Saturday Reads and a few words from Dr. Seuss
Posted: March 19, 2011 Filed under: morning reads 58 Comments
March 14, 2011: In Hyderabad, India, schoolchildren participated in a prayer ceremony for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. (Krishnendu Halder/Reuters, via NYT Lens)
Morning, everyone. As I drafted this post on Friday, news broke that a Wisconsin county judge has blocked Walker’s collective-bargaining law.
Other than that, not much happy news to report, so I’ve included some uplifting words from Seuss at the end of my Saturday picks below. Also, see photo to the right for reason to keep hoping against hope.
Onto the rest of the headlines…
Japan and Nuclear Energy
- Democracy Now’s recap from yesterday… Japan Raises Nuclear Alert; Burying of Reactors Mulled. From the link:
The number of dead and missing from Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami has now topped 16,000. It is the deadliest natural disaster to hit Japan in nearly a century.
- New Deal 2.0 editor Lynn Parramore has a helpful roundup called Top Lies from TEPCO. Sound like BP?
For example, here’s a little line-up of TEPCO lies:
- In 2002, Michael Zilenzieger reported that top officals TEPCO were forced to resign “after admitting that the company had covered up safety violations and falsified records at three of its largest nuclear power plants”.
- In 2006, the government demanded that TEPCO “check past data after it reported that it had found falsification of coolant water temperatures at its Fukushima Daiichi plant in 1985 and 1988, and that the tweaked data was used in mandatory inspections at the plant, which were completed in October 2005.”
- And in 2007, TEPCO reported that it “had found more past data falsifications, though this time it did not have to close any of its plants.”
Then there were some minor matters of building on fault lines that they claim not to have known about and releasing radiation into the atmosphere. And so on.
- Brad Plumer, via TNR, asks, Atomic Anxiety: Is there any cure for our outsized fear of nuclear catastrophe? I think this paragraph from the second page gets at the heart of the matter — a fundamental erosion of trust in our public and private institutions to put the safety and general welfare of us all first and to not cut corners:
Distrust of government has also helped nurture anti-nuclear sentiment. As Flynn’s study found, the yawning gap between expert and public views on nuclear risk owes largely to a lack of trust in government and industry officials to manage the hazards safely. In the United States, the old Atomic Energy Commission was widely viewed as secretive and deceptive before its dissolution in 1974. Perhaps this explains why the two industrialized countries that have had the most success in allaying nuclear fears are France and Japan, cultures that are largely comfortable with leaving the task of governing to technocrats. (Though, admittedly, in Japan, confidence in the government and nuclear utilities had come under strain even before Fukushima.)
- Echoing this distrust, Ralph Nader calls for public hearings on the status of every nuclear plant in the country. From the Democracy Now transcript:
Why are we playing Russian roulette with the American people for nuclear plants whose principal objective is simply to boil water and produce steam? This is technological insanity. It presents national security problems, for every nuclear plant is a prime target. It affects our civil liberties. It endangers our workers. It is an industry that cannot be financed by Wall Street because it’s too risky. Wall Street demands 100 percent taxpayer guarantees for any nuclear plant.
So I suggest that people listening and watching this program to pick up the phone and dial the White House comment number, which is (202) 456-1111, (202) 456-1111, and demand the following: that there be public hearings in every area where there’s a nuclear plant, so the people can see for themselves what the hazards are, what the risks are, how farcical the evacuation plans are, how costly nuclear power is, and how it can be replaced by energy efficiency, by solar energy, different kinds of solar energy, by cogeneration, as Amory Lovins and many others, Peter Bradford, have pointed out.
We must no longer license any new nuclear plants. We should shut down the ones like Indian Point. How many people know that Hillary Clinton, as senator, and Andrew Cuomo, as attorney general, demanded that Indian Point be shut down? That doesn’t matter to the monetized minds in Washington, D.C. We also should prepare a plan where, apart from the aging plants, which should be shut down, and apart from the earthquake-risk plants—should be shut down—for the phase-out of the entire industry. We’re going to be left with radioactive waste for hundreds of thousands of years, for which there is no permanent repository. This is institutional insanity, and I urge the people in this country to wake up before they experience what is now going on in northern Japan: uninhabitable territory, thousands dead, hundreds of thousands at risk of cancer, enormous economic loss. And for what?
- Of course there’s the other side that says all this panic is irrational, as in this Special Report filed with Reuters: Radiation fears may be greatly exaggerated. From the link:
The levels of radiation experienced by the public at present should be no cause for concern,” said Dr. Richard Wakeford, visiting professor of epidemiology at the Dalton Nuclear Institute at University of Manchester in Britain.
“To put radiation doses into context, many Japanese undergo CT scans for cancer screening purposes, and these scans produce radiation doses of about 10 millisieverts (10,000 microsieverts) — much more than they are receiving from the Fukushima reactors.”
- Nonetheless, U.S. intensifies radiation checks for Japan flights. USA Today’s Travel blog has the scoop on various reports and headlines at the link. A few snippets:
However, low levels of radiation have been detected on cargo arriving on flights from Japan at several U.S. airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and Seattle/Tacoma, according to various media reports.
[…]
The Tribune spoke to an unidentified “airline source,” who said he had been briefed on the Customs and Border Protection’s efforts.
He tells the Tribune that as of Thursday afternoon, the highest radiation reading on any incoming flight from Japan was very low — averaging “several hundred times less than the radiation in a single chest x-ray,” the Tribune says.
- David Rothkopf, via Foreign Policy, warns that the real threat isn’t just nuclear: Where Fukushima meets Stuxnet: The growing threat of cyber war. The foreign policy frontpage header: “Cyberwarfare Could Create A Dozen Fukushimas.”
Haiti
- Christian Science Monitor: Back in Haiti, is Aristide eyeing presidency?
- Democracy Now EXCLUSIVE:Aboard Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s Airplane as Ex-Haitian President Returns From 7 Years In Exile
- See more at the Democracy Now live blog of Aristide’s return.
Libya
- Foreign Policy: Libya declares ceasefire following Security Council resolution
Hillaryland
- On Wednesday, Hillary confirmed for the umpteenth time that when she steps down from her current position, she’s done with politics.
- Oh la la… Hillary is heading back to Paris again today. This is her second time there this week. Here’s a picture of her in Paris on Monday, laughing at something Sarkozy said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message on Libya’s ceasefire declaration was basically: she’ll believe it when she sees it.
“We are going to be not responsive or impressed by words. We would have to see actions on the ground. And that is not yet at all clear,” she said.
Economy
- Alex Pareene, via Salon’s War Room: Deficit panel guys keep yelling at all of us
- Krugman: The Forgotten Millions
Civil Liberties & War Crimes
- Daniel Ellsberg on Bradley Manning’s Solitary Confinement: “The Conditions Clearly Violate the Constitution” (via Democracy Now)
- And, so it begins… Nader calls for Obama to be impeached. (also via DN)
War on Women
- This headline says it all really… In Illinois, Women Are Cattle — Literally (via RH Reality Check). Apparently, abortion regulation is being heard before the agriculture committee rather than the health committee. There is no low that the war on women will not sink to.
This day in history (March 19)
- 2003: Bush took us into Iraq.
Need a pick-me-up? Prescriptions from the Good Dr. Seuss (taken from Seuss-isms):
On facing adversity
I learned there are troubles
Of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead
And some come from behind.But I’ve brought a big bat.
I’m all ready, you see.
Now my troubles are going
To have troubles with me!
–I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
On activism
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.
–The Lorax
What’s on your blogging list this Saturday?
[originally posted at Let Them Listen; crossposted at Taylor Marsh and Liberal Rapture]
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Morning Wonk! Great roundup. So true that there is very little good news about…
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message on Libya’s ceasefire declaration was basically: she’ll believe it when she sees it.
How much do you want to bet that this comment WON’T correctly be linked to the one thing I liked about Reagan – trust but verify. Every 3 words Obumbles says, his MSM sicophants try to say that Obumbles is exactly like Reagan.
Asshat Extraordinaire.
Hillary 2012
Looks like she was right, as usual…..
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_af/af_libya
Hillary 2012
Gaddafi is not going to listen and has been telling lies for 42 years. ‘He sees, he fires’, is his understanding of ‘ceasefire’.
When Hillary said:
Was she talking about Qaddafi or Obama?
hrm. Both! 🙂
I’m not finished reading all of the great links, but I had to comment that I’m sure Ralph Nader will be dismissed as a crackpot and accused of overreacting for demanding a review of every nuclear power plant in this country while few raise an eyebrow when some PLUB demands a review of every spontaneous abortion in Georgia.
As far as I am concerned his call for this is little better than if Bush/Obama called for a blue ribbon panel of hacks to look into it,rather than doing anything like …hmmmm? How about hiring investigators and simply enforcing existing laws?…. I’d like to see RN call for that. But that won’t pay his bills. Hillary won’t be running so Ralph needs a new gig. imo
I am so worried over Libya.
Yesterday evening the political talk shows here (Italy) had aging generals rattling sabres of war against Libya. And they were gleeful that this time quote “there were no humanitarian figleaves“.
The talkshow went on to mention Libya’s wealth (richest country in Africa) and Italy’s dependence on Libyan gas and oil reserves, and financial investments.
Laurie, that is interesting to hear about this from the Italian perspective. What are they saying about the refugees that are pouring into Italy?
I don’t know about this week but last week it seemed that less were pouring in than expected.
The right wing is of course worried that Italy will lose its national identity.
Latest news seems to be an imminent attack on Libya. Approval for this seems to have come from European Union leaders.
http://www.tgcom.mediaset.it/mondo/articoli/1003597/libia-imminente-lattacco-contro-gheddafi.shtml
I’ve been wondering what took them so long…Since Libyan gas and oil is where Europe’s gets theirs. I guess we refused to do it alone(only our dime)…and now they have to foot a bill for their own looting .
I believe it’s safe to say the hold up has been due to spoils allotment negotiations.
“there were no humanitarian figleaves“.( said with glee)
Well they are being remarkablly honest
I think we’re kidding ourselves of we think the decision to go into Lybia was solely humanitarian. Energy reserves rule the world right now and Lybia is rich in oil and gas. It’s particularly important to the Europeans.
No one wants to see people slaughtered by a crazed despot. But we have a record of putting blinders on in other parts of the world where resources are squat.
What worries me are the unintended consequences of a campaign like this, how things always seem to get bogged down or the possibility of a spreading conflict.
I hope I’m wrong but Qadaffi is totally unpredictable and he’s already screaming colonialism. The whole region is a powder keg. It wouldn’t take much for a ‘no-fly’ zone to explode into something uncontrollable, a war beyond our wildest imaginations. Or nightmares.
Just one more thing to worry about.
Brings this to mind from a few years back.
wheel its official the repub/ tea party wingnnts are taking us Back to the 1940s
wish it was that good…seems more like the 8th century! It’s useless to try and stop them by telling them they will create a black market with this because that’s what they want imo. Also the wealthy will have no problem getting their care…The over lords are funding theasult on women in a two prong attack on social services and sanity
would you be in favor of the us getting the US getting getting involed in place like Bahrain where they like we are in Libya.
since they seems to be doing the same thing now that Gaddafi is doing in Libya.???
The Arab League is already doing that and we’re talking about that situation right now with them. Also, it’s not a large scale attack against citizenry. It’s been limited to protesters although that’s bad enough.
if things escalate that country a country that is friendly to the US ??
Libya’s been considered friendly to the US since normalization of relationships during the Bush years.
wait but shouldn’t the US get involved in my we do have that major navel base right there close by .
Hillary Clinton is on TV saying the US is getting involved right now.
It’s a different circumstance. The Bahrain air force isn’t bombing cities and towns all over the country. At this point, it’s stopping their military from firing on protesters with a few exceptions that appear to be occuring. That’s a civil law enforcement issue, not a military one.
“Hillary Clinton is on TV saying the US is getting involved right now.”
8 years to the day after the US invaded Iraq… wow.
i known that the reality is the BO is not going to touch that country there’s it to valuable to him . and i don’t think hes has any-plans to send any US military in to help out those people that are being fired upon .
i know its different its not as bad there at last not yet. and its on a smaller scale. and its also a country that has help the us out in more ways than one . and that why were not going to touch it.at least not with our military.
im just trying to make a point.
Boogie,
Here’s Ron Paul making a similar point to you during Hill’s recent testimony:
We will intervene where there is oil and gas to rescue
Sadly, yes.
DK i hope your right and hope im wrong in whats about to happen in Libya.
I don’t think any one is being cavalier about this at all. It appears the French are taking the lead on this with the Brits a close second. Clinton just said that they’ve no intention of putting US troops on the ground in Libya. I don’t think this will escalate. Obama and Clinton are not neocons. I think that there is a contagion that could bring good results to the Arab world. However, you don’t want it spinning off into either governmentless states or states ala Iran. This situation is not of our creation like Iraq was. We probably had other options in Afghanistan too that weren’t explored. We’re not the ones pushing to lead on this. Sarkozy just gave a speech too. This appears to be him using his capital and the French are engaging some one in the air right now. That part of the MENA is an area with much more French influence anyway.
Got this from Joyce Arnold on my Saturday crosspost elsewhere– this is depressing but very important:
Appalling!
Females working in the military know how dangerous it is, and they know that they are preceived as whores by all the commanders and all the enlisted men………. and what’s more women know our society could care less what happens to them, because they deserve to be raped, just because of the military uniform they wear. Reminds me of the 11 year old, who
people think she deserved it because she looked older.
an excess of 19,000, damn this is worst than the recent tsunami.
I really like Krugman’s op ed on the unemployed; the forgotten millions. This callousness about joblessness just boggles my mind.
good stuff, but this slays me
I still don’t know why the Obama administration was so quick to accept defeat in the war of ideas
Huh? Since Obama thinks Reagan was an idea
factory before being installed….I mean he came into office furiously
waving a Dem white flag. He holds nothing as firmly except his nine iron. Obamna is doing what he was installed to do. But Dr. K knows this…he’s being rhetorical me thinks.
It makes sense you have Herbert Hoover mini mes running about when the “new” ideas are to take us back to the 1890’s
“I still don’t know why the Obama administration was so quick to accept defeat in the war of ideas”
Once the left learns to accept that the caving is by design, that Obama is not simply caving because he has no other choice, etc., the answer to Krug’s question will become clearer. There’s a difference between triangulation and capitulation.
I’ve said this before but I think the Republicans and TP supporters need to go back and reread John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath.”
This is deja vu all over again.
And that report that Minx put up yesterday, the state legislation prohibiting anyone on government funding from carrying more than $20 in their pockets is a case in point. This is exactly what happened during the 20s and 30s–the poor, the jobless, the destitute were blamed for their own misfortune, made second-class citizens rather than looking and blaming the real perpetrators: the banks and colluding political class.
And to see Obama and his minions, presumably Democrats, roll for these clowns? Positively sickening. And no, there is no difference in their approaches, except the Dems participate with repeating ‘mea culpas.’
I am so-o-o fed up!
Worse…
Obama is in Rio De Janeiro right now…sight seeing… unreal.
Knut, Berlin’s beloved polar bear, dies – World news – Europe – msnbc.com
Awwww. That animal wasn’t that old. And yes, he was a favorite of the public. I hope they don’t find out someone poisoned the animal just out of spite or meanness.
Bad news seems to multiply wildly.
Japan Finds High Radioactive Materials in Spinach and Milk – NYTimes.com
This is from CNN on radiation found in food.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/japan.nuclear.reactors/
They will need food supplies
I heard last night that there are 93 tons of food and shelter supplies being delivered today from one of the aide organizations–Samaritans’ Basket. Our military will be helping in the transport and distribution of supplies.
The stories coming out of Japan are heartbreaking.
The stories, and the long road to recovery are heartbreaking.
Petra Nemcova was interviewed yesterday and said her charity is already beginning the process of gathering donations so they are ready to begin rebuilding the schools in Japan as soon as it is safe. I think the Red Cross is getting the lion’s share of the donations, so I’m going to send my money to this one.
“In 2004, Petra suffered a broken pelvis and severe internal injuries while on vacation in Thailand during the devastating Tsunami. After her recovery, she created the “Happy Hearts Fund” http://www.happyheartsfund.org), a charitable organization and campaign dedicated to improving children’s lives through education and sustainable programs in natural disaster areas.”
Nightline had a segment last night titled “Atomic Fallout” about the announcement made that, yes, enough radiation is out to kill people in the 30 or so kilometers around the reactors.
The segment showed a TEPCO (iirc) official weeping. Then it went on to a piece about a hospital within the danger zone where an official said they had run out of medicines and food. 140 mostly elderly patients have been left to die as workers have fled.
This was the most serious reports I’ve seen so far.
Only have general Nightline link:
http://abcnews.go.com/nightline
Had to go in and correct one of the links under civ. liberties & war crimes. Both of them talk about Daniel Ellsberg, but this one is the one specifically about Ellsberg on Manning:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/18/daniel_ellsberg_on_bradley_mannings_solitary
Susie Madrak has, as usual, several good posts, but this one hit home. It’s about a 56 year-old special ed teacher in Wisconsin, someone widely praised and considered excellent at her job, who became increasingly depressed about Scott Walker’s attacks on teachers and education. She feared for her own retirement, but also feared cuts which would affect her students. She had a history of depression, but it became markedly worse since Walker’s attacks.
And she committed suicide.
One of the reasons I left teaching was that I couldn’t stand the attacks on teachers in general which would be mounted every time contracts came up for negotiation. The school board hired itinerant union-busting negotiators who traveled around the nation to “help” boards negotiate.
They would begin by planting stories in the local media and newspapers about lazy, overpaid, incompetent teachers, protected by unions — same shit at now.
I’d finally had enough and took a job which paid me double what I was earning as a teacher — yes, only two weeks vacation, but I could choose when I took that vacation (sorta). And it was double the pay. And I didn’t have to spend almost every school night correcting papers….
Thank you for sharing your story
Apologies for not closing my link….
Fixed 🙂
Thank you, so much, Wonk!
NYTimes article on the effects of austerity on a town in the depressed northeast of England, a scenario coming to state and local governments near you…soon:
some good news from Japan.they found a survivor after 8 days.
I cannot believe Ralph Nader mentioned Hillary Clinton without having an aneurysm! Is she even winning HIM over?!
As for Cuomo, one of the few things I’m liking about him right now is his call (as Governor of New York) to shut down Indian Point. He is consistent on that issue.
I love Dr Seuss. Enjoyed his books when my kids were young and am loving the chance to revisit every one of them with my grandkids.
The Lorax was one of their most favored. It’s available on YouTube in its entirety. I see, though, that Hollywood is doing another animated movie and calling it The Lorax, but the story seems completely different than the original.