Nobel laureates denounce a US attack on Iraq (VOMITING TILL YOU DIE ALERT)

New Scientist ^ | January 29, 2003 | Celeste Biever

[MadIvan]

Forty-two US Nobel Prize winners have signed a declaration denouncing any unilateral, pre-emptive strike by the US against Iraq.

The statement was announced on the day of President George W Bush's annual State of the Nation address. In his speech, Bush pressed the case for military action to remove the weapons of mass destruction the US says Iraq holds.

Although the United Nations resolution passed in November places the onus on Iraq to prove they do not have banned weapons, some of the signatories say they are not ready to accept this.

"I am not in favour of entering a war without decisive evidence that weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of the Iraqis," says signatory and particle physicist Sheldon Lee Glashow, of Boston University in Massachusetts.

The declaration admits the likelihood of a "swift victory" in the event of war, but says that without broader support, "the consequences of an American preventive attack on Iraq would undermine, not protect, US security".

Nuclear scientists

Chemist Walter Kohn of the University of California at Santa Barbara wrote and circulated the declaration. Kohn is a former adviser to the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Other signatories include physicists behind the nuclear research that ended the Second World War. Hans Bethe was an atom bomb designer and Norman Ramsey was part of the Manhattan project to build an atom bomb.

"We are a group of bright people who have had very relevant experiences," argues Kohn. "We hope to contribute to the sharpness of the discussion."

Six Nobel laureates refused to sign the declaration. Kohn says their reasons were a lack of faith in the UN, a desire to avoid mixing science with politics and a fear of appeasing Iraq.

[MadIvan]

As George Orwell once said, there are some ideas so preposterous that only an intellecual could believe them.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[dead]

"I am not in favour of entering a war without decisive evidence that weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of the Iraqis," says signatory and particle physicist Sheldon Lee Glashow, of Boston University in Massachusetts.

How can you be simultaneously so smart and so dumb?

He has the weapons. He has used the weapons on his own countrymen.

[areafiftyone]

We are a group of bright people

With Big Fat Heads!! Why are college professors and Nobel Laureates always putting their two cents in to things that don't concern them even though nobody gives a darn what they think!! They had their moment in the sun NOW SHUT UP!!

[txradioguy]

We're supposed to take these Nobel Prize winners seriously? This is the same group of pranksters that gave Jimmy Carter the award this year for his work (????) in North Korea. Not to mention the head of the organization said he did it as a way to protest Bush's stance on Iraq. I take the U.N. more seriously than these guys.

[AmericanInTokyo]

When the crowds are JUMPING WITH JOY in Baghdad over their LIBERATION, one thing in addition to hand out beside thousands of small American flags, will be a list in Arabic of these 'scholars' and 'thinkers'. We can title the handbills in Arabic: "THESE MEN AND WOMEN OPPOSED YOUR LIBERATION".

How bout if we add photos, too?

[Commiewatcher]

Nobel Prize winners are irrelevant these days. Jimmy Carter made sure of that.

[trebb]

We are a group of bright people

Hell, I've had bright dogs and cats - that didn't make them international terror experts...

[montag813]

Forty-two US Nobel Prize winners have signed a declaration denouncing any unilateral, pre-emptive strike by the US against Iraq.

Yes, but I have heard that a clear majority of John Nash's imaginary friends support a war against Iraq.

[ppaul]

:

:

[Yardstick]

Yup, I agree. The joy of the Iraqis upon their liberation will be to the shame of the left wing.

Too bad about the tooth, BTW. That must hurt like crazy. The same thing happened to one of my dad's teeth recently.

[goodnesswins]

"We are a group of bright people who have had very relevant experiences," argues Kohn

Sorry....I quit reading here.....Anyone who has to profess their "brightness" has played their hand....and I've known many "bright" men who are Stupid when it comes to life's logic.

[Republic]

LOL-What a bunch of dolts. Just like the so called 'historians' who are doing the same....ya gotta kinda haff ta chortle at their combined lack of vision. Poor babies....some folks will use any pathetic vehicle to regain that fabulous feel of notoriety. Pathetic to the max.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks. Actually, I have cleaned my tag line. That was a joke, in response to the missing plutonium reported in Japan the other day!

[the_doc]

Forty-two US Nobel Prize winners have signed a declaration denouncing any unilateral, pre-emptive strike by the US against Iraq.

I noticed from the body of the article that this lead-off sentence is actually false.

It would appear that some scientists are just saying that if they had more conclusive evidence that Iraq has WMDs, they would support a unilateral, pre-emptive strike by the US against Iraq.

And inasmuch as such incontrovertible, conclusive evidence may very well exist--even if they are not privy to it--they are certainly not in a position to denounce such a strike.

That being the case, I would argue from the very fact that the Nobel laureates are eminently bright (by their own grudging admission!) that they surely are not denouncing such a strike at this time. They just thought they were (grin).

So, did the journalist, of course. (But most journalists are even worse fools than the average Nobel laureate.)

[Sally II]

Okay, I had a theory about this a few months ago, and some one shot it down. But now my theory is back. The theory: You have a better chance of being nominated for a Nobel prize if you proselize for the UN and it's anti-war line.

Is it just me? Last year Jimmy Carter made a big appearace all around the world, speaking against Bush and promoting the idea that the US needs to heed the will of the United Nations. Then he got his Nobel prize and disappeared from sight. Then when Oprah had her show on Why They Hate Us, she showed a clip of some woman who as a Nobel prize candidate. And what do you suppose she was talking about? Yep, it was all this nice, feel-good propaganda about how the UN represents the great "international community" that is all about peace and fairness, and that the US needs to heed its will. I see in this article that not all Nobel Laurates trust the UN. I could be very wrong, but the whole superstar Nobel croud is starting to remind me of the Leftist Hollywood crowd. Just like Hollywood stars further their popularity by being mouthpeices for Leftist ideology, it seems Nobel candidates have to be mouthpeices for the United Nations. If anyone thinks my theory is totally wrong, I really do welcome any facts that contradict it.

[Timocrat]

Good idea but it needs expanding to include the Axis of Weasels and the Hollywood Crowd.

[Yardstick]

Oh, I see. That's the one risk with these new tag lines, isn't it. lol!