COLLECTED ESSAYS, Part 3 by John Scales Avery H.C. Ørsted Institute University of Copenhagen January 2, 2016 2 Collected Essays Volume 3 by John Scales Avery Published in 2016 by Irene Publishing, Sparsnäs, Sweden [email protected] www.irenepublishing.com Cover design: Jørgen Johansen Layout: John Avery Copyright John S. Avery and Irene Publishing Ω ISBN 978-1-326-48436-1 90000 ! ! 9 781326 484361 3 CONTENTS • FEDERALISM AND GLOBAL GOVER- NANCE, first published by Cadmus, page 9. • SAVING THREATENED SPECIES, first pub- lished by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 31. • THE DEVIL'S DYNAMO, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 35. • THE COURT OF WORLD PUBLIC OPINION, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Counter- currents, page 44. • CLIMATE CHANGE: WILL A DISASTER WAKE US UP?, first published by TMS Weekly Di- gest, and Countercurrents, page 46. • BOOK REVIEW: HIROSHIMA, AUGUST 6, 1945; A SILENCE BROKEN, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 48. • THE MARSHALL ISLANDS SUE ALL NU- CLEAR NATIONS FOR VIOLATION OF THE NPT'S ARTICLE VI, first published by TMS Week- ly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 58. • SCIENCE, RELIGION AND WAR, first pub- lished by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 61. • INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE TOTAL ABOLITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, first 4 published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercur- rents, page 69. • KILLING CIVILIANS, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 71. • 60 YEARS IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT, some autobiographical remarks, page 76. • CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS LIFESTYLE CHANGE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 116. • THE AGONY OF IRAQ, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 120. • THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE SUMMIT, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Counter- currents, page 129. • INTERRELATED THREATS TO HUMANS AND TO THE BIOSPHERE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 131. • BIRGITTA JONSDOTTIR, DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, first pub- lished by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 142. • INSTITUTIONAL AND CULTURL INERTIA, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Counter- currents, page 144. • POLITENESS IN MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIET- IES, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Coun- tercurrents, page 155. 5 • SOME CONTRIBUTIONS OF ISLAMIC CUL- TURE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 157. • QUICK ACTION IS NEEDED TO SAVE THE LONG-TERM FUTURE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 162. • REMEMBER YOUR HUMANITY, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and the Nu- clear Age Peace Foundation, page 167. • GANDHI AS AN ECONOMIST, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and the Nu- clear Age Peace Foundation, page 180. • SECRECY AND DEMOCRACY ARE INCOM- PATABLE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 184. • EUROPE MUST NOT BE PUSHED INTO A NUCLEAR WAR WITH RUSSIA, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, and Countercurrents, page 190. • MILLAY'S \EPITAPH FOR THE RACE OF MAN", first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Coun- tercurrents, and Human Wrongs Watch, page 193. • BOOK REVIEW: \THE PATH TO ZERO", first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents, Human Wrongs Watch and the Nuclear Age Peace Foun- dation, page 196. • ALBERT EINSTEIN, SCIENTIST AND PACI- FIST, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Coun- tercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 208. 6 • EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 224. • NEW HOPE FOR AVOIDING CATASTROPH- IC CLIMATE CHANGE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 227. • MILITARISM'S HOSTAGES, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 232. • WILL THE REAL ISSUES BE DISCUSSED IN 2016?, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Coun- tercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 237. • DEBT SLAVERY, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 247. • GREED IS DRIVING US TOWARDS DISAS- TER, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Coun- tercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 250. • A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION BY MAJORITY VOTE AT THE UN, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 255. • PARIS: A SENSE OF PROPORTION IS UR- GENTLY NEEDED, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 262. 7 • PARIS, INDIA AND COAL, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 266. • PARIS AND THE LONG-TERM FUTURE, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 268. • PARIS: WE NEED SYSTEM CHANGE!, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 271. • THE UNITED STATES DRIFTS TOWARDS POLITICAL IRRESPONSIBILITY, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 275. • EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 278. • CULTURE, EDUCATION AND HUMAN SOL- IDARITY, first published by TMS Weekly Digest, Countercurrents and Human Wrongs Watch, page 281. • THE EVOLUTION OF COOPERATION, first published by Eruditio, page 285. 8 Introduction This book contains a collection of articles, most of which were first published in Countercurrents, Professor Johan Gal- tung's Transcend Media Service Weekly Digest, and in Hu- man Wrongs Watch during the second half of 2014 and in 2015. A few of the essays were published in Cadmus or Eru- dito, journals of the World Academy of Art and Science. I am extremely grateful to the editors of these journals for their help and encouragement. I hope that readers will enjoy this book and will forgive whatever they find unpleasent and offensive in it. I have tried my best to tell the truth, even at the risk of unpleas- antness, because I think that our present global situation is so precareous that we need to analyse the crisis in every possible way, and to urgently search for rational solutions. 9 FEDERALISM AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE Introduction It is becoming increasingly clear that the concept of the ab- solutely sovereign nation-state is a dangerous anachronism in a world of thermonuclear weapons, instantaneous communi- cation, and economic interdependence. Probably our best hope for the future lies in developing the United Nations into a World Federation. The strengthened United Nations should have a legislature with the power to make laws that are binding on individuals, and the ability to arrest and try individual political leaders for violations of these laws. The world federation should also have the power of taxation, and the military and legal powers necessary to guarantee the hu- man rights of ethnic minorities within nations. Making the United Nations into a World Federation A federation of states is, by definition, a limited union where the federal government has the power to make laws that are binding on individuals, but where the laws are confined to interstate matters, and where all powers not expressly dele- gated to the federal government are retained by the individ- ual states. In other words, in a federation each of the mem- ber states runs its own internal affairs according to its own laws and customs; but in certain agreed-on matters, where the interests of the states overlap, authority is specifically delegated to the federal government. Since the federal structure seems well suited to a world government with limited and carefully-defined powers that 10 would preserve as much local autonomy as possible, it is worthwhile to look at the histories of a few of the federations. There is much that we can learn from their experiences. The Success of Federations Historically, the federal form of government has proved to be extremely robust and successful. Many of today's na- tions are federations of smaller, partially autonomous, mem- ber states. Among these nations are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, Spain, South Africa and the United States. The Swiss Federation is an interesting example, because it's regions speak three different languages: German, French and Italian. In 1291, citizens of Uri, Schwyz and Unter- walden, standing on the top of a small mountain called R¨utli, swore allegiance to the first Swiss federation with the words \we will be a one and only nation of brothers". During the 14th century, Luzern, Z¨urich, Glarus, Zug and Bern also joined. Later additions during the 15th and 16th centuries included Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel, Schaffhausen and Ap- penzell. In 1648 Switzerland declared itself to be an inde- pendent nation, and in 1812, the Swiss Federation declared its neutrality. In 1815, the French-speaking regions Valais, Neuchatel and Gen´eve were added, giving Switzerland its final boundaries. In some ways, Switzerland is a very advanced democracy, and many issues are decided by the people of the cantons in direct referendums. On the other hand, Switzerland was very late in granting votes to women (1971), and it was only in 1990 that a Swiss federal court forced Appenzell Innerrhoden to comply with this ruling. Switzerland was also very late in joining the United Nations (10 September, 2002). 11 The Federal Constitution of United States of America is one of the most important and influential constitutions in history. It later formed a model for many other governments, especially in South America. The example of the United States is especially interesting because the original union of states formed by the Articles of Confederation in 1777 proved to be too weak, and it had to be replaced eleven years later by a federal constitution. During the revolutionary war against England the 13 for- mer colonies sent representatives to a Continental Congress, and on May 10, 1776, the Congress authorized each of the colonies to form its own local provincial government. On July 4, 1776 it published a formal Declaration of Indepen- dence.