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Olympia's Nuclear Free Zone (NFZ) threatened

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:44am — Keith Hufnagel

I am saddened to read that the NFZ ordinance might soon be repealed. The ordinance imposes no harm, and it opens discussions between a few nuclear-armed countries and Olympia. Those discussions might not occur without the ordinance. Olympia continues to do business with corporations that are invested in nuclear despite the ordinance. The port of Olympia continues to accept US military shipments despite the ordinance. The bombing of Japan helped China grow to become one of the most successful communist nations and enabled Indonesia to become a muslim haven despite the ordinance. Meanwhile the US economy is declining and the attitude towards nuclear weapons is softening. Why? What are the implications of repealing the NFZ? How can this be good? I challenge supporters of repealing the NFZ to show the statistics that demonstrate why the repeal is financially or statistically warranted.

Comments

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 3:56am — The Fire Inside

it opens discussions between

it opens discussions between a few nuclear-armed countries and Olympia.

Out of curiosity, what country has "open[ed] discussion" with Olympia about nuclear technology?

I challenge supporters of repealing the NFZ to show the statistics that demonstrate why the repeal is financially or statistically warranted.

I don't think there's any evidence that the ordinance has stopped anything, either. It was an enormous waste of air to discuss it in the first place and it's more of the same trying to repeal it.

The City of Olympia is the wrong venue for this.

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:28pm — Keith Hufnagel

Pakistan

I believe Pakistan replied to the city of Olympia regarding our NFZ. I am not sure what was stated, but that fact alone should keep the ordinance "on the books". I don't think anything about discussions between Pakistan and Olympia is a waste of air, but I do think that it would be a waste of air to repeal the NFZ since it's not costing taxpayers anything and it's business as usual at the port anyways. One could argue that Olympia's refusal to do business with sweatshops doesn't actually stop sweatshops from existing and that private individuals who buy sweatshop goods from cheap US stores are encouraging sweatshops despite Olympia's ordinance against sweatshops, but that's not the point. The point of the ordinance is to have a voice of the people and for the people that recognizes that perhaps nuclear weapons are not favored by the people (even if they worked or didn't work in Japan). I am more concerned what message we would be sending on behalf of our people to the middle east by repealing the measure. Now that the ordinance is on the books the burden of proof should be on the council to demonstrate why the ban needs to be repealed (other than claiming that it doesn't work). Yet, those in control tend to be good at inappropriately shifting the burden of proof.
Thu, 08/28/2008 - 8:11am — Bert

Interesting Points

Good morning,

Your point about the bombing enabling China is a little suspect. Yes, without the bombing Russia would have gained a much greater influence in East Asia. That might have hampered China's growth. But it also might not have. I would be interested to hear more of your reasoning behind that.




http://olyblog.net/olympias-nuclear-free-zone-nfz-threatened#new

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Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:06pm — Keith Hufnagel

I am proposing that as a

I am proposing that as a result of Japan leaving Indonesia, Taiwan, and other Pacific Islands (which resulted from our bombings), China was able to gain more control of Asia. Now Indonesia is split between the Chinese and the Native Indonesians, and China will not allow independence in Taiwan. Russia might not have been a major influence because their government seems to lack the discipline and people control that have enabled China to have an extremely strong, disciplined, and growing economy over the last 70 years.
Thu, 08/28/2008 - 5:51pm — Bert

bombing of Japan effect on China

Yes, but Japan was basically defeated before the bombing.

People like to claim that the bombing saved American lives that would have been lost fighting a protracted island to island guerilla warfare. But that probably isn't the case.

It makes more sense that the bombing was designed to have an effect. It was to let the world know the destructive potential of the US arsenal, and more importantly, it was designed to cut off Russia from sharing in the spoils of a conquered Japan. It can be argued that the US has benefited tremendously as a result of its patriarchal status over Japan during the last 60 odd years.

The bombing was "shock and awe" - quintessential disaster capitalism.




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Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:48pm — The Original Yoda

My take on Nuke Free Zones

Growing up in the 80s during the height of the fear of nuclear war, my hometown (Des Moines, Iowa) was a nuke free zone. What effect did it have? Very little I'm sure except that it was maybe a message to the folks in Russia that we loved our children, too (thinkin' Sting, here).

I met a foreign exchange student from Japan a few years ago. Junko or "Beverly" and I used to drunkenly wander around the old olywa building neighborhood at night. As we talked across our language barriers (she spoke some english and I spoke no Japanese) we eventually had to come to the "we dropped 2 atom bombs on you country" conversation.

I apologized and we both cried. Some kind of grassroots, next-generation diplomacy.

That's it.

Peace.
Thu, 08/28/2008 - 1:37pm — Norm (not verified)

The city should be focused

The city should be focused on other things. This is my opinion, there is no statistic to support it, and frankly I don't think it needs one.

If someone wants a nuclear free world they need to lobby the people who have control over that, not the local city council.

It's going down, taking this to the council and trying to sway them will change nothing. Once the ordinance goes away, it will change nothing, besides upsetting TJ and some other very vocal people.