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Naoto Kan was an advocate of nuclear energy, changed his mind after Fukushima, and the industry now tries hard to use him as a scapegoat. Don't worry, experts

Naoto Kan was an advocate of nuclear energy, changed his mind after Fukushima, and the industry now tries hard to use him as a scapegoat. Don't worry, experts are perfectly able to maintain a high level of safety (nope), then to assess correctly during an accident (nope: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nuclear-power-odyssey-of-naoto-kan-former-japan-prime-minister-during-fukushima/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nuclear-power-ody... ), and also to manage the aftermath (nope... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/special-report-help-wanted-in-fukushima-crime/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/special-report-he... ).

Dalewyn 2y ago
Congratulations, you're armpits-deep in the Japanese political propaganda machine. PM Naoto Kan infamously declared "I know nuclear!" in unilaterally ordering TEPCO around during the crisis and ultimately denying their request to scuttle the reactors. Nevermind that TEPCO had the finest nuclear engineers Japan could muster at that moment. For his valiant achievement of causing a nuclear meltdown and turning back the clock on nuclear power for the better part of a century, PM Naoto Kan was rewarded with merely the loss of his premiership, loss of his parliament seat in the subsequent general election (regained in the same election by proportional vote), and the victim card (sympathy from guys like you). TEPCO's engineers meanwhile got dragged through the judicial mud before they were finally cleared a few years ago, the train to repair their reputation having left the station long ago.
- natmaka 2y ago
  > ultimately denying their request to scuttle the reactors A solid source detailing the story would be useful. TEPCO ignored his order to stop pumping in order to avoid re-criticality, and Kan soon accepted TEPCO views on the matter: This seems sourced to me (no mention of scuttling anything): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan#Fukushima_nuclear_accident_response https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan#Fukushima_nuclear_ac... > was rewarded with merely the loss of I don't think so. Japan was, then, in a political turmoil with 4 prime ministers from September 2006 to June 2010 (when his mandate began): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Japan#Prime_ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Jap... He passed a bill to promote the use renewable energy. This is sufficient, even for this ex nuclear enthusiast, to be blacklisted and villified.

Dalewyn 2y ago

Congratulations, you're armpits-deep in the Japanese political propaganda machine. PM Naoto Kan infamously declared "I know nuclear!" in unilaterally ordering TEPCO around during the crisis and ultimately denying their request to scuttle the reactors. Nevermind that TEPCO had the finest nuclear engineers Japan could muster at that moment. For his valiant achievement of causing a nuclear meltdown and turning back the clock on nuclear power for the better part of a century, PM Naoto Kan was rewarded with merely the loss of his premiership, loss of his parliament seat in the subsequent general election (regained in the same election by proportional vote), and the victim card (sympathy from guys like you). TEPCO's engineers meanwhile got dragged through the judicial mud before they were finally cleared a few years ago, the train to repair their reputation having left the station long ago.

natmaka 2y ago
> ultimately denying their request to scuttle the reactors A solid source detailing the story would be useful. TEPCO ignored his order to stop pumping in order to avoid re-criticality, and Kan soon accepted TEPCO views on the matter: This seems sourced to me (no mention of scuttling anything): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan#Fukushima_nuclear_accident_response https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan#Fukushima_nuclear_ac... > was rewarded with merely the loss of I don't think so. Japan was, then, in a political turmoil with 4 prime ministers from September 2006 to June 2010 (when his mandate began): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Japan#Prime_ministers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Jap... He passed a bill to promote the use renewable energy. This is sufficient, even for this ex nuclear enthusiast, to be blacklisted and villified.