Articles by: Dr Lawrence Wittner

Peace protest at the White House - Photo credit: iacenter.org

Nations of the World Unite! 

Russia’s war upon Ukraine should remind us that violent international conflicts not only persist, but constitute a plague upon the world. Over thousands of years, wars have brought immense suffering to people around the globe.  In addition to the widespread annihilation of human life, wars have produced vast material losses, including the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, entire cities, the[Read More…]

by — 27/12/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
Imperialist Wars—and What Could Be Done About Them

Imperialist Wars—and What Could Be Done About Them

Although all wars are not imperialist wars, it is remarkable how many imperial conquests have occurred over past centuries. Mobilizing their military forces, powerful states and, later, nations carved out vast empires at the expense of weaker or less warlike societies.  Some of the largest and best-known empires to emerge over the millennia were the Persian, the Chinese, the Mongol,[Read More…]

by — 05/12/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
China, Russia, and the Bomb

China, Russia, and the Bomb

Even international alliances can unravel when nations confront the insanity of a nuclear holocaust. An illustration of this point occurred recently, after Vladimir Putin once again threatened Ukraine and other nations with nuclear war.  “To defend Russia and our people, we doubtlessly will use all weapons resources at our disposal,” the Russian president said.  “This is not a bluff.”  In[Read More…]

by — 24/11/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
Bye-Bye World:  While Nuclear Weapons and Wars Exist, Annihilation Beckons

Bye-Bye World:  While Nuclear Weapons and Wars Exist, Annihilation Beckons

It’s been a long time since the atomic bombings of August 1945, when people around the planet first realized that world civilization stood on the brink of doom.  This apocalyptic ending to the Second World War revealed to all that, with the advent of nuclear weapons, violent conflict among nations had finally reached the stage where it could terminate life[Read More…]

by — 17/10/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
What I Learned About Governments by Reading Classified Documents

What I Learned About Governments by Reading Classified Documents

Donald Trump’s illegal retention of classified U.S. government records reminded me that I have been reading these kinds of sensitive official files after their declassification―and learning from them―for decades. The reason is that I am a scholar of international history and, in this connection, have drawn upon such material in my research.  Governments keep secrets, and to understand the full[Read More…]

by — 05/09/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
Why Should War Criminals Operate with Impunity?

Why Should War Criminals Operate with Impunity?

The issue of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine highlights the decades-long reluctance of today’s major military powers to support the International Criminal Court. In 1998, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established by an international treaty, the Rome Statute.  Coming into force in 2002 and with 123 nations now parties to it, the treaty provides that the ICC, headquartered[Read More…]

by — 08/08/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
Who Speaks for the World?

Who Speaks for the World?

Russia’s brutal war upon the nation of Ukraine should remind us that, for thousands of years, great powers have used their military might to launch military assaults upon smaller, weaker societies. Since World War II alone, these acts of aggression have included France’s colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria, Britain’s military intervention in the Middle East and Africa, the Soviet[Read More…]

by — 04/04/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the World’s Future

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the World’s Future

Late January of this year will mark the first anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  This momentous international agreement, the result of a lengthy struggle by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and by many non-nuclear nations, bans developing, testing, producing, acquiring, possessing, stockpiling, and threatening to use[Read More…]

by — 09/01/2022 — Comments are Disabled — World
The Fate of Cassandra:  Dire Predictions Go Unheeded

The Fate of Cassandra:  Dire Predictions Go Unheeded

In ancient Greek mythology, Cassandra was a priestess who was able to predict the future but unable to convince others to act upon her prophecies. The fate of Cassandra seems particularly relevant today, for there has been ample warning about three developments that threaten continued human existence—preparations for nuclear war, climate change, and disease pandemics—without, however, adequate measures being taken[Read More…]

by — 20/09/2021 — Comments are Disabled — World