So to cut a long story short, the yanks have said it's ok so Australia should merely ignore the NPT and sell, sell, sell. India already has form from the past, but don't worry about that, sell, sell, sell, how irresponsible can you get.

I am one of those dreadful lefties to whom it is completely obvious that the use of the bomb was the INEVITABLE outcome of the historical processes that lead to its manufacture in the first place. It HAD to used and demonstrated, come what may---it had its own culturally determined, dreadfully dark logic and momentum. It was the INEVITABLE outcome and manifestation of the drive to total control and power at the root of the entire western "cultural" project.

Western "civilization" (such as it was) essentially destroyed itself during the course of World War I and finished itself off during World War II. It could be said that the dropping(s) of the bomb were events that quite literally smithereened western "culture".

Ever since then, and despite the seeming outward success and glamour of our "culture" it has been all down hill. Every other traditional culture and civilisation has also been effectively destroyed to the extent, that with very rare exceptions, in isolated pockets, there is hardly any civilization left in the world.

What we have now is a "consumer" so called "culture" which is quite literally consuming itself and the planetary support systems to death.
The word consume means to destroy.

"North Korea is another terrific example of a nation signing the NPT, but merrily going about arming itself to the teeth, at the expense of feeding the mouths of its people."

50% of children in India are malnourished - and there is no population growth control programme! This is the nation that builds nuclear weapons and has a space programme but cannot feed its own children.

The impending sale of uranium to India proves once again that we are just a puppet of the USA. There is no real need to sell to India. There are many other buyers out there (although the market is somewhat suppressed at the moment as nuclear weapons are being recycled into power rods). The real motivation behind this is to build a coalition of India, Japan, Australia and the USA to counterbalance China's emergence.

The article is well researched and I agree with its pro trade message. However the article suffers from an unnecessarily anti Muslim tone which goes beyond dislike of the terrorist minority.

Rudd appears to be opposing sale to India because:

- he values Labor Party unity (he's avoiding Howard's invitation for Labor factions to split over the issue) and

- Rudd favours the larger China market (his personal specialty). China is an established customer for Australian uranium that can divert Australian uranium into Chinese Bombs with impunity :)

If Rudd gets in (I think) he'll honour sale to India but with a few more (allegedly safe) safeguards.

Pete

My very good friend worked in Windscale renamed Sellafield we always argued. He assertively argued that Nuclear Power has always been safe.
He said that he is a living example that it is safe. So often when he took his dog Rusty along the beach for a walk the dog would have a swim in the Irish Sea. Recently he phoned me Bronco he said Rusty has recently died. What did he die of I asked ?
Leaukeamia he answered !
He was shattered of course we could never prove that swimming in the Irish Sea would cause that could we. Unless Rusty was checked for radiation.

See video of 'Arms controls experts attack India uranium plans' at: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30

Key disturbing excerpt:

MATT PEACOCK (Interviewer): ... it will put inspectors into 14 of India's
reactors. What happens in the other eight?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: What happens in the other eight is their nuclear facilities
that are related to India's military needs.

MATT PEACOCK: The bomb factories? They just keep making bombs?

ALEXANDER DOWNER: (*stupid grin*) Well, that sort of thing.

AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
MEDIA RELEASE

14 August 2007

Selling uranium to India fuels regional insecurity

Federal Cabinet’s nod for uranium exports to India sends a message to other nations: the United Nations’ nuclear non-proliferation treaty means nothing to Australia.

“In giving the go-ahead for uranium sales to India the Federal Government is telling the world if you break your promises, breach international law and build nuclear weapons, Australia will respond not with sanctions, but with priority picks of our uranium,” said the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Dave Sweeney.

“India’s civilian and military nuclear programs are intimately linked,” he said.

A former head of India’s National Security Advisory Board, K. Subrahmanyam, told the Times of India: “[given] the need to build up our minimum credible nuclear deterrent arsenal as fast as possible, it is to India’s advantage to categorise as many power reactors as possible as civilian ones to be refuelled by imported uranium and conserve our natural uranium for weapons grade plutonium production.”

“Australia selling uranium to India would directly fuel India’s nuclear weapons program and contribute to regional insecurity,” Mr Sweeney said.

“Foreign Minister Downer should explain why he is promoting uranium exports to India when his Department’s travel advisory says Australians visiting India should ‘exercise a high degree of caution’ because of the ‘high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups.’

“The Department of Foreign Affairs’ advisory for neighbouring Pakistan warns of an ‘unpredictable security situation and very high threat of terrorist activity’.”

“There is nothing responsible or neighbourly about selling a long-lasting radioactive legacy to India or contributing to tensions between India and Pakistan.

“Australia should get out of this toxic trade,” Mr Sweeney said.

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