[lbo-talk] Let's All Argue About Nuclear Power!

[Somebody Somebody]

There's no uniquely capitalist form of nuclear energy. There are nuclear reactors in South Korea, and under the Agreed Framework between the U.S. and North Korea, light water reactors are (supposed) to be built there as well. West Germany had nuclear reactors, as did East Germany. And in the end, the one catastrophic nuclear accident took place in the Soviet Union. 

As for the utopian nature of demanding an end to nuclear power under capitalism, until recently Germany was on the path towards phase-out due to probably the most active anti-nuclear movement in the world. Since the collapse of the grand coalition and the precipitous decline of the SPD, however, the nuclear phase-out has been called into question. 

Personally, I'm in favor of nuclear power. Incidentally, about 12% of the world's electricity production comes from it. All things considered, it's remarkable how few fatalities can be attributed to nuclear energy production, in sharp contrast to coal. The majority of them are plant workers. It always puzzles me how the silent mortality caused by particulate pollutants has seemingly lost out in environmentalist propaganda to the endless appetite for discussing what we'd like to do (someday, somehow) about climate change.