Thread by @Andre__Damon

As the proxy war between NATO and Russia over Ukraine spirals out of control, the use of nuclear weapons that could kill hundreds of millions of people or more is being actively contemplated.

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wsws.org/en/articles/20…

On Thursday, NATO held a summit without precedent. In total secrecy, with not only cameras and phones prohibited but even aides, the leaders of the Western powers met to plan out the unthinkable: A full-scale war between nuclear-armed states.

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Nuclear war has become part of the daily vocabulary of the US media. In an article published Wednesday, “How the Ukraine war could go nuclear,” Politico wrote, “Not since the Cold War has the specter of nuclear war hung so heavily."

politico.com/news/2022/03/2…

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Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, has warned about the risk of “mushroom clouds appearing on the battlefield.”
(Image: Grable test, May 25, 1953)

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Last week, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, outlined a “hypothetical scenario illustrating just one possible pathway to a global, catastrophic nuclear war” that could be triggered by the Ukraine crisis.
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nti.org/atomic-pulse/b…

After a Russian missile crew inadvertently shoots down an American reconnaissance aircraft, a series of escalatory measures lead to an American president ordering a nuclear strike on Russia, followed by a retaliatory strike by Russia.

nti.org/atomic-pulse/b…

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"Over the course of the next hour, 82 million Americans are killed with allied countries faring similarly. Most die instantly, while more will die of radiation poisoning over the coming days and weeks."

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nti.org/atomic-pulse/b…

In the New York Times writes, “U.S. Makes Contingency Plans in Case Russia Uses Its Most Powerful Weapons.” The article revealed the existence of a so-called “Tiger Team” within the White House dedicated to planning a full-scale war with Russia.
nytimes.com/2022/03/23/us/…
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"A senior administration official said any use of a “small” tactical nuclear bomb by Russia—even inside Ukraine and not directed at a NATO member—would mean that “all bets are off” on the United States and NATO staying out of the war."
nytimes.com/2022/03/23/us/…
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As the media talks about the possibility of nuclear war, not a single word is being spoken about diplomacy, deescalation or peace talks. Rather, the watchword was, in the parlance of US President Joe Biden, “increasing the pain.”

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As the NATO summit in Brussels concluded yesterday with a plan to double NATO’s troop presence along Russia’s borders, Biden raised, for the first time, the prospect of the deployment of NATO troops into Ukraine and offensive operations against Russia.

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The summit was dedicated to discussing and implementing a series of measures aimed at involving NATO more directly in the conflict. Speaking at the conclusion of the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined what he claimed were “non-escalatory” measures:
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If these are the “non-escalatory” measures being taken, what would escalation look like?

In reality, NATO is being transformed into a fully weaponized fighting force on Russia’s border.

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Following the summit, NATO tweeted a war map outlining the troops deployed on its “Eastern Flank,” pointing to hundreds of thousands of troops, including 40,000 under NATO command and 100,000 under US command, along with 130 aircraft at high alert.

https://twitter.com/NATO/status/1506930180757012485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1506930180757012485%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsws.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2F2022%2F03%2F25%2Fpers-m25.html

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The preparations for world war, waged with nuclear weapons, are being accompanied by an unrelenting wave of propaganda in the corporate media.

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Attempting to manufacture support for war, the New York Times published yesterday an article, “Most Americans say Biden is ‘not tough enough’ on Russia, a new poll finds,” which purports to describe the state of public opinion in the United States.
nytimes.com/2022/03/24/wor…

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Does the New York Times really think that if the American population were honestly asked whether millions of American civilians should be incinerated in a nuclear war to defend the right of Ukraine to join NATO that they would agree?

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This media propaganda campaign, aimed at whipping up a right-wing, pro-war hysteria in the affluent upper middle class, is itself a factor driving military escalation.

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The US and NATO imperialist powers, driven by intractable internal crises, are proceeding with utter recklessness, bringing the entire world to the brink of World War III.

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The Russian government, for its part, under threat from NATO’s relentless expansion, launched the offensive in Ukraine with the aim of reaching some sort of accommodation with imperialism.
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Russia clearly underestimated the extent to which the US and NATO were prepared for war, and it is seeking to offset its initial setbacks with nuclear saber-rattling.

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The mad drive to nuclear war must be stopped! In this extremely dangerous situation, it is urgent that the working class intervene independently, through protests, demonstrations and industrial actions.

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The fight against war must be fused with the fight against inequality, exploitation, the criminal pandemic policy and, underlying everything, the capitalist profit system.

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