OMNI WAR WATCH WEDNESDAYS, #185, July 10, 2024.

 

 

OMNI WAR WATCH WEDNESDAYS, #185, July 10, 2024.    Compiled by Dick Bennett

Two of the Greatest Dangers to Our Civilization and Species:
Nuclear War
Population Growth: World Population Day, July 11, 2024
      “Do We Need More People?” bY DEAN BAKER .
         Olivia Nater.  “World Population Day 2024: Debunking Common Population Myths.”

 

 

JULY 7 WAS THE 7^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNTPNW, THE UNITED NATIONS TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, for which ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize.

David   World Beyond War.  Webinar and Book.

There’s a webinar coming up on July 9, 2024 about nuclear deterrence.   [Sorry, I just now learned of the webinar.  –D]   I imagine it will be excellent. I’ve also just been reading a fantastic book on the topic called Threats: Intimidation and Its Discontents by David P. Barash. There’s an online book club with the author and free copy of the book coming up for that. Barash’s central thesis is that the idea of nuclear deterrence makes no sense. It’s kind of hard to see why anyone would argue with him. 

 

 

 

Dear Dick,
Happy BANniversary! Seven years ago today [2017], we made history at the UN when the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was adopted by 122 nations. It was the long-awaited result of a decade-long, world-wide push to finally and categorically ban nuclear weapons under international law, and it was the start of a new phase of ICAN's work to eliminate nuclear weapons.

So much has happened since: the Treaty entered into force in 2021 and continued to grow in membership, and the work to bring it into practice has truly begun with two successful meetings of states parties and a solid intersessional process. The treaty is more than a document, more than a meeting - it is a community working to end nuclear weapons around the world, and ICAN is proud of the central role we play in promoting and supporting it.  So today, we want to celebrate the treaty, look (ahead) at some of the ways it is driving change and ask for your help to keep pushing. 

 

 

Helping Cities Speak up
The number of cities joining ICAN’s cities appeal continues to grow. Spain hit the bar of 100 cities last month, Italy counts 93 cities, France 83 and Greece 72.  All these cities, and hundreds more around the world - including in nuclear-armed states, have clearly spoken out in favour of the TPNW. And who knows better what is good for their citizens than the people actually in charge?   [Forward this message to your city councilors and ask them to join ICAN’s appeal.  Join ICAN.]

 

POPULATION GROWTH
“Do We Need More People?” bY DEAN BAKER .    Counterpunch (May 7, 2024).  Why Our Elites Worry About a Shrinking Population [Or, Why Doesn’t Our Gov Do Something to Stop Population Growth?]

In short, there is a clear divide in how people are impacted by a shrinking pMyopulation. For most ordinary people, it is not a big deal and could well turn out to be a positive development. But for the elite types that get their views published in major media outlets, a declining population is definitely bad news.   MORE click on title

This first appeared on Dean Baker’s Beat the Press blog.  

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC.

 

Olivia Nater.  “World Population Day 2024: Debunking Common Population Myths.”  Myth 1: Our population has already stopped growing. . . . https://earth.org/future/