319. What is the Nuclear Taboo?: 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Explained! (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Nov 11, 2024
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A group of atomic bomb survivors, Nihon Hidankyo, won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting the nuclear taboo. This discussion reveals why nuclear weapons have remained unused since 1945, highlighting deterrence, international treaties, and the ethics of nuclear armament. It also addresses the complexities of nuclear stability and the risks posed by non-state actors potentially acquiring such weapons. The conversation calls for continued dialogue and awareness about nuclear threats and the significance of this taboo in modern geopolitics.
Nihon Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize reflects their essential work in establishing the nuclear taboo, promoting moral opposition to nuclear weapons use.
The deterrence theory explains that the threat of mutually assured destruction discourages nuclear conflict, although its rationality can be questioned.
Deep dives
Nihon Hidankyo and the Nobel Peace Prize
Nihon Hidankyo, an organization composed of survivors of the atomic bombings in Japan, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness about nuclear weapons and promote a nuclear-free world. Founded in 1956, Nihon Hidankyo actively shares the harrowing stories of survivors to showcase the catastrophic impacts of nuclear warfare, highlighting the approximately 140,000 deaths in Hiroshima alone. This recognition emphasizes the organization's role in establishing a nuclear taboo—a social prohibition against the use of nuclear weapons. Their advocacy aims to not only remember the devastation caused by nuclear weapons but also to prevent their future use globally.
The Nuclear Taboo Explained
The nuclear taboo refers to the growing moral and ethical resistance to the use of nuclear weapons since their deployment in 1945. Political scientist Nina Tannenwald argues that this informal rule has emerged, highlighting that the deployment of such weapons is now viewed as fundamentally unacceptable due to the world’s shock from the destructive potential demonstrated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Survivors' testimonies and ongoing research into the long-term consequences of radiation have contributed to this cultural shift, making the mere suggestion of using nuclear weapons socially taboo. This transformation reflects a collective understanding that the consequences of such actions could threaten humanity itself, thereby deterring potential use.
Deterrence Theory and Its Implications
Deterrence theory posits that the potential for mutually assured destruction (MAD) discourages the use of nuclear weapons among states that possess them. The logic behind this theory asserts that if one nation strikes first, the retaliatory response would lead to catastrophic losses on both sides, making nuclear conflict a considerable risk. Historically, during the Cold War, both the USA and USSR engaged in an arms race, ensuring they had enough nuclear arsenal to threaten total annihilation of each other, which, in turn, fostered caution among leaders. However, this theory faces scrutiny due to its reliance on the assumption that all leaders act rationally, which may not always hold true in situations involving unpredictable geopolitical dynamics.
Nihon Hidankyo, an organisation formed by survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness and create the nuclear taboo.
Today, I want to talk about the nuclear taboo and other theories that try to explain why nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945!
Let’s learn about international relations and learn some vocabulary at the same time.