Apocalyptic Crimes: Why Nuclear Weapons Are Illegal (And Should Be Abolished)

• In Event: Threats to Governance and Legitimacy

Abstract

This paper argues that the use, threat to use, and continued possession of nuclear weapons by any government are state crimes because they involve actions or omissions by political officials, acting as representatives of the state, that violate specific public international laws. It advances a criminology of nuclear weapons according to the outline created by Sutherland, who stated that “criminology…includes within its scope the processes of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting toward the breaking of laws.” The paper first analyzes the creation of international laws relevant to nuclear weapons (such as the Nonproliferation Treaty and the Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons). Second, evidence is presented that these laws have been repeatedly violated by the United States and other nuclear states, and this process of breaking of laws concerning nuclear weapons is explained from a sociological perspective. Finally, these violations have generated specific societal reactions, and these control efforts are examined and their relevance for future actions to prevent apocalyptic nuclear crimes and abolish nuclear weapons are assessed.

Author

• Ronald C. Kramer, Western Michigan University