Nuclear / Atomic Energy Quotes
This declaration, drafted by Russell and Einstein two days before Einstein’s death was signed by a number of other prominent scientists.
Under this initiative the US declassified and distributed technical, previously secret information, about atomic science to the world for scientific development. It has been very successful and there are few modern nations that have not benefitted from the program.
Explaining the origin of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster:
The lecture was on radium and the radioactivity that scientists had recently discovered. This appears to be the first time a scientist suggested the possibility of using atomic energy to produce a powerful weapon. At the same time, note that he also mentioned the possible destruction of the earth. “Heavy matter” referred to the elements—many of which had not yet been discovered—that had larger atomic numbers than radium like uranium.
He was speaking from retirement. When he was Prime Minister--2001-2005, and active politically, he was in favor of nuclear power for Japan. But after the meltdown of the reactors at Fukishima, he saw happening exactly what the corporation executives running the nuclear power told him could never happen. He aslo supported the claims of American Sailor who had provided much help in the nuclear emergency that they were suffering from deseases brought on by teh excessibe radiation that they encountered.
This quotation is an example of a phenomenon that occurs with many foreign leaders who do not understand America or democracy. Because the world was able to see people on American television claim that racial discrimination was a factor in the Federal government’s terrible performance with Hurricane Katrina, Khamenei and others assume that the accusation is true. Their view is through a very warped prism of Islamic Fascist Fundamentalism. So when they see the American government being so heavily criticized, they assume that this is in spite of government efforts to silence the critics. Therefore the notion that the administration Iranian policy is a ploy to deflect domestic pressure away from Katrina becomes creditable as does the fact that the media carry some American support for this “wag the dog” theory. For us the domestic debate is too important to our democracy to try and adjust domestic political debate to avoid misinterpretation those who do not understand democracy.
