[Newspoetry] edward teller obit

[Mike Lehman]

Teller's death was on my mind also today. Somehow, I couldn't enjoy the 
fact that he was dead, although it was certainly a temptation. But I 
guess since I do not know how to build a nuclear weapon myself, any 
death wishes I have for others are not nearly so problematic as Edward's 
life's work.

I actually was thinking I was glad that he was at least silent, finding 
no particular joy in his actually being dead. Then I came across this 
obit that showed a bit of a different side of Teller, one that I was not 
aware of. I guess it proves that even the worst among us can have a 
redeeming quality or two. I'm certain it is the first part of Teller's 
legacy the Bushies want to forget, although I'm also certain they wish 
to closely embrace the rest of his legacy.
Mike

 From FAS Secrecy News, 10 Sept. 2003:

> TELLER ON SECRECY
> 
> Physicist Edward Teller, who died September 9, was a forceful
> critic of government secrecy, particularly secrecy in
> scientific matters, which he considered self-defeating and
> detrimental to the national interest.
> 
> "A short time ago, the Soviet Union was the most secretive
> organization in the world; it no longer exists," he wrote in
> 1992.
> 
> "This puts the United States in the uncomfortable position of
> holding the record in secrecy.  It is urgent that we do
> something about this situation...."  (Issues in Science and
> Technology, Vol. IX, No. 1, Fall 1992, p. 6).
> 
> "Our keeping of secrets has often misled and confused our own
> people but has been ineffective in denying information to our
> enemies or competitors."
> 
> "Let us pass a law requiring all secret documents to be
> published one year after their issuance," he proposed, to no
> visible effect.
> 
> Teller was a contributor to the 1970 Defense Science Board Task
> Force Report on Secrecy, which remains one of the best short
> critiques of national security classification policy.  The text
> of the Report is posted here:
> 
>      http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/dsbrep.html



Editor-Within-Chief wrote:

> whose spectacular achievements
> haunt us, dreaming of a million 9/11's
> at the push of a button and then
> unable to wake up
> 
> hailed as a genius but what's so fucking smart
> about blowing things up?
> having convictions takes no courage when
> you're armed to the teeth
> 
> he will be credited with our
> victory in the cold war, a war won by
> terror
> 
> but thanks to edward teller
> the unthinkable is real
> and it's waiting still in our missile silos
> armed and ready
> 
> good riddance.
>