Update from the Heartland
No.483
14.3.11 – 20.3.11
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,The follow-up news items:
-- Now designated the Tohoku Earthquake [481], scientists updated the magnitude to 9.1 – now tied for third largest in recorded history. Unfortunately for the Japanese, they have disaster upon disaster as the Fukushima nuclear tragedy overshadowed the gargantuan human trauma of the tsunami. Japan and the planet face far greater danger from the accumulated spent fuel rods than the active reactor fuel for a host of reasons not least of which is minimal versus substantial containment structures. The spent material can quickly deteriorate once the storage ponds are compromised, spreading contamination by the winds much like a dirty bomb where the minimal explosive is simply a spreading agent not a destructive explosive device. The New York Times offered some extraordinary satellite, adjustable, before & after images of the destruction in Japan, especially the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?ex=1315886400&en=6eebb115a4b972be&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=%20NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0316-L9
Lastly, my opinion, the Fukushima disaster should no more stop the use of nuclear energy for electrical power generation than the Deepwater Horizon / Macondo Well disaster should stop deepwater oil & gas exploration and production. We learn from mistakes and accidents.
-- As Qadhafi’s military forces advanced eastward toward Benghazi and the heart of the rebel territory in Libya, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 1973 (2011) [Vote: 10-0-5 (abstentions: Russia, PRC, Germany, Brazil, India)] on Thursday, 17.March.2011. The measure authorized the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya and recalled its Resolution 1970 (2011) of 26.February.2011 [Vote: 15-0-0] that condemned the Qadhafi regime’s use of lethal force in suppressing the protests. The UNSC action came within days of the Arab League request and endorsement of action against Qadhafi [481]. A no-fly zone is just another half measure that seems like a good idea, but rarely if ever serves its intended purpose. As noted earlier [481], I agree with Secretary of Defense Bob Gates regarding the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya. Op-Ed Columnist Roger Cohen added his voice, and in this instance, I concur with his opinion.
“Be Ruthless or Stay Out”
by Roger Cohen
New York Times
Published: March 17, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/opinion/18iht-edcohen18.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212
Cohen appropriately referenced an historic example of the unintended consequences often common to the use of half-measures – the UNSC Resolution 781 (1992) adopted on 9.October.1992 to protect Bosnian Muslims from Serbian military power. Unfortunately, nearly three years later (13/22.July.1995), the Serbians carried out a horrendous ethnic cleansing massacre at Srebrenica, Bosnia, despite allied “protections.” This Libyan action has absolutely nothing to do with the War on Islamic Fascism . . . as yet; however, instability in the Islamic world attracts the insanity of al-Qaeda, which is turn will focus more Allied attention. Since we pulled the trigger on this one, I’m with Roger Cohen; we are now all-in there, and we should be ruthless in eradicating Qadhafi’s tyrannical regime. At least on this occasion, the French and British lead the action with the United States in support. Coalition military operations to eliminate the Libyan air defense system began on Saturday. Le Armée de l’Air carried out the first airstrikes against Qadhafi’s forces, including some armored units outside Benghazi. Several news reports indicated the Egyptians are supplying small arms and ammunition to the rebels in Eastern Libya.
-- A Pakistani court ordered the immediate release of Raymond Allen Davis, 36, the security contractor for the CIA in Pakistan and a former Army Special Forces soldier arrested for shooting and killing two Pakistani assailants [480]. Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that a US$2.34M "blood money" payment has been paid to the victims' families on behalf of Davis, and he has been handed over to the U.S. Consul General.
-- On Friday, President Obama signed into law the second funding extension for the Federal government until 8.April.2011 – Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011 [PL 112-006; H.J.RES.48; Senate: 87-13-0-0(0); House: 271-158-0-3(3)] – after the first version, the Further Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011 [PL 112-004; H.J.RES.44; Senate: 91-9-0-0(0); House: 335-91-0-6(3)]. [481] I suspect Congress will run out of qualifier adjectives before they reach the end of FY2011 and have to begin deliberations on the FY2012 appropriations legislation.
-- On 18.March.2011, Dane County [Wisconsin] Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order blocking the state's contentious collective bargaining law 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 [482] – from taking effect; so the tortuous journey continues and Wisconsin is thrown into greater fiscal uncertainty.
-- On Saturday, 19.March, five weeks after the departure of the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak [478], the Egyptian People voted in a constitutional referendum and approved a package of amendments – 41% of 45 million eligible voters cast ballots (77.2% in favor, 22.8% opposed). The changes eliminate restrictions on political rights and open the way for parliamentary and presidential elections within months. Opponents argued that the changes allowed too little time for political parties to organize, which will tend to favor the organized political entities like the Muslim Brotherhood and the former ruling party.
News from the economic front:
-- The Federal Reserve maintained its easy-money policies as they noted the pressure on consumer prices from a strong rise in international commodity prices. They made no direct mention of developments in Japan. They also said they expected the effects of higher oil prices to be transitory.
-- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) filed suit against three former executives of the failed Washington Mutual Bank (WaMu), along with the wives of two of the executives. The FDIC is seeking US$900M in damages for alleged gross negligence and other failures by the former executives as direct contributors to WaMu’s collapse in September 2008 – the largest-ever U.S. banking failure.
-- The Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers and central bank governors responded to a request of the Japanese government and pledged solidarity with Japan, as they will jointly intervene in the foreign exchange market to ensure orderly markets. The financial markets reacted favorably.
No comments or contributions from Update no.482.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
2 comments:
I note that you support the continuation of both nuclear power generation and deepwater fossil fuel extraction, but you do not state whether you support the well-being of the public, the planet, and the corporations concerned. Particular methods of drilling wells and specific nuclear waste containment methods have failed dramatically; other operations continue using the same methods. Specifically, should we allow conditions that have proven to be horribly dangerous to continue during the time it takes to "learn from mistakes and accidents"?
So now we have a third military front, but we still have no quantifiable goal in any of them. I support the idea of winning or staying out, but we still need to define winning clearly and decide what price is too high.
I rejoice that Egypt has held elections. Whether the Muslim Brotherhood prospers and the results if they do prosper remain to be seen. I find it difficult to believe that Hosni Mubarak's party will do well regardless of its organizational abilities.
Calvin,
I acknowledge the seriousness of your first statement, but I must confess the suffering of a modest chuckle. If we did not know each other so well, I might think your picture me as the heartless, curmudgeon troll from under the bridge. You know quite well my compassion for mankind, concern and care for the planet, and my inherent suspicion of the corporate profit motive. As with all human endeavors, progress is often borne on the sacrifice of a hapless few – bridges, buildings, railroads, ships, airplanes, mining, industrialization, ad infinitum. History is replete with mistakes. The reality is, we learn far more from the mistakes than we do from the successes; this is NOT rationalization for any loss of life or injury at the altar of progress – quite the contrary. The learning process from the Macondo Well disaster continues; I firmly believe we will be better for the event. Likewise, we shall learn and become smarter from the Fukushima disaster. I’ve been amazed (so far) that the contamination from Fukushima has been so low considering the magnitude and breadth of what apparently happened to cause the event. Nuclear power generation remains the cleanest, least offensive source of large scale electricity generation. Even hydroelectric systems compromise large tracts of land . . . with the exception of those few that utilize natural waterfalls. When properly stored, spent fuel rods are safe and can be maintained so for generations . . . until we figure out how we might reuse them. The storage pools as used at Fukushima were intended to be temporary, transient capacity, not virtually permanent sites because of the NIMBY syndrome. We want and need electric power, but we do NOT want the facilities that generate that power – what a dichotomy that is.
Re: Libya. I suspect in this instance the United States was a reluctant partner. My compassion sympathizes with the protesters trying to rid themselves of a tyrannical dictator; however, definition of the national interests of the United States in Libya would be tortuous at best. The definition of “winning” is not clear to me either. While the Libyan action may seem humanitarian, these events have a consistent way of experiencing scope-creep, no matter the noble contrary intentions. My opinion about the employment of military half-measures is well-documented and clear; my opinion has not changed. This was a bad idea, but the trigger was pulled and we’re all-in now.
You may well be correct on the Egyptian political terrain. I certainly hope not. As always, we shall see soon enough, and there is a very real potential that Egypt could be another “be careful what you wish for” episode like Iran was in 1979.
“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap
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