Author: Arthur Zulu Contact Author: mailto:
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2002 Word Count: 722 Web Address:
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WILL A NUCLEAR “ARMAGEDDON BE THE LAST WAR? (PART 2)

By Arthur Zulu

Let’s say that a full nuclear conflagration is going on right
now at the North Pole. And let’s suppose you are somewhere in
the South Pole.

Although you are in the antipodes — far away from the scene of
the nuclear war, you will not escape the blast, the fire, and
the radiation. You will be so uncomfortable that you will
suddenly find yourself dancing to the tune of an maginary
symphony.

Now, let’s shift the goal post of the nuclear action half way
around the world from the artic to the equator. Do you think
that you will still be dancing?

Imagine the nukes now exploding and flying around down under in
Antarctica. What will be your fate? Or the fate of the smallest
living things? Or what do you think the fire and the heat will
be doing to the ice? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Thousands in Asia and Europe who suffered the nuclear inter when
the nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Russia leaked accidentally can
give you an introductory lesson on nuclear crisis. But the
lecture may not be complete because those who died from the
leakage, and who were buried in raised sealed metal graves (to
prevent contamination), will not be around to give you the
postscript.

Now, look at this parade of weapons of mass destruction –5,000
nuclear weapons on hair - trigger alert, 4,000 intercontinental
ballistic missiles (2,000 on either side of the Atlantic) and
1,000 submarine ballistic missiles, all set, to wreak havoc, at
any time!

But the United States and Russia are not the only countries
having these instruments of death. Never mind that the weapons
have been reduced (new ones are added), and never mind that they
have agreed not to aim the missiles at each other (it can be
reloaded within seconds).

The fact is that apart from the traditional five nuclear club
nations — The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China,
some rogue states — Iran, Iraq and North Korea are in
possession of the deadly weapons. And these rogue states — axis
of evil (apologies to George Bush Jr.) cannot be trusted, (no
wonder the U.S. has donned a nuclear umbrella to catch falling
“evil” missiles).

So in this age of mutual assured destruction (MAD) — check your
dictionary for synonyms, a nuclear power can launch an attack on
warning (whether real or imagined), or on attack (just in case
you don’t have a nuclear shield over your head). And the
doomsday clock ticks dangerously close to the midnight hour!

Therefore, show me the signatories of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, and show me the signatories of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and I will show you the
hypocrites!

Now, just because you may not be around to tell what struck you
during a nuclear war, let me tell you the power of just
one-megaton bomb!

Act 1. Actor : Thermal Radiation (Call him Light and Heat).

You are going to be blinded by a terrible flash of light that
would pale Saul’s experience into naught. You will be vaporized
by the intense heat of the fireball. Your house, clothes,
furniture and neighbors will end up in a fire twice the burning
power of the core of the sun! And your dead body will be bathed
by a black sooty rain!

Act 2. Actor: Air Blast. (Call him wind). A terrible hurricane
generated by the nuclear blast carries you, your house, and
debris, to where only God knows! You and your neighbors
suffocate to death with pieces of glass and metal buried in your
body. Your ears, eyes and lungs rupture. Your flesh is hanging
from your body and dragging on the ground, and your hair
standing on end.

Act 3. Actor: Radiation. (Call him the undertaker)

Your body is given a special treat by neutrons and gamma rays.
Result? Nausea, vomiting, convulsion, tremor, ataxia,
hemorrhaging and lethargy are your friends. And cancer,
infertility, abortion, diarrhea, weakness, nervous disorder,
deformed children, stillborn and infectious diseases are your
relatives. And if you die or are mortally wounded, flies and
maggots will be your attendants.

The unfortunate survivor will have only one inglorious job –
gathering and lighting of dead bodies, and die in the end by an
epidemic. Or if there are no survivors, vultures and scavengers
(if any are left), will eat, to eat no more.

You can choose now. Would you like to die or to survive the
coming nuclear disaster? Whatever your choice is, do not write a
will. Because there will be no property or inheritors!

The land, the vegetation and the waters will be left, though too
poisoned to sustain life. But which survivor (if at all) would
like to inherit a poisoned estate?

Copyright © 2002, all rights reserved