[dvnews_page]SHALLWECHOOSEDEATH?BertrandRuell

December30,1954

IameakingnotasaBriton,notasaEuropean,notasamemberofawesterndemocracy,butasahumanbeing,amemberoftheeciesMan,whosecontinuedexistenceisindoubt.Theworldisfullofconflicts:JewsandAraIndiaandPakistaniwhitemenandNegroesinAfrica;and,overshadowingallminorconflicts,thetitanicstruggle

betweenmunismandantimunism.AlmosteverybodywhoispoliticallycocioushasstrongfeelingsaboutoneormoreoftheseiuebutIwantyou,ifyoucan,tosetasidesuchfeelingsforthemomentandcoideryourselfonlyasamemberofabiologicalecieswhichhashadaremarkablehistoryandwhosedisaearancenoneofuscandesire.Ishalltrytosaynosinglewordwhichshouldaealtoonegroupratherthantoanother.All,equally,areinperil,and,iftheperilisunderstood,thereishopethattheymaycollectivelyertit.Wehetolearntothinkinanewway.Wehetolearntoaskourselvesnotwhatstecanbetakentogivemilitaryvictorytowhatevergroupweprefer,fortherenolongeraresuchste.Thequestionwehetoaskourselvesis:Whatstecanbetakentopreventamilitarycontestofwhichtheiuemustbedisastroustoallsides?

Thegeneralpublic,andevenmanymeninpositioofauthority,henotrealizedwhatwouldbeinvolvedinawarwithhydrogenbom.Thegeneralpublicstillthinksintermsoftheobliterationofcities.Itisunderstoodthatthenewbomaremorepowerfulthantheoldandthat,whileoneatomicbombcouldobliterateHiroshima,onehydrogenbombcouldobliteratethelargestcitiessuchasLondon,NewYork,andMoscow.Nodoubtinahydrogen-bombwargreatcitieswouldbeobliterated.Butthisisoneoftheminordisastersthatwouldhetobefaced.IfeverybodyinLondon,NewYork,andMoscowwereexterminated,theworldmight,inthecourseofafewcenturies,recoverfromtheblow.Butwenowknow,eeciallysincetheBikinitest,thathydrogenbomcangraduallyreaddestructionoveramuchwiderareathanhadbeensuosed.Itisstatedonverygoodauthoritythatabombcannowbemanufacturedwhichwillbe25,000timesaspowerfulasthatwhichdestroyedHiroshima.Suchabomb,ifexplodednearthegroundorunderwater,sendsradioactiveparticlesintotheuerair.Theysinkgraduallyandreachthesurfaceoftheearthintheformofadeadlydustorrain.ItwasthisdustwhichinfectedtheJapanesefishermenandtheircatchoffishalthoughtheywereoutsidewhatAmericanexpertsbelievedtobethedangerzone.Nooneknowshowwidelysuchlethalradioactiveparti12全文查看[dvnews_page]SHALLWECHOOSEDEATH?BertrandRuell

December30,1954

IameakingnotasaBriton,notasaEuropean,notasamemberofawesterndemocracy,butasahumanbeing,amemberoftheeciesMan,whosecontinuedexistenceisindoubt.Theworldisfullofconflicts:JewsandAraIndiaandPakistaniwhitemenandNegroesinAfrica;and,overshadowingallminorconflicts,thetitanicstrugglebetweenmunismandantimunism.AlmosteverybodywhoispoliticallycocioushasstrongfeelingsaboutoneormoreoftheseiuebutIwantyou,ifyoucan,tosetasidesuchfeelingsforthemomentandcoideryourselfonlyasamemberofabiologicalecieswhichhashadaremarkablehistoryandwhosedisaearancenoneofuscandesire.Ishalltrytosaynosinglewordwhichshouldaealtoonegroupratherthantoanother.All,equally,areinperil,and,iftheperilisunderstood,thereishopethattheymaycollectivelyertit.Wehetolearntothinkinanewway.Wehetolearntoaskourselvesnotwhatstecanbetakentogivemilitaryvictorytowhatevergroupweprefer,fortherenolongeraresuchste.Thequestionwehetoaskourselvesis:Whatstecanbetakentopreventamilitarycontestofwhichtheiuemustbedisastroustoallsides?

Thegeneralpublic,andevenmanymeninpositioofauthority,henotrealizedwhatwouldbeinvolvedinawarwithhydrogenbom.Thegeneralpublicstillthinksintermsoftheobliterationofcities.Itisunderstoodthatthenewbomaremorepowerfulthantheoldandthat,whileoneatomicbombcouldobliterateHiroshima,onehydrogenbombcouldobliteratethelargestcitiessuchasLondon,NewYork,andMoscow.Nodoubtinahydrogen-bombwargreatcitieswouldbeobliterated.Butthisisoneoftheminordisastersthatwouldhetobefaced.IfeverybodyinLondon,NewYork,andMoscowwereexterminated,theworldmight,inthecourseofafewcenturies,recoverfromtheblow.Butwenowknow,eeciallysincetheBikinitest,thathydrogenbomcangraduallyreaddestructionoveramuchwiderareathanhadbeensuosed.Itisstatedonverygoodauthoritythatabombcannowbemanufacturedwhich

willbe25,000timesaspowerfulasthatwhichdestroyedHiroshima.Suchabomb,ifexplodednearthegroundorunderwater,sendsradioactiveparticlesintotheuerair.Theysinkgraduallyandreachthesurfaceoftheearthintheformofadeadlydustorrain.ItwasthisdustwhichinfectedtheJapanesefishermenandtheircatchoffishalthoughtheywereoutsidewhatAmericanexpertsbelievedtobethedangerzone.Nooneknowshowwidelysuchlethalradioactiveparti[page_break]clesmightbediffused,butthebestauthoritiesareunanimousinsayingthatawarwithhydrogenbomisquitelikelytoputanendtothehumanrace.Itisfearedthatifmanyhydrogenbomareusedtherewillbeuniversaldeath-suddenonlyforafortunateminority,butforthemajorityaslowtortureofdiseaseanddisintegration...

12全文查看[dvnws_p]SHALLWECHOOSEDEATH?BrrndRull

Dcmbr30,1954

ImkinnosBrion,nosEuropn,nosmmbrofwsrndmocrcy,bushumnbin,mmbrofhcisMn,whosconinudisncisindoub.Thworldisfullofconflics:JwsndArIndindkisniwhimnndrosinAfric;nd,ovrshdowinllminorconflics,hinicsrul

bwnmunismndnimunism.AlmosvrybodywhoispoliicllycocioushssronflinsbouonormorofhsiubuIwnyou,ifyoucn,ossidsuchflinsforhmomnndcoidryourslfonlysmmbrofbioloiclciswhichhshdrmrkblhisoryndwhosdisrncnonofuscndsir.Ishllryosynosinlwordwhichshouldloonrouprhrhnonohr.All,qully,rinpril,nd,ifhprilisundrsood,hrishophhymycollcivlyvri.Whvolrnohinkinnwwy.Whvolrnoskourslvsnowhscnbknoivmiliryvicoryowhvrroupwprfr,forhrnolonrrsuchs.Thqusionwhvoskourslvsis:Whscnbknoprvnmiliryconsofwhichhiumusbdissrousollsids?

Thnrlpublic,ndvnmnymninposiioofuhoriy,hvnorlizdwhwouldbinvolvdinwrwihhydronbom.Thnrlpublicsillhinksinrmsofhoblirionofciis.Iisundrsoodhhnwbomrmorpowrfulhnholdndh,whilonomicbombcouldoblirHiroshim,onhydronbombcouldoblirhlrsciissuchsLondon,wYork,ndMoscow.odoubinhydron-bombwrrciiswouldboblird.Buhisisonofhminordissrshwouldhvobfcd.IfvrybodyinLondon,wYork,ndMoscowwrrmind,hworldmih,inhcoursoffwcnuris,rcovrfromhblow.Buwnowknow,cillysinchBikinis,hhydronbomcnrdullyrddsrucionovrmuchwidrrhnhdbnsuosd.Iissdonvryooduhoriyhbombcnnowbmnufcurdwhichwillb25,000imsspowrfulshwhichdsroydHiroshim.Suchbomb,ifploddnrhroundorundrwr,sndsrdiocivpriclsinohurir.Thysinkrdullyndrchhsurfcofhrhinhformofddlydusorrin.IwshisduswhichinfcdhJpnsfishrmnndhircchoffishlhouhhywrousidwhAmricnprsblivdobhdnrzon.oonknowshowwidlysuchlhlrdiocivpri[][dvnws_p]SHALLWECHOOSEDEATH?BrrndRull

Dcmbr30,1954

ImkinnosBrion,nosEuropn,nosmmbrofwsrndmocrcy,bushumnbin,mmbrofhcisMn,whosconinudisncisindoub.Thworldisfullofconflics:JwsndArIndindkisniwhimnndrosinAfric;nd,ovrshdowinllminorconflics,hinicsrulbwnmunismndnimunism.AlmosvrybodywhoispoliicllycocioushssronflinsbouonormorofhsiubuIwnyou,ifyoucn,ossidsuchflinsforhmomnndcoidryourslfonlysmmbrofbioloiclciswhichhshdrmrkblhisoryndwhosdisrncnonofuscndsir.Ishllryosynosinlwordwhichshouldloonrouprhrhnonohr.All,qully,rinpril,nd,ifhprilisundrsood,hrishophhymycollcivlyvri.Whvolrnohinkinnwwy.Whvolrnoskourslvsnowhscnbknoivmiliryvicoryowhvrroupwprfr,forhrnolonrrsuchs.Thqusionwhvoskourslvsis:Whscnbknoprvnmiliryconsofwhichhiumusbdissrousollsids?

Thnrlpublic,ndvnmnymninposiioofuhoriy,hvnorlizdwhwouldbinvolvdinwrwihhydronbom.Thnrlpublicsillhinksinrmsofhoblirionofciis.Iisundrsoodhhnwbomrmorpowrfulhnholdndh,whilonomicbombcouldoblirHiroshim,onhydronbombcouldoblirhlrsciissuchsLondon,wYork,ndMoscow.odoubinhydron-bombwrrciiswouldboblird.Buhisisonofhminordissrshwouldhvobfcd.IfvrybodyinLondon,wYork,ndMoscowwrrmind,hworldmih,inhcoursoffwcnuris,rcovrfromhblow.Buwnowknow,cillysinchBikinis,hhydronbomcnrdullyrddsrucionovrmuchwidrrhnhdbnsuosd.Iissdonvryooduhoriyhbombcnnowbmnufcurdwhichwillb25,000imsspowrfulshwhichdsroydHiroshim.Suchbomb,ifploddnrhroundorundrwr,sndsrdiocivpriclsinohurir.Thysinkrdullyndrchhsurfcofhrhinhformofddlydusorrin.IwshisduswhichinfcdhJpnsfishrmnndhircchoffishlhouhhywrousidwhAmricnprsblivdobhdnrzon.oonknowshowwidlysuchlhlrdiocivpri[p_brk]clsmihbdiffusd,buhbsuhoriisrunnimousinsyinhwrwihhydronbomisquiliklyopunndohhumnrc.Iisfrdhifmnyhydronbomrusdhrwillbunivrsldh-suddnonlyforforunminoriy,buforhmjoriysloworurofdissnddisinrion...