Oppenheimer, Bush, and the Bomb

When the U.S. exploded the first atomic bomb in 1945, J. Robert Oppenheimer -- its inventor -- thought of the Bhagavad Gita and exclaimed, "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

He was suddenly aware of the destruction he had unleashed and its potential to destroy countless lives in one blast. Conscious awareness of his own role in developing this terrible weapon led him to work actively for peace, for the international control of atomic energy.

George W. Bush is unconsciously "the destroyer of worlds," who thinks he is protecting America by threatening Iran with military might. He is, however, the psychic inverse of Oppenheimer -- a destroyer who unconsciously desires to unleash even more destruction.

A genuine peacemaker is aware of his destructive urges and potential. Bush is unaware of his destructive desires, of his pleasure at the possibility of destroying even more lives. Today it is Iraq and Iran -- tomorrow it could be Indiana and Illinois. He must be removed from office before he breaks our entire world

Comments

[batguano]

Thank You! "He must be removed from office before he breaks our entire world."

"With just such stark, simple and truthful words was the madness and cruelty of Joseph McCarthy finally laid bare by Joseph Welch when he said;
"Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency? Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
McCarthy was, with these powerful words, shown to be without honour and he was revealed to be a mean, small and self-serving hateful creature. With just such truthful words will the Ignorance, depravity and cruelty of George W Bush and his crony's be shown to all with eyes to see, and he, along with all his handlers and co-conspirators, stand naked and their power be dissolved.
I would just say that I don't believe that the actions of Bush43 are "unconscious" or that he is "unaware" of his lies, failures, crimes or destruction of our National Honour. He may be delusional and mad, or overfull of "religious" revelation, but his crimes and destruction of our nation are much more odious, criminal and destructive than those of McCarthy in his time. I think he and his Neocon/corporate handlers know exactly what they are doing!
George W Bush has done us and our world great harm that will take decades to mend.

[Doofus]

It's good that Robert Oppenheimer just happened
to have an apt quip/quote at hand when the Trinity
test went off in August 1945. He would have been
one among a handful of people around who had a
good idea of just how powerful the weapon he
had conceived actually was, before it was used.

Bush is not wrong, surprisingly, in expressing
concern about Iran's nuclear intentions. Once you
have bomb-grade uranium at hand, it doesn't
'go bad'. If you maintain the facilities to make it,
you can make more. This is not a problem that's
going away soon.

[Tellmethetruth]

You spoke this very simply and truthfully. Bush seems to only have one option in his negotiating tools - my way or I will bomb you. This sounds like terrorism tactics. And as we all know, you can't negotiate with terrorists.

Sadly world leaders are calling Joe Biden because they have given up trying to negotiate with George Bush. Pakistan and Sweden carried articles about Joe Biden and why they want him for President today - mostly because they can talk to him, reason with him, and he knows their countries. Hum...

Majority Leader Reed said yesterday that he can't negotiate a budget with Bush because Bush simply refuses to negotiate or can't. The problem is the military will run out of funding 2/15/07. The government is operating without a budget or the means to collect any taxes - all being stalled due to Bush's inability to negotiate or compromise his selfness in any manner.

We can't even begin to count up the ways America has been so harmed by this man. The next president must be someone who can negotiate, respect others, and begin the healing from this nightmare. If the rest of the world is rooting for Joe Biden, why not join them in looking forward to some liberation.

[ramaa]

Dr. Frank, could you provide guidance for reporters who want to make Bush melt down on camera?

[oncethere]

Great and illuminating comparison, Dr. Frank. I'd forgotten how troubled Oppenheimer was by the destructive power of the atom bomb. Naturally, the U.S. Govt. suspected him of having Communist sympathies and embarked on a campaign to destroy him.

I believe that having a conversation with these right-wingers---whose moronic views have increasingly become socially approved by the Right's strong presence in the media and politics---is one of the least satisfying social experiences a person can have.

I had one such conversation in which a staunch Republican got right in my face and angrily pointed out to me how Democrats' political views are all emotionally driven and not rooted in Reason as the views of Republicans are. How does one respond to this absurd incongruence?

[ApolloSpeaks]

Atomic and thermonuclear weapons prevented a third world war between predatory international communism and the free world, a war that would have claimed at least another 50 million lives. Indeed, nuclear weapons have made great world wars a thing of the past. Get used to it gloomsters, the worst is behind us and growing more remote with the passage of time.

[locanicole]

But unfortunately, impeachment has been "taken off the table". I dont know what gw would have to do to rate impeachment. I happen to think suborning the constitution, promoting torture, lying, and breaking the laws of our country all under the guise of national security would rate, but I guess he would have to be caught getting a hummer from dana or carl and then we might have a chance. I know I feel so much better with him in charge, and of course being a member of a "christian" nation makes everything we do all right, because of course, "we know better". just disgusting...