November 2nd. It is the time of year that reminds us all about the darker side of things. The ends. The trees have begun withering away for the winter. The grass isn’t green anymore. Not like summertime green. The Earth, here in the Northern Hemisphere, is tilting away from the sun. Everything, darker. Grayer.
This somehow reminded me of some movie where the Earth has been ravaged by the deadliest of wars. Where the Weapons of Mass Destruction have all played their hands.
We hear that term quite often, WMD. But what exactly is a weapon of mass destruction?
Well, to put it clearly is this:
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In 1977, the General Assembly, through its resolution A/RES/32/84-B, affirmed the definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction as “[…] atomic explosive weapons, radioactive material weapons, lethal chemical and biological weapons, and any weapons developed in the future which might have characteristics comparable in destructive effect to those of the atomic bomb or other weapons mentioned above.”
Weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) constitute a class of weaponry with the potential to:
Produce in a single moment an enormous destructive effect capable to kill millions of civilians, jeopardize the natural environment, and fundamentally alter the lives of future generations through their catastrophic effects;
Cause death or serious injury of people through toxic or poisonous chemicals;
Disseminate disease-causing organisms or toxins to harm or kill humans, animals or plants;
Deliver nuclear explosive devices, chemical, biological or toxin agents to use them for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.
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Destruction. Massive destruction.
I thought I might find some interesting weapons of mass destruction facts just to cheer you up a bit.
First of all, Weapons of Mass Destruction were used as early as 1585. The source I found gave the Fall of Antwerp as a perfect reference. Essentially, the Dutch created two “fire ships” that were packed to the gills with explosives and things that would turn into deadly shrapnel. Then, they steered them into strategic points on land and Ka-Bloooey. Lots of people died all at once. So that is history’s first “look” at WMD.
These days, they are all over the place, just waiting for some male testosterone to boil over and flip a switch.
But not our friends to the north. Canada doesn’t possess any Weapons of Mass Destruction.
God Bless Canada. I love those Canadians. You see, The Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (1970) sought to promote nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. So our good pals up there — the nation of Canada — signed it. And to this day, they remain committed to fulfilling their duties.
On the other side of the world, I thought you might want to know that Russia’s Weapons Of Massive Destruction are not “blessed.”
The Russian Orthodox Church usually “blesses” the country’s military hardware. Sprinkle a little holy water on this missile, will ya? Bless this box of hand grenades while you’re at it, Padre.
But those Russians had to draw the line somewhere, they did. Yes, the believers refuse to pray for what they consider weapons of mass destruction. These include nuclear artillery, war tanks, and everything in between. The church only blesses weapons deemed necessary for personal protection.
Oh. Don’t look down on Russia, so much. The United States has used WMD a few times in history. For one, the bombing of Tokyo, during World War II was one of the deadliest air raids of all time. And as such, Tokyo suffered what is considered the deadliest use of a weapon of mass distraction to date.
The event? Well, they were a series of air raids from the United States military on the 9-10th of March 1945. These assaults resulted in more than 100,000 civilians dying. More than a million others were rendered homeless, and properties worth billions were destroyed.
And then? Same war. But we all know of the Nagasaki And Hiroshima bombings that marked the end of WWII. We hit Japan, and that resulted in uncountable deaths, with many others injured and their properties destroyed.
We had a third bomb then. It was called the Demon Core. And it, too, was intended for Japan. It was spherical and weighed about 6.2kg. However, Japan surrendered after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, so it wasn’t used. Instead, the Demon Core was reserved in the United States, killing two nuclear physicists.
But it isn’t all bad news. Weapons of Mass Destruction can’t be used in space.
There is a thing called the Outer Space Treaty, which was signed on October 17, 1963. And with that, you should know that it is illegal to carry any potential weapon of mass destruction into outer space. This includes the moon and other celestial bodies. Military activities are also prohibited up there.
So far, that is. I mean. Once we destroy Earth for good, and we have to colonize the Moon and Mars, I’m sure this will change. It will only be a matter of time until humans leave their deadly mark all across the Universe.
But for now? You better go hug someone.
All you good people might be our only chance.
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“In a time of destruction, create something.”
― Maxine Hong Kingston
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“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
― Rachel Carson
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“I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
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Mass destruction and how we do it
