence Wittner | PeaceVoice – TRANSCEND Media Service,
3 Apr 2017
There is a glaring discrepancy between technological advances and the social institutions that can ensure that they are used for the benefit of humanity. The real question is whether people and nations can muster the political will to reshape their behavior and social institutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
→ read full articleWhy Should Trump―or Anyone―Be Able to Launch a Nuclear War?
Lawrence Wittner | PeaceVoice – TRANSCEND Media Service,
6 Mar 2017
The accession of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency brings us face-to-face with a question that many have tried to avoid since 1945: Should anyone have the right to plunge the world into a nuclear holocaust? Ultimately, then, the only long-term solution to the problem of national leaders launching a nuclear war is to get rid of the weapons.
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