1967 - R. R. Neild - What has Happened to Disarmament?

In this lecture, R. R. Neild discussed the way in which disarmament had been almost abandoned as a subject of policy in the last five years. He noted the problem associated with the increasing amount of nuclear weapons, particularly the probability of accidental or intentional launch. Given these concerns, he believed that there had been little action to reduce the levels of nuclear weapons, that despite some progress such as the partial test ban and non-proliferation treaties nuclear development has continued to move forward. He pointed to the lack of intellectual and political leadership in the disarmament camp, the way that intellectuals have been co-opted by the military or government and the rise of game theoretic and other abstract mathematical methods as the cause for this lack of concern. He critiqued the 'small-c' conservatism of conventional wisdom and the lack of creativity or foresight in realism. He also spoke against the recent decision for the United States to create a ballistic missile defence system. He finally called on the government of Britain to be ready to act with greater independence, openly disagreeing with the United States when their values differ and showing leadership in the disarmament issue.