Published: July 19th, 2012 at 5:56 pm ET
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Title: Nuclear fears galvanise usually sedate Japan
Source: AFP
Author: Shingo Ito
Date: July 19, 2012
[...]the demonstrations’ regularity and sheer size — even taking the police estimate of 75,000 people for Monday’s protest — is giving the government pause for thought in a country where for decades the political elite has largely ignored popular opinion.
As crowds gathered on Monday, [Prime Minister Yoshihiko] Noda told a television programme he would “listen attentively” to voices raised in the debate.
“Nuclear energy is becoming an issue that divides the nation,” he said in an unusually candid assessment.
[...]
Yoshikazu Sakamoto, honorary professor of politics at the University of Tokyo
- “The current anti-nuclear rallies are different from the [post-war] ones against the US-Japan security treaty” which had an ideological and political agenda
- “Now, ordinary citizens are participating”
- “Many of them just feel distrust of and frustration with the government”
- However… the political classes may be able to out-wait the protests.
- “People may abandon the current movement if nothing changes following recent efforts, and the country could return to its usual apathy”
- “Citizens’ movements in Japan are still in a transitional phase”
Kiyoshi Abe, professor of media and communication studies at Kwansei Gakuin University
- The large number of elderly people was a key characteristic of the recent movement
- “I think many of those who experienced World War II and particularly the misery of atomic bombs are participating”
- “Elderly people worked hard and kept silent for the sake of the country’s recovery from the war, but they seem to have realised that what they dreamed of is different from what they are seeing now”
- Unlike sometimes bloody riots in other countries, the large presence of elderly appeared to have a calming effect on rallies in Japan
Published: July 19th, 2012 at 5:56 pm ET
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The "political elite" like to think of themselves at the top of a hierarchical power structure. But they seem to forget that the structure can flip over, and it really sucks being at the bottom, when you're seriously outnumbered. They're pretty much screwed now.
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"It's mass hysteria! Get helicopters and aerial tankers!
Start spraying the crowds with tranquilisers!"
"But Sir that costs money! And it's why we have Media!
Roll out the experts – that's cheap and expedient!"
"This is radio-noia! Baseless fear! Self-abuse!
Weakminded! Unpatriotic! Of no good use!
Unproductive! Selfish! Plain Anti-ism!
Future-phobia creating Mind-Body schisms!
But look! New pills! They're Geno-mological!
They cure ailments physical and psychological!
Stop being too happy or feeling too sad!
Find perfect balance between good and bad!
Complaco-harmonic-neutralic Bliss!
No side-effects matter when you're taking this!
Don't worry about pensions you won't need anyway!
Life Perfect and Bland until, oh, sixty, say!
I take them myself! They'll be good for the Nation!
Who cares if all you say's exclamation!"
"Well, that was a mistake. Scrub all News archives.
Too bad he's going to commit suicide.
Have cleaners go over the Blogs and Youtube.
What's that loud noise? I hear shouting rude!"
"It's the crowds Sir. I think they're coming – for you!"
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I think the English language needs one more adjective, "or-wellian."
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or-well, now calm down, buddy. Here's some nice Soma for you.
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Aldous Huxley on Soma:
"All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects."
somasomasoma
"..there is always soma, delicious soma, half a gramme for a half-holiday, a gramme for a week-end, two grammes for a trip to the gorgeous East, three for a dark eternity on the moon…"
somasomasoma
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oh yes
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HoTaters – Pneumatic! You read my mind!
Robbie the Robot shouts "Saikado Hantai!"
as evil Professors shout "No one will die!"
"Warning! Danger Humanity! If you'd reproduce,
you'd better act now and shut down all nukes!"
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It interests me that the political leadership of a nation referred to as democratic is moved to listen to the people by massive demonstrations.
They had clearly been used to telling the people what to think and how to feel. They had better do more than listen attentively. They should take what they hear to heart and act on it.
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Nobody wants nuclear power. The good citizens are getting rid of it.
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free media and protest is the way
heres kevin, poet and activist with some artistic swearing and hes sharing some viewpoints on the lack of activism… how will history look at back us? the question asked.. and more
hes been given the all clear from his cancer condition! congratulations !
Fukushima meltdown my fight with Cancer Update 7/19/12 kevin d blanch
My hat came off at 2:12 Mt time 7/17, Number 4 # spent fuel pool being dismantled?
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/07/19/fukushima-watch-signs-of-progre…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK3v6gweaDA
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YOU LISTENING TEPGUV?
Huge Anti-Nuclear Rally Yoyogi Park Tokyo July 16th 2012
Published on Jul 17, 2012 by freedomwv
On July 16th 2012 a massive of gathering of people from all across the island of Japan came together at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo for a day of music, food, activism and marching against Nuclear power. The people of Japan Occupied Yoyogi Park(the largest park in Tokyo located in the heart of the city). It was a massive showing of people of all ages and backgrounds. Another historic protest in Tokyo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWhWcjP2vyk
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and this from christine macphersons blog.. liked the last paragraph
The NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY MESS – theme for July 2012
"Take heart – all who seek clean energy – the nuclear industry is in a right mess!
Apart from the chaotic state of nuclear economics, and of security, weapons proliferation, public opposition, desperate marketing, frantic agonising over waste disposal , as well as the drive for public amnesia about Chernobyl and Fukushima – apart from all that – the nuclear lobby are all wrangling among themselves.
There’s an unseemly public frenzy from all the different reactor corporations to market their respective products. This includes marketing the existing old reactors – to continue running them for many decades, despite their deterioration,- because this is much more profitable than getting new ones. And – also – postpones for future generations the massive costs of dealing with the reactors’ radioactive corpses.
Then there’s the drive to sell little reactors, and Thorium reactors – an absolute nightmare of security concerns in these. And of course, the uranium industry won’t like this.
It’s quite likely that in trying to outdo each other, the nuclear industry will kill off itself faster than any anti nuclear campaigns. AREVA is already offering reactors for sale below their cost price."
http://nuclear-news.net/
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Good insights, arclight. Yes, pressure from without, chaos and cannibalism from within, weakening resolve of political leaders who were insistent on nuclear energy because they failed to be visionary enough to free their nations from fossil fuels and nuclear power. It is coming down…
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Pardon my French, but, CONNERIE.
http://translate.google.com/#fr|en|connerie
"Listen attentively"?! That's exactly the same tripe that our own government officials try to stuff down OUR throats while they blithely proceed to utterly ignore our wishes and enact the agendas of their corporate owners.
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Yes, but in Japan, they have had 5 Prime Ministers in 4 years because the people vote them out. Leaders in Japan have a limited time to try and quell resistance or listen to the public. Here in the US, it would take an act of Congress to hold a politician accountable. That ain't gonna happen anytime soon without public agitation.
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You have their attention now people of Japan, fear is setting in that they are loosing control, keep the pressure up, civil disobgence order of the day, go to your bank and withdraw all your money, with hold your land taxes,
Don't pay your hydro bill let them cut you off, buy a generator, don't pay your water bill, gas bill, everybody go on workers compensation due to stress, etc.
Power to the people we are the majority, we have a fundamental right to live in a safe environment, what constitution of any civilized country does not include this right, it is usually the first right and nuclear fission is compromising this right.
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weeman, if we could just get 15% of population from every country using nuclear energy and fossil fuels to go one day, the same day all together, without power, the message would set the powers that be on their hind ends. I hope many in Japan read your message and take it to heart.
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http://www.earthhour.org/
The Earth Hour event we see today has been 12 years in the making. Read the historical timeline to find out how the campaign began and grew into a global movement.
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