IN this time of post election soul-searching, I would like to present your readers with two simple but vital facts. First, there are two roads by which heavy-duty vehicles can cross the border between England and Scotland, and two only. Secondly, to stop vehicles is a routine matter for Police Scotland.
The MoD frequently sends convoys carrying Trident warheads from Aldermaston in Berkshire to Coulport in Scotland. They have to do this regularly to make sure that when they are fired, they will actually work and kill thousands of innocent people (this is called “integrity verification”, I kid you not). Indiscriminate slaughter is the one and only thing they are designed to do.
READ MORE: New defence review chief Lord Robertson dials up criticism of China
But the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force in January 2021 at the United Nations and is supported by 122 states. Thus, the highest court in the world has specifically condemned nuclear weapons as illegal. This ruling is “jus cogens” or compulsory law; that is, a peremptory norm from which there is no derogation (like FGM, piracy, genocide, or enslavement), as opposed to customary law, where parties make mutual agreement.
A Trident warhead is a hydrogen bomb. and by the TPNW, undeniably illegal. To stop these convoys at the border and refuse to allow them to continue their criminal enterprise requires nothing more than normal police procedures; in fact, those guilty could also be arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy. This is enforcement of the law.
Humanity has at last “banned the bomb”, and we must act accordingly.
The appreciation of the logic of this is axiomatic for both the demand for independence and the praxis of self-governance. As long as we cravenly accept this criminal imposition on our land, we do not have independence because we do not deserve it.
READ MORE: Trident can be used as a lever for independence negotiations
As long as we continue with our present craven acceptance of our abject role playing Tonto to the British Lone Ranger in his lunatic nuclear fantasies, we can forget about independence. Marches and demonstrations have their place in this campaign but total commitment demands much more. This demands action.
This direct action is something we can and should do, now. The nuclear convoys should be peacefully and non-violently stopped. This would be an effective technique to obtain independence, and an unambiguous expression of being a normal legal state.
Brian Quail
Glasgow
PAT Kane is right that we need to revive the Peaceniks, CND and other related movements (The world needs a revived peacenik movement to face up to new threats, Jul 13).
There is only one problem in this, which is that the only countries that tolerate these groups are the so-called libertarians in the so-called “West”.
Nuclear weapons cannot be un-invented, and far too many illiberal dictatorships also have them. At least one of them in recent years has openly threatened the supporters of its current victim with nuclear attacks! Until such time as these imperialistic autocratic dictatorships actually start to remove them then we will be even more open to nuclear blackmail than we are at present.
READ MORE: Independent MPs demand Government drop objection to Israeli PM arrest
We have not more openly assisted Ukraine precisely because we have shied away from potential escalation. So aside from nuclear weapons being possessed on the basis of a parity of arms, they can also be used to allow dictators to pursue their acquisitive tendencies under the shadow of their own nuclear umbrella. They therefore threaten their use if anybody dares to prevent them from pursuing their aggressive agendas.
No matter how desirable it is to remove them from our arsenals, which I fully agree with, it has to be done in consideration of pragmatic analysis of the current world order. If we in the “West” want to encourage anti-nuclear groups then we should also be encouraging similar in the countries that oppose us.
One-sided disarmament does not deter the side the that keeps them, as Ukraine has discovered to its and our cost. Which is why Ukraine is seeking Nato membership.
READ MORE: Labour ‘must stop aiding Israel's law breaking' in Gaza, says Oxfam
As a collective Nato is not under the direct control of a single dictator, unlike the enemies it is set up to defend against. Nato is not structured to do anything much beyond robustly defending its members’ borders, and even that is questionable after successive “peace dividend” defence cuts across the alliance. Being a collective is why, despite claims to the contrary, Nato has not invaded or threatened to invade any other country.
Yes, we need to revive anti-nuclear weapon activities but not until all the other possessors do the same. Only then can we all jointly dismantle these global existential threats. Yes, revive the groups, but make sure we don’t let idealism take over from pragmatic common sense and open us up to aggression.
Nick Cole
Meigle, Perthshire
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel