Information on nuclear weapons radiation kept from the public

The passage of the Atomic Energy Act in the US empowered that State to control, to the point of prohibition, public discussion of relevant information….The bulk of the world’s population, East and West, suffered from an imposed ignorance about the nature of nuclear weapons and radiation……

Radio-phobia « Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog, 25 Oct 10, “…….. the Soviet Union built an elaborate, multi-layered system of denial and deception, the main elements of which included the restriction of access to nuclear facilities and personnel, strict information protection measures, an enhanced counterintelligence posture, and technical countermeasures…..”

Of course the methodology described above applies equally to all other nuclear powers. The control of nuclear information was not simply motivated by the desire to thwart the enemy. Such control was an important measure in the effort to keep domestic populations controlled and compliant.

Vast tracts of the former USSR remain contaminated. The Soviet victims of this era are now acknowledged by East and West.

The situation in the West is similar. There is a glaring difference however. Western victims are far less likely to be acknowledged in the West than are the Soviet victims.

The story of Lallie Lennon is one example. The contamination of the Hanford site, one of the most contaminated in the world, is another.

In the US there is a guaranteed and defined right to free speech. This is a striking difference between the US and the USSR.

The passage of the Atomic Energy Act in the US empowered that State to control, to the point of prohibition, public discussion of relevant information……

Thus, for example, Dr Linus Pauling, a US citizen, had his passport controlled to the point where he was not able to travel outside of the United States. International pressure induced the US government to suspend its control over the movements of Pauling. As a result he was able to collect the second of his Noble Prizes in person…..

The bulk of the world’s population, East and West, suffered from an imposed ignorance about the nature of nuclear weapons and radiation……

in regard to Nuclear Veterans and vulnerable civilian populations, authorities are still – in my view – lying and denying.No amount of information purporting to show the safety of nuclear reactors and their emissions provides justice to the victims of nuclear testing.

And here there is a rub. A nuclear victim may or may not be an “environmentalist”. It is possible to be an afflicted nuclear veteran who is pro nuclear. And that has to be respected.

Far from being annoyed at technical proofs that are honest and accurate, the veterans community, in my experience, welcomes such proofs….

Radio-phobia « Paul Langley’s Nuclear History Blog