Weeding out ‘ignorant voters’ on January 25, 2018Democracy has long been considered the best form of government. In a democratic state, common people can elect their representatives and determine policies that serve the general welfare. However, the biggest challenge to the successful working of democracy also comes from the common people who cannot make informed decisions. Jason Brennan, an American political philosopher, […]
Declining utility of nukes on December 20, 2017Are nuclear weapons gradually becoming obsolete? The answer depends on who you ask. Yet with the evolving nature of threats in the 21st century, there is a growing consensus that strategic nuclear weapons have lost most of their political efficacy. Many experts argue that nuclear weapons have little military utility beyond their symbolic value in […]
Time to ratify the CTBT on October 14, 2017Over the past two decades, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has emerged as one of the top-tier international organizations with an impressive record of achievements. The International Monitoring System and on-site inspection capabilities have made it impossible for any state to conduct nuclear tests without being caught. The world has been waiting for […]
When the world changed forever on August 4, 2017These chilling words of the father of the atomic bomb should be enough to make us realise that everything changed forever after the bombing of 6th and 9th August, 1945. During that week of unfortunate events, it became crystal clear that we, as a human race, have never been unable to rise above the level […]
CTBT and the role of youth on July 7, 2017“Universal ratification of the test ban treaty would be a step toward creating a truly global community of nations, in which all share the responsibility for humankind’s future.” — Mikhail Gorbachev While writing these lines, I am attending the CTBT Science and Technology 2017 conference at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. If there is […]
Moving forward on the CTBT on June 22, 2017This year marks the 18th anniversary of the rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the US Senate in October 1999. During these eighteen years, repeated efforts have been made to outlaw testing of nuclear weapons, but the treaty still remains in a state of limbo. A deadlock exists because article XIV of […]
Polarised America on February 7, 2017The whole world stood still in shock last November as the US elected Donald Trump as its 45th president. If this election has proved one thing, it is that democracy readily becomes a government of bullies if voters are not politically well-informed and vigilant. Given the fact that the majority of American voters are embarrassingly […]
Lets not forget the North Korea threat? on January 31, 2017After three underground nuclear tests, there is little doubt left in the minds of nuclear scholars that North Korea has become a full-fledged nuclear weapons state. What makes the fact more alarming is that nuclear weapons have turned the country into one of the most vexing problem of the international community in the post-coldwar period. […]
The nuclear taboo on January 24, 2017The US, along with eight other nuclear-armed states, remains unable to reduce its reliance on threats to use nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, its continued dependence on ‘nuclear blackmail’ or fuzzy concepts like ‘deterrence’ has made the possession of nuclear weapons more suitable. Next month, the world will observe the 71st anniversary of the atomic attack on […]
Cruise missile threat on January 17, 2017“Anybody in my opinion has the ability to make a very inexpensive cruise missile. It is not a matter of technology. It is just a matter of when it is going to happen. So, we just have to decide when (and how) we are going to be ready to deal with that situation.” — Gen […]