Informative handouts for OCANW’s course: “Nuclear Weapons Nowadays: What You Can Know and Do”

The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons offers a 4-session course (2 hours per session) titled, “Nuclear Weapons:  What You Can Know and Do.”  It provides solid information, including background and recent updates.  It addresses the serious problems and what we can do to solve those problems.  To sign up, contact Joanne Dufour at (206) 550-1841 or jdufourhc@msn.com.  Each of the four presenters (Joanne Dufour, Mark Fleming, Jim Manista and Glen Anderson) offers handouts for these sessions.

Here are Glen’s handouts.

Session #1:

IMPORTANT:

“Fact Sheets for 6 Myths”These fact sheets correct 6 common misunderstandings about nuclear weapons nowadays.  Fact sheets for 6 myths

“Trifold for Olympia Coalition”The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear weapons organized this course and works in many ways.  You can get onto our e-mail list for information updates and invitations to our events.  Contact Glen Anderson at (360) 491-9093 or glenanderson@integra.net  This trifold brochure introduces OCANW: TRIFOLD for Olympia Coalition

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

“Actual National Security Budget Is Nearly Twice as High as Pentagon’s Budget”The U.S. government spends huge amounts of money on “national security” in many other agencies besides the Pentagon (e.g., nuclear weapons are in the Dept. of Energy’s budget).  Actual National Security Budget Is Nearly Twice as High as Pentagon’s Budget

“Stop gun violence – Stop nuclear weapons”People working against gun violence and against nuclear weapons have much in common with each other because the root causes are interconnected.  Stop gun violence — Stop nuclear weapons

 

Session #2:

IMPORTANT:

“Federal Legislation to SUPPORT or OPPOSE”Congress wants to do some good things in addition to the bad things. This summary provides much information and was updated on August 16, 2020.  Federal legislation and policies to SUPPORT or OPPOSE

“Significance of Doomsday Clock”The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists created this powerful metaphor, and now Doomsday is closer (100 seconds before midnight) than it has been since 1953.  Significance of Doomsday Clock

“US Deploys Low Yield Nukes” — Trump and Congress are building small nuclear weapons that make it easier for the U.S. to start a nuclear war, but instead of staying small, it would very likely escalate into all-out global nuclear war.  US Deploys Low Yield Nukes

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

“Understand Korea. Do not bomb it.”Trump distorts reality, and the U.S. government and public generally fail to understand other nations, so the U.S.’s fear-mongering and threats to bomb North Korea are the opposite of what we need.  Understand Korea. Do not bomb it.

“Iran-U.S. Comparison”The U.S. government, media and public grossly misunderstand Iran and exaggerate its threat to the U.S. This easy-to-understand comparison shows that the U.S. is a much more serious threat to peace.  Iran-U.S. Comparison

 

Session #3:

IMPORTANT:

“Replace Militarism with Nonviolent Foreign Policy”Nuclear weapons reflect a deeply flawed foreign policy that wrongly assumes violence can solve problems. We need a thoughtful, humane, nonviolent foreign policy instead.  Replace militarism with nonviolent foreign policy

“Article on Peace and True Security”The “national security” slogan always assumes that military violence and threats will make us secure, but instead we will be TRULY secure only when we replace militarism with understanding and priorities that are humane and sustainable.  Article on peace and true security

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

“Just War Theory – and Nuclear Weapons” — Nuclear weapons grossly violate the “Just War” criteria. See this article and the next one:  Just War Theory — and Nuclear Weapons

“Principles of the Just War”People generally believe the government’s claims that we fight our wars for valid reasons, and people generally assume that the centuries-old “Just War” theory blesses our wars, but actually almost nobody understands the “Just War” principles and criteria.  Principles of the Just War

“Climate Crisis and Nuclear Weapons Are Two Existential Threats”This short article’s title is explicit: Human civilization is in serious danger of being destroyed by the climate crisis and nuclear weapons.  Climate crisis and nuclear weapons are two existential threats.docx

“ICAN Nuclear Ban Talking Point Builder”The worldwide organization that instigated the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons created this short guide to helping us urge different kinds (and different nationalities) of people to support the U.N.’s TPNW.  ICAN Nuclear Ban Talking Point Builder – May 17

“A Global Security System: An Alternative to War”Although this very long booklet is NOT ATTACHED, you can read it by CLICKING THIS LINK: https://worldbeyondwar.org/alternative/ You might want to start by reading the Executive Summary by CLICKING THIS LINK: https://worldbeyondwar.org/executive-summary-global-security-system-alternative-war/

 

Session #4:

IMPORTANT:

“Nuclear Weapons Information Sources”Many excellent non-profit organizations and other sources of information exist.  Nuclear Weapons Info Sources

We must EXTEND the “New START” treaty with Russia. Do NOT let Trump let it expire in February 2021 — http://parallaxperspectives.org/we-must-extend-the-new-start-treaty-with-russia-do-not-let-trump-let-it-expire-in-february-2021 

“New START at a Glance”Trump seems willing to let the last treaty with Russia about nuclear weapons expire, so we must learn about the New START treaty and push him to renew it.  New START at a Glance

“New START Alert”This resource can help us promote the New START treaty with Russia.  New START alert 1219

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

“Pillars – HANDOUT for group exercise about Nuclear Weapons”This one-page resource can help you or a small group of people creatively figure out ways to dismantle the political, economic, cultural and other “pillars” that prop up and perpetuate our nation’s nuclear weapons.  Pillars — HANDOUT for group exercise about NUCLEAR WEAPONS

“ACA info from March 13 2020”The Arms Control Association is an excellent source of solidly reliable information, so this information from March 13, 2020, is worth reading.  ACA info from March 13 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About GlenAnderson 1499 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org