In the aftermath of the sad and tragic events in Japan, we all need to be careful not to add to the pain of the Japanese people, by creating any misunderstanding about our deep compassion and respect for them.
This morning, I was sad to see one of our apparently Japanese Kossacks offended by remarks from one of our old timers, that were poorly worded, and probably not intended to give offense. But, the misunderstanding touched a sore nerve and seemed to one reader to be “writing off the country” of Japan, and implying that we, in the US, felt we were “superior” by pointing out so many short comings in the management of the nuclear crisis by TEPCO, and the Japanese government.
I wrote an apology on behalf of our community, hoping to reassure the commenter that, as far as I can tell, the vast majority, if not all of the writers here have great compassion and respect for the Japanese people, and we are impressed by their stoicism, and ability to pull together as a nation, and take care of one another. More than one US writer has noted that in New York City, and Los Angeles, when the power went off at night, looting and chaos broke out within hours.
The Japanese people are famous for their heroic stoicism and perseverance. I'm sure the Japanese people will find ways to overcome these tragedies.
As I have thought about this throughout the day, I am realizing how easily many of our discussions here, might be confusing to someone in a very different culture, while also suffering from this “triple whammy” of disasters. The purpose of this diary, is to invite discussion, on how all of us can be more sensitive, and improve the clarity of our communications, to avoid any confusing, or hurtful remarks.
Let me share two more specific examples noting how quickly such simple and obvious sentiments face conundrums, and “complex ethical ambiguities.”
The first having to do with the ongoing urgent debate, and policy choices and budget commitments that we are in the process of making within weeks, the budget, and license extensions for older plants.
The second having to do with the apparent inadequacy of the evacuation perimeter, for the Japanese people living in the area around the plant.
The Urgency of Our US Debate Reduces Our Capacity For Compassion and Respect
The escalating controversy in the US, over the safety and wisdom of nuclear power complicates our expression of concern and compassion for the Japanese people. Within days of the accident, nuclear lobbyist descended on Capital Hill, with closed door briefings reassuring the Us congress how safe nuclear power here was.
Our Japan Nuclear Incident Mothership and ROV, diary series swung into action, providing links and commentary to dozens if not hundreds of diaries, and commentaries. And, I was impressed with the calls for charitable donations for the Japanese people. And, I’ve been proud to be invited to be a blog/editor of this group. I encourage those who would like to make charitable donations to the Japanese relief funds to follow this link to the bottom section.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
But, let’s be honest. In the broader American community we’ve mixed in many purposes into our diaries and blogs, all at once.
In addition to expressions of sympathy, for the Japanese, we are also debating the merits of nuclear power, and worried too, about our safety with 104 plants here in the U.S. And, maybe also fascinated and frightened by the magnitude of this ongoing disaster. Let me be the first to confess, that I find it difficult, sometimes, not to become so caught up in the discussions, that I can loose site of the ongoing real suffering of the Japanese people.
In a rush to bring to people’s attention the latest news about radiation in Japanese agricultural products, drinking water, or the adequacy of evacuation perimeters,
I need to slow down, and remember the suffering of the real people of Japan are mixed in with these “facts” and data analysis.
In order for this diary not just to be useless pabulum, let me try to press the discussion with some deeper test cases, using my own behavior to critique.
One safe strategy to maximize our compassion, and avoid any risk of disrespect would be to wait until these incidents are over to do lessons learned, and discuss policy implications, or the quality of the Japanese leadership.
We could take a “let’s trust the experts and authorities to handle the immediate crisis, and to the ‘after-action’ analysis and debate, after the actions are over.”
However, this does not appear adequate to me, for several reasons.
1. We are about to lock our nation to another 50 year cycle of commitment to nuclear energy, in behind closed doors budget compromises that will be announced in a few weeks.
As far as I can tell, President Obama’s proposal to put $36 billion for a subsidy to restart the US nuclear energy industry, in the form of federal loan guarantees, is still in the Democratic budget proposal. When a grand compromise is announced, it will be too late to change it. Those of us who would rather see this money go to fund real, clean alternatives are locked out of these behind close doors non-transparent discussions.
It would appear our only option is to bang on our pots, and make noise. In this context the tragic data from Japan becomes our strongest ammunition to support Representative Ed Markey’s demand for a temporary moratorium on funding, and licensing, and license extensions of old plants, until full Congressional hearings on the implications of the Fukushima accidents.
I’ve read that the nuclear industry has held 21 behind closed door congressional briefings in the last two weeks alone. It is not fair for one side to do this, and then accuse those locked out of our democratic process, of being alarmist or exploitative in using still fresh, and often unverified data in public discussions to slow things down.
Here, I’ll admit the emerging data from Japan, too quickly becomes ammunition in a political battle, and errors can be made. But, the only adequate solution, is for Congress, the President to withdraw nuclear subsidies, commitments, and license discussions, until after fair analysis and open discussion can occur.
If this does not happen, do we have any choice but to apologize to the Japanese people for using their tragic experience to inform urgent, and lopsided debates in the US. Knowing full well, if we do so, we will be hurting some feelings, and truly being disrespectful, and perhaps, even cruel, as an unintended side effect? I purposeful state this in the most critical possible way, of my own beliefs, to demonstrate this difficulty and show good will.
What do we do about this terrible bind, and dilemma?
See how much more difficult being respectful, and compassionate, becomes when our back is against the wall, and we face fear, and distrust, of our own US leaders. To the Japanese people, I ask you to notice that the implied criticism here is to our own US politicians, and even to ourselves, as activists, not a sanctimonious and wrong implication of superiority of the Americans over the Japanese.
To the extent we fail to think of a better way forward, I apologize in advance to the Japanese people.
And, this in part is my attempt to explain the hurtful remarks of the other blogger here this morning.
I do not believe he is in anyway saying the US is superior to Japan, but rather that our people suffer from the same kind of error of trusting the nuclear industry and government to make these kinds of decisions on behalf of all the people who are not paying enough attention to the real dangers these plants poise to our society.
2. What if We Think The 19 Mile Evacuation Perimeter Is Not Adequate? What if Delays in Realizing This Are Harming The Health of the Japanese People?
A second flaw in the “Wait Until It’s Over Strategy” for maximizing compassion and respect, can be illustrated with the controversy over the adequacy of the evacuation perimeter. From the first days, of this crisis the US government has advised our citizens to evacuate from a 50 mile radius, while the Japanese government advised its people to evacuate only from a 12 mile radius, which later was expanded to 19 miles.
To avoid any embarrassment to our important Japanese friend and ally, our Government has made no further explanation of this. But, then quietly withdrew our naval carriers, first to a 50 mile perimeter, then to a 100 mile radius.
Earlier this week, in the Union of Concerned Scientists daily telephone briefing, Dr. David Lochbaum noted that radiation measurements of soil samples 30 to 40 miles downwind from the plant, were measured at 1 millisieverts/hour. The yearly maximum safe dosage standard for Japanese civilians is 100 millisieverts/year. Residents will exceed these limits in 4 days. Why have the residents of these areas not been advised to evacuate?
Lochbaum also brought up the possibility, that if soil radiation levels turn out to be from Cesium 137, with a 30 year half-life, as was the case in the Chernobyl accident, these areas may need to be abandoned, or extensively decontaminated before being fit for the populations to return.
What if the Japanese government is so overwhelmed with the combined crises, including the earthquake, and tsunami recovery, that it has not had time to analyze this completely? This would be perfectly, understandable. We also hear stories that the CEO of TEPCO was secluded in his office, and then hospitalized.
In US culture, and especially, here at DKOS bloggers see part of our role and contribution, in our democracy, is to provide independent analysis and advice to our government on how it can improve it’s performance relative to our standards. We also have a deep ingrained cultural distrust of governments, and power utilities to manage our best interest without helpful suggestions and pressures from independent citizens.
Our Expressions Were Not Insinuations of US Superiority But Concern for the Japanese People.
I would like to communicate to the Japanese people, and government that the fact that many bloggers and independent scientist openly shared opinions that the Japanese evacuation perimeters were inadequate was not intended to be insulting insinuations of US superiority over the Japanese, but rather were more motivated by an honest desire to help the Japanese people and government achieve the best common good for the Japanese people.
My own family lived just over 10 miles from the Three Mile Island Reactor, and during that accident I argued with my father for an entire day, that we must evacuate, our family, despite government assurances of no concern. As a former Navy pilot, and then a computer scientist for the government who worked on the operating systems for the Trident Submarines, he found it nearly impossible to believe that my "hippie friends" in the Clamshell Alliance had any access to data, that the officials of the power plant would not tell us.
And the issue I raise now for community discussion is what if our restraint to discuss these kinds of issue, out of compassion for the Japanese, backfires, and causes worse harm to the health of the Japanese people? Or, is this opinion wrong in some way I can not see? This issue is becoming more poignant, day by day. I’ve just noticed that middleagedhousewife has published ROV #36 raising even more concerns about the evacuation perimeter and reports of rising levels of radiation.
Who Decides? Citizens Or Experts?
Should citizens quietly wait, and trust experts, and overworked government authorities, to make these decision for us? Here I’m speaking as a citizen in alliance with Japanese citizens. Our experience is that this issues are too complex to be left only to government. We must have open discussions, even at the risk of being misunderstood.
But, then we who write, must strive ever harder to learn to communicate in ways that are more respectful, and sensitive to cultural differences than we have been used to in the past. Perhaps, this is a hopeful harbinger than we are beginning to evolve into a true global community?
With regard to the Japanese situation, my opinion, as a private citizen, is that we need to start preparing current evacuees, facing their second week in refugee centers that many may not ever be returning to their homes. But, will need to be resettled. Those in the 19 to 50 mile radius should be informed that even if they do not need to evacuate now, they should, at least, be sorting through their most important personal papers, wills, passports, financial assets, family photographs, and everything else they can fit into suitcases, in preparation for evacuation, and possibly never again returning to their homes.
Waiting to discuss these issues until the incident is over, may reduce the peoples ability to plan, and squanders the benefit advanced notice. Also, we risk depriving those with special situations, of the right to make their own decisions, based on available data. For example, parents of infants, or those with compromised immune systems, who have vacation homes in the south, may wish to take their vacations now, rather than waiting.
Individuals have inherent human right to prompt, complete, and accurate information about the safety of the environments we live in, and in democracies we have the right to make our own decisions about evacuation, even if we are not “qualified” in they eyes of experts to do so.
An additional factor supporting the decision to have these discussion in public while the crisis is still ongoing is that our most credible and knowledgeable academic scholars will not speculate based on insufficient data. By training they are extremely conservative, in this regard, which is usually a virtue.
Many other responsible journalists, and bloggers, to not wish to be alarmist while the crisis is ongoing.
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Conclusion And A Second Apology To the Japanese People
Please accept my apology on behalf of our whole community here, for any misunderstanding or perceived disrespect to the Japanese people that such miscommunications may be causing due to our public discussion of these issues, while the crisis is still ongoing.
We are also in shock, with the realization that similar disasters could happen here in the US, in our 104 nuclear plants. We are now realizing that the reassurances that nothing like this could ever happen in US nuclear plants because experts have planned for every possibility are not true.
I'm sorry if a potential cultural misunderstanding about the motivation for public discussions on blog sites is causing even more pain for you, and perhaps, other Japanese at this terrible time of crisis. But, I believe the motivations of the vast majority of writers here is good, and not meant to be lacking in sensitivity, respect, and compassion.
If I am wrong in this analysis I welcome any feedback or corrections.
And, let’s hope that by sharing our thoughts, in the spirit of open communication we can help all of us learn to better serve our collective and common good.