Okay here is the movie scenario. It is the height of the Cold War, the stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union. An American B-52 bomber is flying over North Carolina when it goes into an uncontrolled spin and begins to break up. The plane releases two nuclear bombs, 250 times more powerful than those dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which detonate on an unsuspecting populace. There is a chain-reaction of events in the midst of the horror and confusion which changes the course of history.
Too far-fetched to make a good film? Well, this actually happened in 1961, except for the detonation. One of the two bombs didn't enter into the arming sequence, but the other went through all the arming mechanisms, save one. If that last low-voltage switch had triggered the state would have been obliterated.
Every once in a while we are reminded that the human race borders on insanity. God blesses us with intelligence, ingenuity, and a beautiful planetary home to boot. So what do we do? We develop weapons of mass destruction which we stockpile in huge amounts to make sure the other guy doesn't have more. We nearly wipe ourselves out but keep it our little secret for decades.
We decide that other nations are evil enemies, fight them to the death, then we say "just kidding" and decide they are allies and that we're willing to purchase all their stuff. If you don't believe that part, consider all the German and Japanese cars on the roads. We have the capability to kill all the Bad Guys fifty time over with our weapons, but we are morally indignant about their weapons which are somehow worse than ours, because we say so.
Some would argue that we have grown beyond archaic notions of sin, and we don't need to be delivered, or to follow a Saviour. I'm not convinced that we have evolved the way we think we have, or become as enlightened as we like to think we are. I'm sticking with the Prince of Peace for the time being.
Had you heard about the incident in 1961?
Had never heard of that ... frightening!
ReplyDeleteI had not known about the 1961 incident, but am not shocked by it.
ReplyDeleteThere is beauty in the world, but we seem destined to ruin it by pollution.
World peace is unattainable, as there will always be vicious dictators and blatant human rights abuses.
I think I'm ready to go to that undiscovered island in the Pacific!