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Hm. Knowing your libertarian/anarchistic leanings, I believe I understand why. Without attempting a politico-philosophical debate, I hazard two questions:

  1. Do you think it would be (practically/politically) possible to entirely separate the nuclear power industry from the military?

  2. What organizatorial-regulatory-ownership structure do you foresee for a no-secrets nuclear industry?


*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 10:24:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
  1. There are many countries using nuclear power that don't have nuclear weapons programs. What other association do you have in mind?
  2. Public ownership or, if private ownership, open to audit by a public regulator. Public entities open to public scrutiny through freedom-of-information legislation.


tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu May 25th, 2006 at 10:30:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, concerning connections to weapons manufacturing, even the nuclear industries of many of the non-nuclear-power states are tied to the industries of those that are (all ex-East-Bloc power plants to the Soviet/Russian, the German to the French and British).

But I meant the national security considerations. While you would discount the bogeyman terrorist, the military will not only concern itself with terrorism, but a military attack, too. A centralised electricity generation system will already make a strategic asset, something the military will see necessary to secure (or attack). Furthermore, nuclear plants aren't just bigger targets than the average fossil fuel power plant: while the latter can be up and running half-repaired after the replacement of some pipes and welding-work (see Iraq or Yugoslavia), for a nuclear plant, the perfect replacement of a hundred essential parts would be needed in the best case, and it would stay a radioactive ruin in the worst case. So until we don't abolish armies and wars altogether, nuclear power plants will stay a national security issue.

Regarding 2, that's an answer about ownership and half of regulation, but what about organisation, and how would public regulation be organised?

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Fri May 26th, 2006 at 01:04:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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