Nuclear Problem In Japan: Is Obama Partly Responsible?

The Market Ticker ^ | March 17, 2011 | Karl Denninger

[crosstimbers]

From the BBC:

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, quoting a senior official of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, said the US made the offer immediately after the disaster damaged Fukushima No 1 nuclear plant. According to the unnamed senior official, US support was based on dismantling the troubled reactors run by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) some 250 km (155 miles) northeast of Tokyo. However, the government and TEPCO thought the cooling system could be restored by themselves, the report said. (Another source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_646444.html)

Am I reading this right?

Our government demanded that the Japanese dismantle - that is, permanently remove - over five gigawatts of power in order to help them with a critical safety problem that had the potential to destroy 100 square miles of land and kill or injure thousands of people?

That as compensation for helping them we demanded that they cripple their electrical generating capacity on a permanent basis?

You have to be kidding me.

This is an extremely serious charge. If it's true it stands alone as grounds for impeachment and dismembering every single federal agency involved.

Perhaps this explains why the US Military and/or civilian authorities didn't stick a couple of big-ass generators on a transport plane and get them over there, restoring power to the reactors within hours of the incident and avoiding all of the serious radiation and physical damage at the plant.

[verity]

"According to the unnamed senior official"

Him again. lol

[atc23]

"What, you think there's not a single functioning generator anywhere in Japan?"

I guess there is but what do you need a generator for anyway when your pressing concern is bringing in water to keep the rods from melting?

What are you gonna do, dump seawater into a hole in the roof via Chinook helicopter? - and is a fine misting of the work area really going to have any effect on the superhot core?

That was about the most desperate move I've ever seen.

Rush Limbaugh says ain't nuttin a worry bout so I'll go back to bed now.