Beatrice Fihn Enters the Belly of the Beast by Max Obuszewski
When I saw the
announcement that Beatrice Fihn, the executive director of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), was to speak at the John Hopkins
University’s Foreign Affairs Symposium (FAS) event on Wednesday, March 6, I was
quite excited. She would be speaking at Johns Hopkins which is the #1
weapons contractor among universities in the USA. Most of this research
takes place at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, and some of it is
nuclear-weapons related.
I anticipated a large turn-out to
hear from someone representing an organization that won a Nobel Peace Prize. The
Nobel committee recognized the imminent danger created by the world’s nuclear
weapons arsenals. It could happen by accident or through a nuclear
weapons attack. Many of us are very concerned that the current fighting
between India and Pakistan could go nuclear.
However, when I arrived at the
newly-renovated Shriver Hall on the Homewood Campus, the only people present
were the FAS staff and other members of Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland--Dick Ochs
and Dr. Gwen DuBois who were ready with leaflets. Once the event started, an
estimated 60 people were in attendance in an 600-seat auditorium. I saw
eight people who were not students. Most of the students, I believe, were
foreign-born women. I think this fits a pattern where students overseas
recognize the peril created by nuclear weapons, while in the USA youth are more
apathetic about this issue.
Over the years
Shriver Hall has hosted Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Ralph Nader, Cornell West,
Naomi Klein, Edward Snowden, Michael Hayden and Noam Chomsky. And
generally when I have attended such lectures, the auditorium was filled. So I
was greatly disappointed at the turnout. It should be recognized that the
Baltimore media gave no coverage to Beatrice Fihn’s talk. The only report of
the talk was in the JHU Newsletter.
As an antinuke advocate since the
1970s, I have noticed over the years that the nuclear threat is not high on the
agenda of many activists today. Back then many of us learned about the doomsday
machine from Stanley Kubrick’s DR. STRANGELOVE. When the belligerent Ronald
Reagan became president, the anti-nuclear movement was at its height. I
was in New York City on June 12, 1982 with about one million others calling for
the abolition of nuclear weapons. Once our two busloads from Erie, PA
arrived at Central Park, it was already filled. Nevertheless, there was
an excellent sound system, and I will always remember hearing the voice of the
renowned actor-director Orson Welles. In that booming stage-trained
voice, Welles asked this question, “Ronald Reagan, are you listening?”
Today, there are still some
dedicated anti-nuclear activists, including the Kings Bay Plowshares. However,
our numbers are tiny in comparison to those halcyon days when we were taking on
the Reagan-Bush administration. I find this remarkable, as the
trigger-happy president residing in today’s White House, unless we change the
law, can initiate a nuclear attack without Congressional approval. Trump’s
tweet that his nuclear button is bigger than North Korea’s reminded me of
Reagan’s live microphone comment “We begin bombing in five minutes.” Gallows
humor is not very funny when said by Trump or Reagan.
Beatrice Fihn is a
very polished speaker who kept her remarks relatively brief, which allowed for
a dozen questions and answers. However, I believe the work done in Shriver Hall
affected the acoustics, as three people acknowledged they had trouble hearing
what Ms. Fihn said. So my write-up may be a bit inaccurate.
Nevertheless, she started
her talk by observing that youth are frequently told by more experienced people
to slow down, have patience and expect few results. Many of the youth who
worked on securing passage of the United Nations nuclear weapons ban treaty
ignored those thoughts. Impatience by the young, she added, is actually
an asset. Believe in the impossible. She also noted the importance of
building a movement, as one person, not Martin Luther King nor Gandhi, is able
to effect significant change. She urged the audience to get involved in a
community and take on tasks, no matter how trivial. She pointed out that those
of us handing out leaflets were doing anti-nuclear work that needs to be done.
To highlight the need to take action, she identified some
significant concerns. For example, there was Trump’s abrogation of the
Iran agreement, his refusal to renew the INF Treaty, the false alert in Hawaii
of an impending nuclear attack, and the potential for a nuclear war between
India and Pakistan. She also described the horrific effects of a nuclear
weapon striking Shriver Hall. As Gwen frequently reminds us, there is no
cure if a nuclear weapon is used. The only solution is prevention.
I was the first to ask a question and pointed
out that JHU is heavily involved in weapons contracts. These include not
only nuclear weapons contracts but also research on swarming killer drones. I
asked if she was aware of the university’s complicity in weapons research. Her
response was that she was aware of some of the research, but not aware of the
totality. She said she would investigate.
A Hopkins professor indicated
that nuclear deterrence works. Fihn was courteous to all questioners, and
always listened intently to the questioner. However, she gently pointed
out the flaws in his ardor for deterrence, including the devastating effects of
an accident or a miscalculation. There is also the issue of the trillion dollar
cost of maintaining the nuclear arsenal, as these are tax dollars which
would be better spent on social services. The professor’s support for
deterrence brought Gwen to the microphone. Her essential argument was
that the presidents have used nuclear weapons as a threat, and that deterrence
works until it doesn’t.
A student from Pakistan made the
point that there is a potential for a nuclear conflict between his homeland and
India. He said that the reason for the conflict is over Kashmir, and thus
disputes must be settled in order to avoid a nuclear conflict.
Cindy Farquhar informed the
assembled that there is a Tuesday demonstration outside Hopkins at 33rd and
North Charles Street to protest JHU’s weapons contracts. She urged
students to join us.
It
is difficult to judge how successful Fihn was at convincing the students to get
involved in the anti-nuclear weapons movement. Reading the tea leaves after
engaging in a vigil outside Hopkins for several years, I seriously doubt that
students at Hopkins will get involved in any organized effort. Regardless,
the situation is too dire to wait for the students to mobilize. So
members of Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland will continue with our efforts to
advocate for a nuclear free-world. Besides being an excellent speaker, Beatrice
Fihn is an organizing juggernaut. Yes, the abolition of nuclear weapons
might still be a dream, but after recognizing her group’s achievements why not
believe in that impossible dream? ####
Donations can be sent
to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
21218. Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives."
Eugene Victor Debs
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