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| tggzzz:
--- Quote from: TomKatt on February 15, 2023, 02:50:02 pm --- --- Quote from: tggzzz on February 15, 2023, 02:41:03 pm ---One consequence was that Threads caused many people to ponder why the USA was plonking intermediate range nuclear missiles in the UK. People came to realise that the USA was defending us so the war would be faught here rather than in the US. Much like Ukraine today, as Boris Johnson (who he?) pointed out "We’re paying higher bills – Ukraine is paying in blood" :( --- End quote --- While that is certainly true, it seems like the UK (and every other modern nation) wanted their own nukes as well, so in some sense they'd probably be there no matter who installed them. At the same time, the US didn't want to share the atomic secrets, forcing the UK to do their own work and the mess that comes with it (Windscale?). I don't know what the answer is to anything, but I've never seen atomic energy in any form to solve more problems than it creates. Given the naivete of the times it was developed, it's amazing we haven't blown ourselves up so far. --- End quote --- There has always been "I've got a big stick/sword/gun/etc therefore I'm important" attitude. Back then everybody knew nuclear stuff was dangerous if not controlled - so clever and reliable people were well funded to do a decent job. Nowadays that has been forgotten and/or merged into the "it exists deal with it" unfashionable background, with concomitant defunding, older infrastructure, and less dedicated personnel. Arguably it is more dangerous now. |
| Sal Ammoniac:
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't. |
| TomKatt:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on February 15, 2023, 03:30:52 pm ---Back then everybody knew nuclear stuff was dangerous if not controlled - so clever and reliable people were well funded to do a decent job. Nowadays that has been forgotten and/or merged into the "it exists deal with it" unfashionable background, with concomitant defunding, older infrastructure, and less dedicated personnel. Arguably it is more dangerous now. --- End quote --- I think it's more dangerous now because it's no longer on the forefront of discussion. I'm not sure I agree they did a 'decent job' in the early days... It seems to me that safety corners were cut at virtually every opportunity in the name of 'strategic or wartime urgency'. Little thought was given to waste handling or even worker protection in many cases. Many horrific accidents were buried due to secrecy. The majority of the most toxic locations on our planet are directly related to the early work done with nuclear materials. Even now, nuclear plants are built near fault lines or other geographically dubious areas (ie Fukushima). And that's when people aren't lobbing bombs over the plant (Ukraine). |
| tggzzz:
--- Quote from: TomKatt on February 15, 2023, 05:15:58 pm --- --- Quote from: tggzzz on February 15, 2023, 03:30:52 pm ---Back then everybody knew nuclear stuff was dangerous if not controlled - so clever and reliable people were well funded to do a decent job. Nowadays that has been forgotten and/or merged into the "it exists deal with it" unfashionable background, with concomitant defunding, older infrastructure, and less dedicated personnel. Arguably it is more dangerous now. --- End quote --- I think it's more dangerous now because it's no longer on the forefront of discussion. I'm not sure I agree they did a 'decent job' in the early days... It seems to me that safety corners were cut at virtually every opportunity in the name of 'strategic or wartime urgency'. Little thought was given to waste handling or even worker protection in many cases. Many horrific accidents were buried due to secrecy. The majority of the most toxic locations on our planet are directly related to the early work done with nuclear materials. Even now, nuclear plants are built near fault lines or other geographically dubious areas (ie Fukushima). And that's when people aren't lobbing bombs over the plant (Ukraine). --- End quote --- Those points can be made, but most have counter-arguments. But building on/near fault lines does appear to have no justification. |
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