July 16, 1945: Physicists Know Sin
Dealing with the fallout of the first atomic test
July 16, 1945
July 16 is the anniversary of the Trinity atomic bomb test in the ominously named Jornada del Muerto, the Journey of Death, in New Mexico. July 16, 1945 is the date that marks both the culmination of the Manhattan Project, the beginning of the age of nuclear weapons, and the physicists' original sin. Physicists also were instrumental in developing the internal combustion engine. As a consequence of these two developments, humanity is facing two existential threats: a nuclear holocaust followed by nuclear winter and the unfolding climate catastrophe. In addition there is what Gandhi called the worst for of violence, namely poverty. This is my first post and now you know what to expect.
Much has been written about the Manhattan Project, but almost forgotten—in spite of his 1995 Noble Peace Prize—is Joseph Rotblat, the one who left the project in 1944. How convenient for the Pentagon and its industrial sugar daddies such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics! And, yes, let's not forget the politicians on the war racket’s payroll, those who represent these corporations in the U.S. Congress.
Robert Wilson, a scientist and pacifist at heart, participated in the Manhattan Project because he who saw the Nazis as “forces of darkness” that “could be said to be lined up against the forces of light.” Almost 25 years after Trinity, Wilson in his “The Conscience of a Physicist” wrote:
I have often wondered why it was that the defeat of Germany in 1945 did not cause me to reexamine my involvement with the war and with nuclear bombs in particular. The thought never occurred to me. Nor, to my knowledge, did any of my friends raise any such question on that occasion. Surely, it seems that among those hundreds of scientists at Los Alamos, it might have been expected that at least one would have left. I regret now that I did not do so.
Surprising that Wilson didn’t know about Rotblat. The following is what Rotblat had to say about leaving the Manhattan Project. (Jump to 24 minutes and 55 seconds into the unedited 1986 interview posted here.)
In March, 1944, I received a very nasty shock. I—at that time I was staying with the Chadwicks [James Chadwick discovered the neutron; Joseph Rotblat became his assistant in 1939.] in their house, and General Leslie Groves when he came from time to time to Los Alamos used to visit the Chadwicks and stay for dinner. On one such occasion, he—when we were discussing the progress of the project informally—he suddenly turned to Chadwick and he said, “You, of course you realize that the main purpose of this project is to subdue the Russians, our chief enemy.”
Now this was a shock to me, because I always thought that the main idea of the project it was to develop the bomb, if need be to prevent a Nazi victory. And now I found that this was not. That the main aim ... the main aim was that after the war was over—by that time it looked as if it will be over even before the project is finished—then I guess, we'll then be able to use this, the atom bomb, as a means of political pressure or whatever else or maybe even military pressure against the Russians.
Rotblat was allowed to leave Los Alamos, the secret center of nuclear bomb development, but he had to do so under false pretenses: the unfailing “family reasons.” Today, Rotblat’s account sounds more believable than ever.
As mentioned, Rotblat went on to win the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts “to diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms.”
Starting on July 16, 1945, downwinders started suffering from the radioactive fallout from nuclear testing. This included many people in the U.S. Most egregious among these were the thermonuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, a series of acts bordering on genocide and accompanied by condescending colonialism and rabid racism. Also American soldiers were treated with utter disregard in many cases, for instance (to name just one example) when they were ordered to clean up radioactive waste without gear to protect them from radioactive exposure.
July 16, 2023
Veterans for Peace have restored the original peace boat, the Golden Rule, that set sail in 1958 to stop nuclear testing in the Pacific. The voyage inspired many peace makers and peace ships. The Golden Rule is sailing once again “to show that a nuclear peace is possible, and that bravery and tenacity can overcome militarism.” In June, the Golden Rule, as part of its 2022-2023 Great Loop, visited Rhode Island. Tomorrow, the crew is scheduled to put the masts back on the ship after its voyage through the New York canal system from the Hudson to Lake Ontario.
As part of the visit to Rhode Island, we created a video with clips illustrating various aspects of our nuclear weapons predicament. Follow this link for the clips, including a list of topics.
The State of Rhode Island, its Legislature, and cities and towns welcomed the Golden Rule. Here is a list:
State of Rhode Island, House of Representatives, Resolution
State of Rhode Island, Senate, Resolution
Mayor Brett Smiley, City of Providence, Proclamation
Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, City of East Providence, Proclamation
Council President Robert Ferri, City of Central Falls, Resolution
Town of Bristol, Council. Proclamation
Town of Exeter, Council Resolution
Town of Jamestown, Council Proclamation w/photo
Town of Johnston, Council Resolution
Town of Middletown, Council Resolution
Town of New Shoreham, Town Council Invitation
Town of South Kingston, Council Resolution
Town of West Greenwich, Council Resolution
Town of Westerly, Council Resolution
Onward—Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, is the first legally binding international agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons. The ultimate goal is their total elimination. The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the treaty in July 2017. It entered into force in January of 2021.
Several cities and towns in Rhode Island have adopted resolutions in support of the global effort to prevent nuclear war: Bristol, East Providence, Jamestown, and Little Compton.
The following directly quotes the arguments presented for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by Nancy Hood of East Bay Citizens for Peace. This is form the Minutes of the Bristol Town Council meeting — Wednesday, April 19, 2023:
Nancy Hood or 274 Wood Street, Addressed the council. She discussed the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which has been signed and ratified by 67 countries since January 2021. The TPNW makes nuclear weapons illegal under international law and prohibits the use, production, and stockpiling of these weapons. She clarified that the treaty does not suggest that any of the nine countries possessing nuclear weapons unilaterally disarm. Rather than mandating unilateral disarmament by countries that possess nuclear weapons and sign the treaty, it would entail those countries to engage in verifiable negotiations with other nuclear-armed states toward the goal of eliminating their nuclear arsenals.
Ms. Hood discussed the importance of the TPNW in light of the increased risk of nuclear disaster, which she stated has become one of the most serious threats to existence alongside climate change. She also noted that the conflict between the US and Russia over Ukraine has increased the risk of nuclear war, and the most recent strategic arms reduction treaty between the two nations is unraveling. She stated that she believes that signing and ratifying the TPNW could lead the US away from the brink of nuclear disaster.
Ms. Hood also discussed the commonly held belief that nuclear weapons are necessary for deterrence but pointed out that while the balance of these weapons between the US and Russia has prevented a war, it has not kept the world safe. There have been over 15 close calls that could have resulted in a nuclear disaster due to miscalculation, diplomatic crisis, or miscommunication. Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and other experts have argued that nuclear weapons have not kept us safe and advocate for nuclear disarmament. Ms. Hood noted that the Rhode Island Senate passed a resolution in May 2022 supporting the TPNW, and she believes that Bristol should also get involved in advocating for this treaty.