‘No human individual should ever be able to lay claim to the power to essentially unmake humanity.’ Photo: Coventry Cathedral, by Andrew Walker on Wikimedia Commons
Peace must be made: Lessons from a bombed city by Christopher Cocksworth
‘Coventry is a reminder to all of us that peace does not merely exist, it must be made.’
The last time I spoke of nuclear weapons I felt myself having to justify giving so much attention to a subject which many regarded as irrelevant – a non-issue. Today, the nuclear threat is staring us in the face: Russia, during the invasion of Ukraine, has escalated its nuclear readiness. For decades the west has taken the value of nuclear weapons for granted, deployed as a credible deterrent, with missiles on high alert perpetually pointed at each other. Nuclear weapons would guarantee peace, it was believed, because the fear of mutual destruction would be too great. This is our nuclear standoff, where no side has a particular strategic advantage, and where we are constantly working to counter any potential risks or escalations. We relied on ‘responsible’ nuclear weapons states led by reliable leaders.
