This is a letter I just sent via email to Sen. Angus King (Ind.-Maine).
August 9, 2017
Back in the mid-70s, I recall forecasts that by the ninety's there were be about twenty nations with nuclear weapons. It has taken longer than that; and thankfully, there has been bi-partisan work such as Lugar/Jackson to actually reduce the number of nuclear weapons. Now, we have a truly dangerous situation where N. Korea has acquired nuclear weapons capability, and our country is led by an erratic and under-educated president, who has named former generals to the key positions which are designed to exert civilian control over the military.
There is no way to put the nuclear genie "back in the bottle." It is time to acknowledge that N. Korea is a nuclear power, and our job should be to work to see that it enters into the international non-proliferation framework. Part of that framework is the absolute commitment to *no first use* of nuclear weapons (including so-called tactical weapons).
I am very alarmed by Gen. McMaster's comments about "regular old fashioned nuclear war." We need to learn again the lessons of Hiroshima/Nagasaki and the Cuban missile crisis. The destructions of millions of civilians which is the likely best case scenario of a nuclear war(not to mention the radiation blow-back we would all face) is nothing to contemplated, much less be considered an "ordinary" possibility.
So, in this situation, I look around to ask what can be done, and who can do it? Is it possible that in the corridors of power, you could speak words of peace, of reconciliation, or normalization of relationship between ourselves and N. Korea? Is it possible that this moment of extreme sanctions could be replaced by life-giving trade, economic support, citizen exchanges?
It is very likely that popular opinion will change from its current opposition to war with N. Korea to favor war -- but, in these times, we need statesmen and women of great stature (such as Maine has produced before)to hold firm for peace and reconciliation.
Best wishes to you and for the future of our world.
I would be interested in what ideas you have to navigate the current crisis so that Mr. Trump doesn’t accidently unleash a nuclear holocaust on us all.
