The Great Ship

 

The great ship, a thin disc a quarter mile wide, had hovered for a month in geosynchronous orbit over the Earth, invisible, undetectable by any human device. Those on board, citizens from a planet in the Andromeda galaxy, were finishing up the observations planned for this particular flyby (these occurred every Earth decade). They gathered on the bridge for a last conference before departure. Through gigantic windows they could view the ethereal blue curve of the planet under their scrutiny.

 

“Never in all our explorations have we observed a more striking opposition between gorgeous beauty and the degree of the trouble this particular planet finds itself in. So tempting to break the solemn rule of the Intergalactic Federation not to intervene.”

 

“Let’s begin with nuclear weapons. Humans are inherently tribal, but the destructive magnitude of their arsenals has raced ahead of their tribal mind-set, accelerating a fear-based “we build/they build” cycle.”

 

“The possibility of nuclear winter has only partially penetrated military strategy, not enough to cause their generals to take a second look at the collective assumption that more is better.”

“The war in Ukraine and the tensions over Taiwan have caused a ratcheting up of polarization, intensifying the illusion that nuclear weapons are the only way to deter attack—where in fact the reality is that deterrence has not prevented aggressions like the terrorist assault on New York City, or the invasion of Ukraine.”

 

“Humans remain blind to the reality that the deterrence system itself could actually become the cause of a war no one can win and no one wants, because they assume deterrence will work perfectly for all time. They refuse to take into account inadvertence, human or computer error, or the confusion when tensions escalate out of control. And so far the nine nuclear powers cannot find a way beyond their fear of letting down their guard. ”

 

“What about the United Nations?”

 

“It has had moments of effectiveness, but the structure of the Security Council is self-cancelling when it comes to the really big issues, on account of the veto muscle of the superpowers.”

 

“Humans participate in millions of non-governmental organizations working toward abolition. One of the most effective is the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which is working to get more and more nations to sign on to a total ban through the United Nations Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

 

“The organization with possibly the greatest potential of all to make a difference is something called Rotary. It boasts 1.3 million participants in 33,000 clubs in 172 different nations. Many of their members are business people, with a strong interest in the relationship between peace and economic prosperity. They have the right values and a culture of good will and problem-solving that is consistent across national boundaries. They are effective. If they got behind the U.N. Treaty, pressure would increase on the nine nuclear nations to rethink their policies.”

 

“Let’s pray they rise to the occasion.”