>> One of the biggest canards about technology is that it is neutral.
>> Technology implies a system of social and economic relations. A
>> nuclear power plant implies a system of economic exploitation, mass
>> consumption, colonization, and everything else required to make a
>> nuclear plant and justify its existence.
> So how is a nuclear power plant different in this respect from, say, a
> coal plant or a hydroelectric dam?
The analogy remains the same with these other types of plants. A coal plant implies a system of industrial capitalism. It requires laws to force workers to mine coal, a state to enforce property rights for coal owners, and a command and control economy to move coal to the plant and deliver electricity. Coal plants also imply environmental destruction and health problems for the human population.
Chuck0