Yesterday, the Guardian posted an article addressing the current state of the nuclear age we have lived in for a very long time now. The article revealed that there is a increasing number of nuclear weapons being added to what once a total of 2,636 in 1955. Today, there are approximately 15,850 “ultimate weapons”.

Of course once upon a time, the number was zero. Until 1945, when there were two. Those two atomic bombs belonged to the United states. Both of them were dropped on Japan. 80 years ago today (August 6). The first bomb, given the name of Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima. It killed an estimated 140,000 Japanese–mostly civilians. The intent was to force the Japanese military into complete surrender, and thus end World War Two. When that did not immediately happen, bomb number two–given the name Fat Man–was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. It killed 74,000 people. Two bombs. 214,000 dead. 38,000 of them children.

Japan then surrendered.

In the 80 ensuing years since those two atomic bombs were dropped, a nuclear weapon has never been used in anger. And as noted above, from those initial two devasting weapons, we now have over 15,000 of them, all much more powerful than Little Boy or Fat Man.

Post-WWII brought the Cold War. The Soviet Union then created their own nukes. Fall out shelters became a thing. Duck and Cover drills took place in elementary schools. All the while the number of nukes kept growing. As did the so-called Nuclear Club beyond the U.S. and the old Soviet Union. There are now nine members of this club. The additional seven are the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. That nuclear genie will never go back into the lantern created by the terrors of science. And some of the leaders of that 9-Club membership are less than towering figures of diplomacy, politeness or even-tempered governance. Indeed a few are clearly capable of irrational decision-making.

Over these 80 years since those first two bombs displayed their massively deadly power, the Cold War concept of mutual assured destruction seems to be a successful deterrent for nuclear war occurring. Also known by the spot-on acronym. M.A.D. the reality that even one deployment of even a short range nuclear weapon would trigger many others in retaliation. And goodbye, humanity. But so far so good, in spite of the few clearly dangerous leaders who have the authority to command firing that first shot since August 9, 1945.

Right now, our geopolitical reality is there are “leaders” for whom the large scale killings of perceived enemies is not a problem. They have no moral confines with which to consider. Everyday there are updates on horrific conflicts around the world: the sickening genocide taking place in Gaza;  the civil war in Sudan; senseless bloodshed in areas like Myanmar, Haiti, and the Sahel region of Africa. Syria and Yemen, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. In the U.S. Black and Brown. poor and marginalized people in the cross-hairs of a nefarious, racist, xenophobic administration.

The history of the world is one of conflict between humans based on race, ethnicity, religion, nationalism or resources. Or even pettiness. That history precedes by several thousand years the creation and use of Little Boy and Fat Man. We continue to kill one another for factors stated above, and it seems to be virtually overlooked that we must include nuclear/atomic weapons as a means of settling a score.

Only 80 years ago. Death by thermal radiation, a blast wave, acute radiation sickness. While much of humanity rails and denounces the abhorrent ongoin killings of innocent men, women and especially children, hoping that somehow a shared sense of benevolent humanity can emerge from this current global madness, nuclear annihilation is just one impulsive act of lunacy from a global endgame.

Such a scenario seems unimaginable. However, there are still today survivors of those two bombs dropped on Japan. Ask them how unimaginable an experience that is. M.A.D is still the ultimate deterrent to another nuclear attack. But in a world gone as mad with the thirst for power, persecution and even extermination as here and now, this 80th anniversary of the nukes dropped on Japan reminds us all it could still be worse. As in, we all–instantly or semi-instantly–die in a blinding flash.

Given the increasingly dire and dystopian developments since WWII, it takes a fierce and relentless determination to choose to still fight for a brighter future. To establish an enduring light that defies the darkness. What other choice have we?