A World Of Trouble: Japan’s Radiation Threat, Nukespeak, Amy Goodman’s View

March 17th, 2011 - by: danny

COMING UP: Tomorrow, Friday, at l PM (EDT) News Dissector Radio Show on the Progressive Radio Network.com. Topic: The crisis in Japan. This weekend: Sunday at noon, I will be speaking on a panel on Film and Change At the Left Forum, Pace University in Lower Manhattan (Across from New York City Hall). AFter that I will be joining a panel sponsored by the World Can’t Wait to discuss Wikileaks.

As We Approach the Anniversary of The Lauch Of The War On Iraq. Some words to remember:

“I won’t apologize for the United States. I don’t care what the facts are.” The speaker: George W Bush.

HELP THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN:

If you choose to do so, please make your contribution to the Japan Society at their web site

The World Needs The “Luck” Of The Irish (So Do They!)

St Patrick’s Day is here, as Ireland remains stuck in a financial crisis but there are hopes that a new government will make a difference. Huffington Post had this:

“The two leaders of the new Irish government have landed in America for St.Patrick’ Day with a spring in their step and a desire to write a new chapter in the history of Ireland and America.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, leaders of the two coalition parties, Fine Gael and Labour, have inherited a decrepit economy, 1,000 young people a week leaving and enough problems to give an aspirin a headache.

But the mood music could not be more different since they took power. In the end the old regime was seen as hopelessly corrupt and incompetent and the Irish electorate punished the Fianna Fail led government savagely on February 25th.

Television stars like Jay Leno have no interest in these realities. Instead.

Thursday (March 17), the Late-night Show Will Attempt To Set Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Leprechauns

On To Japan: The National Journal reports:

CLG: Nuclear Plume Expected Over California Friday.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu told Congress that the explosions at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power plant “actually appear to be more serious than Three Mile Island,” referring to the 1979 meltdown near Harrisburg, Pa., that led to a three-decade freeze on nuclear-plant construction in the U.S.

The US seems to be more worried about nuclear radiation levels in Japan than the Japanese government which may be downplaying problems so as not to alarm the public.

Today’s News:

NY Times: U.S. Calls Radiation ‘Extremely High,’ Sees Japan Nuclear Crisis Worsening

The chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave a bleaker appraisal of the threat, but Japanese officials played down the concerns.

NEWS ANALYSIS Flaws in Japan’s Leadership Deepen Sense of Crisis

Never has Japan’s weak, rudderless system of governing been so clearly exposed or mattered so much.

Boston Globe: Here in the US, “Lobbyists step up efforts to reassure on nuclear energy”

Richard Falk notes: There is a lack of credibility based, especially, on a long record of false reassurances and cover ups by the Japanese nuclear industry, hiding and minimizing the effects of a 2007 earthquake in Japan, and actually lying about the extent of damage to a reactor at that time and on other occasions.

New York Times: U.S. Calls Radiation ‘Extremely High’ and Urges Deeper Caution in Japan

The vessel that possibly ruptured on Wednesday had been seen as the last fully intact line of defense against large-scale releases of radioactive material.

The UN is also worried: ‘The UN’s nuclear watchdog the IAEA warned Japan’s nuclear crisis was “very serious” Wednesday as Tokyo resorted to increasingly desperate measures to cool overheated reactors and fuel pools at the stricken Fukushima plant

Japan Was Wiki-Warned:: Japan earthquake: Japan warned over nuclear plants, WikiLeaks cables show

Japan was warned more than two years ago by the international nuclear watchdog that its nuclear power plants were not capable of withstanding powerful earthquakes, leaked diplomatic cables reveal.

An official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in December 2008 that safety rules were out of date and strong earthquakes would pose a “serious problem” for nuclear power stations.

Global Research: Emergency Special Report: Japan’s Earthquake, Hidden Nuclear Catastrophe

“As an investigative journalist who has covered the Hanshin (Kobe) earthquake and the Tokyo subway gassing, I beg to differ. Japan is just better than elsewhere in organizing official cover-ups.

The recurrent tendency to deny systemic errors – “in order to avoid public panic” – is rooted in the determination of an entrenched bureaucracy to protect itself rather than in any stated purpose of serving the nation or its people. That’s the unspoken rule of thumb in most governments, and the point is that Japan is no shining exception.

Rory O’Connor, Media Is Plural, Nukespeak is Back

Amy Goodman: Japan Still A Warning To The World

AU Report on the Lobbying Strategy of the Nuclear Industry

This week, as the NY Times reports, the Administration in its proposed budget plans to triple the size of the Energy Department’s loan guarantee program for the nuclear industry to $54 billion, which could support the construction of seven to 10 new reactors. “We are working hard to restart the American nuclear power industry,” Energy secretary Steve Chu tells the Times, asserting that nuclear is an important part of the strategy to combat climate change.

As I detailed in a side bar to an article at the journal Environment last year, over the past decade, the nuclear energy industry has been laying the perceptual groundwork for a rebirth in political discourse, public image, and support, framing nuclear energy as a “middle way” forward on climate change. [On food biotechnology, a similar communication strategy has been pursued by Monsanto, resulting most recently in the once deeply troubled company being named the company of the year by Forbes.]

This month, more detail on the lobbying and PR strategy of the nuclear energy industry is uncovered in a special report by American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop, co-published with McClatchy Newspapers.

Financial Times Is Optimistic: Japan’sgrowth will barely be affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and the economy may even expand faster than expected, its economy minister believes, as spending on rebuilding shores up output.

CIA AGENT FREED IN PAKISTAN AFTER RANSOM IS PAID

Davis started weeping after he was released from jail and seemed to be in a state of trauma, said sources.

I watched NBC and CBS report on Hilllary Clinton’s jaunt through Tarir Squiare. What I didn’t see was this report from ABC Radio

Mail & Guardian, South Africa, War in Libya:

Gaddafi announces ‘decisive battle’

Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi said his forces would fight a “decisive battle” on Thursday.

Gaddafi pummels rebels as war outpaces diplomacy

Gaddafi’s son says revolt will be over in 48 hours

Gaddafi forces push towards rebels, no UN move yet

Young Leaders of Egypt’s Revolt Snub Clinton in Cairo

A coalition of six youth groups that emerged from Egypt’s revolution last month has refused to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Cairo earlier today, in protest of the United States’ strong support for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who was ousted by the uprising.

“There was an invitation for members of the coalition to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton but based on her negative position from the beginning of the revolution and the position of the US administration in the Middle East, we reject this invitation,” the January 25 Revolution Youth Coalition said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Is The Effort To Get Rid Of Gadaffi the first step in a scheme to go after Iran?

Noam Chomsky Decries” Fake Democracy

Contours of Global Order: Domination, Stability, Security in a Changing World: The rise of Xenophobia in the West.

TAX THE RICH MEASURE INTRODUCED INTO CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2011) — Today Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), member of President Obama’s 18-member Fiscal Commission, introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act, which would create new tax brackets for millionaires and billionaires. Original co-sponsors include co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), as well as Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).

Income inequality in America is the worst we’ve seen it since 1928. Wages have stagnated for middle and lower income families despite enormous gains in productivity. Where has all the money gone?

“In the United States today, the richest 1% owns 34 % of our nation’s wealth — that’s more than the entire bottom 90%, who own just 29% of the country’s wealth,” said Rep. Schakowsky. “And the top one-hundredth of 1% now makes an average of $27 million per household per year. The average income for the bottom 90% of Americans? $31,244. It’s time for millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share, which is why I introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act. This isn’t about punishment or revenge. It’s about fairness. It’s about avoiding budget cuts that harm middle class families and those who aspire to it. We can choose to cut education, job creation and health care, or we can choose to ask those who can contribute more to do so.”

The current top tax bracket begins at $373,000 in income and fails to distinguish between the “well off” and billionaires — like the top 20 hedge fund managers whose average income last year was over $1 billion.

Dan Osso commented

“This is a good start, now they should also raise the cap on social security (SSI) contributions to above $107,000.00. For those not familiar with this, you ( and your employer) pay a total of 15% of your wages up to $107K into social security. If you make more than that; even a bilion dollars, you still only pay 15% on the first $107 K – the rest is free an clear except for Fed and State income taxes. And they are worried that SSI is going broke…no wonder. 60 – 80 million boomers are retiring by 2015 and will be collecting (not contributing) to SSI.”

Intread of Jail, A Gift To The Banks May Be Next

The NY Times Deal Book reports: Banks May Get a Gift in Mortgage Settlement:

A deal being devised by state attorneys general relating to improper loan servicing and foreclosure practices might let lenders avoid tens of billions in write-downs, writes Jesse Eisinger of Pro Publica in his column for DealBook. How? The proposed agreement would allow banks to treat second mortgages, like home equity lines of credit, just like the first mortgages.

FT: Banks served Libor subpoenas

Regulators probing alleged manipulation of a key interbank lending rate have focused their demands for information and interviews on five global banks, according to people familiar with the investigation.

From David Degraw: A Resistance is Mounting

“In an exclusive, Anonymous goes on the record about the big banks and a movement that they feel their opponents should ‘be afraid’ of.”

for more info – here’s the new video – already 130,000 views on youtube

Here’s an interview where i discuss this with Max Keiser

Jet lag has caught up with me so I will have to end it here.

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