1. In defiance of nuclear deterrence: anti-nuclear New Zealand after two decades.
- Author
-
Reitzig A
- Subjects
- History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Humans, New Zealand, Nuclear Warfare history, Nuclear Warfare legislation & jurisprudence, Time Factors, United States, Internationality, Nuclear Energy legislation & jurisprudence, Nuclear Warfare prevention & control, Politics, Public Policy, Ships legislation & jurisprudence
- Abstract
In 1984, nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered vessels were banned from New Zealand to express the country's rejection of the nuclear deterrence concept. This led to a disagreement with the United States. Today, the ban on nuclear-powered ships is the only element of the nuclear-free legislation that still strains US-New Zealand relations. This article presents the reasons for the ban on nuclear-powered ships, which include scientific safety concerns, a symbolic rejection of the nuclear deterrence posture, and patriotic factors such as a nuclear-free national identity. The military and economic consequences of the ban are also examined. Since the ban on nuclear-powered vessels appears to be neither widely known abroad nor commonly recognised as a supportive disarmament measure outside New Zealand, it is concluded that whatever the future of this ban will be, New Zealand's anti-nuclear image will remain known internationally through the ban on nuclear arms.
- Published
- 2006
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