Watchmen, the classic graphic novel written by Allen Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, starts its story with the emergence of superheroes in the United States in the 1940s. It was through the involvement of these characters that the U.S. won the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon’s presidency continues well into the 1980s when the story’s plot begins to take shape.
In the story’s version of 1985, the world is teetering on the brink of World War III with the Soviet Union. The omnipotent Dr. Manhattan acts as a deterrent and is the one thing that ostensibly stands in the way of mankind’s complete annihilation.
All of this takes place under the motif of the Doomsday Clock, a symbol that represents just how close humanity is to manmade destruction. When the clock strikes midnight, catastrophe can’t be avoided. Each cover of the series features a clock that inches ever closer to that fateful time. The final issue shows the clock at Midnight as the events of the story reach their conclusion.
Like many celebrated works of literature, Watchmen represents the cultural zeitgeist. In this case, the spectre of nuclear war is addressed. The story’s use of the Doomsday Clock is based in reality. It reflects the real-world use of the symbol maintained by members of the Science and Security Board of the academic journal the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The board’s members are influenced by a variety of factors when determining the clock’s settings. The biggest influences are nuclear war and climate change. Though it’s hypothetical, its presence even today is something that shouldn’t be ignored.
The 65-Year Cycle
The United States tested its first thermonuclear device in late 1952. The Soviet Union did the same in August of 1953. This moved the clock two minutes to Midnight. In the years after, treaties were signed that rolled the clock back, but the aftermath of nuclear tests by other nations, conflicts in the Middle East, and continued U.S.-Soviet tensions would offset that. We stand at 2 ½ minutes to midnight going into 2018.
It’s no secret that, for the past year, the world has been on edge as Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un antagonize each other. The two have gone back and forth with fiery rhetoric and promises of mass destruction. Recent developments have stated that North Korea has developed a missile capable of touching any place in the U.S. With that in mind, you would think Donald Trump would try to defuse the situation by having one of his people open diplomatic channels. Remember, he only hires the best people.
But the person in charge of that is Rex Tillerson, a Texas oilman by trade. Until being named Secretary of State, he had spent his entire professional life in the private sector.
It might not matter if his skills as CEO of ExxonMobil translate into an ability to negotiate with foreign governments. Tillerson may be out the door at the State Department before we’re ready to watch the ball drop and toast to the new year.
Rumors have been swirling of late that Trump’s inner circle may force Tillerson out due to a breakdown in the relationship between the two. His replacement would be Mike Pompeo, current director of the CIA. Pompeo is widely considered hawkish in his views where Tillerson was moderate. This is most clearly exemplified by his belief that our dealings with North Korea need to be more aggressive. He’s even suggested that ousting Kim Jong-Un shouldn’t be off the table.
Likewise, he’s had harsh words for Iran in the past. Nothing suggests those feelings would be tempered if he were to take on the role of the country’s top diplomat.
And who would replace Pompeo at the CIA?
That would be senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
And just who is he?
When the debate surrounding the Iran nuclear deal was going on, Tom Cotton was front and center in the news. In 2015, he drafted a letter to that country’s leadership that undermined the Obama administration’s efforts, stating that any deal made could potentially be ripped up by the administration that followed.
Like Pompeo, Cotton’s feelings on the country of North Korea largely mirror Donald Trump’s more hawkish approach. He’s warned voters in his home state of Arkansas that North Korea could arm a missile with a nuclear warhead that could reach them. He’s said that, as Americans, “Kicking the can down the road has not worked, and we’re about to run out of road.”
So we’d have three men all largely on the same page when it comes to North Korea.
Two men up for what are two of the most important jobs in the country in terms of foreign affairs. Two men who have no problems with shooting first and asking questions later.
And their boss, a president with a short fuse who prefers the CliffsNotes versions of intelligence briefings.
At this point, it seems like it’s just a question of what will hit midnight first; the Doomsday Clock or the one that brings in 2018.
Keep your eyes open,
Ryan Stancil
Outsider Club, Contributing Editor
