We all have choices. We can build walls or we can build bridges. We can give our talents to creating weapons of annihilation, as so many scientists have done, or we can work to find solutions to humanities greatest problems. Our orientation is found not only in our acts, but also in the policies we support or oppose.
Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the gatekeepers of the future. The world we bequeath to our children and grandchildren will depend upon our success in building a more peaceful and decent world.
Sooner or later there will be a nuclear 9/11 [by Islamic terrorists] in an American city or that of a US ally... A terrorist nuclear attack against an American city could take many forms. A worst case scenario would be the detonation of a nuclear device within a city. Depending upon the size and sophistication of the weapon, it could kill hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.
Donald Trump and the Bomb are nearly the same age. Which of them will prove to be more destructive remains to be seen, but in combination they are terrifying.
Each of us by our daily acts of peace and our commitment to building a better world can inspire others and help create a groundswell for peace too powerful to be turned aside.
During World War II, the Nazis put their victims into gas chambers and then incinerated them in ovens. While the Nazis took their victims to the incinerators, those who possess and threaten to use nuclear weapons plan to take these weapons - these portable incinerators - to the victims.
At one point, for example, [Donald Trump] argued that he knew much more than military leaders about the pursuit and defeat of ISIS. His assuredness of his own correctness seems also rooted in arrogance reflecting his fundamental insecurity. This insecurity and his belief in his own rightness, when combined with his success at making money, leads him to be self-reliant in his decision-making, which could result in his taking risks with threatening or using nuclear weapons.
That so much power over the U.S. nuclear arsenal is placed in the hands of one man - any man - bodes ill for humanity, while completely undermining the war power granted to Congress in the U.S. constitution.
On January 20, 2017, Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, and he will be given the nuclear codes and the power to launch the U.S. nuclear arsenal, which is comprised of some 7,000 nuclear weapons. A military officer will always be close to Trump, carrying the nuclear codes in a briefcase known as the "football."
That the man in question should be Donald Trump, with all his personal flaws, challenges the United States and the world as never before in human history.
A lot will depend on who [Donald] Trump chooses for key cabinet positions, but even more will depend on his consultations with his key advisor (himself).
Perhaps the singular positive of [Donald] Trump's desire to improve the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Russia will lead to achieving progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
[Donald Trump] supports the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, while complaining about budget expenditures. He presumably intends to go forward with the $1 trillion nuclear modernization plan.
[Donald Trump] said that he would encourage Japan and South Korea to develop their own nuclear arsenals to lower U.S. costs, and then has denied that he would encourage nuclear proliferation to allies (although he did say so).
[Donald] Trump has said that he would do away with the Iran Deal negotiated by the U.S. and five of its allies with Iran, and yet he recently backed away from vowing to scrap the Iran Deal for now.
[Donald Trump] said on MSNBC's Morning Joe program, "My primary consultant is myself." While this may make consensus easy, the range of perspective is dangerously narrow.
[Donald] Trump was born on June 14, 1946, less than a year after the first and, thus far, only nuclear weapons were used in war.
Given [Donald] Trump's surprising recent election as president of the United States, his fate and that of the Bomb are about to become seriously and dangerously intertwined with the fate of all humanity.
On the other hand, if someone praised [Donald] Trump, he would respond with praise. This could result in creating a spiral in either a positive or negative direction. A negative spiral could potentially get out of hand, which would be alarming with regard to anyone with a hand hovering near the nuclear button.
During the primaries, if another candidate criticized him, [Donald] Trump would respond with even stronger criticism toward his attacker.
[Donald] Trump's narcissism seems to be reflected in his need to be liked and treated positively.
[Donald] Trump's behavior during the presidential campaign was often erratic, seemingly based on discernable personality traits, including narcissism, arrogance, impulsiveness, and a lack of predictability.
The most positive policy proposal [Donald] Trump will bring to the table as president is his desire to improve and strengthen relations between the U.S. and Russia, which have deteriorated badly in recent years.
Even though [Donald] Trump is reported to not read very much and to have a limited range of experience, he is often certain that he is right and boldly asserts the correctness of his positions.
