From Jiji Tsushin (7/11/2012):
自己責任を否定＝原発事故調に反論－菅前首相
Former Prime Minister Kan denies responsibility for self, argues against the Diet Investigation Commission['s conclusions]
民主党の菅直人前首相は１１日付のブログで、東京電力福島第１原発事故について「原因の大半は、事故発生の２０１１年３月１１日以前にある。これが私の結論だ」と述べ、自らの責任を否定する一方、東電や経済産業省原子力安全・保安院の対応を批判した。
In his blog post dated July 11, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, of Democratic Party of Japan, commented on the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident by saying, "Almost all the causes for the accident had existed before March 11, 2011, the day the accident happened. And that's my conclusion." He denied his own responsibility, and criticized the response [to the accident] by TEPCO and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
国会の事故調査委員会が報告書で、首相官邸の過剰な現場介入を「事故の進展を止められず、被害を最小化できなかった最大の要因」と結論付けたことへの反論。菅氏は当面、ブログで持論を連載する。
It is a rebuttal to the Diet Investigation Commission's report that concluded the excessive interference by the Prime Minister's Office with the efforts at the plant was "the largest factor that prevented [TEPCO from] arresting the progress of the accident and minimizing the damage". Mr. Kan plans to write about his conclusions on his blog for a while.
Mr. Kan sounds very familiar. Just blame the predecessors. It's the default position of the current president of the United States.
Mr. Kan's blog is here, if you read Japanese: http://ameblo.jp/n-kan-blog/
(Or "Blame Canada"...)
30-Day free trial by following the link.
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23 comments:
There are plenty of things to criticize Obama for but anyone with an ounce of sense knew that recovery from the collapse at the end of Bushes administration would be slow in coming if at all and that further lows were to be expected. It sure does seem that Obama is just a player in the bigger game but I do not have that fully sorted out yet. I have no great expectations but then again the cogs of consumerism need to be clogged for long enough for people to gain some sense (if that is possible!). Cars still clog the freeways and I am in one of them. I did visit Canada once when I was younger!?!
You really are so good in you analysis. Everyone else is to blame. Also, look at the broken GE reactor in Taiwan they will fire up even with broken/defective anchor bolts. look at the scandal going on now where former politician turned bureaucrat tries to hide millions in US and TWD currency to hide it. Yes, the politicians and bureaucrats will protect us all.
July 11 5:26pm was from Smoking Caster
While Kan has every right to deny responsibility, the reality is that he was the PM during the triple disaster. There's only so much responsibility you can shrug off. I do think that TEPCO, NISA, and the government of Japan as a whole hold more responsibility than one man who happened to be in office for a few months after a snap vote.
It’s like the people in power are the least deserving of their positions. Noda was definitely not the right choice for succession either. He seems to be making things worse and is about as bending to vested interests as one possibly could be. I am sure the nuclear village has him in their back pocket.
Right NOW..the US government is doing the same "media blackout" that Japan is doing, almost like partners. Obama is the US President and leads/appoints the people who are asking for the coverup. We need radiation monitoring..NOW-for every square foot of the USA. Why are all the monitor stations of EPA "not working?" A private Radiation network does the work EPA isnt doing. So bottom line, OBAMA, as president, and with his push for "green nuclear energy"..is going to be the one in the history books the same as Japan's Kan...for the response to the disaster..For once, Russia is actually providing MORE information than USA!
Mr. Kan - Whether you were responsible for the meltdown or not pales in comparison to the enormous responsibility you have for the media manipulation, obfuscation and misinformation campaigns that started in the aftermath while you were still at the helm of state. Whether you meant it or not, you Mr. Kan will go down in history as a mass murderer. Millions of cancers and premature deaths might have been avoided if you had acted more openly and honestly with the Japanese people from the beginning. Right now, you should be doing everything in your power to demonstrate your sincere contrition - including attending the Friday afternoon demonstrations in front of your old house - in order to perhaps win some forgiveness from the Japanese people.
He just wants to be sure that when the people start lighting their torches and picking up their pitchforks that they do not come for him also.
Do not worry Kan, they will likely come for you for your crimes too.
"There are plenty of things to criticize Obama for but anyone with an ounce of sense knew that recovery from the collapse at the end of Bushes administration would be slow in coming if at all and that further lows were to be expected."
Not still smoking that old hopium, are we? In 2008 Obama cleverly promised two different things to two constituencies. To ordinary people, those fed up with the naked criminality of the Bush era, he offered vague and unspecified "hope" and "change". To the US corporate ruling class and Wall Street, the one percent who had handsomely feasted from the criminality of the Bush era, Obama promised a continuation of Bushism, but without Bush.
Guess which of these constituencies actually matters to the sly changeling Obama? And if you think for a moment it's the majority who actually vote for him, rather his corporate patrons and paymasters, I have a bridge or two I'd like to sell you.
In China, they like to execute corrupt businessmen and the like. If every place had a harsh punishment for corrupt politicians instead of pointless nonsense like bowing and apologizing, it'd probably set an example and encourage all politicians to stop acting like unstoppable invulnerable invincible money gods.
*The above statement can be construed as supporting terrorism by federal laws. The poster takes no responsibility for actions that may result from the suggestions implied above.
Nice world we live in.
There will soon be a (small) survey of radiation along part of the US west coast in response to the tsunami debris washing up.
I am covering the news on it at my blog
at
http://wp.me/pA5vn-17K
There has nver been an official explaination from any US gov't person for why the EPA shirked their responsibilities all this time.
Two comments :
"hey Batman, were you sleeping at the wheel ? You're an a..-h... " by Marvel Comics Revisited.
"When things can go wrong, they will, especially with a tiny tiny help of the PM." by Murphy.
It's ironic how the nuclear villagers - whom I watched in discussions about nuclear safety telling hundreds of reasons, why in a nuclear power station nothing ever-ever can go wrong, why no jumbo jet crashing into the reactor could harm it, why no dozen of angry terrorists could make a dent into the fantastic nuclear wonderworld - now prove themselves wrong (at least at that they are very good) by telling that a helicopter hovering over the reactor, landing besides it and unloading 1 single guy - who comes with peaceful intentions for a short visit, to get a picture of what is going on, after (surprise!) he was not getting any information from the nuclear industry, can disrupt any and every work at a power station and single-handedly cause a big catastrophe.
If it was true that Mr. Kan's short visit posed a significant disruption in a tight crisis situation, than someone with responsibility, oversight and spine should have told him something like: "Mr. Kan, we are doing what needs to be done to avert a major catastrophe. Your visit is not helpful at this point in time. We think it is better for you to leave now. We give you all the information you need as soon as possible."
First to receive the Prime Minister at site, to do all the usual bowing and sweet talking and later to try to attach the blame for the catastrophe to him is very dishonest and cowardly.
Maxli, I think both TEPCO and Kan's own ministers said as much. Kan simply ignored it and just went.
Dishonest and cowardly is Kan.
The reason Kan was removed as Prime Minister was because he was speaking out very strongly against nuclear power and in favor of an alternative energy economy. He should have been doing this prior to the disaster, I agree. Ex SKF seems to have a very lame non analysis of Kan and just hold a grudge, but to miss the point that he was removed by the Nuclear Village and replaced by pro nuke Noda is a very important point. As for Obama, he is WORSE than Bush, just as every preceding president is worse than the last one.
The number of lies and coverups perpetrated by the nuclear industry, the utilities and their "controllers" is countless and as of today they have lost the habit (right Kepco?).
I believe no one was giving Kan sensible information and he was very brave at flying to the accident location to get a sense of it by himself.
I am no nuclear engineer and since that March 11th I slowly had to sift through so much information and misinformation; Kan had to figure out everything in a few hours and take decisions that could not be entrusted to who created that "man made" disaster. Even if he has not done everything right, what is the problem? Did Tepco do everything right or did they knowingly cut costs putting a whole nation at risk?
Beppe
Oh, btw, Kan stopped Hamaoka, Noda started Oi.
Tepco wanted to abandon the plant, Kan went there.
Let's get the priorities sorted properly please.
Beppe
I'm so sick of Kan's apologists. They sound like Obama apologists. No matter what, Kan is a hero to them, and interpret every shred of info in his favor. Ugh.
When Kan ordered Hamaoka stopped, there was a comment by a Japanese defense analyst that Kan did so at the order of or strong request from the US military. The US Seventh Fleet is based in Yokosuka, downwind from Hamaoka.
@sick anonymous: Kan has done a better job in some areas and worse in others (evacuation, information). I wish he had done more and I wish he did more now.
In contrast Noda appears to work very hard for the nuclear village; I believe he recently signed an agreement with Obama about nuclear cooperation and under his government Japan approved a law to allow the development of nuclear weapons.
If you think it is all the same and you feel sick I can't help that.
Beppe
Kan is no doubt already in a sort of prison for his contribution to the downfall of Japan.
He resigned his position because he knew what devastation was coming to the country.
And he now he absolves himself of responsibility - a sure sign of one who has imprisoned himself with guilt.
As stated eloquently above, Kan is not responsible for the meltdown - however he is 100% responsible for the coverup of the meltdown. As a result millions of Japanese will suffer.Same with Oblama - his lack of openness about what is going on is despicable.
Neither has given their country a proper chance to contain and recover from this.
However - Kan and O are not the enemies here - they are merely lying bit players. Much suffering would happen in Japan regardless of Kan.
The enemy here is this industry. An industry that is built on a house of deception and manipulation of information from science into scientific lies.
The nuclear industry not only produces cancer - IT IS A CANCER ON HUMANITY. And it has metastasized. It has infected our internal organs. It has infected our brains. It has infected our eyes and our senses. Humanity is on the verge of being no longer able to function, and see and think well enough to rid ourselves of the cancer - so humanity might perish.
Perhaps the radiation treatment from Fukushima will be enough to kill this cancer
james
Dito to james
@ Anonymous July 12 12:08 AM
Hopium; that is clever though I hope you have not been exposed to so much negatonium that you are no longer able to propose a solution. I would be most interested if you do have one offer, as long as it does not start with libertarianisom (the equivalent of selling the farm to those that have the cash or gold or whatever).
Concerning Obama I share many of your perceptions and sentiments. With Iraq and Afghanistan to me it really does seem to be a continuation of policies launched by the Bush administration (given the clear economic pressures and other limitations). Also no one is being held to account for the crimes of the Bush administration just as no one is being for what led to the consequences of Japans nuclear disasters (including GE). Japan and the US seem to be equaly held hostage by techno corporate megaliths and the interests of the megawealthy. Our governments and populations are stuck in subservience to these holders of the economic political reigns. I am not sure what the solution for the US is, but I am not selling the farm.
I think the perspectives in this article are worth a look.
The URL did not come through so here is the title.
"The NAIIC Report: Self-Flagellation"
Kan did not resign, he has been resigned by his party in order to replace him with someone with a more pro nuke stance, I believe.
He had to push so hard even to put in place the so called stress test, which several people view as not enough to guarantee that the plants are safe and can be restarted.
Overall the DPJ seems to me more pro-nuclear than not; voters keep this in mind until the next election.
Beppe
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