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TODAY . Why we get distorted, unreliable, news about Ukraine and Israel

Israel

Every now and then, some journalist steps out of the accepted line, and spills the beans on what is going on in critical news.

This week, the Guardian’s Guardian’s Chris McGreal did just that. He exposed the journalistic turmoil in CNN, over its very biased coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza

It’s got particularly important right now. Most of us are probably still believing  in the Hamas massacre story of, “bodies of babies with their heads cut off” – despite not one shred of evidence of this. With the whole Middle East now a tinderbox, the media is still pushing the Israel storyline that goes like this: 

The Israelis suffered the brutal massacre of 1200 citizens on October 7, 2023. That justifies the massacre of 27,365 Palestinians in Gaza. In the continuing massacre of Palestinians, the Israelis are the victims. To allow humanitarian aid to the desperate , hungry, Gazan survivors is to support terrorism.

Chris McGeal explains the long, complicated, and disgraceful background of media succumbing to pressure – “the CNN network repeatedly aired inflammatory rhetoric and propaganda from Israeli officials and American supporters, often without challenge in interviews.”

He also notes the restrictions on journalists, with the Israeli block on foreign journalists, and with all CNN’s copy on the Israel-Palestine situation having be first approved by the Jerusalem bureau. 

And it’s not new – this subservience - it was the same thing with the coverage of the post 9/11 time, and the unbalanced and ultra-negative coverage of the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and the killing of Afghan civilians by US forces.

Caitlin Johnstone, the not-so-mainstream, and intrepid, excavator of the truth, has also dug up the troubling realities on the biased news that we are fed.

She aims her blowtorch on the careers of media executives moving through corporate media – New York Times – BBC – CNN – “ The corporate media are owned and controlled by plutocrats who have a vested interest in preserving the status quo power structure upon which their kingdoms are built, and state broadcasters like the BBC have the same interest for the same reason. They decide who the executives of those outlets will be, and those executives make policy and hiring decisions which cause the outlet to function in a way that is indistinguishable from state propaganda.”

UKRAINE

Caitlin Johnstone is also one of the few writers (apart from Russian journalists) who also shine a light on the media coverage of the Ukraine war. She has examined ”the brazen propaganda push to normalize war profiteering in Ukraine “, quoting CNN anchor Erin Burnett ………. pausing to explain to her audience that this funding is actually good for Americans, because it goes straight into the US arms industry.“

She points out not only the advantages to American weapons companies of continuing the Ukraine war indefinitely, but the way in which the media report this – with approval!   “western officials are now going out of their way to communicate to the public that this war will stretch on for many more years to come.”

She quotes the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and CNN - all positively gushing over how good this war is for America - jobs, share prices, company profits - all good!

When it comes to coverage of the actual war and its battles - well, we hear a lot about the dedicated President Zelensky. We hear about the Ukrainian counter-offensive (though it did not seem to work). We get genuinely sad stories about victims of Russian strikes, and rather more dubious stories about Russian atrocities. On the whole, we really don’t hear much about the actual progress of the war, and get a stunning silence about the Ukrainian troop casualties. And there’s little attempt to explain the background to this war. As with the Gaza story, it’s as though the hostilities were new and unprovoked, and the grievances are solely on the side that the USA supports

Mostly the Ukraine coverage is about how world democracy requires more weapons to be bought (by Western tax-payers) and given to Ukraine.

The media – journalists hanging on to their jobs, companies hanging on to their advertisers, and their profits – dance to the corporate line. Are we all dancing along with them, to World War 3 ?

February 7, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

Nuclear news – week to 6th February

Some bits of good news .  Heroes in pink: Lao midwives supporting rights and saving lives      Zimbabwe launches cholera vaccination to curb the spread.     Wild panda population nearly doubles as China steps up conservation efforts.

TOP STORIES.  


Climate.  Greta Thunberg’s public order charge dropped as judge criticises police action.  Greta Thunberg was given ‘final warning’ before London arrest.

Nuclear. I’m still trying to stay off the Israel-Gaza topic. But it is all bringing us closer to nuclear war.

Noel’s notes.  Goodbye Mastodon! The power of the Zionist lobby. Mastodon has closed me down again – this time for supporting United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). WHAT’S GOING ON?      How very unfashionable! Scottish MP is worrying about health aspects of nuclear power, (instead of the finances!)       What’s the connection between the UK Post Office scandal and Soviet Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov?

NUCLEAR ISSUES

CLIMATE. COP28 pledge to expand nuclear capacity is out of touch with reality.CIVIL LIBERTIES.  A Radically Different World Since Assange’s Indictment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLJ3-jF1UoECONOMICS. UK’s Nuclear “money pit” tops $59 billion.  EDF, France’s state-owned nuclear company now in a fatal trap, as Hinkley Point C costs soar.  Is this the World’s Most Expensive and Most Delayed Power Project?  Are the French going cold on UK nuclear?  France limits its investment in Britain’s Sizewell C, as the global nuclear industry requires massive government subsidies. 
 Many challenges [? big problems]   [? big problems] stand in the way of a ‘nuclear power renaissance’
 Czech Republic / Government Seeks Binding Tenders For Four Nuclear Reactors From EDF And KHNP.
ENERGY. German energy companies reject nuclear energy proposals – citing high risks and toxic waste problem . Tripling nuclear energy by 2050 will take a miracle, and miracles don’t happen.ENVIRONMENT. ‘Odd’ Hinkley Point C salt marsh plan has Somerset locals up in arms.HEALTH. Man suffered most painful death imaginable after horror accident made him ‘cry blood’ and ‘skin melted’. 
 Sellafield nuclear plant: Cancer fears raised by Scottish MP.
INDIGENOUS ISSUES. Tell it to the Chieftain: Nuclear power plants, and Is advanced nuclear a pipe dream?LEGAL. Holtec International avoids criminal prosecution related to false documents, pays $5m fine.  US Court Hears Case Alleging Biden Complicit in Israel’s Genocide in Gaza. The provisional measures of the International Court of Justice. 
What Happens Now That the ICJ Has Ordered Israel Not to Engage in Genocide?		MEDIA. Neck Deep in the Big Media Mudd
OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR .   MP calls for vote on Holderness nuclear site which local petition brands ‘hazardous waste dumping ground’.       It’s not a done deal and you are not alone’: anti-GDF campaigners pledge solidarity with South Holderness over nuclear waste dump plan.        South Holderness nuclear waste plan not safe – residents.   Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (BANNG) firmly contradicts Therese Coffey, MP on Bradwell as a nuclear site.  Campaigners Warn Return of US Nukes to UK Would ‘Make Britain a Guaranteed Target’.POLITICS. Nancy Pelosi’s attack on Gaza ceasefire advocates is a disgrace.  Holtec to get $1.5 bln loan to re-open Michigan nuclear power plant -source,  The Future of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and Its Impacts on Ontario. Ford Government Issues Blank Cheque for Nuclear Power, Shows Reckless Disregard for Nuclear Waste Generation . How not to go nuclear: Hinkley and Sizewell. Hinkley C – don’t say I didn’t warn you!- (a pro-nuclear view!) UK govt awards Hitachi  £33.6 m to design small nuclear reactors. UK govt designates British Nuclear Fuels Ltd as Great British Nuclear (…..whatever this means). Hinkley Point shambles shows why UK must scrap disastrous nuclear strategy. Cracks appear in Labour-Green alliance over claims that Heysham power stations letter was ‘reckless’.
POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. France seeks loan guarantees from UK over Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. 
The feckless four – hypocrisy of the nuclear weapons nations.
 French firm EDF shows its power over the UK govt – no judicial review now required over fish protection from Hinkley nuclear cooling system 		SAFETY. Safety concerns persist at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant .  France’s ASN nuclear safety authority warns of fraud risk in nuclear industry.Britain plans ‘robocop’ force to protect nuclear sites with paint bombs. Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) Disappointed in Province’s Decision on Pickering Nuclear Plant. Residents ask for full examination of damage to nuclear plant caused by quake.  Magnitude-4.8 earthquake jolts Tokyo and the Kanto region.SECRETS and LIES. Military-Intelligence Corruption Information Center. 
 As Ukraine begs for more weapons, corruption in its Defense Ministry is revealed. 
 Chinese nuclear fuel engineer Li Guangchang caught in anti-corruption net targeting ‘high-risk’ areas.
SPACE. EXPLORATION, WEAPONS. Nuclear industry takes control of NASA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZnSkC-nXg  
 Nuclear power on the moon: NASA wraps up 1st phase of ambitious reactor project.		SPINBUSTER. Ontario counts nuclear power as “Green”.TECHNOLOGY. Advanced nuclear power is costly and tech is still developing: Is a Pueblo plant realistic:? Will AI Warfare Usher in a Massive Expansion of the Surveillance State? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLBrP084X5Y Blade hub idea for old n-plant site.
WASTES.
 USA’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant to increase its space for nuclear trash. 
VINCI wins contract to dismantle nuclear reactors in Sweden.
 Strong opposition on plans to store nuclear waste in East Yorkshire		WAR and CONFLICT. US unleashes strikes across Middle East. The U.S. Quest for Nuclear Primacy

Australian Conservation Foundation is seriously concerned about the AUKUS nuclear submarine project, its costs and consequences and the way this initiative is being advanced.
WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. US reportedly planning to station nuclear weapons in Britain for first time in 15 years.  Documents unambiguously state ‘incoming nuclear mission’ to Britain.    RAF Lakenheath: Plans progress to bring US nuclear weapons to Suffolk – a risky target?  Britain will test fire Trident nuclear missile for the first time since 2016 as fears of World War Three grow.Russia has no plans to deploy nuclear arms beyond Belarus, says deputy minister.      NATO chief says more war, more weapons, are the way to secure lasting peace in Ukraine.  Democrats press Blinken on arms sales to Israel without congressional approval.  U.S. Congress about to weaken its oversight of weapons sales to foreign countries.  Could a Rogue Billionaire Make and Sell a Nuclear Weapon?.

February 6, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , | 2 Comments

Goodbye Mastodon! The power of the Zionist lobby

“  mastodon.social

Appeal rejected

Your appeal has been rejected.

The appeal of the strike against your account on Feb 04, 2024, 21:48 UTC that you submitted on Feb 04, 2024, 22:06 UTC has been rejected.”

Well – to say that this is a disappointment to me – would be an understatement.

I thought that Mastodon was really good – as I abandoned my Twitter account, with Twitter taken over by the dangerous, unpredictable, and possibly unhinged Elon Musk.

Here was I, thinking that people that first got me closed down on Mastodon were the nuclear lobby.

Now it’s clear that the Zionist lobby is behind it .

I have been expelled from Mastodon because I posted a link to an article supporting humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Zionist doctrine is that returning humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza is “incitement of violence or promotion of violent ideologies”

When is the world going to wake up to this absurdity?

The extreme Jews see any kindness to the desperate people of Gaza as anti-semitism.

They can get away with murder – because they’re always the victim?

Intelligent, thinking, compassionate, Jews must be in turmoil over this perversion of their religion and culture.

Meanwhile Christians, others, and secular people are buying into this charade that compassion = anti-semitism. The Western world is in a horrible ethical crisis – worse that in the 1930s, when it was not clearly apparent that the genocide of the Holocaust was happening. Now, everybody knows that Netanyahu and co are massacring Palestinians.

How long are these killers going to be able to hide behind the Holocaust, and pretend that they are victims as they kill?

February 5, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , | 1 Comment

Mastodon has closed me down again – this time for supporting United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). WHAT’S GOING ON?

NOEL WAUCHOPE, FEB 5, 2024

I appealed to Mastodon last time they shut me down, and they promptly restored me. Here’s hoping that they do this again!

Mastodon shut down my account , and sent me this message:

Your account @NoelWauchope@mastodon.social has been suspendedYou can no longer use your account, and your profile and other data are no longer accessible. You can still login to request a backup of your data until the data is fully removed in about 30 days, but we will retain some basic data to prevent you from evading the suspension.

Reason: Content violates the following community guidelines

  • No incitement of violence or promotion of violent ideologies

Posts cited:

The West: guilty of genocide
Doing Goebbels proud #Israel #Palestine

I am a little bit amused, but more disturbed, that gmail also regards “The West: guilty of genocide” as a suspicious link.

I am finding that a lot of Substacks are “suspicious links”, according to gmail. Especially when anyone shows a bit of compassion for the Palestinians. What is going on?

And here is my appeal to Mastodon (They let you have only a couple of lines)

NoelWauchope Today at 08:06

The article that I posted was NOT an incitement of violence or promotion of violent ideologies. Quite the opposite, really. The theme of the article is that humanitarian aid should be returned to the people of Gaza. The writer claims that stopping United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a breach of the Genocide Convention, quoting this point “Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destr ( here’s where I was cut off - it would have continued –  physical destruction in whole or in part)

February 4, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , | 1 Comment

TODAY. How very unfashionable! Scottish MP is worrying about health aspects of nuclear power, (instead of the finances!).

Really and truly ! Doesn’t he understand what the zeitgeist Is? (OK – I’m not really sure what zeitgeist means, anyway).

But the thing is. If you want to talk seriously about the nuclear industry, then you must just focus on the costs and the (supposed) financial benefits.

Nobody’s that interested in public health these days. it’s all about the money. Perhaps we should be grateful for this global obsession about money and profits. It’s the one thing that might stop this toxic industry.

MP Allan Dorans of Scotland has had the temerity to suggest that disturbance of the seabed on the Cumbrian coast might cause radioactivity from nuclear wastes to be transmitted up the food chain - increasing cancer risks.

Last year, the British Medical Journal aired a similar warning, about the cancer risks from low level ionising radiation – Cancer mortality after low dose exposure to ionising radiation in workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

But that story didn’t really catch on. And after all, with the increasing numbers of cancer cases, we’re all gonna need increased nuclear electricity for the medical technology - and nuclear power is supposed to be cheaper, isn’t it?

February 3, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | 1 Comment

TODAY. What’s the connection between the UK Post Office scandal and   Soviet Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov?

Well, nothing really. But we need to remember what Stanislav Petrov did. On September 26, 1983, Petrov, in charge of the Soviet Union’s nuclear missile system, received the computer screen order to “Launch”. The system reported that a total of five Minuteman ICBMs had been launched by the USA. Soviet nuclear doctrine called for a full nuclear retaliation. Petrov had to make an instant decision. But he feared that it was a false alarm. He disobeyed the order.

The outcome proved that Petrov was correct, and nuclear armageddon was avoided.

So, faulty technology caused a terrible danger – and one man had the integrity to doubt the digital message, and to act on his doubt.

Contrast this with the actions of Post Office and  Fujitsu authorities who covered up and lied about the faulty Horizon IT system. That resulted in 900 false convictions, 4 suicides, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives ruined.

In both cases, it was a failure of digital technology.

Now, as we plunge in to the Age of Artificial Intelligence, there is the frightening potential for more digital failures, – and worse, for human error, or even malevolence, in setting up AI programmes.

We need, as never before, people like Stanislav Petrov – people with the scepticism and the integrity - to not blindly comply with technocratic wizardry. The very recent, and still ongoing British Post Office scandal is a worrying reminder of the prevailing view about “not rocking the boat”. The boat may be sinking.

February 1, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Nuclear news – week to 29 January

A bit of good news. Pre-Pesticides, Pro-Farmer: The Rise of Agroecology
One part ancient practices, one part worker justice, a new-old way of farming is adapting agriculture for an uncertain world.

TOP STORIES.  

NOWHERE TO HIDE – How a nuclear war would kill you — and almost everyone else.  

Nuclear lobby “kills” nomination of regulator whocares too much about safety . also at   https://nuclear-news.net/2024/01/23/3-a-nuclear-lobby-kills-nomination-of-regulator-who-cares-too-much-about-safety/

Nuclear hype in meltdown. 

International Court of Justice Rules That Israel Must Stop Killing Palestinians. 

Growing mountain of wasted money is a radioactive prospect.  also at https://nuclear-news.net/2024/01/28/2-a-growing-mountain-of-wasted-money-is-a-radioactive-prospect/ 

Hinkley Point C woes threaten to break UK and France’s nuclear fusion.

Climate: Towards an unliveable planet: Climate’s 2023 annus horribilis

Nuclear. Lots about UK’s nuclear mess

Noel’s notes. A new Waterloo defeat for France – a nuclear economic one.

NUCLEAR ISSUES

CLIMATE. Small modular reactors may have climate benefits, but they can also be climate-vulnerable
EMPLOYMENT. Berkshire nuclear defence workers strike.		CIVIL LIBERTIES. In Assange’s Darkest Hour, Committee To Protect Journalists Yet Again Excludes Him From Jailed Journalist Index
ENERGY. Microsoft Looks to Nuclear to Fuel AI Plans.		ECONOMICS. EDF a total basket case, weighed down by its 50 Billion pound nuclear turkey at Hinkley Point. Sorry, France, you’re on the hook at Hinkley Point.  Hinkley Point is glowing on my doorstep, but that won’t help us get a bus into town.  France to push UK government for additional support for faltering nuclear projects. US nuclear agency isn’t consistent in tracking costs for some construction projects, report says. NuScale / Countries Likely To ‘Double Down On Scrutiny’ Following SMR Project Cancellation.

LEGAL. The ICJ’s Provisional Orders: The Genocide Convention Applies to Gaza. 

Two Men Sentenced for Falsifying Documents Related to Testing of Equipment at Nuclear Power Plants.

MEDIA. The War On Journalism In Belmarsh, The War On Journalism In Gaza.As ‘Oppenheimer’ leads Oscar nominees, Sentor Hawley wants spotlight on nuclear testing victims.  URANIUM FILM FESTIVAL MARATHON ACROSS THE USA.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . Fijian youths condemn Japan’s discharge of radioactive water.

CAMPAIGNERS opposing the development of nuclear power inBradwell-on-Sea say they believe ‘new nuclear’ in the area “remains dead in the water”.    UK government pours good money after bad, into failing Hinkley Point C nuclear boondoggle .

SPINBUSTER. Tripling nuclear power: public relations fairy dust . What is wrong with UK nuclear power? Too much “Hopium”? Detailed response to a barrage of nuclear nonsense from Zion Lights..WASTES. Plutonium NNSA Issues Final Surplus Plutonium Environmental Impact Statement. Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant: further delays for removal of melted fuel debris. Still no end in sight for Fukushima nuke plant decommissioning work. Plan to store nuclear waste under Holderness for 175 years. MP wants public vote on nuclear waste disposal
WAR and CONFLICT. ”Doomsday Clock” Kept at 90 Seconds to Midnight for 2024.   Doomsday clock stays at 90 seconds to midnight: What we know.  The Doomsday Clock is still at 90 seconds to midnight. But what does that mean?  

Israel minister renews call for striking Gaza with ‘nuclear bomb’. It May be Genocide, But it Won’t Be Stopped		WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. Nuclear-armed Israel is at war: What might this mean?   
 Italy’s FM reveals country ceased arms shipments to Israel starting October 7 over ‘war crime’ concerns 
As Trump looms, top EU politician calls for European nuclear deterrent. 
Finland is a focal point of Nato’s largest exercise since the Cold War, and looks to siting nuclear weapons. US plans to store nuclear weapons in UK: report. US will station nukes in Britain for the first time in 15 years, as West escalates conflicts on multiple fronts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZcg409HYIc 
Ukraine uncovers another $40 Million in weapons fraud.

January 29, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Giving Mastodon another go. They approved my appeal

Now, to add to my confusion – Mastodon sent me a message “My appeal has been approved. My account is back again” . My appeal was just “I don’t understand why my account has been suspended. No reason was given” . So, now I am going to give Mastodon another go

January 28, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

Bitterly disappointed in Mastodon

NOEL WAUCHOPE

Like many others, I left Twitter- X, because of Elon Musk and the whole weird setup developing there.

Today, on Mastodon, I find “Suspension of account from Jan 27, 2024”.

No warning, no notice, nothing.

My posts are almost always references to: my opposition to the nuclear industry, and to my condemnation of the genocide that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza.

Not personal attacks, not criminal accusations, not sexual content. No reason given for my suspension.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MASTODON?

I have done a little research, on Reddit. It turns out that many others have had the same experience. Apparently you can appeal, but your Mastodon account will be permanently deleted. Hard to know how to appeal, as you have no idea what prompted them to cut you off. It seems that all that is need is for one person to make an objection to you – and you’re out! But of course, not knowing what their objection was, it’s hard to answer it. My lame appeal was:

“I don’t understand why my account is suspended. I think that I deserve an explanation.”

Where to, from here?

I have a Facebook account. It doesn’t get anything like the same volume of traffic that Mastodon does. With Facebook, I feel that we enthusiasts for a particular cause (a nuclear-free world) are just talking to each other.

And by the way, the nuclear industry has a huge presence on Mastodon.

Is there any open-source, non-profit, alternative to Twitter?

Can anyone help me?,

January 28, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. A new Waterloo defeat for France – a nuclear economic one,

Almost 200 years before Electricite de France (EDF) signed a nuclear contract with Britain, France got decisively beaten by England, in the battle of Waterloo. That defeat ended France’s attempts to dominate Europe.

Now in 2024, France is suffering a humiliating blow, because of that 2016 contract. In essence, EDF agreed to be  solely responsible for cost overruns during construction of Britain’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

To make matters worse, in 2022, the debt-laden EDF was fully nationalised by the French government, – which paid  9.7 billion euros to take on this burden.  Back in 2016, the plant was meant to cost £18bn; it’s now headed to cost. £46bn .

Sacre bleu indeed!

France’s President Macron aims to make the nation the dominating nuclear industry power. Delusions of grandeur indeed. Apart from his grandiose plans for new fleets of big and little reactors, - around his neck is – as The Guardian puts it –  a financial albatross that has only become heavier. 

January 27, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. Time that Israel stopped being a religious dictatorship

What is so badly needed right now ? The truth. Facts. A bit of logic.

Israel has no official religion. Yet the declaration of independence in 1948 made it clear that Israel is “The Jewish State”.

And now – all the Western powers seem to agree with Benjamin Netanyahu - yes Israel IS the Jewish State.

And why does that matter?

Well, look at the past , and the present. What does a theocracy mean for its people?

Well, for hundreds of years up to around the 500 BC time, the Israel lands, especially Judah, were controlled by a state ideology of “Zion theology,”  the idea that Yahweh, the god of Israel, had chosen Jerusalem for his dwelling-place and that the Davidic dynasty would reign there forever. Then the Babylonian conquest happened, and the Hebrew Bible developed in the exiled community. The exiles saw themselves as a people distinct from other peoples.

Oppressed by the Romans, the Jews later became persecuted for centuries by the Christians. In theocratic Europe, the Inquisition developed, culminating in the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, torturing and killing non-Christians.

So, we see what religiously controlled States did to people, in the past.

And today.

Iran’s Islamic Republic says it all – enforcement of sharia law, oppression of women, oppression of religious minorities, the Supreme Leader exerts ideological and political control over a system dominated by clerics who shadow every major function of the state. 

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic theocracy and the government has declared the Qur’an and the Sunnah (tradition) of Muhammad to be the country’s Constitution. Laws are enforced against religious minorities. It has  the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, which carries out religious policing, including control over women’s clothing and their lives. There are severe punishments for blasphemy. Education is dominated by a religious focus.

How does Israel get away with pretending not to be a theocracy? 

There’s a worldwide pretence that Jews are an ethnic minority. But Jews are all over the world, and do not have distinctive physical traits or genetic markers.

From the Balfour Declaration of 1917, to the Declaration of Independence in 1948, the world powers seemed to agree that the Palestine communities didn’t matter, and the land could be claimed by Jews who had previously bought properties there, and by the European Jews who survived the Holocaust.

This was grossly unfair to the Palestinians, – and to the Jews, who had little other choice.

But they’re there now. And can’t realistically be moved elsewhere. And Palestinians exist too.

So – everybody has to live with this. It would be a good start if everybody, especially Israeli citizens, recognised the humanity of all people, stopped banging on about “God’s chosen people”, and clearly stated Israel as a secular state.

January 25, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. If you care about safety, you don’t get a job on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission!

Yes, the nuclear lobby ‘killed’ the job of Jeff Baran, because his prime concern is safety, rather than promoting the nuclear industry !

What really got me about this – is that Jeff Baran is actually a very pro nuclear person! He wants the new nuclear renaissance to thrive. wants the new advanced reactors to go ahead.

It’s just unfortunate that Jeff Baran shows a bit of concern for environmental justice, for indigenous communities impacted by nuclear matters, and, biggest mistake of all “he prioritises safety”.

Ya can’t have a nuclear regular with that attitude!

Now in the past, the nuclear industry was held back by dreadful people, now thoroughly discredited, of course.

Greg Jaczko, the former Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, published an explosive new book: Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator.  In it, he gets honest with the American people about the dangers of nuclear technology, which he labels “failed,” “dangerous,” “not reliable.”  He particularly comes down against nuclear as having any part in mitigating the problems of climate change/global warming.

Allison Macfarlane, former chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). “I encourage countries that are just embarking on nuclear power to make sure that they have a plan for disposal, before they turn on the reactor.”

‘Earthquakes are just one of many natural hazards nuclear plants must
be prepared for’, she said. ‘Others include tornadoes, flooding, drought
and tsunamis.’

she says ‘one of the reasons SMRs will cost more has to do with fuel costs’ with some designs requiring ‘high-assay low enriched uranium fuel (HALEU), in other words, fuel enriched in the isotope uranium-235 between 10-19.99%, just below the level of what is termed “highly enriched uranium,” suitable for nuclear bombs.  …………  an enrichment company wants assurance from reactor vendors to invest in developing HALEU production. But since commercial-scale SMRs are likely decades away, if they are at all viable, there is risk to doing so.’

At least we know where we are, people! If you had any idea that the USA government was in charge of nuclear safety, well you can put that idea to bed.

When Ted Norhaus and the Breakthrough Institute can finish off the job of a pro- nuclear regulator, because he has the temerity to prioritise safety, well, you really know that the nuclear lobby controls the USA government.

January 23, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Another week in nuclear news

Some bits of good news. The Year in Cheer – 177 ways the world got better in 2023.

TOP STORIES.   The Last Flurry: The US Congress and Australian Parliamentarians seek Assange’s Release. 

UK’s nuclear obsessions kill off its net zero strategy .  Military interests are pushing new nuclear power – and the UK government has finally admitted it.  

LIES. United Against Nuclear Iran: The Shadowy, Intelligence-Linked Group Driving the US Towards War With Iran. 

Nuclear goes backwards, again, as wind and solar enjoy another year of record growth.

              ********************************

Climate. State of the Climate: 2023 smashes records for surface temperature and ocean heat. A new wave of climate denialism is on the rise. The Greenland ice cap is losing an average of 30m tonnes of ice an hour due to the climate crisis. Shock Horror! – They’re letting some WOMEN into the Cop29 climate summit committee!

Nuclear.  Pro nuclear propaganda seems to be doubling, as nuclear’s obscene costs become more apparent, as well as “clean nuclear’s absolute connection with weaponry!

Noel’s Notes. UK govt has come clean about it! Nuclear power- no use, really – just essential for the nuclear weapons industry.  Biden in a bind – powerless to stop the genocide, but keen to fund it and promote it. The human cost when IT goes wrong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQQib3rmkE

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            ECONOMICS. The Times asks “Are big nuclear reactors really the right thing for the UK?  Nuclear power may twice as expensive as the Swedish government thought?  $25 billion for refurbishment of Darlingon and Bruce reactors. US Offers Up To $500MM for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Production for SMRs. Big costs sink flagship nuclear project 

EMPLOYMENT.  Federal Employees to Stage Walk Out Over Biden’s Support for Gaza Slaughter

ENERGY. An Unprecedented Momentum for Renewables.  IEA: Global renewable capacity grows over 50% YoY in 2023.  Analysis: World will add enough renewables in five years to power US and Canada.  Fuel problems for nuclear power, as the industry continues to languish in the doldrums.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES. Kebaowek Nation calls for cancellation of nuclear waste disposal site at Chalk River. Documentary ‘Downwind’ shows deadly consequences of nuclear testing on tribal lands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkoVPZnLlUY&t=14s

LEGAL. South Africa has made its genocide case against Israel in court. Here’s what both sides said and what happens next.  Fukushima Nuclear Waste Water Disputes Continued: International Law in Japanese Court?

MEDIA. How the Gaza War Can Be Big News and Invisible at the Same Time. Cancelling the Journalist: The Australian ABC’s Coverage of the Israel-Gaza War.  The threat of catastrophe is assessed in Nuclear Armageddon: How Close Are We? — review  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j43-i6E2UJU&t=128s. 1 B Scary simulator shows what could happen in the event of a nuclear disaster.

OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR . Blocking the Doors of the Treaty Blockers & the Nuclear Ban Treaty’s 3d Anniversary.

PERSONAL STORIES. ‘The fight isn’t over’: Idaho downwinders persist after Congress cuts compensation for them.

POLITICS.  

POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY. São Tomé and Príncipe 70th State to ratify Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. US urges discussions with China on practical nuclear risk reduction steps.

SAFETY. Limping along: EDF Energy looking to extend operational life of aging reactors AGAIN.  Hinkley C site fire safety fears trigger enforcement notices.

SECRETS and LIES. Shining a light on the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

SPINBUSTER. Work officially ‘started’ at Sizewell C Nuclear on Monday – but it was really only political theatre. Why nuclear reactors are not the future of energy despite what UK Government would have you think.

TECHNOLOGY. Nuclear start-up Newcleo drops plans for British factory in favour of France. WASTES. Chalk River, or low-level nuclear governance. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) wants to delay completion of its review on waste dump.

WAR and CONFLICT. A response to Kallenborn: Why realism requires that nuclear weapons be abolished. Incredible analysis of US warmongers plans for war with China !  Read this and weep! 

WASTES. Chalk River, or low-level nuclear governance. Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) wants to delay completion of its review on waste dump.

WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. 

January 22, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. UK govt has come clean about it! Nuclear power- no use, really – just essential for the nuclear weapons industry.

” Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050, – in this supposedly “civil” strategy – are multiple statements about addressing “civil and military nuclear ambitions” together to “identify opportunities to align the two across government”.

Some pesky British scientists have gone badly off script – the naughty troublemakers.  Andy Stirling and Philip Johnstone should be talking about the wonderful ability of the nuclear industry to fix climate problems and energy needs.

But dammit, these guys don’t seem to understand which side their bread is buttered on. They have blatantly explained what the UK government has quietly acknowledged – THE REAL REASON FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY.

The industry is not economic, not clean, not healthy, not safe, not effective against global heating, - BUT – it provides a good, respectable cover for continuing to use tax-payer to prop up the killing industry - nuclear weapons.

We probably all knew this, underneath. But it is obscured by some comfortable fantasy that we are safer “protected” by mass-killing weapons, than by friendship, understanding, negotiating, with other nations. By the fantasy that “strong” (though stupid) governments care about our survival. The reality is that those in power in government just want to hang on to their prestigious jobs and hope that the bad stuff doesn’t happen until after they retire. In the meantime they’ve got the support of the killing industries and macho military.

Stirling, Johnstone, and also Jonathon Porritt have publicised what the government rather quietly admitted:

” Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050, – in this supposedly “civil” strategy – are multiple statements about addressing “civil and military nuclear ambitions” together to “identify opportunities to align the two across government”.

Jonathon Porritt is probably already persona non grata with the authorities. As for Stirling and Johnstone – telling the truth is probably not a good career move.

January 20, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

TODAY. The human cost when IT goes wrong.

It’s not that I am against technology. I’m using it now. It does wonderful stuff (some of the time)

But our daily lives are now so involved with digital technology. IT is in control of so many systems. We are in danger of being constantly supervised, and indeed controlled, by digital technology. China already gives an example of how that can work.

I have grave misgivings about personal privacy, and the loss of human skills to computer wizardry. And that’s when information technology is working OK.

Britain’s Post Office scandal gives a timely illustration of what can happen when IT is not working OK. Hundreds of decent, honest people were wrongly convicted: they had to pay thousands of pounds, homes were lost, reputations ruined, lives were lost.

Of course, Post Office and Fujitsu authorities and others covered up and lied about the faulty Horizon IT system. It continues to amaze me, how these gutless individuals are happy to hang on to their big salaries, and lie their heads off, in loyalty to their employing body. It’s been going on since the notorious tobacco industry executives lied about smoking and cancer.

Unfortunately, it seems to be embedded in the corporate climbing-the-ladder system - mindless loyalty to the industry.

It is not just the fault of these dishonest individuals. It is also the fault of our general mindless acceptance of IT “progress”, and our reverence for the megawealthy tech boys developing it.

We need to maintain a healthy scepticism about digital systems - how necessary are they , and what if they go wrong?

January 18, 2024 Posted by | Christina's notes | Leave a comment

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