Hiroshima: Has the world learnt anything after 75 years?

By Gabriel Agbo

Seventy-five years ago, precisely on August 6, 1945 that first deadly and highly devastating uranium atomic bomb known as the “Little Boy” was dropped by the Americans on Japanese city of Hiroshima – a city of about 350,000. Then on the 9th, that is three days after, another plutonium bomb tagged “Fat Man” was unleashed on Nagasaki. These two blasts killed more than 300,000 people. Some died instantly while others were incapacitated from the radiation from the explosions. And there are also others that survived but are yet to recover from the physical and emotional trauma.

Thanks to the then United States President Harry Truman, who immediately stopped the bombings after seeing the devastation of the first two otherwise Japan would have been totally wiped out. And also the wise Japanese emperor who horridly, unconditional surrendered.  But did it stop at that? No. Though these actions effectively brought to an end to the Second World War, the Soviets success in testing their own nuclear bomb 1949 signalled the beginning of the harrowing, long cold war and the nuclear race. First, the Americans, then the Soviets and now other nations have joined in the race to destruction by stockpiling these deadly weapons that threaten to wipe out mankind.

But has the world learnt anything from these unfortunate events? No! What we  still see today is a world bent on destroying itself – from the ambition induced devastating world wars to nuclear race to biological and chemical weapons and the soon (or already) ‘weaponization’ of the space. Some countries are already establishing Space Forces. You saw President Trump recently inaugurating the United States Space Force. And who knows exactly what some of these countries freight to the space every week in the name of classified space launches and shuttles? Wake up for the space arms race has started in earnest.

Look at the enormous resources being wasted on the production of some of these weapons of mass destruction – trillions of dollars. Do you know what is costs to produce a hypersonic missile, an intercontinental ballistic missiles or some of those stealth air, space and water crafts – some capable of carrying multiple nuclear war heads and other hi-tech weapons? Imagine what positive effects these resources and efforts would have had if they were channelled to help humanity. Unfortunately, even the countries struggling with their economies and development are also in this wasteful, expensive and dangerous race. Recently, the American president announced that the country is already producing a missile that will be 15 times faster than the Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons. Some of these can reach the farthest part of the world in less than an hour. And they are just the ones they want the public to know.

Of course, there will always be lots of classified weapons, inventions, crafts and operations that these countries would not let their competitors know of. After all who knew that the United States was developing those nuclear weapons in the 40s?  Now, though there are treaties and unwritten mutual respect among these nuclear powers and they will likely not use these weapons unless their survival is threatened, but imagine a war between them or these materials going into the hands of any of these powerful terrorist groups. That will definitely be the beginning of the end for our world.

What is the world doing about the building up of tension and arms by China and America in the South China Sea, the India – China border conflict in Ladakh and the persistent tension in the Persian Gulf? Has it done enough to stop the madness in Libya, in Somalia, in Mali and the confusion in North Eastern part of Nigeria where the terrorists have for more than 15 years occupied and unleashed hell to that part of the country at the helpless watch of the country’s government?

Nigeria’s security situation is one of the worst with the world feigning ignorant of it. Hundreds are killed and displaced in these places every week. That is exactly how the world also gleefully watched and some consciencelessly aided the killing and the starving to death of more 3 million children, women and defenceless Biafrans of the Eastern Nigeria during the 1967 genocide – one of the worst in modern history. Unfortunately, even when it is said that the military action against these Biafrans has ended, political, economic and psychological war is still being waged against them till today.

Sure, more people have been killed or traumatised in these places than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But these are not the only efforts by man to destroy his world. What of the largely ignored climate change issue, the corona virus pandemic and the unnecessary egoistic trade and diplomatic wars?

Today, the whole world has been brought to its knees by the virus said to have escaped from a Chinese lab in Wuhan. As I write COVID 19 has killed about 800,000 and infected more than 20 million. Economic and social activities have been crippled for months globally by this man-made carelessness or wickedness. There is total global locked down. The economic and social disruption is monumental and unprecedented with millions of jobs and businesses lost. It will indeed take a couple of years for the world to recover and even after recovering, our life, especially our socialisation will never be same again.

Now, with all the explanations, many still believe that this virus was a biological weapon that was carelessly or deliberately released from Wuhan. It is most shocking that up till now nobody is taking responsibility or apologising for unleashing this level of pain, sorrow, tears, loss and death to the world. It really looks like the long predicted Armageddon is about to come pass, but we can quickly reign in these unnecessary actions, ambitions and excesses to avert an imminent global annihilation and build a better, peaceful, healthy and prosperous world for all of us.

Rev  Gabriel Agbo is the author of the audiobooks Never Again! Prepare For That Battle, Power of Midnight Prayer. Website www.authorsden.com/pastorgabrielnagbo E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 08037113283