Date: November 21st, 2000
Dear NKS subscribers:
The whole nuclear industry is truly a lost cause and its supporters should get off the dead horse they are beating. We are long past a stage in the development of statistical and other evidence when the top scientists realized there was a problem, and now, the world at large generally recognizes that nuclear power has never been a benefit to humanity in any way. It doesn't want this option, but most feel powerless to oppose it, thanks in part to the attacks people see foisted upon those who DO oppose nuclear power in any way. In America for example one has to get hardened pretty quickly to being called a "commie pinko cave dwelling idiot" or words to that effect if one wants to stay in the game at all, and for many, it goes beyond mere words to career-altering events (especially for "whistle-blowers") and even, possibly, to death (Karen Silkwood probably, and who-knows-how-many-others?)
Aside from the poisons all aspects of the nuke process spew into the environment for each generation to suffer with, it's not even cost-effective for energy, and besides that, the bombs are unusable, whether for weapons or for blasting canals or whatever pipe-bomb dream Edward Teller or his friends ever had. Add in its use as a tool for the treatment of cancer -- a benefit, assuming the nuclear material used does not later harm someone else (or the original user) -- but not nearly enough of a benefit to counteract the harmful side-effects of the whole nuclear cycle. Besides, there might be better ways to treat those cancers which are non-nuclear and yet-to-be-discovered -- nano-machines, for instance. Or Bucky Balls, which can carry a curative medication to a cancer site where they can be broken apart using multiple lasers aimed at a point, releasing the curative medication only where it's needed while the Bucky Ball protects the body from the same medication when it's anywhere else in the body. So that way you can use MUCH stronger medications. Now THAT's "high technology" -- not even being done yet, but theorized and being researched.
The use of plutonium to generate heat for thermo-electric generators in space is NOT "high-tech" it's old, poisonous, disproved-by-experience-technology.
A trillion dollar war against humanity, with relatively few supporters left -- a small percentage of society.
But the war -- the pro-nuke attacks against those who speak out against nuclear power, nevertheless, goes on -- driven on by people who have not got the knowledge to understand what they are doing -- how they are part of a larger effort which is pointed in the wrong direction. They may be excellent engineers, or doctors, or statisticians, but they are not all three, and cannot and will not claim to understand the whole picture. They defer to others, who defer to still others, who defer back to the first group. So that way no one defers to the people who defer directly back to them, but everyone defers in some aspect of the knowledge needed to someone else other than themselves.
That way they can say, "Look, I'm a good scientist. I've done such-and-such in my life -- good work. But I admit I'm not an expert in [name any particular aspect of the nuclear project here other than the one the person works in directly] so I'll have to defer to someone who is, and that person says the project is safe, so *I* say it's safe and you're a cave-dweller anti-science fool if you disagree."
At least, that's basically what Larry Evans and dozens of others have said. "I don't know everything but what I do know of, I approve of, and others know the rest and they approve, so we all approve of this thing and if you don't you must be daft."
It's a circular lie they live in, but since each only knows a little piece of the puzzle, they themselves cannot see that it's a lie. That the numbers don't even begin to "add up". That in every known instance there are clean energy solutions which do not involve nukes. Every one. (Visit www.geni.org to learn more about alternative energy solutions.) We've never found a thing they are irreplaceable for, and everything they are used in, they should be replaced in!
We know the truth about nuclear power in all its many forms, and the truth is that a lot of mistakes have happened and a lot of mistakes have been covered up, mistakes now known only to God. NASA's nuclear space missions, which Mr. Evans has so loudly supported, are only the tip of the iceberg.
Every nuclear power plant is replaceable with clean energy solutions, so it doesn't mean "back to caves" like Larry thinks any opposition to nuclear power means. It mean clean power. Safe solutions. Who knows? Maybe clean energy "too cheap to meter" some day! But dirty energy could never be "too cheap to meter" and many people realized that pretty much right away. Then the lies about nuclear power started, and they continue today. But truth is an unstoppable power.
Jack Shannon, who wrote the following reply to Mr. Evans, worked in the nuclear navy for decades. He's seen both sides of the debate and argues against what I call The Nuclear Mafia and their Demon Hot Atom as well as anybody I know.
Sincerely,
Russell Hoffman
San Francisco, CA
Mr. Evans:
My honor has never been in question. It is the honor of the DOE, the Naval Reactors and their blind supporters who I have a problem with.
I know people who go to Church every Sunday, appear to be nice people and talk a good game. They can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk because money is more important than honor.
If you really want to understand honor look at what the DOE/NR/NRC has done to this world. I mean really study the matter, and than take a position. Don't follow criminals blindly or you will be considered a criminal yourself. The entire military industrial complex, and that includes the DOE/NR, is nothing more than an ongoing criminal activity that cannot be defended by anyone.
We can't give health care to the elderly, children or poor. Forty percent of our citizens live in abject poverty and have zero health care and we are pissing away money on a gun that shoots around corners, a new airplane that flies 2000 miles per hour, unneeded and unwanted submarines, the military is bellyaching for more ships, planes, etc. Who the hell are we fighting?
When I was a Marine during the Korean "war" we had two generals per division for a total of eight, one more for the Atlantic fleet Marine Corps, one more for the Pacific fleet Marine Corps, two for each base, the Commandant and the assistant Commandant, plus a couple of others for a total of about twenty. We now have over fifty-five Marine Generals on active duty with a total of 150,000 non generals.
That's about 3000 men and officers per General Officer.
A battalion consists of about 1000 men and officers, and a regiment consists of 3,000 men and officers. So that's about one General for a Colonels job. The Navy has about 400 Admirals for 250 ships. I can't even guess how over ranked the Army and the Air Force are!
Why so many Generals, why so many Colonels, etc. Money, clear and simple! Why do we need a million men/women on active duty? We found out, during desert storm, that it takes about three months to move 500,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to the Gulf with zero opposition. We have always known that we could not beat the Russians in a conventional war. We also have always known that we never needed 40,000 Nuclear Weapons. We can't even justify 500.
The bottom line is money thrown away for nothing and the politicians and Generals always knew it and have been lying to the American public for over fifty years.
We now have the same type of politicians and Generals bellyaching for more, more and more. But it really is not the Generals it's the Corporate executives. The CEO of GE at the end of WW II, Charles Wilson, stated that we need to keep the military industrial complex a float in order to preserve the industrial might of the Nation.
Not necessarily for the good of the Nation but for the good of the big corporations.
When I talk and write about these things I know what I'm talking about. I've seen them all come and go and nothing changes. The poor are still as desperately poor as my parents were during the depression, and America will always ensure that they are poor because that is the American slave labor pool. If one is born with a real good brain or some kind of talent that person will get out, but that's it.
I, furthermore, no longer follow anyone or any philosophy blindly. I did when I was younger, but no more. Just because the government says so doesn't mean it is correct. We need no more space exploration, using any kind of engine, until we can cloth, feed, care for, and house our people.
If this philosophy offends you so be it. And if I call you a jackass for offending my sensibility's for a blind obedience to the multi trillionairs in our society so be it.
I know what I know and I am offended by people who refuse to look at the obvious.
I have two brothers who's lives revolve around golf and sitting on a beach drinking beer, and that offends me. They are talented people who could contribute much for no pay if they wanted to but neither can see pain when it is looking at them in the face. We all saw the pain of growing up poor, why can't people who were brought up poor understand the pain of the poor and neglected in our society? I don't get it.
Please do not offend me with you military service and honor, etc., Military service does not equate with honor. It simply equates with what one was forced to do, or in a moment of weakness choose to do. I enlisted in the Marines during the Korean "War" to kill Chinese Soldiers. When I was in Parris Island [18 years old] I realized what a stupid premise that was. The most dishonorable people I know are Admirals and Generals, I know what it takes to become a Flag Officer, and even if I had the chance, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't do it.
John P. Shannon
rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com