AW: [ RadSafe ] Benefit/Harm from U.S. Army in Afghanistan

Sun Nov 2 12:30:15 CST 2008

RADSAFERs,

I try to comment on Howard Longs political excursion from a context
including radioactivity and nuclear topics - they are involved indeed and I
hope that Marcel accepts this opinion. 

Reading Howard Longs bla-bla about "liberation, freedom, democracy, net gain
for the US, "prosperity" (for whom?)" is annoying and only shows that he has
not the slightest clue about the situation of states, their infrastructure,
the living conditions of their inhabitants, diseases, poverty, risk for life
etc. Etc. Howard Long is a typical species called "The Ugly American", a
term created to my knowledge by Graham Greene in one of his books, where he
gives an excellent characterisation of this type of American set against the
background of the French war in Indochina. Needless to say that I have
during my many visits in the USA not encountered any of these "ugly
americans" personally, but judging from the press and its description of US
politicians and of course Howard Long I know, that they exist. Needless to
say that people I meet are usually not of the lowest classes. But it was
amazing during my visit to my beloved South West last October, that most
people I met at the cultural and outstanding landscape sites started to
complain about the then and still present administration, without any
provocation from my side. Here on RADSAFE I read about proposals to attack
China, Iran, Cuba and North Korea. Unbelievable - shame on you!

I am not going to react on the "benefits" for the USA, but I have noticed
that a so called "radiological threat" has been used extensively by the US
administration to spread fear among US citizens and to gain support for the
most suppressive actions. All those nonsensical actions and the waste of
money for "surveillance" (which actually has another purpose!!!!), which are
obviously there only to scare people and to put them into a state of
insecurity. Only today morning in Rabat, the capital of Marocco they took
away at the airport from me a very expensive tiny scissor for nails, about
three centimeters long without handle. 

The possible consequences of a "dirty bomb" have been discussed extensively
on RADSAFE and except some hardliners agreed that the damage of this would
be mostly the conventional explosive - but still we read on RADSAFE about
the terrible threat of dispersion of some radionuclides like Co-60 or
iridium. 

Using this irrational fear mongering with radionuclides or nuclear material,
combined with ultra-nationalistic ideas is deeply despicable. I hope I made
myself clear Mr. Howard Long.

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag
von HOWARD.LONG at comcast.net
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 29. Oktober 2008 17:19
An: Peter Bossew; Radsafe Message
Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] Benefit/Harm from U.S. Army in Afghanistan

Radsafe pertinence of this topic is risk of radioactive attack on USA, -
need for HP preparation..

 I respond to Peter and Steven (and the U Tube sarcastic fiction) with
gratitude that threatened attacks on USA have not occurred following so far
successful (incomplete) Afghan Liberation and Iraqi Freedom - wars designed
primarily to destroy alQaeda operations, but also hoping that democracy
there will give freedom, trade, prosperity - disincentive to attack us.

Not yet as feasible are the liberation (and destruction of USA or Europe
attack sources) in China, Iran, Cuba and N Korea. Hopefully, commerce
self-interest in China (now dependent on USA prosperity) will effectively
dampen imposition of failed Marxism-Maoism.  

USA carbon fuels are as plentiful as in the Middle east, but politically
restricted by fears that should go away (glaciers now enlarge).  
Big Oil (most monopolistic where government-owned) will have less influence
with the 45 nuclear plants encouraged by the more free-market Presidential
campaign.

Howard Long

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Peter Bossew <peter.bossew at jrc.it> 

> HOWARD.LONG at comcast.net wrote: 
> 
> (...) 
> 
> > The losses of any war should be balanced by anyone knowledgable in risk 
> management against the gains. The Iraq and Afghan wars have very great net
gain. 
> > 
> 
> Yes. Indeed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptzml1qQvZE 
> 
> Also Iran would make quite a bit of "great net gain" wouldn't it. So 
> would Venezuela.- I am confident you will find compelling ideological 
> reasons for realizing those great net gains. Hopefully these nations are 
> more knowledgeable in risk management than these uneducated Iraqis, and 
> will be able to balance their losses against your gains. 
> 
> 
> pb 
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------- 
> Peter Bossew 
> 
> European Commission (EC) 
> Joint Research Centre (JRC) 
> Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) 
> 
> TP 441, Via Fermi 1 
> 21020 Ispra (VA) 
> ITALY 
> 
> Tel. +39 0332 78 9109 
> Fax. +39 0332 78 5466 
> Email: peter.bossew at jrc.it 
> 
> http://rem.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 
> 
> "The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any 
> circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European 
> Commission." 
> 
> 
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