The accident at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan has once again raised the question not only the permissibility of using "best of" nuclear energy, but also the responsibility of capitalism (with its unbridled pursuit of profit at any cost) for shaking the world of "natural" and "technological" disaster. As noted by Alex Kerr, author of "Dogs and Demons, Tales from the dark side of Japan", in Japan there is no control, even the emission of such a terrible poison that causes cancer, as dioxin. In 2000, 7,216 people were poisoned by contaminated milk, with bacteriologically Hokkaido. In 1997,and in 1999 at the Tokai nuclear power plant in a suburb of Tokyo's emissions of radioactive substances.
In 1997, 70 kg. plutonium have been "lost" during the fire. Until now, nobody knows where they have accumulated and in what quantities.
In 1999, an explosion occurred, resulting in about 700 people have received the critical dose (many of them have already died) and about 1000 houses had to be evacuated from the station. It turned out that work at the station were in violation of operating rules (working has been given secret instructions operating nuclear reactor, which had no safety standards).
At the station there were no means of protection, it was not them and firefighters arrived, as well as any plan for such situations.Scene of the accident were paste adhesive tape! In 2001, Fukushima, cracks in the construction of nuclear power plants were covered with colored paper with printed on it the texture of concrete, to deceive the inspectors.
Is it any wonder that myself Japanese Prime Minister knew about the fire and explosion at a nuclear power plant, "Fukushima" of television news reports and not from the operating company Tersa? ( http://newsru.com/world/15mar2011/fukushima1_new.html ).
"Sacred right" of private property - one of priichin that the world gets very fragmentary information about the ongoing catastrophe.
Publishing (with a slight decline) a good article about what capitalism is responsible for the disaster taking place in the world.It was not written by anarchists, but in the information contained in her critique of capitalism, anarcho-syndicalists may well subscribe.
Capitalization feeds accident
This year began with a series of devastating flooding: Queensland in Australia, where it is covered with a territory larger than France and Germany combined; in Sri Lanka and the Philippines.Later there were floods in the Australian state of Victoria, a cyclone devastated the Queensland Yasi, in Brazil, there have been deadly landslides.
This was preceded by a lot of disasters in 2010:
- Earlier this year, an earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12 that killed 230 thousand and 300 thousand people ranivshee that left one million homeless and led directly to the devastated country of an outbreak of cholera;
- Cynthia hurricane struck the Atlantic coast of France, killing 52 people in France, Spain and Portugal;
- Earthquake in Chile has killed 521 people and half a million people left homeless;
- Heat in Moscow (and other regions of Russia - approx.translation.) killed 15,000 people, destroyed the field and led to an increase in grain prices by 47%;
- The monstrous flood of Pakistananemia;
- An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion on a platform of deep water drilling: 11 platform workers were killed, destroyed the environment of the bay and the fishermen lost their livelihoods;
- Aluminum spill in Hungary has caused the death of 4 people and caused considerable damage to the environment.
As for the current disaster, then, if you look at the media after the New Year, then you can zaryabit in the eyes, and you may not even notice the flood in the Philippines despite the death of 75 persons and damage to 27 billionGBP caused to crops and infrastructure, and flooding in Sri Lanka with at least 40 dead and 300 thousand were left homeless. Ripples in the eyes do not even need to miss a drought in China, part of the overall process of desertification: it is worth a look.
Capitalism is responsible for the death and misery
There is no doubt that the nonstop pursuit of profit, spurred by stronger competition to the extent of the economic crisis, is directly responsible for death, and ecological catastrophe, which were caused by oil spills from drilling platforms "British Petroleum" or the diversion of aluminum slag in Hungary.But the same applies to the death, and poverty generated by seismic or climatic changes.
For example, if we look to the earthquake that occurred in 2010, and compare the number of deaths and amount of damage, then we will discover the consequences of building a completely irresponsible policy. Construction of lead so that it will cost as cheap as possible, despite the fact that they can withstand the buildings.In New Zealand, earthquake of 7.1 on the Richter scale (in September - prim.perevod.) Did not kill anyone, although there was near the city of Christchurch - thanks Compliance earthquake.
In Haiti, as an earthquake about the same power of 7.3 magnitude caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Port-au-Prince, where the houses were built as quickly as possible, cheaper and cheaper, without even basic safety standards, not to mention the well-known risk of earthquakes .Even prestigious buildings erected could not resist.
If we go to floods and landslides, as can be seen: and here the responsibility lies with the ruling class. In the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro as a result of torrential rains and mudslides killed 800 people in neighboring states - 30. This can be directly linked to the policy of building in unsafe places, despite the fact that in January, always pour heavy rains. The Ministry responsible for noting the urban planning, was established only in 2003, and 2 years ago, was allocated 4.4 mlrd.f.st to contain the disaster."" Take extra work just to reduce the risk of recurrence of tragedies - said Celso Carvalho, national secretary for urban programs. - Our city is very unsafe because of the lack of urban planning. "
The focus is on short-term view and attracting public works. The aim is to win the election. Under the dictation of this logic, the main stimulus of urban growth is profit, which is above all.That's why so many people live in high-risk areas, including hillsides. Land in the heart of the city are too expensive for social housing, the government is often not force the private sector to such a use of land "( www.guardian.co.uk ).
Well, of course, in Australia, a developed democratic country, things will be done differently ... But let's look at the answers given by fires and floods that have shaken the continent in recent years: "It is noteworthy that the Government of Baillie in Victoria adopted a recommendation of the Royal Commission on "Black Saturday" to buy the property not only in areas directly affected by the fire, but those that were deemed areas of fire risk throughout the state.
But many people are going to recover at home or stay in these areas, assuming that the risk of a new fire is less than the pleasures of life in a rural idyll.In Queensland, the low-lying areas, similar charges have to do in the wake of the current floods. But for many people living in these areas - this is not a matter of choice, just at home where they afford.
And with the burgeoning population of south-east Queensland over the past two decades, when the family ran out of Sydney on the high cost of living, many new houses were built in areas that are threatened by flooding in 1974.
Specialist geotechnical and hydrological issues monk 'University Fight Dent said that the planners can not forget the lessons of history."It is imperative that in urban planning took into account issues such as environmental geology and history of flooding ... The historic nature of these things mean that they do not stand in the foreground to the planners, but then things like the present, reminds us all ..." "( www.theaustralian.com , January 12, 2011).
In Brazil and Australia, as in the U.S. during Hurricane Katrina, all the risk falls on the shoulders of the poor, and capital gains extracts.Life of workers in the same way are part of the accounting of costs and benefits, as with any other investment.
And then - lies, hypocrisy, neglect
"" The humanitarian crisis of epic proportions "outbreak in the flood ravaged areas of southern Pakistan, where malnutrition levels competes with what exists in a starving African countries, says UN.According to a study assessing the needs of the Service in connection with the flood in Sindh province, where some villages remain under water that's already half a year after the flood, nearly a quarter of all children younger than 5 years are malnourished and 6% suffer from severe malnutrition.
"I have not seen such severe malnutrition in the worst times of famine in Ethiopia.Darfur and Chad. This horror plunges into shock, "- says Karen Allen, deputy head of UNICEF in Pakistan. The study reflects the conservation of the giant impact the August floods that caused damage to 20 million people in the territory of equal area of England, and smyvshey 2,2 million hectares of arable land. " (The Guardian. "January 27, 2011).
During the floods the ruling class of Pakistan has demonstrated its complete impotence, inability to organize support and assistance to millions of people affected.Pakistan is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, and widespread corruption in everyday life are well known. However, some cynicism and hypocrisy of sound in the message that "the Pakistani military continues to exert pressure on the Militant in the northwest, despite the fact that the devastating floods require a major relief effort, said Wednesday a senior U.S. officer.
Vice Admiral Michael Lefever who oversee U.S. military aid to Pakistan, said that Islamabad did not withdraw its troops from fighting insurgents, but had to divert part of the aircraft needed to assist in the widespread flooding »(thenews.com, December 6, 2010) .So that priorities are clear. In fact, these comments mask the fact that the north-western province of Pakistan has long been in crisis due to the earthquake that hit the region in 2005 and from which the district never fully recovered and did not, and because of the continuing (and forces) fighting against the Pakistani Taliban.These actions also caused a significant displacement of the population: an estimated 100 to 200 thousand people.
A similar picture appears before us in Haiti a year after the earthquake, only 5%% of ruins cleared, paid less than 30% of the promised amount of aid. Population lives in the old tents and under tarpaulins in the appalling conditions, becoming easy prey to cholera, adding hundreds of new to the lists of the dead. But if the bourgeoisie wants to build, it can do it - even on the immersed into poverty in Haiti, where half the population lives on less than $ 1 a day.The Iron Market in Port-au-Prince was rebuilt during the year in accordance with seismic over 12 million dollars of funded Irish billionaire Dennis O'Brien.
Whatever the subjective feelings of charity, he or guided, the harsh truth is that capital is building only if it is profitable. As noted by The New York Times, he understands the financial benefits of reconstruction and rehabilitation in Haiti."As a company, we are more oriented to the masses, not the elite," - said Mr. O'Brien about his interest in the market "( www.nytimes.com , January 11, 2011). Indeed, as shown in the program of BBC "From the ashes of Haiti," a planned housing project that was supposed to have been carried out in parallel with restoration, had been postponed in favor of political interests, repeating on a smaller scale struggle for influence between the U.S. and France immediately after the disaster - when food and water can be seemed to get just through military personnel and NGOs.
In fact, aid that was provided after a disaster over the past 20 years has led not only to alleviate the situation of the population, but to an increase of 25% debt.His payment is made by the same population.
In Sri Lanka, "the flood victims besieged government offices in the east of the country, accusing officials of embezzling aid. Windows were broken when more than 1000 people surrounded the office in a village in the eastern district Batikaloa.Flood victims told "BBC" that some local politicians have distributed food and other aid to his supporters, not to those who need it most »(BBC online, January 17, 2011).
And all this without considering the consequences of disasters such as rising food prices and economic failures that lead to more widespread poverty.
Contribution to climate change
Hurricanes, floods, heat and drought - all of these climatic extremes is reminiscent of the consequences of climate change or global warming.Climatologists have to be cautious regarding the relationship between a particular event and the overall picture. Nevertheless, the British Met Office said that the floods in Australia and the Philippines due to the effect of "La Niña".
Perhaps, the rains in Brazil and, although the association is not so clear (The Guardian, 14 January 2011). Similarly, the natural extremes of last summer (including the heat in Russia and floods in Pakistan) were caused by entrenched air currents make the climate to the south generally hotter ( www.wired.co.uk ).
In other words, there is clear evidence that capitalism is responsible for natural disasters the past 13 months because of their impact on global climate. (...)
"World Revolution", February 2011
Links on the subject material:
- deteriorating day by day "href ="../../../../../../../ node/15164"> Nuclear disaster in Japan: the situation is deteriorating day by day
- The accident at the nuclear power plant in Japan: radionuclides could reach Russia in the seafood
- Interview with ecologist Alexanderm Nikitin of the accident at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daishev Japan, the reasons for the situation and possible consequences for Russia
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