01.23.12
Posted in Book Reviews, Church Issues and Bible Interpretations, History, quotes at 12:23 pm by Administrator
For anyone interested in nuclear issues and the history of it’s discovery, I recommend reading The Plutonium Files by Eileen Welsome. I actually finished reading this book back in November, but was too busy to sit down and give it a proper review. Now that I’m currently reading another book called, Plutonium by Jeremy Bernstein, I figured I’d better pound out my comments on Welsome’s book before I forget about it. That would be a shame because her book is very informative and an excellent commentary on how our government has operated. It also exposes the blatant disregard of peoples’ lives for the sake of science. Another reason I’ve held off on commenting on Welsome’s book is because it is so full of information, I didn’t know where to start. What particularly struck me was that her book tied in a lot of information that I had read in previous books, so The Plutonium Files helped to put many things in order in my mind.
The Plutonium Files is a 489-page book dealing with America’s secret medical experiments in the cold war. Welsome explains how plutonium was once so rare that the largest stock of plutonium in our laboratories was too small to be seen by the naked eye. As more plutonium was produced, it was held in a beaker the size of a sewing needle. Now we have hundreds of tons of the stuff that we don’t know what to do with. According to Bernstein, author of Plutonium, “aside from making nuclear weapons, plutonium is good for nothing else.” Basically, it’s a deadly poison that is now here with us for the rest of lives.
While I have read about secret programs such as Operation Paperclip where after WWII German scientists were brought to the U.S. and allowed to continue their work here like Von Braun on the V2 rocket and others that helped with mind control experiments later revealed as MKUltra, and even other medical experiments such as those described in Acres of Skin on prisoners, I had not realized the extent to which secret medical experiments were carried out. Sure I had read about G.I. guinea pigs, which I actually read a book years ago by that same name, which described how our military was exposed to harmful chemicals such as Agent Orange and also purposely exposed to radiation in the many nuclear bomb tests such as Operation Crossroads and the others that followed. But Welsome reveals experiments that were performed on unsuspecting and uninformed U.S. citizens, including children and pregnant women. Sure I realize it was a time when medical ethics codes were not strongly enforced (think the Tuskegee experiments), but just the fact that they did these experiments in secret shows that they knew it was not right. Yet it was done at the hands of professional scientists and medical personnel using government funding. Experiments such as feeding plutonium to young boys in their oatmeal and having pregnant women drink radioactive “cocktails,” on the pretense that they were having a nutritional drink were among these secret experiments that lasted for decades.
As I type this, I realize again why I have put off writing my comments on this book–it’s very disturbing to me and really wears me out emotionally. It saddens me to think how people treat each other. I find it ironic that these discoveries and inventions (i.e. nuclear bombs) were said to have been necessary for our safety, but yet, the safety of our soldiers and civilians is compromised by those very forces behind trying to protect us with these nuclear devices. The same forces that have developed bombs to protect us has endangered all of us from the threat of nuclear war to the contamination of our environment–soil and water. We are left today with highly contaminated areas and tons of radioactive wastes that they “still” don’t know what to do with. With the Chernobyl accident and now the Fukushima accidents, which is still not contained, our world is being blanketed with radioactive particles contaminating our food and water. And yet, they continue to march on creating more and more radioactive waste every day, every minute. The silence in our media reflects the U.S.’s disregard for our true safety and well-being because less information to it’s public translate into less opposition to nuclear technology. The more sane countries such as Austria, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Belguim, and Spain have at least acknowledged the dangers of nuclear power and are phasing them out.
The nuclear issue is so complicated that I don’t even want to start into that subject right now. However, I do find it upsetting that many of us have no say in what happens or if nuclear projects get funded. The secrecy is astounding. An example is that even the Manhattan Project, which cost billions of taxpayers’ dollars, was so secret that even Truman, the vice president at the time, wasn’t even aware of the project until Roosevelt died. It appears this is the way our government operates, with many highly secret plans and operations. For a supposedly Christian society, this culture of secrecy is contrary to the Bible–John 3:20 states that,
“For everyone who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
So many government operations are secret, and for the most part, the public is completely kept in the dark. This secrecy ensures no outcry or opposition to these projects. Strangely enough, this secrecy creates the “in” groups vs. the “out groups.” Those who are “in” (who know of these secret projects) feel privileged and possibly superior to the “out groups,” who don’t know of these projects. So they convince themselves that they have a right to “experiment” on others for their “higher cause” (commonly patriotism is the name of that higher cause). This is again contrary to the Bible regarding treating others as you would like to be treated. Or even contrary to the biblical concept of caring for those who are poor or needy (many secret experiments are carried out on the underprivileged like prisoners or lower income groups). It’s contrary to the biblical concept of not participating in evil so that good will come from it. But light will eventually shine as the bible does tell us in Luke 12:2-3 that,
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
“Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoke in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”
This post is turning out to be a book in itself, so I’ll wrap it up here. But first, one last point I want to bring up is Welsome’s title of chapter 20–Shields Warren: ”Patriotic Enough to Lie.” This chapter documented how some of the scientists were being questioned by ethics groups regarding their participation in some plutonium experiments. Many of these scientists covered their butts with lies or acted like they didn’t know about these projects. One such scientist was Shields Warren of who fellow scientist Merril Eisenbud once wrote, “some people are patriotic enough to lie.” Again, another contradiction to the bible wherein we are told not to lie, patriotism is not an exception.
Welsome’s book is excellent, and especially insightful as it ties in so many other books I’ve read such as the Radium Girls and Yellow Dirt and others. Definitely two thumbs up!
Marlakins
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10.21.11
Posted in quotes at 12:00 am by Administrator
“I honestly believe it iz better tew know nothing than tew know what aint so.”
~Josh Billings, Encyclopedia of Proverbial Philosophy
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09.09.11
Posted in quotes at 12:01 am by Administrator
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones. ”
~Nelson Mandela
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07.11.11
Posted in Book Reviews, Historical Trivia, History, quotes at 10:18 am by Administrator
A friend of mine told me recently (after learning I was reading a book on the bombing of Nagasaki), that I should read about current events. Actually, I do read about current events, but I find that learning about past events helps me to understand current events better.
Another brief conversation I had with a friend was about “historical revisionists,” and how they try to “change” history. Granted, I do realize that there are those who try to re-write inaccuracies into history, but the fact is that because of so many “classified documents” and other eyewitness accounts that were not previously considered when writing “history,” there is a legitimate place and role for bonafide revisionists. Also, as time passes, more information is revealed from different angles. That information helps give a more complete picture of the situation at the time and helps to determine why certain decisions were made or to question whether certain decisions were wrong or not. To ignore other sources would be like trying to judge a court case using only one side of the argument.
I know of people who only read certain publications because they don’t trust other publications. But if one only limits themselves to certain publications, then they increase their chances that they don’t get the whole picture and thus form their opinions based on faulty or less informed information. My approach to that would be to read or watch those publications “knowing” that their information is questionable, but at least hearing them out so that I would at least understand the opposing viewpoint. As Admiral Rickover once said, “Open discussions and disagreements must be encouraged, so that all sides of an issue are fully explored.” So long as we go into a discussion humbly and not take differences personally, we can all learn something when we try to listen to the other side of an argument. If it doesn’t change one’s mind, then it can strengthen one’s already preconceived ideas. I think the Bible encourages knowledge and wisdom while discouraging baseless arguments. There is a big difference between discussions to learn the truth, and heated arguments to be divisive. Like the Bereans in the New Testament, I think we should search to learn if things are so. That was considered a good thing. Why live a life based on lies and false information?
Well, now I think I’ve meandered enough! Originally, I was going to write about the book I’m currently reading, First Into Nagasaki. I’m almost at the end. I’m reading the last portion of the book written by Weller’s son wherein he describes the backdrop to his father’s writings. One of the main highlights is how censored our news is and how skewing facts and history has been a common practice throughout history. As I remember hearing in high school, “history is written by the victors of wars” so we usually only read one side of the story. From my readings it seems that people are pretty much the same all over the world. We just view others as lower or enemies because of our ignorance of each other. And with our ignorance we are less compassionate.
But to get back to my thoughts while reading First Into Nagasaki is how controlled our media is today. We have three or four wars we currently know about today, but I’m sure there’s so much that we aren’t being told or are not even allowed to know. George Weller wrote,
“A censorship is supposed to keep political criticism under control.”
Weller’s son wrote that “every war correspondent has been censored.”
For what reason? I’m sure there are several reasons, but one reason can be understood through a letter sent to George Weller from one of General MacArthur’s censors,
“We believe that a correspondent has a certain duty towards the Commander of the Forces whom he represents, and it is the Commander-in-Chief’s desire that nothing of a political nature be released as coming from his staff of correspondents, and nothing that may be in any way criticizing the efforts of any Commander of any of the Allied nations.”
Weller went on the write, “What the United States badly needs is a long cold bath of reality.”
If “control of public opinion” is what the game is all about, we will never get that dose of reality. And our history books will be more political propaganda books, than real history books. The sooner we understand that, the more we can understand.
Marlakins
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07.01.11
Posted in Church Issues and Bible Interpretations, quotes at 12:33 am by Administrator
“9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 31:9
I think of the above verse when considering whether our Presidents are doing their job as leaders of our nation because that passage deals with what the job of a king is. So when thinking of our President, does he protect the poor and needy? That was one of the concerns of King Lemuel, who some believe was actually King Solomon. And this is why during the Presidential elections back in 2008 where claims were being made that Obama “only” worked on charities, thus was unqualified for the position of U.S. President, I thought it odd. Because I thought the fact that he worked for charity showed that he cared for the needy– an “essential” trait for a leader. I found that hardly a point to hold against him. But how is he doing now? Is he still advocating for the needy or is he succumbing to the pull of corporate interests?
Marlakins
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05.27.11
Posted in quotes at 7:14 am by Administrator
“History is often not what actually happened, but what is recorded as such.”
~Henry L. Stimson, United States Secretary of War
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05.24.11
Posted in Church Issues and Bible Interpretations, History, quotes at 1:08 pm by Administrator
My youngest son found this time-lapsed video of all the nuclear explosions from 1945 to 1998. It starts out a bit slow in the beginning as the a-bomb comes into development. The first being detonated in New Mexico, the Trinity test followed by Hiroshima (Uranium) and then Nagasaki (Plutonium). A few months later all the other testings follow starting with Able and Baker as part of Operation Crossroads in the Bikini Atoll. It gets crazy with all the subsequent nuclear tests, literally thousands. I believe the first underground test was done in 1951, and in 1963 above ground testing was banned and only underground testing was done. But other countries were not included with that agreement, so I think India, Pakistan, and later North Korea tested their nuclear bombs above ground. The video only covers up to 1998, so North Korea doesn’t show up.
Enjoy watching your tax dollars at work! The video can be viewed here. Gives us a little peak as to why nuclear reactors are so dear to the establishment (nuclear reactors are essential for the development of nuclear bombs because it’s through nuclear reactors that plutonium and tritium, etc. are developed for the making of nuclear bombs. We are a warmongering country after all, so we need this shit). The B Reactor at Hanford, Washington was the site where plutonium was made for the first bomb test (Trinity), and the bomb used on Nagasaki (Fat Man). The site left a lot of radioactive contamination today and has cost billions of dollars to clean up. The clean up is ongoing and runs to the tune of about 2 billion a year from some sources I’ve read.
“20Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
~Isaiah 5:20
Marlakins
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05.06.11
Posted in quotes at 9:39 am by Administrator
“The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.”
~Proverbs 18:23
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04.22.11
Posted in quotes at 12:30 am by Administrator
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
~James 2:13
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03.25.11
Posted in quotes at 10:35 am by Administrator
“One must create the ability in his staff to generate clear, forceful arguments for opposing viewpoints as well as for their own. Open discussions and disagreements must be encouraged, so that all sides of an issue are fully explored.”
~Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, father of the nuclear submarine
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