Doomsday Clock Moves Closer Than Ever to Midnight

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

On Thursday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its Doomsday Clock closer than ever to midnight — signifying a man-made global catastrophe if reaches this level.

Since established in 1947 at seven minutes to midnight, the clock was moved backward and forward 24 times.

The furthest from midnight was in 1991 at 17 minutes to midnight, the closest in January 2020 at 100 seconds from catastrophe to humanity.

In 2015, the clock stood at 3 minutes to midnight, the Bulletin citing the danger posed by US and Russian programs to "modernize their nuclear triads — thereby undermining existing nuclear weapons treaties," along with other issues of concern at the time.

In 2018, the Clock was reset at 2 minutes to midnight, "the closest setting (to the doomsday level) since 1953 when the United States and USSR detonated the first hydrogen bombs."

In 2018, "North Korea tested its own…US-Russia relations featured more conflict than cooperation." 

Trump's JCPOA pullout threatened the landmark agreement. During his time in office, the world became more dangerous, not safer.

The Clock stands closer to midnight now than ever before. The threat of a new nuclear arms race looms.

The JCPOA is virtually dead because of Europe's failure to fulfill its obligations.

The Trump regime also abandoned the landmark INF Treaty based on Big Lies.

DJT abandoned the Paris Climate Agreement, though it was more sham than substantive, largely because of Obama regime-led meaningless piecemeal pledges — bullying, bribing, and threatening small poorer nations to go along. 

Rich countries refused to cut their fossil fuel emissions enough to matter or at all.

If Trump is reelected in November, New Start expiring in February 2021 most likely won't be renewed.

It calls for for reducing the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers by half, limiting the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,500.

It also limits the number of ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missile launchers, and nuclear capable heavy warplanes. 

It calls for satellite and other monitoring, as well as annual on-site inspections to assure both sides comply with terms agreed on.

Hardliners surrounding Trump want no restraints on weapons of mass destruction development and deployment.

Putin's warning about Washington's geopolitical agenda potentially "lead(ing) to the destruction of civilization as a whole and maybe even our planet" could move the Doomsday Clock even closer to midnight next year if New Start is abandoned.

In moving it closer to midnight on January 23, the Bulletin also cited dangers stemming from unresolved issues on Iranian and North Korea's nuclear programs — nations threatened by US-dominated NATO, not the other way around.

The Bulletin stressed the danger of "influential leaders denigrat(ing) and discard(ing) the most effective methods for addressing complex threats—international agreements with strong verification regimes—in favor of their own narrow interests and domestic political gain," adding:

"Faced with this daunting threat landscape and a new willingness of political leaders to reject the negotiations and institutions that can protect civilization over the long term, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board today moves the Doomsday Clock 20 seconds closer to midnight—closer to apocalypse than ever." 

"In so doing, board members are explicitly warning leaders and citizens around the world that the international security situation is now more dangerous than it has ever been, even at the height of the Cold War."

"Civilization-ending nuclear war—whether started by design, blunder, or simple miscommunication—is a genuine possibility."

Instead of acting boldly to reduce this unacceptable threat, US hardliners exacerbated it by their rage to dominate other nations — by brute force if other methods fail, Europe, Israel, Gulf and other states following suit as subservient imperial junior partners.

The Bulletin's Science and Security Board declared a state of emergency, requiring "unrelenting (world community) attention."

"The Clock continues to tick. Immediate action is required." Decades of efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe are steadily eroding because of recklessly dangerous US policies.

"(A) bad situation continues to worsen," the Bulletin stressed, adding: 

"(A)ny belief that the threat of nuclear war has been vanquished is a mirage…coupled with the emergence of new destabilizing technologies in artificial intelligence, space, hypersonics, and biology…portend(ing) a dangerous and multifaceted global instability."

Militarizing space creates unprecedented new dangers, the risk of potential catastrophe greater than any previous time in world history — notably because of advanced technologies and the growing risk of disaster that's unaddressed by the world community, no actions taken to reduce the threat of possible armageddon.

Last year, the Bulletin called global insecurity the "new abnormal…This dangerous situation…continues to deteriorate," increasing the chance for "civilization-scale catastrophe."

Vital action needed to step back from the brink is not taken.

"It is now 100 seconds to midnight, the most dangerous situation that humanity has ever faced." 

"Now is the time" for world community unity and action, the Bulletin stressed.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html