3/11:The Fallout

3/11:The Fallout
Just what the heck is going on?

Thursday 21 November 2013

Fields of Fire


Do not be discouraged or deceived; Excalibur is still here. It has been increasingly difficult to continue the blog, and to be honest, we do not know how long we can keep going. Rest assured, however, we shall continue blogging when we can … until the end (whatever shape that end will take).

The eyes of the world this week is on the removal of the fuel rods. Due to international pressure, and Japan's grudging realization of the reality that they cannot do this on their own, the plant clean-up has become a global operation with foreign experts and equipment. This does not change the fact, however, that the removal of the fuel rods is going to be a logistical nightmare.

Fuel rod removal starts 

The situation of the Japanese government is that they are determined to resume nuclear power, and environment-destroying construction projects, because they believe it is the only way to save the economy. Most Japanese know deep in their hearts that this is  self-destructive path to take, but they are powerless to stop their own rulers, and so they adopt the feudal attitude of "follow the leader" because it is the path of least resistance. After all, if you simply do what your superior tells you to do, you don't have the burden of responsibility. PM Abe is keen to encourage this attitude when he revises the Constitution, because one of the changes he intends to make is to remove any mentions of civil rights.

 Conspicuous among its proposals is the deletion of almost all references to the universality of freedom, equality and human rights. 

Having said that, the Abe steamroller is not succeeding in crushing everything in its path. Some very high-profile celebrities have stood up and denounced the rush to switch the nuclear power plants back on. One of them is no less than Junichiro Koizumi, the most charismatic ex-Prime Minister in recent history.

Koizumi Vs. the Nuclear Village 

Also, a storm of publicity blew up when a junior politician took the unthinkable and unprecedented step of approaching the Emperor of japan and handing him a letter, which said something like "Dear Emperor, we're kind of worried about radioactive contamination. Maybe we could use a bit of help."

Letter to Emperor cause uproar



More news when  we get it.

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