RE: Political Statements

["Weiner, Ruth" <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

I hope that this one comment, although off-topic, is allowed and I would ask
that if people want to argue with me, they respond to me directly.  However
(Melissa, please forgive) I am compelled to make the follow statement:

The dictionary definition of "liberal" is "having .. political views or
policies that favor civil liberties, democratic reforms, and the use of
government power to promote social progress."  It does NOT mean being
resolutely anti-nuke or dedicated to promoting untruths!  As a long time
social liberal, I resent the co-opting of the term.  "Bashing nuclear power"
is not part of any liberal agenda that I know of.  You can have both
political liberals and political conservatives who bash nuclear power, and
both who promote it, and both who think of it simply as a way to generate
electricity and not a religion.  One might also remember that the Atoms for
Peace program that developed nuclear power was, yes, a U. S. Federal
Government public works project ("the use of government power to promote
social progress"), like Bonneville, and TVA, and rural electrification (and
the WPPSS plants -- remember them?).

Clearly only my own opinion

Ruth F. Weiner, Ph. D.
Sandia National Laboratories 
MS 0718, POB 5800
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0718
505-844-4791; fax 505-844-0244
rfweine@sandia.gov


-----Original Message-----
From: Falo Gerald A [mailto:Gerald.Falo@APG.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL]
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 1999 9:34 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Political Statements


Mr. Turpin wrote:

-----Original Message-----
Subject: RE: Y2K Bug Could Cause Problems At U.S. Nuclear Power Plants


You wrote:  WHY are we bombarded with the anti's rhetoric, when we all know
that the majority of facilities 
HAVE modified their software to preclude the probloems epoused by those who
have their own agenda, and have grasped the Y2K as their mechanism? 
Answer:  Bashing nuclear power, or anything to do with radiation, is
certainly part of the liberal agenda.  The news media is liberal.  When it
comes to putting forth their agenda, liberals do not concern themselves with
facts (i.e., factually challenged in politically correct jargon).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

While I respect Mr. Turpin's right to have and express his political
opinions, I must disagree with his statement:

"When it comes to putting forth their agenda, liberals do not concern
themselves with
facts (i.e., factually challenged in politically correct jargon)."

Liberals do not have a monopoly on disregarding facts when it comes to
putting forth any agenda.  This is a broad ad hominem attack on a large
group of people.  Being liberal myself, I resent being lumped in with what
is tantanmount to a group of liars. I know of examples throughtout the
political spectrum of being "factually challenged in politically correct
jargon."

Second of all Mr. Turpin's answer is a listing of unsubstantiated
statements; no proof is offered for any of them.  They may be self evident
to Mr. Turpin, but they are not to me and to other groups of people as well.
For example, "The new media is liberal." This is presented as self evident;
however, to *liberals* this may not be the case.  See
http://www.fair.org/extra/9605/tank.html This website is part of the
Fairness Accuracy in Reporting (the progessive counterpart to Accuracy in
Media (AIM)) site and lists the number of citations of different think tanks
in newpapers.  According to the site, the results are from a 1995 NEXIS
search.  The summary of results are below.

					Total Number of Citations 
					Conservative 7792 
					Centrist 6361 
					Progressive 1152 

I am not trying to prove a bias one way or the other.  I merely want to
point out that political issues are often not as clear cut as advocates
think they are, and that we should refrain from generalizations concerning
large groups of people.

Finally, I am not sure of the appropriateness of any discussions that are
mainly political in nature on RADSAFE, and I apologize for continuing one
such discussion.

Jerry Falo, Ph.D, CHP
jer3ry@aol.com

 


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