Dear RN list, Both Bill Ellis and Brian Hill had interesting comments to make to follow up on the discussion about the Nobel laureates' statement. I would rather not make this message too long (or boring), so will refrain from replying to their comments. all the best, Jan ********************************************************************* From: "Brian" <•••@••.•••> Subject: Re: rn:re: Laureates' statement & how to end economic fratricide Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 07:48:29 -0800 The Laureates' Statement (below), I was hoping, would become a rallying point, a common ground, which would draw together diverse interests/groups into the global unity which Marx understood when he called for the workers of the world to unite, and which Marshall McLuhen understood when he said that the media will ultimately democratize the world. I was hoping that hair splitting, pedantic, liberal, abstractionist, "intellectuals" might be inspired enough to let down their perennial defensiveness and do what we all know is right. When a people looses faith in its government the government collapses. It is up to the citizens of this government to stop it, since the US Corporate-run military forces can dominate the world - only we the people of the US can disempower the monster. If you're into guilt (a classic liberal trait) then feel guilty - its our fault, we the people, for letting our government terrorize the world the way it is because we haven't stood up and stopped it. Nevertheless, we can do it positively by going local, joining with the diverse peoples that make US of A and building what will replace the military-industrial state that's up to bat for the last time. Brian ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <snip> >OSLO, Norway-December 7, 2001 (OTVNewswire)--At the Nobel Peace Prize Centennial Symposium here yesterday celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Nobel prize, 100 Nobel laureates have issued a brief but dire warning of the "profound dangers" facing the world. Their statement predicts that our security depends on immediate environmental and social reform. The following is the text of their statement: > >THE STATEMENT > >The most profound danger to world peace in the coming years will stem not from the irrational acts of states or individuals but from the legitimate demands of the world's dispossessed. Of these poor and disenfranchised, the majority live a marginal existence in equatorial climates. Global warming, not of their making but originating with the wealthy few, will affect their fragile ecologies most. Their situation will be desperate and manifestly unjust. > >It cannot be expected, therefore, that in all cases they will be content to await the beneficence of the rich. If then we permit the devastating power of modern weaponry to spread through this combustible human landscape, we invite a conflagration that can engulf both rich and poor. The only hope for the future lies in co-operative international action, legitimized by democracy. > >It is time to turn our backs on the unilateral search for security, in which we seek to shelter behind walls. Instead, we must persist in the quest for united action to counter both global warming and a weaponized world. > >These twin goals will constitute vital components of stability as we move toward the wider degree of social justice that alone gives hope of peace. > >Some of the needed legal instruments are already at hand, such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Convention on Climate Change, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. As concerned citizens, we urge all governments to commit to these goals that constitute steps on the way to replacement of war by law. > >To survive in the world we have transformed, we must learn to think in a new way. As never before, the future of each depends on the good of all. > >THE SIGNATORIES >Zhohres I. Alferov Physics, 2000 >Sidney Altman Chemistry, 1989 >Philip W. Anderson Physics, 1977 >Oscar Arias Sanchez Peace, 1987 >J. Georg Bednorz Physics, 1987 >Bishop Carlos F.X. Belo Peace, 1996 >Baruj Benacerraf Physiology/Medicine, 1980 >Hans A. Bethe Physics, 1967 >James W. Black Physiology/Medicine, 1988 >Guenter Blobel Physiology/Medicine, 1999 >Nicolaas Bloembergen Physics, 1981 >Norman E. Boriaug Peace, 1970 >Paul D. Boyer Chemistry, 1997 >Bertram N. Brockhouse Physic, 1994 >Herbert C. Brown Chemistry, 1979 >Georges Charpak Physics, 1992 >Claude Cohen-Tannoudji Physics, 1997 >John W. Cornforth Chemistry, 1975 >Francis H. Crick Physiology/Medicine, 1962 >James W. Cronin Physics, 1980 >Paul J. Crutzen Chemistry, 1995 >Robert F. Curl Chemistry, 1996 >His Holiness The Dalai Lama Peace, 1989 >Johann Deisenhofer Chemistry, 1988 >Peter C. Doherty Physiology/Medicine, 1996 >Manfred Eigen Chemistry, 1967 >Richard R. Ernst Chemistry, 1991 >Leo Esaki Physics, 1973 >Edmond H. Fischer Physiology/Medicine, 1992 >Val L. Fitch Physics, 1980 >Dario Fo Literature, 1997 >Robert F. Furchgott Physiology/Medicine, 1998 >Walter Gilbert Chemistry, 1980 >Sheldon L. Glashow Physics, 1979 >Mikhail S. Gorbachev Peace, 1990 >Nadine Gordimer Literature, 1991 >Paul Greengard Physiology/Medicine, 2000 >Roger Guillemin Physiology/Medicine, 1977 >Herbert A. Hauptman Chemistry, 1985 >Dudley R. Herschbach Chemistry, 1986 >Antony Hewish Physics, 1974 >Roald Hoffman Chemistry, 1981 >Gerardus 't Hooft Physics, 1999 >David H. Hubel Physiology/Medicine, 1981 >Robert Huber Chemistry, 1988 >Francois Jacob Physiology/Medicine, 1975 >Brian D. Josephson Physics, 1973 >Jerome Karle Chemistry, 1985 >Wolfgang Ketterle Physics, 2001 >H. Gobind Khorana Physiology/Medicine, 1968 >Lawrence R. Klein Economics, 1980 >Klaus von Klitzing Physics, 1985 >Aaron Klug Chemistry, 1982 >Walter Kohn Chemistry, 1998 >Herbert Kroemer Physics, 2000 >Harold Kroto Chemistry, 1996 >Willis E. Lamb Physics, 1955 >Leon M. Lederman Physics, 1988 >Yuan T. Lee Chemistry, 1986 >Jean-Marie Lehn Chemistry, 1987 >Rita Levi-Montalcini Physiology/Medicine, 1986 >William N. Lipscomb Chemistry, 1976 >Alan G. MacDiarmid Chemistry, 2000 >Daniel L. McFadden Economics, 2000 >César Milstein Physiology/Medicine, 1984 >Franco Modigliani Economics, 1985 >Rudolf L. Moessbauer Physics, 1961 >Mario J. Molina Chemistry, 1995 >Ben R. Mottelson Physics, 1975 >Ferid Murad Physiology/Medicine, 1998 >Erwin Neher Physiology/Medicine, 1991 >Marshall W. Nirenberg Physiology/Medicine, 1968 >Joseph E. Murray Physiology/Medicine, 1990 >Paul M. Nurse Physiology/Medicine, 2001 >Max F. Perutz Chemistry, 1962 >William D. Phillips Physics, 1997 >John C. Polanyi Chemistry, 1986 >Ilya Prigogine Chemistry, 1977 >Burton Richter Physics, 1976 >Heinrich Rohrer Physics, 1987 >Joseph Rotblat Peace, 1995 >Carlo Rubbia Physics, 1984 >Bert Sakmann Physiology/Medicine, 1991 >Frederick Sanger Chemistry, 1958; 1980 >José Saramago Literature, 1998 >J. Robert Schrieffer Physics, 1972 >Melvin Schwartz Physics, 1988 >K. Barry Sharpless Chemistry, 2001 >Richard E. Smalley Chemistry, 1996 >Jack Steinberger Physics, 1988 >Joseph E. Stiglitz Economics, 2001 >Horst L. Stormer Physics, 1998 >Henry Taube Chemistry, 1983 >Joseph H. Taylor Jr. Physics, 1993 >Susumu Tonegawa Physiology/Medicine, 1997 >Charles H. Townes Physics, 1964 >Daniel T. Tsui Physics, 1998 >Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu Peace, 1984 >John Vane Physiology/Medicine, 1982 >John E. Walker Chemistry, 1997 >Eric F. Wieschaus Physiology/Medicine, 1982 >Jody Williams Peace, 1997 >Robert W. Wilson Physics, 1978 >Ahmed H. Zewail Chemistry, 1999 > >### Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 17:07:42 -0500 Subject: Re: rn:re: Laureates' statement & how to end economic fratricide From: ellis <•••@••.•••> on 12/11/01 5:38 PM, Jan Slakov at •••@••.••• wrote: Nobelists: > "The most profound danger to world peace in the coming years will stem not > from the irrational acts of states or individuals but from the legitimate demands of the world's dispossessed. Jan: > My feeling is that the huge danger comes not from those legitimate demands, > but from people filled with hate and anger who feel they are avenging the > world's dispossessed by committing acts of violence. After all, those who > are causing most of the violence are not extremely poor people, but some > extremely wealthy ones. BE: I think you miss the point Jan. The danger is not an uprising to the poor, downtrodden, and disadvantaged. It is that these common people are the fodder whom evil leaders and false prophets can get to follow them. Bin Ladeen and his close cohorts are not the danger. It is the poverty, disillusinment, and frustration of those left behind by the globalzed capitalism. We saw this a Seattle, Quebec and Genoa with the escalation of violence at the anti-capitalism protests. If bin Laden had not co-opted the complaints, that escalation of violence might have grown to a profound danger to world peace. Few of the people, even the blac bloc anarchists, had the hate of a bin Laden. But many felt the frustration of not being seen or heard. That is the danger of "legitimate colmplaints" the Novel prize partion spoke of. Getting bin Laden with a war in Afghanistan is an escaltion of beating protesting students. Both are violence, possible neccessary, that will only breed more violence. The solution is mounting a campaign for knowledge and understanding. American policy makers should read the 1985 book "The Ugly Americans." And recognize that billions of people are leftout and resent American hegemony. The protesters should return to the leadedersihp of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and make their frustrations known by better PR and nonviolence. IMHO Bill Ellis
