Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is calling out Obama, the darling of the nuclear industry, not only for his corporate cronyism but also for a reckless regressivism.
Dr. Stein marked the first anniversary of the Fukushima meltdown, citing the tragic deaths involved as well as the straggering $250 BILLION cleanup costs. To Stein this is clear evidence that an “immediate move to a 100% renewable economy” MUST BE MADE. She observed that the Obama White House “has shown it has learned nothing,” since it is still promoting nuclear power plants while other progressive countries are dramatically moving away from them especially since the Japanese nuclear disaster. Stein:
A Green president would invest in wind, solar and geothermal, emphasize efficiency and conservation, phase out nuclear power plants, and move to a carbon-free economy to deal with climate change. We would immediately end Obama’s expensive subsidies for nuclear power as well as fossil fuels, and use those funds instead to kick off a job-producing energy program based on clean, safe and renewable energy.
Stein promised she would push for immediate shutdown of "23 Fukushima-style GE Mark I reactors” as a first step in establishing a “nuclear-free America.” She asserted:
An energy system based on renewables is inevitable. Between the dangers of nuclear mining, transport, meltdown, and storage on the one hand, and catastrophic climate change on the other, we must make the transition happen now rather than wait for a calamity to force our hand. I’m campaigning for a Green New Deal that will transition the U.S. economy to become the world leader in building a green economy that puts people back to work while we create a sustainable future.”
To Dr. Stein nuclear power should not be considered an answer to reducing greenhouse gas emissions since there are “faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner” renewable energy technologies. Stein:
Every dollar spent on nuclear energy creates more carbon pollution than would result from spending the same dollar on renewables, and nuclear is getting more expensive whereas renewables are getting cheaper.”
Once again the United States, as with its regressive non-universal health care system, is nurturing corporate interests, in this case political-sponsoring nuclear corporations, and well behind other countries in taking responsibility for citizen welfare. As posted on Stein’s website:
Germany, Switzerland and Italy have all committed themselves to phasing out nuclear energy, while support for new nuclear plants has dropped dramatically worldwide. From 2008 to 2010, construction work began on thirty-eight reactors around the world, but in 2011-12, there were only two construction starts. Kuwait pulled out last month of a contract to build four reactors, Venezuelan froze all nuclear development projects and Mexico dropped plans to build ten reactors.
In contrast, the Obama administration has continued to promote nuclear power plants. On February 9, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a the final license for two new reactors near Augusta, Georgia. Only the Chair of the NRC, a Bush appointee, voted no, objecting to the absence of guarantees to implement recommendations made following the Fukushima meltdown. The Obama Administration has pledged $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees for the construction. The owners of the plant have not yet invested any of their own money for the units, while Georgia ratepayers are being asked to pre-fund construction payments in their current bills.
U.S. taxpayers continue to subsidize insurance coverage for the private firms that own and operate all U.S. nuclear plants through the Price-Anderson Nuclear Indemnity Act.
Obama has been politically sponsored by grateful Exelon corporation executives. Dr. Stein does not accept contributions from corporations or their lobbyists or from officers of corporations that employ lobbyists. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons why Noam Chomsky gave her such robust support recently, declaring hers a campaign for PEOPLE, PEACE, and PLANET.
Chomsky:
I hope you’ll take the opportunity of the March 6th Green-Rainbow primary to cast a vote for resurgent democracy. A democracy that thrives outside of the Democratic and Republican Parties that are sponsored by and subservient to corporate America. And I hope you will consider joining me in supporting Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein – both with your vote and with a contribution to her campaign for people, peace and the planet.
As you know, popular anger at the political and economic institutions, and the subordination of the former to the latter, has reached historic heights. And for sound reasons. There could hardly be a better time to open up political debate to the just anger and frustrations of citizens who are watching the country move towards what might be irreversible decline while a tiny sector of concentrated wealth and power implements policies of benefit to them and opposed by the general population, whom they are casting adrift.
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The current Democratic Party is the Republican Party of Bob Dole. It is a disgrace.
Great post. It's time to stop eating tuna and salmon by the way. There was major nuclear contamination of most of the Pacific. Eating small fish is probably okay. But because salmon and tuna are at the top of the food chain, they concentrate the radioactive nucleotides ingested by all their prey. Thus eating them substantially increases your risk of contracting cancer or leukemia.
"There could hardly be a better time to open up political debate to the just anger and frustrations of citizens..."
Even though he despises the current system, the smartest man alive is offering the ONLY way to avoid a catastrophe. There is much the PC crowd could learn here from Chomsky.
Receiving the support of Chomsky is quite a victory and a badge of honor to Dr. Stein. In short, it is enough for me. Excellent post, Libby. R
Even though he despises the current system, the smartest man alive is offering the ONLY way to avoid a catastrophe. There is much the PC crowd could learn here from Chomsky.
Receiving the support of Chomsky is quite a victory and a badge of honor to Dr. Stein. In short, it is enough for me. Excellent post, Libby. R
Libby. Your problem my dear is sanity. YOUR sanity. Please to pick up the DVD "Crude Awakening". This is what we are up against. There is no way out of our addiction and there is no methadone and the opium is running our. The world is a mad machine out of control. One man can not operate all the pulleys and levers. No one even knows how. I hate to say it but one way or another we are toast. Fortunately we will not live to see the inevitable. Just do as much good as you can and live live well- it's a mistake not to.
And keep rattling those cages.
And keep rattling those cages.
Barack Obama is controlled by the current system and the corporations; he isn't allowed to learn anymore than a run away train which is what our current system resembles.
It isn't just the nuclear industry, as you and Jill know, but oil and other dirty sources of energy ass well and the enormous amount of economic activity that serves little or no purpose except to increase the profits of the businesses that sell them.
The corruption of the system is why I think that grass roots support in the form of education and taking to family and friends would be more valuable than political donations even to the Green Party; although some modest financial support along with the Grass roots support would help at least until a fairer system is set up that supports sincere candidates.
It isn't just the nuclear industry, as you and Jill know, but oil and other dirty sources of energy ass well and the enormous amount of economic activity that serves little or no purpose except to increase the profits of the businesses that sell them.
The corruption of the system is why I think that grass roots support in the form of education and taking to family and friends would be more valuable than political donations even to the Green Party; although some modest financial support along with the Grass roots support would help at least until a fairer system is set up that supports sincere candidates.
thanks, Peter. no argument here, unless it is even more conservative than Dole's party was.
thanks for the head's up, stuart. i can't believe even Obama is ignoring all of this. shows how deep the corruption and the corporate capture.
thanks, thoth. yes, i thought it was significant, too! hope more people heed!
"crude awakening"? francoise, will be on lookout. thanks! yes yes yes. we must rattle the cages, drag our tin cups across the bars. get others to notice the darn bars as a beginning!!! it is indeed a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world!!!
zachd, as always very wisely said. thanks!!!!
best, libby
thanks for the head's up, stuart. i can't believe even Obama is ignoring all of this. shows how deep the corruption and the corporate capture.
thanks, thoth. yes, i thought it was significant, too! hope more people heed!
"crude awakening"? francoise, will be on lookout. thanks! yes yes yes. we must rattle the cages, drag our tin cups across the bars. get others to notice the darn bars as a beginning!!! it is indeed a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world!!!
zachd, as always very wisely said. thanks!!!!
best, libby
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