Further from my post on Nuclear Power, and my erstwhile support for it, I have stumbled across a blog called Left Atomics.
The identities of the blog producers are somewhat hidden; there is a “Left Manifesto for Nuclear Energy” which you can read here. The four founding principles of the manifesto are;
• [The need to recognise that] The worldwide, social need for nuclear power has changed dramatically since the 1980s.
• As socialists, we need to deal with technological reality as it has developed in the last 30 years.
• We need to reverse our opposition to nuclear power and instead support its development.
• We need to oppose its privatisation and support its nationalization where it is private as part of state-owned, transparently regulated, nationalized energy monopoly for the sake of economically building of power plants and for their safety.
It’s certainly something I’d sign up to if I knew more about who was organising it (get in touch).
Meanwhile, this article by Martin Thomas on the Workers’ Liberty website seems to echo my position. I’m pleased to find that the irrational blanket anti-nuclear fearmongering so often peddled by socialists and progressives is starting to wain; technology has progressed in the twenty years since Chernobyl and the left needs to recognise the new technological developments in nuclear energy.
Good points. The left should definitely favour nuclear power. Public ownership of plants could help to assure the proper safety and security measures.
I think due to the problems mentioned by commentators in your previous post support from the left to nuclear power is ruled out until those problems are overcome. You should really reply to those comments. In terms of new nuclear power stations, I will have a post on my blog in the next week or so which will discuss it in the case of wales.
Hi all,
OK, I’m David Walters. Some of you might know me as one of the fouders of the Marxist Internet Archive. I’m a former member of the US Socialist Workers Party and several parties that split from it in the 1980s. I am no longer affiliated to any group.
I actually work at a power plant in California, albeit a non-nuclear one, as a control room operator.
Any questions please write me at:
dave.walters AT comcast.net
David
There’s a good reason why socialists should definitely not support nuclear power, just like no one has built a car that flies, if it fails, or there’s an accident, you and the surrounding area are fucked for years to come.
Hang on though, isn’t that an argument against planes?
No