Recorded presentation

Seiji Yamada, MD, MPH, Hawaii/Pacific Basin AHEC, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Road, Biomed T105, Honolulu, HI 96822, 808-358-3505, seiji@hawaii.edu

Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) is opposed by scientists who view the technical difficulties as insurmountable and who see little utility in such a system. In June 2002 the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and in 2004 the system will begin to deployed Alaska and California. While space is already used for military purposes such as reconnaissance, Ballistic Missile Defense represents the weaponization of space. The goal is the absolute military superiority of the U.S., allowing it to act with impunity around the globe. Deployment and continued testing of the missile defense systems costs the US $9 billion per year. The entire project may eventually cost a trillion dollars. This represents a transfer of wealth by the state to the dominant armaments corporations.

The Marshall Islands served as the principal site for thermonuclear weapons testing from 1946 to 1957. Currently most of Kwajalein Atoll, the largest atoll in the world, is taken up by the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (USAKA/RTS), the launch site for the interceptor missiles being tested for the BMD system. The Kwajalein Atoll complex setup is characterized by privilege for the military contractors and deprivation for the Marshallese people. The result is undernutrition in children, high rates of obesity and diabetes in adults. In December 2000 Ebeye experienced a cholera epidemic. We will explore the mechanisms by which the program to militarize space leads to the social production of disease in the Marshall Islands.

Learning Objectives:

• After this session, participants will be able to
• 1. Analyze the underlying reasons for the BMD program.
• 2. Describe the ecological conditions created by the BMD program in the Marshall Islands.
• 3. Identify the mechanisms for the social production of disease in the Marshall Islands.

Keywords: War, Social Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation