We ARE on the road of nuclear proliferation, with Britain among those leading the way. Which means that sooner or later nuclear weapons WILL be used, perhaps deliberately, more likely accidentally, or as the result of some misunderstanding, possibly by some madman or religious fanatic. If we continue along this path, sooner or later, it will happen, and it will us, our generation, this British government, which will bear much of the responsibility.

What is driving nuclear proliferation are the nations which already possess them and the compelling arguments they use to justify it. Anyone who wants to know exactly what these compelling arguments are need only need ask the French or British government.

The problem is that ANY government can use exactly the same arguments to defend and justify its own acquisition of nuclear weapons.

We cannot credibly argue that the Iranian government, for example, has no right to acquire nuclear weapons, while our own government possesses them. It's just HYPOCRISY. In fact, the Iranians have better arguments than we do, since we are effectively defended by the American nuclear umbrella, as are all non-nuclear NATO states, while the Iranians have no nuclear deterrent at all.

We need to see things from the Iranian perspective, as well as from our own: why should we be permitted to possess nuclear weapons, but not them (or anyone else)? Because we are the goodies who can be trusted with them, while they are the baddies who cannot be trusted. Can you blame them (or any one else) for not buying that?

There is no doubting that we need a nuclear deterrent. If the West gave up its weapons unilaterally it would not be long before we were being ruled from Moscow, Beijing or perhaps Tehran. He HAVE to have a nuclear deterrent, but it doesn't have to be a "national deterrent". Most countries (including most democracies) are content to live under the umbrella of the American nuclear deterrent.

A situation in which some national governments possess nuclear weapons, while others do not is an unstable one, which makes nuclear proliferation inevitable.

We urgently need to make a START at placing OUR nuclear weapons under international control. Britain and France could initiate such a move, inviting democratic countries to join them in finding a way to do so. I'm not suggesting it will be easy (or even possible, although I desperately hope it will), but we should at least TRY.

Once more: we NEED a nuclear deterrent, but to discourage (rather than encourage) nuclear proliferation, it needs to be under international, not national, control. THEN we can demand, without being hypocrites, that other national governments do not seek nuclear weapons of their own.

Eventually we might even persuade America and Russia to join us, even China, but we cannot afford to wait until they are ready, i.e. their governments are wise and mature enough.

My homepage: http://www.spaceship-earth.org