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The Doomsday Clock Is Reset: Closest To Midnight Since The 1950s (npr.org)
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has taken the unprecedented step of moving the Doomsday Clock ahead 30 seconds, taking the world to two-and-a-half-minute to midnight. The scientists said Thursday that several factors weighed heavily in their decision, particularly climate change denial by people in power -- they cited U.S. President Donald Trump -- and talk about more nuclear weapons. From a report on NPR: The setting is the closest the clock has come to midnight since 1953, when scientists moved it to two minutes from midnight after seeing both the U.S. and the Soviet Union test hydrogen bombs. It remained at that mark until 1960. "Make no mistake, this has been a difficult year," Rachel Bronson, executive director and publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said as the new setting was announced Thursday.
"Over the course of 2016, the global security landscape darkened as the international community failed to come effectively to grips with humanity's most pressing existential threats, nuclear weapons and climate change ... This already-threatening world situation was the backdrop for a rise in strident nationalism worldwide in 2016, including in a U.S. presidential campaign during which the eventual victor, Donald Trump, made disturbing comments about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons and expressed disbelief in the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change."
first off, we gave them NOTHING, except what they were owed. That money was being held from the Iran Hostage Crisis and under reagan, we agreed PRIOR that it belonged to Iran and could NOT be used for hostage or other items. So, our sitting on it was useless.
Per international laws, namely, nuclear related, everything that they had done up to that point, WAS LEGAL. They were doing NOTHING ILLEGALLY. So, getting a 10 year delay was about as good as it was going to go.
As to the sanctions that Obama had gotten on Iran, well, we saw what happened with sanctions on Iraq. Most nations agreed, and then ignored them after some time. Hell, many American businesses with nice GOP contacts, were busy trading with Iraq.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
It's a fact that Donald Trump has said some scary stupid shit about nuclear weapons. It's not just speculation to reason that the President of the US might act in accordance with his stated positions.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
The position of the clock was not changed during the Cuban Missile Crisis. From the Bulletin's FAQ page:
Were the hands moved during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962? No. They were not moved during the 10-day crisis because too little was known at the time about the circumstances of the standoff or what the outcome would be. In fact, after the crisis, US and Soviet leaders installed a direct telephone line for communication, and within months signed the Partial Test Ban Treaty outlawing underground nuclear weapons testing—the first treaty addressing the nuclear weapons threat. On the basis of these steps, the Bulletin set the clock back from seven minutes to midnight to 12 minutes to midnight in 1963.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.