14.09.1995

Imperialism’s nuclear hypocrisy

THE FRENCH government’s determination to continue testing nuclear weapons in the south Pacific met with a uniformly hostile response.

The condemnation from heads of state is a result of the more genuine response from ordinary workers who have seen the tests as a flagrant disregard for the interests of humanity.

Tahitian demonstraters, who successfully shut down the airport and capital last week, are in opposition to French colonial rule.

Although the French government can make a reasonable case for the immediate safety of these tests, in any nuclear testing things can go wrong. They are after all not prepared to conduct them on mainland France.

The greatest hypocrisy comes from the United States, for if the USA can justify having nuclear weapons on the grounds of national security, then of course so can France. The USA and UK have no need for testing weapons, as they have a sufficient database on the basis of earlier tests.

While the demonstrations have been largely limited to opposing nuclear tests, the point must be made that there are plenty of ordinary weapons around for killing people. Some forms of ‘conventional’ bombing can do as much damage and cause as much destruction as nuclear weapons.

War is a political instrument for the defence of particular capitals. While capital dominates, world war is a constant danger.

John Bayliss