Editorial -- Nuclear power
Human use of cosmic power
Alaska’s nuclear legacy is a work in progress. Nuclear contamination is continuing to accumulate; nuclear missiles are still aimed at our foes, and are still being aimed at us. It’s impossible to know whether we are heading for catastrophe or yet more prosperity. But we can say what is the nature of the power that we are wielding. From the examples discussed in this month’s lead article, it is clear that what is dominant is simply brute strength.
The great accomplishments of modern man are the accumulation of knowledge of the physical nature of the cosmos, and the use of this knowledge for practical purposes. We have become adept at tapping into nature’s elemental forces, in releasing powers that we scarcely know how to contain. We’re using these newfound powers in blunt ways: to conquer nature or nations.
We are not advocating retreat in the face of mankind’s newly developed abilities. The impetus for understanding and controlling is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, nor should it. But the power we have unleashed exists on a scale that is cosmic, not human. It is simply to great to be controlled by politicians.
We do not take the position that advanced technology is bad. We don’t want to revert to using stone tools and harpoons. But we do insist that these powers be used for purposes that are beneficial to humanity.
Advanced technology should be in the service of the highest purposes of which we can conceive. In fact, it is the lowest level that has been dominant, the drive for security and glory. The military is a power which is well suited to serve this ancient part of the soul. While it faithfully mobilizes great forces to protect our interests, the war machine intentionally keeps us in the dark.
We don’t know what secret weapons are being developed or are already deployed in our own backyard. Nor do we know much about where nuclear waste is being stored or where it has already contaminated the wilderness. We don’t have the right to know, or we simply don’t want to know.
This hidden, dark function of the military, in which unpleasant tasks are assigned to a separate caste that protects us from knowledge of what it does, is unacceptable. It is a partitioning of the soul, the sign of fractured humanity.
We call for transparency and openness about the use of nuclear weapons and the disposal of nuclear waste. We call for soldiers to be guardians not just of our private interests but of humanity’s interests.
The proper use for our newly gained mastery over nature is not to seek to be masters. Something quite different is necessary: prolonged search for understanding, and a willingness to take the burden of our actions upon our own selves. In the face of powers greater than we, the proper response is humility.
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This paper was created to address a crucial feature of conventional news: usually the media does not address what really matters to people. When it actually came time to publish the news, though, the task was harder than we anticipated. Conventional questions, perspectives, and categories of thinking about society are deeply ingrained, and it’s difficult to write about what is obvious to common sense.
In this issue we make a first attempt at summarizing news of the real (see page 6). We plan to expand this section by inviting participation by community members. We can all be news makers and news reporters, so long as the spirit our intention is able to bind us together. News of the Real, the Alternatives page, and other features of Alaska Humanity News are meant to be a compilation of contributions from many people. You can send us your contributions at , or via our website, humanitynews.net.