EXCLUSIVE Fukushima Report : Interview With Dr. Richard Wilcox

As the real truth about Fukushima escapes Japan in spite of the black hole of media censorship there, increasing international pressure on Japan to confront the reality of this disaster mounts expotentially

THE 5TH ESTATE
10/09/2013

Dr. Richard Wilcox and Hong Kong based science writer Yoichi Shimatsu traveled to Fukushima earlier this year.

The 5th Estate:   Dr. Wilcox, there appears to be a lack of national or local media coverage on Fukushima and the ongoing radiation leaks there. What is the situation regarding this in Tokyo at this point?

Wilcox:  Since the beginning of this man-made disaster, the media in Japan has covered it up, there has always been a time-lag between what is happening at the site and the reality versus the cover the government and TEPCO give it so this is not new. 

There has been non-stop leakage of substantial amounts of radiation into the Pacific, and the Japanese media has been under pressure from the government not to tell the truth on this. The nuclear industry in Japan has substantial influence over the media. 

At a conference of Japanese media about a year ago Japanese journalists said they would be fired from their publications if they reported the truth on Fukushima radiation fallout dangers. In reality it is a Japanese media blackout to a large extent. 

A Fukushima worker oversees removal of radioactive waste

The 5th Estate:  How are Tokyo residents reacting to this threat now?

Wilcox:  Overall, the average Japanese citizens are in denial about the reality of the actual situation. A few express concern about irradiated seafood and vegetables however prefer not to discuss it, at least publicly. People here in Tokyo seem to just ignore the problem unless they are actually confronted with it on a personal level. 

Temporary shelter for Fukushima evacuees

The 5th Estate:  Are the Japanese people totally detached from reality?

Wilcox:  Of course the suffering people of Fukushima certainly are not. Just yesterday, TEPCO announced that they are spending millions to start yet another reactor while the Fukushima victims that are supposed to receive monetary assistance for relocation have not received anything. So TEPCO is now diverting money away from these victims whose lives have been arbitrarily destroyed, to a fruitless project to restart a reactor that will never transpire in any event given the situation at Fukushima now. TEPCO’s credibility and its ability to deal with the situation has now completely collapsed. Even the Japanese NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) has denounced TEPCO’s handling of the disaster. 

The Fukushima fishing industry has been destroyed, fishermen idled

The 5th Estate:  In your opinion is there any solution to the radiation leakage?

Wilcox:  First, there has to be transparency on the part of the Japanese government and TEPCO as to the scale and danger of the existing situation. They still have to invent the technology to address the problem, and to do that they have to assemble an international team of nuclear engineers to deal with this and get rid of all the politics and obfuscation that is part of the Japanese system and way of handling disasters of this nature and unprecedented scale. It’s a Kabuki theatre of the absurd. 

Irradiated Fukushima fishing buoy

The 5th Estate:  What do you believe the catalyst will be that forces the Japanese government and TEPCO to face the facts and realize that they cannot continue to dump radioactive water into the Pacific? Will it take foreign military intervention?

Wilcox:  I do not believe it will come from Japanese domestic pressure, the people in this country are so traumatized, they are mentally and physically immobilized. It will have to come from abroad, and in what form is anyone’s guess. It could take a military reaction or threat from a neighboring country that is being irradiated and poisoned by Fukushima to finally convince the Japanese government that serious, concrete measures to contain the radiation must be implemented, and this is inexcusable and immoral on their part. For example the possibility of another big earthquake is always present and there is the rod storage pool above Unit Four and if that would collapse then that would most likely be an event that would force international intervention of some kind to halt the release of radiation into the atmosphere and Pacific Ocean.

Dr. Richard Wilcox

Dr. Richard Wilcox, PhD is an internationally published university professor and environmental writer.  He lives in and reports from Tokyo.

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Shutdown Brings Toilet Paper Crisis, Protesters

Obama digging deep to the "bottom" for new "government by crisis" distractions that will now hit every asshole in DC; Americans back to corncobs on the commode    

THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE 
By Tom Roeder
10/04/2013

As the federal shutdown ground into its third day on Thursday, Fort Carson civilian workers voiced their frustrations with a noisy protest at the post's main gate.

U.S. government now below standards of Portuguese Army

Dozens of members of the American Federation of Government Employees chanted about ending the shutdown, eliciting baritone honks from passing 18-wheelers.

There's been sadness and fear to go with the anger, said Albert Rivera, vice president of the union's chapter on Fort Carson.

"We've seen a lot of tears," he said.

How important are those 5,000 furloughed civilian Defense Department workers in Colorado Springs?

Ask Air Force Academy cadets who ran into serious shutdown trouble. It seems the civilian worker who orders toilet paper was off the job, causing a crisis while supplies were obtained.

Drunken  Boner and buddy Obama fabricated "fiscal crisis"

"We hope it doesn't go on for too much longer," said Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the academy's superintendent.

If the shutdown continues, problems at the academy would extend far beyond restrooms.

The school furloughed 330 workers from its instructional programs, leading to the cancellation of 60 specialized classes.

If those classes are called off for more than a few days, cadets will have to make up time or risk not graduating on time.

Long-term cancellations also could cause the academy to lose its accreditation as a college, making degrees worthless outside the military.

U.S. military now has the ultimate reason to mutiny

"This is new ground for our country and for us," Johnson said.

The academy's football team left Thursday for its Saturday game at the Naval Academy in Maryland.

But the rivalry will lose some of its off-field pageantry this year.

No other cadets will head to the game from Colorado Springs.

"I'm not going and the cheerleaders aren't going," Johnson said.

The game was called off before insurance firm USAA came forward with a $230,000 donation to pay for the travel. Even with donated cash, there was serious debate on whether Air Force, which cancelled flying operations and laundry service, should send its team while more than 1,000 of its civilian workers go unpaid.

"The decisions for the football team were made at very high levels of national interest," Johnson said.

At Fort Carson, Rivera said workers will feel more pain as the shutdown continues.

"The word we're getting is they're drawing down more and more," he said.

Many of those at the protest are still working, and were using their lunch hour to support colleagues who have been furloughed.

Stephanie Hooks, who is still on the job helping manage the post's child care services, said the shutdown has changed her perspective on her Defense Department job.

"It used to be you came into the job because you could depend on the federal government," she said.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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Degradation Of Superpower Or Obama’s Vitamin Cocktails

Obama, White House criminals know they are headed for prison; now lashing out like cornered wharf rats and implementing never-ending "government by crisis"

STRATEGIC CULTURE FOUNDATION
By Nil Nikandrov
09/22/2013

Some instances of hoodlum-like behavior (no other words to describe it) of the United States administration on the international arena could be construed as impotence and a fix of anger impossible to hide. Everything has gone contrary to what had been planned recently. The main thing is that the plans for prompt “retaliatory strikes” against Syria have failed. The data offered by Washington as the testimony to the crimes committed by the Assad’s regime and concocted by the special services of the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia was exposed as fake. The ins and outs of the ominous anti-Syrian intrigue and the involvement of Al Qaeda are coming to public spotlight… A wave of revelations is unavoidable. So Washington needs crises on the periphery to deviate the attention of people from its misdeeds - things like public discussions, creating the situations that would produce the effect of propaganda relaxation and could justify some muscle flexing. 

Coward Obama worse than Hitler

Provocation is normal modus vivendi for the Empire with its ruling circles losing the ability to tackle the multiple problems the country faces. An extremely dangerous factor threatening the country’s security is the very aggressiveness of the Americans themselves. During the last quarter of century they have been subject to adroit manipulations being instilled that they are the “chosen”, “special” and leaving behind the rest of humanity. In reality the United States have been plunging into the crisis of Christian morality penetrating all spheres of life. The social peace in the United States is an illusion. The cases when Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas conflicts veterans (especially the black ones) take firearms to commit “the actions of retaliation” against their own compatriots multiply.

Dozens of Americans have gone through thick and thin while participating in the wars initiated by US oil producing companies – the aggressive, unjust interventions. No experts on psychoanalysis in the world are able to quell the aggressiveness given vent to as a result of defending “the ideals of democracy” throughout the whole world. Americans are tired of overseas wars. At least 60 percent of US citizens speak out against starting war in Syria; the figure is as high as 70 percent for the military. Many among the respondents are sure that the country’s ruling group is involved in falsifying evidence since the bombing of twin towers in New York in an attempt to make terrorism look like a global threat. 

U.S. military close to full-blown mutiny for first time

The Obama’s administration is in a deadlock. The ruses it had successfully resorted to before start to fail now. The mobilizing speeches of President sound less and less convincing. Obama is exhausted by constant need to come up with lies in public; one can see it having a look at his appearance. He evidently lost weight, his eyes are not that lively anymore, and his smile lost its naturalness. I won’t be surprised to know he started to consume vitamin cocktails to support him.

So one has to resort to red herring type of tricks. The examples are the bans on the free flight of Evo Morales and Nicolas Maduro’s aircraft. The plane of the Bolivian President had to land with half empty fuel tanks in the Vienna airport after it had received a string of refusals to land on the soil of NATO countries. As it happened, Americans had suspected Morales of taking Edward Snowden out of Russia. When it became clear that it was nothing but the inventions of the Central Intelligence Agency residence in Moscow, they let Morales go after one day delay. Something similar happened to the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro: according to Obama’s instructions he was banned from crossing the Puerto-Rican airspace on the way to China. The Maduro’s schedule of the visit to Beijing was prepared in details, but Washington put a stop on route the Venezuelan leader had normally used. At the same time there were visa hindrances created for the Venezuelan United Nations General Assembly delegation. 

Obama bracing for continuing Snowden revelations

The repressive nature of these events is obvious; the only thing unclear as yet is what kind of scenario is prepared by Obama administration for Venezuela in the short term and middle term perspectives? It is presumed that the distracting maneuvers of Washington are explained by the fact that some Latin America countries are going to aggressively push the issue of total surveillance by the Empire at the session of United Nations General Assembly. Brazil is not intent to turn a blind eye on unceremonious intrusion by NSA, CIA and other US special services into foreign national secrets and private lives of other states politicians. Nicolas Maduro told the Venezuelan United Nations Ambassador to thoroughly study the prospects for holding hearings devoted to this problem. Evo Morales proposed to call off all the Latin American ambassadors from the United States to demonstrate the unity of the regional states. UNASUR, CELAC, ALBA and others are going to come up with protests in the coming days. 

 

"Mainstream media" propagandists know they will fall with Obama

Caracas does not exclude the possibility that the story with banning the presidential aircraft flights is a signal for unleashing large-scale actions aimed at destabilizing the country. The actual defeat in Syria, even of temporary nature, pushes Obama to take revenge. Venezuela seems to be the most “promising” prey, the CIA operations with the mission to destabilize the government never stopped, the opposition is getting more and more inclined to adopt radical ways to fight for power. The Maduro’s government is ready for any turn of events and is intent to react vigorously and in a tough way. Among the measures envisioned – establishing quota of the US embassy personnel numbers predominantly represented by special services staff.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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Japan’s Triple Meltdown : Tour of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant - Video

Japan has proven once again a mere 70 years following WWII that it is an immoral nation populated by individuals that care only for themselves - just like the United States

GRTV/FAIREWINDS
By Arnie Gunderson
10/08/2013

Each week Fairewinds receives many questions about the ongoing tragedy unfolding in Japan as a result of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Join us as Fairewinds’ Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen highlights the many problems facing Japan as he takes you on a tour of the Fukushima Daiichi site by combining satellite video, animated graphics and photos to create a comprehensive and easy to follow video tour.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

 

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Texans Love 'Last Stands' and Sacrificial Politics

Texas should just be given back to Mexico, and Bush extradited by the new Mexican government to the Hague for war crimes

WORLD NEWS
By Dallas Darling
10/07/2013

In an ever changing world, one which some perceive to be confusing and chaotic, the ideals of "last stands" have remained a constant in the mythologies of Texas. Texas's physical landscape animates with legendary and death defying feats, including sacrificial battle sites like Gonzales, Goliad and the Alamo. For many, heroic last stands have been internalized psychologically and emotionally, especially through stories, the media, schooling, and a number of well known and visited monumental markers.

Texas:  Home of the retard that destroyed the world economy

At the Battle of Gonzales, Texas's first battle in its war for independence, defenders refused to hand over a canon to Mexican troops, even hoisting a flag with the taunting words: "Come and Take It!" After a skirmish, Mexican troops retreated. At the Alamo, and after crossing a line in the sand drawn by ColonelWilliam Travis, every man supposedly fought to their deaths against a much larger Mexican force. Defenders stood and fought bravely at the Battle of Goliad, the survivors finally captured and executed.

When SenatorTed Cruz staged a filibuster against the Affordable Health CareAct, for many, such as the Tea Party Express, his stunt mirrored the Alamo, Gonzales, and Goliad. Crossing lines, defending canons, sacrificing for a cause, and making last stands are points of honor and rallying cries. Texans even view brief "stands" more importantly than a strategy or final outcome. And if he is unable to reach his goal, his "against all odds" performance will be a victory, a government shutdown a badge of honor.

Texas also home to redneck idiot Rick Perry

Like Senator Cruz, Texas State SenatorWendy Cruz is a rising political star. She staged an eleven hour long filibuster, blocking legislation that was to create new abortion regulations. Along with embarrassing Governor Rick Perry, Texans and the national media lauded her last stand politics. Her celebratory "against all odds" action has also propelled her into the spotlight. Once an obscure state senator, she has announced her candidacy for Texas's governor's race against RepublicanGreg Abbott.

Although State Senator Davis is a Democrat and Senator Cruz a Republican, Texans adore heroic individuals who make last stands and fight to their deaths. Such notions have become archetypal, and they have been around for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks admired the man or woman who was able to battle past personal and local historical limitations, and who had to undergo certain rites of passage. Even if the heroes were killed during their "against all odds" struggles or last sands, they were reborn.

Historical truths are usually reshaped through time to fit the demands and perceptions of contemporary society. However, one historical fact appears to have never be filtered or altered, at least for many Texans (and probably for most Americans). They still adore stories and legends about romantic or heroic struggles, about crossing lines and last stands, and of fighting to the death. But not only does this archetype serve as an internal need for self identity, it is used to justify the quest for statehood and nationhood.

It can even be used to encourage a nation to embark on imperial quests. Whether Democrat or Republican, former Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, George H.W.Bush, and George W. Bush applied heroic narratives, including crossing lines in the sand, making last stands, and sacrificially fighting to the death, to their imperial wars against Vietnam, Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Rites of passage entailed the young dying in foreign lands. The real tragedy was never questioning how the victim became the victimizer.

Dallas Darling (darling@wn.com)

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-ZReading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some NationsAbove God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John's Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.worldnews.com. You can read more of Dallas' writings at www.beverlydarling.com and wn.com//dallasdarling.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

 

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