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Just out today is my article for @BulletinAtomic! I talk about how the TPNW could be an opportunity to move towards a more post-colonial understanding of security. In particular, the TPNW can be leveraged to overturn a few commonly held assumptions: https://thebulletin.org/2021/01/global-nuclear-policy-is-stuck-in-colonialist-thinking-the-ban-treaty-offers-a-way-out/
The first is that our current system works because we, in a way, get to “civilize” the Global South through our hegemonic power. We decide what qualifies as democracy or acceptable civil society then impose that on everyone, regardless of the state of our own institutions.
The work other countries have done on the Ban Treaty though show that they don’t need “civilizing” since they’re the ones leading the way to a safer, nuclear weapons-free world. They’re the ones who think the world order can be more than just the US military telling us what to do
Next is that “might makes right”: that military aggression & intervention is good for peace and humanity when in reality “peace” by the threat of nuclear annihilation isn’t real peace.
Deterrence is effectively the belief that the nuclear weapon states have to right to threaten us and boss us around by virtue of their possession of weapons of mass destruction.
The Ban Treaty, alternatively, originated from discussions specifically focused on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. It centers everyday people and gives a platform to countries that are often otherwise ignored.
Third is the assumption that the US rightfully gets to serve as the custodian of arms control. The last four years have especially brought into question our competency as a world leader in nuclear policy.
Dedicated, deliberative diplomacy & movement towards multilateralism can counter our belief in US primacy and allow for more cultural nuance in decision-making processes. The TPNW shows that the few nuclear “haves” shouldn’t always dictate disarmament for the rest of the world.
Last is the double standard when we consider whose nukes are safe. Iran, North Korea, and China in particular are heavy targets for villainization. Their nukes are a threat to our national security, but ours aren’t threats to their security.
The Ban Treaty acknowledges that ALL nuclear weapons are threats to all of our security. Idk what’s going to happen after Jan 22 when the treaty enters into force, but I’d definitely like to see a shift in our understanding of security in the direction I described one day!
