Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
"He was a staunch proponent of nuclear power generation while he was prime minister"
A reporter has dinner with former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi...
Maki Okubo: 'We've been lied to,' said ex-Prime Minister Koizumi
<snip>
"This is not an interview," the acquaintance stressed, reminding me that Koizumi has not granted a single request for an interview or TV appearance since he stepped down as prime minister. But there was a question I just had to ask him, face to face. The question was, "Why have you become such a vocal opponent of nuclear power generation now?"
He was a staunch proponent of nuclear power generation while he was prime minister. His argument was that if our country is to curb carbon dioxide emissions, we cannot do away with nuclear power generation.
<snip>
"Denjiren (the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan) has been telling a pack of lies," he began. "When experts say nuclear power generation is safe and doesn't cost much and this is the only way to go if we want to stop relying on coal, well, we believe them. But they've been lying to us for years. And the point is, we've never really known anything about nuclear power generation. We had little interest in it before 3/11, and we certainly had no idea how difficult it is to control nuclear energy."
<snip>
Koizumi was quoted in Yamada's column as saying, "In a battle, the most difficult part is the final phase, namely, the withdrawal ... During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan should have pulled out of Manchuria, but couldn't. In our present age, the business community says the Japanese economy can't grow without nuclear power generation, but that's not true. And back during the Sino-Japanese War, Manchuria was said to be Japan's lifeline. But look at Japan now. We've grown and prospered without Manchuria, haven't we?"
...
<snip>
"This is not an interview," the acquaintance stressed, reminding me that Koizumi has not granted a single request for an interview or TV appearance since he stepped down as prime minister. But there was a question I just had to ask him, face to face. The question was, "Why have you become such a vocal opponent of nuclear power generation now?"
He was a staunch proponent of nuclear power generation while he was prime minister. His argument was that if our country is to curb carbon dioxide emissions, we cannot do away with nuclear power generation.
<snip>
"Denjiren (the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan) has been telling a pack of lies," he began. "When experts say nuclear power generation is safe and doesn't cost much and this is the only way to go if we want to stop relying on coal, well, we believe them. But they've been lying to us for years. And the point is, we've never really known anything about nuclear power generation. We had little interest in it before 3/11, and we certainly had no idea how difficult it is to control nuclear energy."
<snip>
Koizumi was quoted in Yamada's column as saying, "In a battle, the most difficult part is the final phase, namely, the withdrawal ... During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan should have pulled out of Manchuria, but couldn't. In our present age, the business community says the Japanese economy can't grow without nuclear power generation, but that's not true. And back during the Sino-Japanese War, Manchuria was said to be Japan's lifeline. But look at Japan now. We've grown and prospered without Manchuria, haven't we?"
...
More at: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/column/AJ201401120009
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
