Understanding some of the facts and figures associated with nuclear weapons, their history, and the arguments both for and against them, enables us to engage with policy-makers, academics and armchair generals who continue to claim that these weapons are a necessary evil.

What can we say when someone says:

“yes, but what about North Korea?”

or “yes, but what about Russia?”

or “yes, but what about cheating? How can disarmament be verified?”

How do we respond to claims that:

 

We need nuclear weapons for our security

Dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is what ended WWII

Nuclear weapons have kept the peace since 1945

Disarmament can’t work

Our governments are already doing all they can to achieve disarmament

We can’t afford to lose all the jobs involved

These weapons will never be used, so don’t worry about them