Re: Fw: Stop the madness

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 2/4/02 9:34:42 AM Mountain Standard Time, BLHamrick@AOL.COM writes:



> This is a very important point.  From the public's perspective, they ask themselves, "Why would this group be putting all this effort into opposing this if it weren't really bad?  What's in it for them?"  And, that's one of the questions, we should try to answer.  Indeed, what is in it for them?  Publicity, Hollywood dollars?  What motivates the leaders of these crusades?  I think we need to understand this aspect. 


Thank you, Barbara.  I used to wonder that myself, and I have come up with a couple of answers, but not nearly a full explanation.  Let me know what you think:


1.  For some of "them" -- an increasing number, in fact -- it is a job.  They say what they get paid to say.

2.  Many environmental organizations believe that an anti-nuclear stance helps them get members (I was actually told this by a Sierra Club staffer).  Some are backing off that now because it isn't working.

3.  For many volunteers,  it's their "15 minutes of fame" because the press picks up anything lurid.  This seems to be true for almost any environmental issue.   I really don't understand why this point of view has such press popularity.  As an enviro spokesperson, I was the darling of the Seattle media.  When I turned pro-nuke, they turned on me.

4.  Here is just a speculation:  people seem to be increasingly unwilling to take responsibility for their own failures.  we see this everywhere: school boards and teachers are criticized because children do poorly, drunk drivers get off because they had unhappy childhoods, and so on.  The government bureaucracy is an easy target, and nuclear development is and was largely a government project.

5.  (everyone is going to yell at me for this)  There is no big money in the nuclear business -- not really big money, like in the oil business.  Many foundations that support the anti-nuclear movement are funded by oil money, which ahs been out to kill nuclear power from early on.


Just some ideas -- I would welcome others.

(But let's get off the "arrogance" charge!)

Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com