Tuesday 2 September 2008

New Cold War?

Lately I hear the pundits talking about a New Cold War. They have no idea how frightening the first cold war was. I spent my teenage and twenties expecting to be blown up by an Atom Bomb and never thought to reach my seventies as I have.
This was enhanced for me by the fact that while in the Air Force (18 to 23) I was sent on an Atomic, biological and gas warfare defence course. We were shown films of the devastation of the cities in Japan hit by the two atomic bombs. These were not shown to the public until decades later, if then, and the images have remained with me all these years. All the 'duck and cover' and get behind mattresses left me cold because I knew neither would make a bit of difference. Atom bomb - sooner or later your dead!
I was horrified to find my son had equally thought that he would not have long to live as the rulers of atom holding countries either made a mistake of or went mad and pressed the button.
Politicians - do anything you can not to renew the Cold War!