BY POLLY MANN
The words of a former secretary general of the Soviet Union may have little significance once he is out of office but recent statements of Mikhail Gorbachev deserve, in my opinion, recognition, or at the very least an item in a “Good News” column. So I’m filling in the gap. Gorbachev is the author of a recently published book, “The New Russia.” His words follow.
“I urge the members of the U.N. Security Council—the body that bears primary responsibility for international peace and security—to take the first step. Specifically, I propose that a Security Council meeting at the level of heads of state adopt a resolution stating that nuclear war is unacceptable and must never be fought. I think the initiative to adopt such a resolution should come from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—the Presidents of two nations that hold over 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal and therefore bear a special responsibility. … Today the burden of fear and the stress of bearing it is felt by millions of people and the main reason for it is militarism, armed conflicts, the arms race, and the nuclear Sword of Damocles. Ridding the world of this fear means making people freer. This should become a common good. Many other problems would then be easier to resolve. The time to decide and act is now.”
