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North Korean Weapons Proliferation
North Korean Weapons Proliferation
Table of Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621708” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc369621708 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621709” Different circumstances for a Nuclear Attack by North Korea PAGEREF _Toc369621709 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621710” Plutonium Nuclear Weapons Ability PAGEREF _Toc369621710 h 7
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621711” North Korea Nuclear Attacks on Japan PAGEREF _Toc369621711 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621712” North Korea Reports PAGEREF _Toc369621712 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621713” Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc369621713 h 9
HYPERLINK l “_Toc369621714” Bibliography PAGEREF _Toc369621714 h 11
IntroductionIn an attempt to impede the nuclear weapons spread to other countries, much interest has been shown on the purported “supply-side” issue of North-Korean nuclear proliferation-associated intelligence. In this issue, the main hindrance to offer policymakers with timely and accurate information regarding the accruing moves of North-Korean government to attain nuclear weapons-making ability. This is to enable them react appropriately with military force, covert actions, interdiction, economic sanctions, diplomacy or other statecraft tools. Less interest, nevertheless, has been centered on what may be referred to as the “demand-side” concern of proliferation intelligence. In this case, the main hindrance is that sometimes, policymakers may choose not to obtain information regarding nuclear proliferation-associated provocations of a foreign government, lest they are needed to react in specific ways. These ways would fundamentally contract or complicate their chosen policies. When dealing with nuclear weapon proliferation, intelligence is imperative, but only if a government wants it.
Contrary to the common assumption, it is also accurate that at times, chief players do not desire to attain consistent information at all. This is owing to the notion that it would impel them to react, or otherwise go through uncomfortable political outcomes. This intelligence paper will analyze different reports given regarding the North-Korean weapons proliferation capabilities and particularly, nuclear weaponry. Data that touches on different incidences of attacks of North Korea will be collected and critically analyzed to promote comprehension on the counter measures that may be prepared by the US and other states.
North Korean Nuclear Weapon Capabilities
Several questions concerning nuclear capabilities of North Korea remain, notwithstanding the numerous negotiations, announcements, reports and conducted nuclear tests by Pyongyang. There has been no transparency from North Korea regarding its military capabilities and intentions. Therefore, up to date, there is a continuing deliberation over whether the country has only “devices” or also bombs. Furthermore, intelligence personnel, academics, and policymakers also continue to dispute over whether the country will soon have a warhead built up on a missile. The primary plutonium subversive nuclear test by North Koreans was performed on 9 October 2006. During that period, North Korea efficiently concluded any deliberation concerning their possession of nuclear weapons. Subsequent to this nuclear test, several analysts evaluated it to be no less than partly victorious detonation of a nuclear device with a plutonium nature.
Siegfried S. Hecker, a researcher based in Stanford University identifies that North Korea sought for 4 kilotons but instead obtained 1 kiloton. This was fundamentally considered sufficient for an initial test. The researcher referred it to as successful, although not perfect.
Hui Zhang, another researcher from John F. Kennedy School of Government provided a practical and interesting appraisal in a report he conveyed in 2007. The researcher outlined that “If North Korea prepared a 4 kt yield (as appraised in previous reports); the trial could have been successful. This could demonstrate that Pyongyang were confident of detonating a bigger nuclear device and may be currently following a more condensed warhead to mount its missiles. ”
Following the above statements, the outcome is that during the year 2006, North Korea confirmed to the universe that they possessed the ability to effectively explode their plutonium nuclear device, possibly a weapon, although at least partly successfully.
On 25 May 2009, a second subversive plutonium nuclear test was conducted by North Korea. The majority of analysts concur that the test explosion was considerably bigger than the first one (1 kt).several approximates through international experts evaluated the explosion power to have ranged from 2-6 kt. The best guess was that the explosion could have used 4 kt. Of importance for this intelligence paper, scientists and nuclear experts evaluated during the 2009 experiment of the North Korea nuclear device, it would be able to kill thousands of individuals, particularly if the detonation was carried out in a main city.
In a documentation publicized to the press during the year 2009 through A.Q. Khan, previous chief of Pakistan’s nuclear program, North Korea had before then, enriched small uranium quantities by 2002. After touring a North Korean plant in 2002, he asserted that there were approximately 3,000 centrifuges. He also asserted that there was another North Korean plant responsible for enriching uranium using Uranium hexafluoride gas.
While the information provided on the North Korean capabilities is particularly useful, it is noteworthy that these assertions were confirmed by North Korea where, it outlined that there will be commencement of the uranium enrichment process. This evidence was conveyed by the Korean Central News Agency, which is run by the state. Experts have outlined that two nuclear devices could be produced annually, with North Korea’s existing Highly Enriching Uranium (HEU) plant. Based on a large number of evidence, the progress of North Korea’s HEU is past the Research and Development phase. This indicates that the program may be close to conclusion, which guarantees HEU weapon production.
According to the evidence provided, the highly enigmatic nuclear program of North Korea is almost capable or now able to generate two forms of nuclear weapons. These consists the HEU-and plutonium-based weapons systems. Policymakers and military officials should plan accordingly, based on this evaluation.
Different circumstances for a Nuclear Attack by North KoreaOwing to the existing evidence, which now confirms the development of North Korea’s two-track program of nuclear weapons, an evaluation of the forms of nuclear attack scenarios is achievable, founded on these capabilities. Several possibilities exist for the capabilities of attacks that can be launched by North Korea, especially, considering the degree of thought by Pyongyang in preparing for its asymmetric abilities.
Plutonium Nuclear Weapons AbilityThis ability is one, which all scientists and analysts can confirm that North Koreans possess in their arsenal. However, numerous things embody a plutonium ability that must be considered. A thriving plutonium weapon presents as typically bigger when compared to a HEU weapon. Due to the required amount of explosives and the weapon size, a plutonium weapon poses challenges in being mounted on a missile as opposed to a HEU weapon. Considering this challenge, North Korea has developed bombs as an alternative means. This means diversity in the application of a plutonium bomb. Although considering the evaluation that currently any North Korean weapon would be primitive, it is rational to presume that the weapon used would be big. It would also possess primitive implosion or triggering mechanisms to lead to detonation of the nuclear weapons. Furthermore, it would possess a fission procedure that would possibly fail to lead to weapon detonation to its full ability according to the 2006 assessment.
In the scenario of using a plutonium bomb as an alternative, the delivery mechanism would be through an aircraft. After a careful assessment, it has been discovered that North Koreans possess an aircraft that has the ability of being applied for that type of a mission. This aircraft is the H-5, which is a Chinese edition of the 1L-28 light bomber of the old Soviet. A ship covered up as a merchant trawler or cargo vessel acts as another means of delivery.
North Korea Nuclear Attacks on JapanIf an individual is to question an attack of North Korea on Japan rather than South Korea, the response is rather uncomplicated. A nuclear attack directed on Japan instantly prior to a full-blown war was to start on the Korean cape would result in severe issues in both the Japan-U.S and the ROK-U.S alliance. This kind of an attack would probably lead to indignation among the Japanese population, leading to pressure on the Prime Minister to take abrupt action in opposition to the North Koreans. Following this response, a great angst would be caused in Seoul, where whichever direct Japanese participation in a war particularly, on the Korean cape would likely to be merely intolerable. As the U.S aimed to navigate, the military and diplomatic minefields that aspire for a satisfactory solution to its mutual chief partners in East Asia might cause the conventional forces of North Korea to progress through the Kaesong-Munsan Corridor and Cheorwon valley. Certainly, a nuclear attack launched by North Korea directed towards Japan can cause a catastrophic blow to the affected country, although it would result in political turmoil. This would establish susceptibilities in the military responses of Japan, South Korea and U.S.
North Korea ReportsOn 12 October 2013, North Korea issued a report through the Korean Central News Agency. The report threatens to revisit security stipulations to those located at the end of the winter training cycle of North Korea in March. While mentioning a two-day work out by the Japan, Republic of Korea and US forces, a spokesperson representing the North’s National Defense Commission affirmed:
“Careless provocative practices would face North Korea’s retaliatory strikes and result to a justice war intended to cause an eventual demonstration with the US”
“North Korea emphasizes again the withdrawal of different measures intended to strangulate and isolate the country by the US.
The National Defense Commission issued an elucidation of what it delineated as its principled declaration. The elucidation did not intimidate all out war, although rejected the non-aggression pact offered by the US Secretary of State. The elucidation contains three key points.
“The United States ought to abandon the convention way of reasoning, and conservative stand and discard the threadbare hostile strategy towards North Korea, before it becomes too late.”
“If the United States truthfully desires to enhance the relations with North Korea, it has to accurately comprehend the country and act as suiting a superpower”
ConclusionThe attempts to impede the nuclear proliferation weapons in North Korea have proven futile by Japan, South Korea and United States. This owes to the resources that are available for the advancement of its capabilities, such as the HEF. North Korea continues to use war threats as a means to accomplish its operational and political gains. With this respect, it is significant for the US and other nations to be strategic in planning for stoppage of these threats, or actual attacks because the operations adopted by North Korea are also premeditated.
BibliographyAhn, Mun Suk. “What Is the Root Cause of the North Korean Nuclear Program?.” Asian Affairs: An American Review 38, no. 4 (October 2011): 175-187
Hymans, Jacques E. C. “Assessing North Korean Nuclear Intentions and Capacities: A New Approach.” Journal Of East Asian Studies 8, no. 2 (May 2008): 259-292
Roehrig, Terence, and Lara A. Wessel. “Congress and U.S.-North Korean Relations: The Role of the Entrepreneur.” Asian Affairs: An American Review 38, no. 2 (April 2011): 89-108
Snyder, Scott. “US Policy Toward North Korea.” SERI Quarterly 6, no. 1 (January 2013): 99-104
Periodical
“Containing the North Korean Threat.” Bloomberg Businessweek no. 4315 (February 4, 2013): 8. Fitzpatrick, Mark. “North Korean Proliferation Challenges: The Role of the European Union.” The European Network of Independent Non-proliferation Think Tanks 18, (June 2012): 1-16
Zarate, Robert. “The Non-Use and Abuse of Nuclear Proliferation Intelligence in the Cases of North Korea and Iran.” 8, (April, 2013): 1-23
Article in a Newspaper
Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., “Planning for the Unthinkable: Countering a North Korean Nuclear Attack and Management of Post-Attack Scenarios”, NAPSNet Special Reports, October 06, 2011, http://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-special-reports/planning-for-the-unthinkable-countering-a-north-korean-nuclear-attack-and-management-of-post-attack-scenarios
David Sanger, “U.S. Weighs Intercepting North Korean Shipments,” New York Times, June 7, 2009.
Question # 1 Intervention and Relevant Literature
Question # 1: Intervention and Relevant Literature
In my practice example, my clients include a family that has been split by a nasty divorce. The husband and wife are divorced via a mutual agreement. Their eldest daughter is brought by the father and the current fiancée, and the younger daughter is brought by the mother. After the divorce, the mother has not seen the eldest daughter due to issues relating to visitation rights. The eldest daughter has shown a defiant attitude and an unwillingness to communicate with family members. Social workers have intervened in an attempt to get her to change her attitude. The goal of intervention is to establish communication by listening to the eldest daughter’s side of the story, engage her, and then let lead her to actively communicate with the family.
Engagement is defined by Mirabito (2001) as a process that sees a client begin to actively participate in an intervention. It is a stage that aids in bringing about positive treatment outcome. The engagement process entails agreeing on the objectives and goals of an intervention process through a collaboration of the client and the social worker. Involuntary clients are those that attend a treatment session under coercion of significant others or legal bodies (Finn, 2020). The eldest daughter is an involuntary client in the practice example.
To a significant extent, the interventions I utilized with the involuntary client were unsuccessful because the child was not willing to talk, showed some levels of resentment towards the family members, was deeply hurt by the decision to bring her for a therapy session, and that she seemed to have no control over her life. The intervention was also further complicated by the fact that the child is autistic. For example, in response to question about her age and her current grade, she responds with a casual non-interactive “11” and “fifth grade”. Her one word responses are indicative of her defiant attitude and an unwillingness to participate.
Despite the initial unsuccessful engagement with the involuntary client, there were a number of points that worked very well. The intervention was able to arouse the child’s curiosity as the interview continued, prompting her to even ask questions and answer in full sentences. For example, she asks “What kind of teacher are you at a normal university?” and later describes her new school as okay but “there is a lot of homework than the previous school”. She also describes several additions to the curriculum in her new school in an enthusiastic tone to indicate that she is interested in the discussion.
Question # 2: Termination
Termination is best described by Rosenthal-Gellman (2007) as a conclusion of a social worker-client intervention process. It is the systematic process of disengaging the work relationship. Usually, this occurs when objectives are met, or when the prior agreed tie for working or an engagement ends. It can also come when a client no longer shows interest in continuing. My experience of termination with the teenage client was smooth and from a mutual point of view. I was able to create a friendship in a work-related setting as one of the interventions I used to get the client to engage. The experience taught me a lot on how to terminate a relationship. My style of termination was very simple and based on the prior relationship I had fostered with the client. I began by talking about common hobbies in life, such as sports, basketball, cars, and other matters of common interest. In this intervention strategy, my intention was to engage the client and open her up to actively drive our conversations. It was a form of a service stage, which helped me to establish a relationship with the client and communicate smoothly. To help me track the client’s dynamics, I started moving the conversation beyond the therapy sessions. I wanted her to see life beyond her current situation, to engage me on a level above the family therapy session. I wanted the client to follow my directions on how to tackle issues, how to respond to different situations, and regard my advice about life. My intention was to help her to begin to be independent even after the end of the service. I assured her that she can contact me, through her parents, to talk about the little things in her life. In the termination process, I learnt that establishing a connection and relationship with the client can help to create a good parting environment.
However, my style also presented a number of challenges. For example, the client was too free to a point of asking me personal questions. While such questions are an indication of god progress in the intervention program, it could also mean that the objectives of the intervention and engagement are not well understood. In addition, the client often asked me questions outside of my major in social work. I am not trained to respond to such questions and therefore I could not provide a satisfactory response. As a social worker, it is important that one maintains honesty with the client (Walsh & Meyersohn, 2001). Another problem with my style and what I learnt about it is that the client should not contact me after termination of service, yet, I felt like I gave the client the idea that she is free to talk to me about anything. Keeping close contact with a client after termination of service is considered a poor practice by Hepworth, Rooney, & Larsen (2017) because it means that the reintegration to society would be slower and problematic for the client. Therefore, because I already made the connection with the client, my strategy was to discourage any engagement outside of the ethical and official communication channels. Private messaging through WeChat or Text messaging would not have good consequences. Any communication would be approved by the parents and in an official capacity through the required channels. I learnt that it is important to prepare the client early for termination of service. This would ease the pain of parting ways especially because of the relationship that has already been established. For this client, my approach was to end any communication gradually. Communication would be reduced from multiple times a week, to once a week, then to once every two weeks, and then to once in a few weeks, gradually ending the contact with the client. Because of my client’s attitude and history as a delinquent, it is important that she learns to integrate into the society and conform to sociable behavior.
Question # 3: Organizational Analysis and Organizational Change
A. Anti-Oppressive Practice
The clients served by my agency are mainly delinquent juveniles. A majority of them are from impoverished backgrounds. They have gone into crime as a way of escaping poverty and in search of a better livelihood due to the oppressive nature of societies (Morgaine & Capous-Desyllas, 2015). A majority of them start with petty crimes such as stealing things and engaging in embarrassing acts of delinquency. Some have odd jobs to create a façade, and they present a normal livelihood only for them to get caught later. Their environment and economic background push them into criminality. Their conditions already pre-expose them to crime even at tender ages. In comparison to their age mates from better economic, environmental, and educational conditions, the less privileged individuals are more likely to commit crimes. This is a form of social oppression. We must call on the society to counter oppression and advocate for equality through social policies. Some economic and educational resources should be directed to impoverished neighborhoods. Another point is that when a child from a wealthy family makes the same mistake as a child from a poor family, the rich family can hire a lawyer for the child, but the parents of a poor family have no financial means or the consciousness to hire a lawyer. The result is likely to be dire for the poor child. The social system therefore shows different outcomes and treatments in regard to the punishment of two children who have the same behavior, but from different backgrounds. According to Berzoff (2011), the society subconsciously approves oppressive practice that end up creating different life trajectories for children based on their backgrounds. A poor child is more likely to end up in a juvenile correctional facility as opposed to one from a well-off economic setting. The aim of my organization is to provide knowledge and information to the parents of the children to protect them and other youth groups from such societal standards. On the basis of the anti-oppressive practice, it is important to note that the actions of a society are more likely to form a lasting culture (Gitterman & Heller, 2011). When teenagers who have had previous criminal records are reintegrated into society, a majority of employers intentionally discriminate them, openly refusing to hire them based on their actual abilities and work ethic. Instead, they push them back into criminality by openly judging them, being biased on their behavior, discriminating them, and labeling them using oppressive terms. Regardless of the intentions or truth in such actions, this is a form of discrimination and social inequality. Therefore, it is important that these young people be accepted back into the society, in programs such as what my organization provides so that they are nurtured to make better choices later in their lives.
B. Serving Vulnerable Populations
In my organization, our main aim is to show how to distribute power, assign roles to society members, while including equity, diversity, and inclusion without discrimination and biasness. Our main target group is teenage delinquents and juveniles who had trouble with the law. We offer different youth groups links to resources that can help them in forging a better path for their lives. We intend to fight all forms of discrimination and social inequality, especially where young people are involved. Our organization equips them with skills and knowledge to stay on the right side of the law and also connect them to other groups that specialize in providing employment.
Despite our best efforts in ensuring that teenage delinquents have a second chance at life, there are gaps in services. For example, we are not able to link these juvenile criminals with suitable mentors all the time. Sometimes, the best we can do is offer guidance and hope that the young persons would make better choices in the future. Naar-King (2011) found that a majority of young offenders lack a basic structure that helps them to navigate life after exiting the correctional system. Another major gap in our agency is the fact that we do not have adequate programs to educate societies on how to welcome and help in the reintegration of young offenders into the society. We tend to focus only on the young offenders and device ways to help them. My organization is not able to help these juvenile offenders and still afford other parallel programs to educate communities on how to accept the former and help them forge a path forward. Therefore, our capacity to help young offenders reenter the society is flawed in a way that does not offer much help. Upon service termination, we do not have contact with our young clients again. These gaps are severe and may destroy the foundations that the agency instils in these young people.
Cox (2006) posited that all young offenders require support to reenter their respective societies. To address these gaps in service in my agency, I recommend that we partner with other like-minded organizations in order to grow our network and be able to help young people to rise up from delinquency and integrate fully into the society. Other organizations will help our agency to focus on a single aspect such as social work, and other partners to focus on other aspects such as reintegration to society. Other agencies would then step in to provide employment and to educate communities on how to treat young offenders so as to avoid pushing them back to criminality.
References
Berzoff, J. (2011). Why we need a biopsychosocial perspective with vulnerable, oppressed, and
at-risk clients. Smith College Studies in Social Work. 81, 132-166. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2011.590768
Cox, K. F., (2006). Investigating the impact of strength-based assessment on youth with
emotional or behavioral disorders. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(3), 287- 301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9021-5
Finn, J. L. (2020). Just practice: A social justice approach to social work. Oxford University
Press.
Gitterman, A. & Heller, N. R. (2011). Integrating social work perspectives and models with
concepts, methods and skills with other professions’ specialized approaches. Clinical Social Work Journal, 39, 304-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-011-0340-7
Hepworth, D.H., Rooney, R., & Larsen, J.A. (2017). Chapter 19. The Final Phase: Evaluation
and Termination. In Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (10th ed.; pp. 568-584). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/ Cole.
Mirabito, D. M. (2002). Mining treatment termination data in an adolescent mental health
service: A quantitative study. Social Work in Health Care, 33(3-4), 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1300/j010v33n03_06
Morgaine, K, & Capous-Desyllas, M. (2015). Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice: Putting
Theory into Practice, 1st Edition. California: Cognella Academic Publishing.
Naar-King, S. (2011). Motivational interviewing in adolescent treatment. Canadian Journal of
Psychiatry, 56(11), 651-656. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371105601103
Rosenthal-Gellman, C. (2007). Challenging endings: First year MSW interns’ experiences with
forced termination and discussion points for supervisory guidance. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35, 79-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-007-0076-6
Walsh, J., & Meyersohn, K. (2001). Ending clinical relationships with people with
schizophrenia. Health & Social Work, 26, 188-195. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/26.3.188
History- Music and the Cold War
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Music in the Cold War
Characterized by military apprehension, economic competition, and political conflict, the cold war was the term used to refer to the relationship established between the US and the USSR after World War II (Whitfield 377-392). Accordingly, these two states engaged in various proxy wars as they differed in their governance of each respective state. The two states considered themselves as sworn enemies and they were determined to outdo each other in relation to the ways in which the two states were run and governed. Though the cold war is considered as one of the political wars that characterized this period, researchers argue that the war between these two states was beyond political and military competition.
According to research studies, the cold war was also a cultural war with the states involved fighting for the sustenance of their different cultures. Because of the wars, the two states feared the possibility of cultural delusion in their states, and for that reason, they embraced the use of various artistic forms to help prevent this (Whitfield 377-392). Though many argue that the cold war had a significant effect on the culture and lives of the citizens in these states, others argue that the impact was vice versa. That artistic components such as music, literature, and film had effects on the cold war itself (Rosen 1). More specifically, music is considered to have had the most significant effect on the cold war. This is because, out of all other artistic elements and components, music was the most exploited, and more music groups and musicians came up with various compositions that impacted the cold war. Accordingly, researchers argue that music composed during this time had significant impacts on the cold war including augmenting the wars and conflict during this time, as well as, reducing and possibly bringing to an end the tension that was experienced during this time (Rosen 1). In essence, music had a great impact on the cold war, which is the subject of this paper.
This paper examines the impact of music in the Cold War. Specifically, the paper examines music as a weapon of war, music a cultural expression, music as a diplomatic tool, and music as a source of encouragement.
Impact of Music on the Cold War
In order to understand the impact of music on the cold war, one must consider the various ways in which music was used and exploited during this time. A closer examination on the exploitation of music during the cold war reveals that music was used in four key ways, including as a weapon, as a form of cultural expression, as a tool for diplomacy, as well as, a source of encouragement (Schmelz 3-16). These uses of music can be divided into two main broad categories to illustrate the impact of music on the cold war. These categories include the impact of music on the augmentation of the war and the impact of music on the reduction and end of the war.
Escalation of the War
Increasing and accelerating the war is the first impact of music on the cold war. Musicians and other musical composers established various musical compositions are considered as having been responsible for the escalation of the cold war during this time. This is because the states at were used their musical compositions weapons of war and forms of expression, thus increasing the disparities between the states at war (Whitfield 377-392). By increasing the disparities between the states, music indirectly fuelled the war between the states, as the two states fought to express their cultures through music.
Music as a Weapon of War
As previously mentioned, the cold war was largely influenced by music and other artistic forms of expression. Music impacted the cold war in various ways, with one of the ways being fueling war between the two states. According to Cusick, music during the cold war was used, not only as a weapon of war, but also as a weapon for torture (Cusick 1). The first use of music as a weapon of war and torture was demonstrated by the US troops in 1989. As a strategy for inducing a Panamanian surrender, the US troops played loud music as a form of weaponry known as “acoustic bombardment” (Cusick 1). As researchers explain, acoustic bombardment was a form of war attack in the battlefields that was considered to have a negative effect on those to whom it was being imposed. Specifically, this form of war weaponry was said to be an alternative to other lethal methods of armament. This is because, this type of weapon was used for torturing enemy troops through sensory deprivation and sexual humiliation, thus fostering more an increment of battle and war in between the states at war (Cusick 1). Using music as a weapon of war encouraged an increase in war and conflict because it prompted retaliation from enemy troops who were initially subjected to this form of weaponry. When prisoners were captured, they would also be subjected to various musical compositions that were designed to force them into revealing the secrets of their home troops. Detainee interrogations during this time were highly characterized by playing of music, which had a psychological effect on those under interrogation. This, therefore, illustrates how music fuelled wars and conflict during the cold war.
Music as a Cultural Expression
Evidently, music was and still is primarily used as a form of expression for the composer and his people. Musical compositions during the cold war were highly characteristic of cultural expression and attitudes (Whitfield 377-392). For that reason, most of the music composed during this time was created to reflect the different cultures of the people and communities in the society during this time. Though the composition of music as a form of cultural expression has a positive connotation to it, its overuse in the period during the cold war transformed these forms of music into political idioms (Whitfield 377-392). This transformation saw the escalation of the cold war because most people used music to express their political ideologies regarding the cold war. Music that was used for political expression slowly took over the society, and it in turn saw the increase of political protests in the different states. Using music as a form of cultural and political expression was is considered as a way through which music impacted the cold war as it promoted negative thinking in individuals under the name of “freedom of political expression”. Most people believed that they had a right to their political thought, and because these thought differed across cultures, the possibility of fighting among each other increased because of these differences. For that reason, music can be said as to having impacted the cold war by escalating the war into new levels that were not existent before.
Curtailing the War
Research studies on the impact of music on the cold war also identify the curtailing of war as one of the impacts of music on the cold war. Though music may have played a role in increasing the war, researchers and historians also argue that music composed during the cold war had a significant effect on the reduction of the cold war. Musical compositions were used to discourage the two cultures that were at war with each other form going into war. Instead, such music spoke for the need for peace between the US and the USSR, by educating individuals on the importance of maintain peace with each other. In addition to this, such music was also used to illustrate the disadvantages of going to war and the negative effects that this had on the society at large. Two main uses of music have been identified with relation to curtailing the war including the utilization of music as a diplomatic tool and as a source of encouragement.
Music as a Tool for Diplomacy
Music was also exploited as a diplomatic tool during the cold war. As Fosler-Lussier explains in her article, musical compositions were used for the enhancement of the image of the cultures that were at war with each other (Fosler-Lussier 1). Specifically, the US utilized various forms of music such as jazz and folk music to enhance America’s image to the rest of the world. Accordingly, the US state department deployed American musicians to various parts of the world to perform various forms of music as a way of illustrating their diplomacy during the Cold War. These musicians played the role of cultural ambassadors as they used their music to reach out to the different populations of the world and spread their message across (Eschen 55). They met various groups and populations and educated them on the culture of Americans, as well as, their thought regarding the cold war. By doing this, music was used to discourage war between the states, thus bringing to an end the cold war that had had a significant effect on the society at the time.
Music as a Source of Encouragement
The period during the cold war also saw the composition of musical pieces that were solely aimed at encouraging people during their trying time at the war (Cortright 12). Musical compositions were used to encourage the military soldiers as they went to war and after they came back from war. Such musical compositions encouraged these soldiers that they would come out as victors from these wars, thus urge them to march on to their success. Contrastingly, there were various musical compositions that encouraged the need for peace and stability, thus discouraging the states from going to war with each other (Cortright 37). Such music inspired these states to stop fighting with each other and embrace peace and harmony for a better future and society for the generations to come, thus reducing the possibility of individuals engaging in war. By encouraging people to stop engaging in war, music impacted the cold war through curtailing the cold war and its effects on the states at war.
Work Cited
Cortright, David. Peace: A History of Movements and Ideas, UK: Cambridge University Press,
2008. Print.
Cusick, Suzanne G. Music as torture / Music as weapon. 23 March 2006. Web. 7 December
2011. <<http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/a152/music-as-torture-music-as-weapon>>
Eschen, Penny M Von. Satchmo Blows Up the World. Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004. Print
Fosler-Lussier, Danielle. American Musicians in Cold War Cultural Diplomacy. 15 January
2006. Web. 7 December 2011.
<<http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/expertise/force/musiciandiplomacy.htm>>
Rosen, Charles. Music and The Cold War. 7 April 2011. Web. 7 December 2011.
<<http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/apr/07/music-and-cold-war/?pagination=false>>
Schmelz, Peter J. Introduction: Music in the Cold War. The Journal of Musicology,
26.1(2009): 3-16
Whitfield, Stephen J. The Cultural Cold War As History. West Virginia Quarterly Review,
(1993): 377-392.