HOW BIG AN EMERGENCY?

Freeacre's desert dish last two nights. Rice and ? pudding. I can't remember what the yellow fruit is and she just left so I can't ask her. Maybe put it in later.

from Murph

Before I get into some other weightier thoughts, while reading the morning news and opinions at my regular site visitations, I had some musings to share with you.

I wish to commend and thank the regular readers of this site. It sure appears to me that most of the regular readers and comments indicate a high degree of inquisitiveness and desire for understanding events as they unfold about us. The sharing of information and sources by individuals here is awesome. In some respects, I have a sense of amazement that this blog has endured so long. There are other writers, blogs and web pages out there with very authoratative backgrounds and sources which I do not have. Even the precursor to this blog (Cyclone) had connections and sources of information that we all drew from. I do regret the loss of some regular participants to this blog over time. Why they withdrew I do not know. But it is with fondness that I remember their participation.

While I do a fair amount of reading these days, I don’t do as much as I used to. Maybe it’s something to do with getting older. Plus, to a large extent, a lot of what I’ve been picking up lately seems distorted, has way too many assumptions within it and often what sure appears to me as just outright lies, untruths, and spin concerning the main thesis. I think I’m getting tired of being hyped in my effort to find kernels of truth. I’m finding myself being drawn to playing bridge to while away some of my time not demanded for other endeavors.

Let’s see, where was I? Oh yeh. Emergency.

I am making the assumption that the readers are pretty much up to speed concerning the disaster in Japan. I am picking up snatches of information that imply that the Japanese government is hedging on the extent of their disaster, in particular, the nuclear reactors failure. Of particular concern of course, is the danger of radioactive contamination of our country by this fiasco, and most particularly, the west coast area where we live. Yesterday, Freeacre tried to find anything in Iodine available. It’s all gone but more is ordered. That would indicate to me that a whole bunch of people in our area also are concerned. Freeacre did find some dried kelp and made up a concoction last night that was a bit of an effort to force down my gullet. But what the hell, I reckon every little bit may help.

This danger of radioactive poisoning, right now as of writing this, is looming to be more and more a possibility. Oh goodie. As if we didn’t have enough on our plate right now. We were talking about this last night, and now we are wondering just how much effort we should be putting into getting ready for the summer efforts for food production. How much effort should be put into various community activities that we are involved in. Will there actually be community activities this summer? Or will other serious concerns take precedence?

To a large degree, if the Japanese reactors actually do melt down and spew huge amounts of radioactive stuff into the jet stream, it will affect the whole country to a greater or lesser extent, depending on wind patterns. I can’t help but ask the question whether this is the beginning of the great American die off? And not even a nuclear war is taking place. So much for the utter and complete safety of GE nuclear plants. The long range safety of these installations has been questioned for a long time, and the disposal of the waste product has never been solved. And yet, human kinds crazed demand for cheap power is such that we keep making these questionable and dangerous installations with the reassurance that they are completely safe. Read an article yesterday by a Nuc proponent that pointed out that the installations that blew up in Japan were 70’s vintage and technology has made them much safer, plus the American installations were way overbuilt for safety in comparison to the Japanese ones. So, no need to worry folks, we have it covered, move along now, nothing to worry about here. That’s when I start to duck and cover when I’m handed these reassurances. If these engineers and proponents of nuclear reactor power plants had any doubts, would they tell us? HELL NO!! Too much money and stockholder bite to do that. Only a very few whistle blowers are going to get in on the question and they, of course, will be shut down, marginalized and in some cases shut up by various means to keep us all clamoring for more cheap power. And, the movement of more power and money keeps going to the upper elites.

Perhaps indeed there is a source technology for abundant cheap electrical power floating around, but unless the elites can anticipate a windfall of profits and control, we will never see it. At least under the present political and economic paradigm we are operating under. As I have iterated many times before, it sure appears to me that changing this paradigm will not be easy or without massive casualties.

This possibility of national radioactive contamination and all the consequences involved are very real. If it indeed happens, it’s a whole new ball game and one I don’t really wish to participate in.

Let’s take a look at some scenarios. Suppose this radioactive cloud is extensive enough and has plutonium and is deadly enough to force evacuation of a great deal of the west coast habitable areas and extends far inland. Our personal choice is whether to evacuate or not. To what end? I sure look forward to being homeless, having to live in a refugee camp for the rest of my life since that contamination will make it impossible to ever go back home for the rest of my life. If you have doubts about this, read up on the long term affects of the Chernobyl disaster and what happen to areas of high radioactive contamination of large areas of land.

Or suppose it is determined and advertised that the contamination is short lived iodine isotopes and the danger to human health is short lived and the evacuation would only be temporary. Should I believe anything that the government says? If we get a plutonium contamination, it will definitely not be short lived. And that is a distinct possibility from what information I have gotten a hold of. If it is a radioactive iodine contamination, it will be short lived. In which case, evacuation would not be necessary if proper precautions were taken on an individual basis. Would the government tell us the truth of the situation? We have all been lied to so much could we believe anything the government tells us, particularly in a national emergency? Remember Katrina? Great job Brownie? Or the “too big to fail” fiasco?

The potential for the Japanese catastrophe affecting us directly is very real. Maybe it won’t happen that way, but I am not taking bets on it. What about you?

A side note from Freeacre;

I find these days to be painful. In addition to mind-boggling and heart-rending stories and pictures of the destruction and suffering of the people in Japan, we find ourselves bombarded by financial, political, cosmological, environmental, military, and health threats of all sorts. Sometimes I feel like returning to bed, assuming a fetal position, and pulling the covers over my head. Somewhere I hear p with his message that we are all energetic beings at our core, and that this is basically an "energy" issue. I don't exactly know how to respond to that. Somewhere I sense that there is a place in my self that contains a peace beyond understanding. I'd like to cultivate that sense of peace and empowerment to help get through this stressful time. After all, it is not helpful to be either hysterical or paralyzed with fear and loathing, regret, despair, or thoughts of vengeance. But how? I am open to suggestions. And, if I find any myself, I will share them with you. Right now it feels as though the camaraderie of our little cyber tribe is what keeps me going.
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