The Chinese Bomb

Democratic politicians get trigger-happy as the hour of an election nears. It may be that Secretary of State Rusk shot off his announcement about a forthcoming Chinese nuclear explosion so me what prematurely. His commander in-chief no doubt figured he had better hedge: a public prediction by Rusk would blunt campaign repercussions from a Chinese bomb test if one did happen to come before November 3. Actually it may be delayed until well into 1965.

From the beginning many Americans and Europeans have tried to pretend to themselves that the nuclear bomb was an accident—an unfortunate byproduct of the Second World War that must be wished away. Ban the Bomb! We of the original Nuclear Club would prevent the spread of the bomb. Then we were going to take our own bombs apart and sink them in the ocean or somewhere. Then all mankind, free of the fear of the bomb, could live happily ever after.

JB

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James Burnham

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Democratic politicians get trigger-happy as the hour of an election nears. It may be that Secretary of State Rusk shot off his announcement about a forthcoming Chinese nuclear explosion so me what prematurely. His commander in-chief no doubt figured he had better hedge: a public prediction by Rusk would blunt campaign repercussions from a Chinese bomb test if one did happen to come before November 3. Actually it may be delayed until well into 1965.

From the beginning many Americans and Europeans have tried to pretend to themselves that the nuclear bomb was an accident—an unfortunate byproduct of the Second World War that must be wished away. Ban the Bomb! We of the original Nuclear Club would prevent the spread of the bomb. Then we were going to take our own bombs apart and sink them in the ocean or somewhere. Then all mankind, free of the fear of the bomb, could live happily ever after.