THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE

THE GREAT AMERICAN LIE

We are all concerned with the loss of life in foreign wars. We are all concerned about being good honest people. But one wonders, when looking back in history, how the government could have made war against its own citizens who were existing peacefully?

I am referring to our history of the government abusing nuclear power – and lying to the citizens of the United States of America. While “most” of the catastrophes were accidental – the coverups and statements of untruth were not.

This could be a book in itself so let us state it is only going to be a quick summary of some of the greater lies. Google any of the incidents for reams of further information that has finally come forth.

HANFORD, WASHINGTON

1943 – Hanford, Washington (about 4 hours southeast of Seattle), a building project was started to create 9 atomic reactors that subsequently created the material used in the atomic bombs and supplied the entire nuclear arsenal of the US Military.

1945 – We see what dropping the atomic bombs did to the Japanese. If they weren't vaporized, they were burned and made sick from the radiation poisoning. Babies were born with increased rate of birth defects. Long term cancer deaths increased.

1945-1971 – Cooling water for the Hanford facilities was secretly pumped back into the Columbia river, much of it radioactive because of leaks in tanks. Radioactive clouds were purposely released and drifted up to Canada and down to California. People were getting sick, animals were being born deformed or dead. The government denied all responsibility.

1986 – Finally, when the family of Tom Bailie (all living in the area) had all died from cancer, he teamed with a reporter from the Spokesman Review to get answers. The radiation victims sued the US government and forced it to open its SECRET files. The radioactive releases (which had been denied) became public knowledge. Some lawsuits are still ongoing.

1988 – Facility decomissioned. It is the most contaminated location in the Western Hemisphere. 240 square miles are uninhabitable due to radioactivity that has seeped into the soil and ground water. The clean up project costs more than $2 BILLION per year. The US Department of Energy hopes to have cleanup completed by 2052, more than 107 years after its inception. This illustrates how the use of nuclear power saves money over other electricity production methods – or not.

SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

1959 – An experimental nuclear facility owned by Rocketdyne experienced a meltdown of 13 fuel rods out of 52 rods. When a meltdown occurs, the energy produced increases at a very high rate of speed, leading eventually to an explosion. Because it was an experiemental facility there was no concrete dome containment cover. Radiation was released into the air, now estimated to be more than 240 times the amount that was released from Three Mile Island accident. This spread throughout the surrounding areas including Los Angeles. At the time the US Nuclear Commission issued a statement “of a small mishap involving 1 fuel rod”.

2011 – There has never been an official study of the effects of being downwind after this accident. However, a citizen-activist site on Facebook called “Secrets of the Santa Susana Field Lab is asking for posts on their map.

Ignorance is not bliss. Maybe it would be better if the United States residents became informed, then alarmed, and demonstrated (peacefully) – for the betterment of decisions, for the betterment of lives.

Lying to the residents of the United States by the government is not acceptable. Not then and not now.

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