Threat of war has never been greater

As we observe the 64th anniversaries of the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is imperative that all reasoned human beings reflect on where we are today with regard to the looming and ever-growing prospect of nuclear war and the inevitable result, which is the extinction of all human life.

It is worthwhile to reflect on the words of arguably the two greatest thinkers of the 20th century — Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell, who on July 9, 1955, presented their Russell-Einstein manifesto to the world and wrote, “Here, then, is the problem which we present to you, stark and dreadful and inescapable: Shall we put an end to the human race; or shall mankind renounce war?”

The threat of nuclear war has never been greater and that risk is growing with each passing day. Within a decade, the number of countries with nuclear capability is going to double. The United States is currently bombing a nuclear power and an ally — Pakistan — with seeming disdain and indifference to the internal strife and chaos such a policy and practice has created. Pakistan and India — another nuclear power — have already come to the brink of annihilating each other three times. Our contributions in making Pakistan a seething political tinderbox are nothing short of disastrous, yet we continue to escalate tensions in this increasingly volatile region.

It is absolutely stunning to witness the seeming indifference showcased in the mainstream media about this growing prospect for apocalypse soon. It is not too late to stem the tide and heed the warnings of Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell. Perhaps the most crucial and important step is acknowledging and accepting the reality that nuclear war and species extinction is inevitable unless people worldwide act locally, nationally and globally to end the escalating nuclear arms race.

Jim Sawyer

Edmonds