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The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud.

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What is the current situation? Non-Proliferation Treaty sabotage UK Trident replacement progressing Attempts to prevent perceived enemies from obtaining nuclear weapons

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Page 1: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

The West’s nuclear umbrella–v- peace activists

How protest is or is not voiced.Dialogical Self ConferenceCambridge, August 2008

Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud.

Page 3: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

What is the current situation?

• Non-Proliferation Treaty sabotage

• UK Trident replacement progressing

• Attempts to prevent perceived enemies from obtaining nuclear weapons

Page 4: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

The Doomsday Clock is at 5 to midnight

This symbolic clock maintained since 1947 by the board of the Directors of the Bulleting of the Atomic Scientists at Chicago University uses the analogy of the human race being at a time that is “minutes to midnight” where midnight represents “catastrophic destruction”.

Page 5: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

We describe 3 dialogical positions • The rulers’ ideology behind

nuclear weapons• The complacent subject’s

ion

• The complacent subject’s position

• The complacent subject’s position

• The citizen activist’s position

Page 6: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

Want to be on top

To convince you

Brinkmanship makes it real

we need the best weapons

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

would be rid of nuclear weapons if

we could

But we know it’s too

dangerous

Page 7: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

From outside

From above

From below

Possible CAT diagram of relational intelligence in nuclear weapons

From inside

Societal Intelligence Executive Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence

Communal Intelligence

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed/

dehumanised

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating

threats

Afraid, a

lert,

(paranoid)

controlled

To convince you

Brinkmanship makes it real

we need the best weapons

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

New beginning myth

Page 8: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

In an argument similar to Blair’s about going to war in Iraq that we have gone so far we cannot turn back now, they state we have invested so

much we might as well hold on to it just in case.  

Page 9: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Just in caseThe idea of insurance seems a familiar and sensible plan and appeals to our ordinary and everyday sense of needing to be careful and protect against danger.

Page 10: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Both countries continue to cement their “Special relationship” creating a wider rationality arising from a sense of alliance. Both aim at status and prestige; the UK by association with the super-power and the US by the continued subservience of its point of origin and a toe hold into Europe.

Page 11: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

Want our way of life to prosper

economy grows in narrow corporate way

Only if dependent on a military economy

then our values must prevail

Want to be on top

To convince you

Want comfort Brinkmanship

makes it real

Surely our leaders are

wise

we need the best weapons

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

would be rid of nuclear weapons if

we could

But we know it’s too

dangerous

Page 12: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Learned Helplessness Helplessness leads

many people to remain afraid, alert and cautious; a state that in itself makes people very receptive to any destabilising and threatening situation.

Page 13: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud
Page 14: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

Want our way of life to prosper

economy grows in narrow corporate way

Only if dependent on a military economy

Arms race gets MAD

then our values must prevail

Want to be on top

To convince you

Want comfort Brinkmanship

makes it real

Surely our leaders are

wise

we need the best weapons

Want show strength

“Weapons used”

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

would be rid of nuclear weapons if

we could

But we know it’s too

dangerous

Armageddon

stories

Page 17: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

Want our way of life to prosper

economy grows in narrow corporate way

Only if dependent on a military economy

Survival and salvation myth

Better dead than red/jihad

Arms race gets MAD

then our values must prevail

Helpless or cynical

Want to be on top

Too painful to imagine

To convince you

Want comfort Brinkmanship

makes it real

it wont happen to us

Surely our leaders are

wise

we need the best weapons

Peaceniks are traitors

Want show strength

“Weapons used”

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

would be rid of nuclear weapons if

we could

But we know it’s too

dangerous

Armageddon

stories

Page 18: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Dissent and debate in the face of this appeal to national authority and tradition can feel daunting and make protest seem deviant.

Page 19: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

There is a risk of blaming the messenger and not the message or the originator of the message. “Why did you have to tell me, I don’t want to think about these things”?

Page 20: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

Want our way of life to prosper

economy grows in narrow corporate way

Only if dependent on a military economy

Survival and salvation myth

Better dead than red/jihad

Arms race gets MAD

then our values must prevail

Helpless or cynical

Want to be on top

Too painful to imagine

To convince you

Want comfort Brinkmanship

makes it real

it wont happen to us

Surely our leaders are

wise

we need the best weapons

Peaceniks are traitors

Want show strength

“Weapons used”

New beginning myth

Trust us we are good

would be rid of nuclear weapons if

we could

But we know it’s too

dangerous

Armageddon

stories

Page 21: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Where does this leave peace protestors?• When we grew up, protestors were

portrayed as eccentric, old fashioned and helpless on the one hand or as subversive and against the safety first policy at the heart of the nation.

Page 22: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

The core aim for activists is protesting to increase awareness of both the rulers and the ruled of the damaging consequences of having weapons of mass destruction.

Page 24: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Peace activist messageAny usage would

only lead to Mutually Assured Destruction

Page 25: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud
Page 26: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

How can activists argue their case more effectively?

How can peace activists work alongside, not against, whilst

describing invitations to join the spin?

Page 27: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Push points for peace activists

Advantages to:

maintaining human life Equality Environment

Achievable through

Realistic risk assessment

Encouraging dialogueHumanising the

‘others’

Page 28: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Example of more effective protest

• Peace protestors feel manipulated, hopeless and outraged

• Want to expose manipulation and feel empowered.

Page 29: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Going head to head

Either question the motives and integrity of the leaders, which results in a battle of words and perpetuates the manipulation

Page 30: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Realism without hype

Or provide dependable, accurate, succinct information.

Page 31: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Escalating threats

Afraid, alert, (paranoid) controlled

confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

New beginning

 Offer alternative position:

“Staffing at the Atomic Weapons Establishment has grown by a third in the last five years, with billions spent on new facilities, yet throughout this the Government has been telling MPs and the public that it would be years before any decision was needed. ……. the MoD is secretly telling the defence industry one thing, whilst Ministers are saying quite the opposite to Parliament.“ Kate Hudson, Chair of CND. Interview in The Guardian. 25.7.08

Page 32: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Guaranteed confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Protesting

Increasing awareness

Multi lateral talks

Arms race becomes MAD

Activists response to rulers

Want to show that safety comes through peace

Want to expose

manipulation

Only if threat seems real (but threat is delusional)

Our weapons add to the danger

If become war mongering

Weapons used

New beginning struggle

Arms race challenged

Show this is unstable

We describe peace / war options with realistic projected consequences

Peace is portrayed as

Truly heroic and brave

Wanting to make a difference

We become aware of the aims and views of the people we want to influence

We select who we want to engage and target our message at their level

We evaluate their responses and further refine our message to open up dialogue

Page 33: The West’s nuclear umbrella –v- peace activists How protest is or is not voiced. Dialogical Self Conference Cambridge, August 2008 Lloyd, Potter and Piachaud

Guaranteed confidently destroying

Totally Destroyed

Saving Protecting

Protected saved and dependent

Protesting

Increasing awareness

Only if to prosper

economy not dependent on

Military Industrial complex

Better with a less militaristic more green pluralistic

economy,

Must disarm unilaterally

Personal challenges to complacency

Want: to be safe and sure

Want to bring the world to its

senses

Exposing the dependency culture

on wise safe leader

Wasteful, risky and doesn’t work militarily or

economically

New beginning struggle

Expose hidden costs of cost of nuclear weapons

Activists’ responses to people

Wanting to win hearts and minds

Present nuclear disarmament as patriotic, prestigious and a safer solution

Promote peaceful discussions as achieving national aims

Wanting people to find their own voice and strength.

Focus on issues with direct local consequence

Suggest small and relatively achievable goals

Target likely sympathetic but quiescent people

We are part of the problem

Question the integrity of our leaders