The Road to My Thesis
A very large part of my heart has always been in public service, finding politics an extremely noble calling, but unfortunately cut-throat to say the least. But in this worthy pursuit, I gave upwards of a decade of my life. At first, I volunteered on campaigns, then I worked on campaigns, then I worked at the Virginia General Assembly briefly as a Legislative Assistant, and then, years later, was on the ballot myself, coming up with the Silver metal but unfortunately not the Gold. But to this day, it is an endeavor of mine that I am proud of, for having tried, having thrown my hat in the ring to make a difference.
At the core of my interest in public service was always the belief that it was here that I could help the most amount of people with the one life I have been given. I still, to this very day, find public service noble, necessary, and vitally important.
After these years of political involvement, I pursued a master’s degree with a concentration in government – in my ever-dogged pursuit to continue trying to make a difference before leaving this world.*
(* Intentions though, my readers, are different than actions, and, I, admittedly – here at this stage of my middle age – have yet to make any solid ones. Honesty hurts but as Dostoevsky points out poignantly in The Brothers Karamazov [and yes, an Everyman’s book], “The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” )
So, please, reader, forgive me for my digression here, but it was important to not simply leave that sanctimonious sentence immediately above, by itself – in all its do-goodness pining – without at least a dollop of personal honesty thrown in, however bad it hurts, for true color, before proceeding.
And Back to my Point, Nuclear Weapons
It is in this vain, that nuclear weapons and the nuclear weapon regime have always had an absolute, profound grasp on my imagination and personal interest – they are such a blight on mankind, such a danger to society and civilization, that honestly, I find the threat simply, surreal – and not surreal in a good way. But so surreal that the topic has always grabbed my attention, left me almost dumbfounded with the severity of their capabilities, and a topic that I think is of grave importance – but is hardly even given a second thought by the (proverbial) “average Joe” walking down the street today.
So, oblige me for a second and let me advance the point I’m trying to convey with a little help from Einstein:
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
My Thesis
And hence, my graduate thesis – an in-depth dive into an issue with regard to the nonproliferation regime – a two-hundred page book that I spent a few years hunkered down in the depths of the stacks of Widener Library, in Harvard Yard, in a quiet and tucked-away carrel on the fourth floor, the world hardly knowing I existed – much less my thesis. (So it goes with the world of theses.)
So, without further ado, let me give my thesis a modicum amount of light here, on its very own, dedicated website link, ha! It is my selfish attempt to double the readership from two people that have read it to four.
And given it is likely the only book I will every write (though never say never!), maybe Everyman’s Library will consider my thesis for publication one day, ha!
Thank You for Your Time and Interest on this Important Topic
On a serious note, if interested, you can read my thesis’ Abstract below, along with a quote from John F. Kennedy that accompanied a painting from 1812 by English painter Richard Westall called the Sword of Damocles, both which were at the beginning of my thesis. And, if still interested to read more, you can download my entire thesis for further reading.
Thank you for affording me the time to share with you a topic that is of profound interest to me and of the utmost importance to mankind at large.
Troy Farlow