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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 6:02 pm Post subject: Ted Turner backs North on nuclear power |
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Ted Turner backs North on civilian nuclear power
Mr. Turner, an active environmentalist, visited North Korea on Saturday and Sunday and came to the South Monday for discussions on how best to conserve the plant and animal life inside the demilitarized zone, a no man's land for nearly a half-century. "They said they will like to get the issue behind them, and I believe them," Mr. Turner said, referring to his discussion about nuclear issues with North Korean officials.
As for his interest in the demilitarized zone, Mr. Turner said the land should be preserved and not developed. A united Korea, he said, would have a great opportunity in promoting eco-tourism in the zone.
by Ser Myo-ja, JoongAng Daily (August 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200508/17/200508172251567709900090309031.html |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| In Seoul, following meetings last weekend with senior officials in Pyongyang, Ted Turner, the founder of the cable television news network CNN, said in an interview that to advance the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks the Bush administration ought to allow Pyongyang as a face-saving measure to keep a civilian nuclear program. Washington has ruled out the possibility. |
Why? As a punitive measure? 12 years ago the US was all for NK having a nuclear energy program... of course, that was supposed to be in exchange for not developing a nuke weapons program...
But what other energy options do the Norks have? Are they going to continue to burn coal like crazy? Is some Prince Charming of a country going to ride in and promise to build hydro-electric dams all over the place?
The Norks are going to continue to leverage their nukes for energy as well as food and the continuation of the regime. Not putting some form of Nuclear energy on the table as a bargaining chip makes no sense...
Oh, right- Bush administration.  |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| Quote: |
| In Seoul, following meetings last weekend with senior officials in Pyongyang, Ted Turner, the founder of the cable television news network CNN, said in an interview that to advance the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks the Bush administration ought to allow Pyongyang as a face-saving measure to keep a civilian nuclear program. Washington has ruled out the possibility. |
Why? As a punitive measure? 12 years ago the US was all for NK having a nuclear energy program... of course, that was supposed to be in exchange for not developing a nuke weapons program...
But what other energy options do the Norks have? Are they going to continue to burn coal like crazy? : |
Better that than they use the civilain nuclear program to build more bombs. If someone repeatedly cheats, why give them a free get-out-of-jail card? Pyongyang should learn there are consquences for its actions. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Better that than they use the civilain nuclear program to build more bombs. |
Uh, you know it doesn't work that way, right?
There are nuclear reactors that provide energy but from which you can't get weapons-grade fissionable material.
This is common knowledge and I'm not a nuclear physicist, so if you want to know more, look it up.
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| If someone repeatedly cheats, why give them a free get-out-of-jail card? |
We're not talking free. We're talking bargaining chip.
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| Pyongyang should learn there are consquences for its actions. |
I think they see very well the consequences of giving up their biggest bargaining tool without securing guarantees for food and energy.
"Hello, how are you? I am fine thank you, and you? You are right. We are bad. Nuclear weapons are bad. We will now destroy them, and we will now quietly starve and freeze to death. Have a nice day."
Hmmm, can't picture it. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Mr. Turner, an active environmentalist, visited North Korea on Saturday and Sunday and came to the South Monday for discussions on how best to conserve the plant and animal life inside the demilitarized zone, a no man's land for nearly a half-century. |
This is the most interesting part of the article and no one has commented on it. Because of the prevalence of landmines, I have some optimism that the DMZ will continue to remain unspoiled by the massive development and unchecked industrialization that has been the case for most of the South ...
And I heard there might be tigers there. Real tigers. I'm long past the 12-year-old boy who first developed a crush on the critters but the mere thought that there might be some still loping around the forests just 2 hours away from Seoul ... VERY cool. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| The Bobster wrote: |
| This is the most interesting part of the article and no one has commented on it. Because of the prevalence of landmines, I have some optimism that the DMZ will continue to remain unspoiled by the massive development and unchecked industrialization that has been the case for most of the South ... |
It'd be nice to think so, and I really do hope so- but one day those mines are going to have to come out, and well there's no way of doing that without nearly destroying that ecology. Even if you left them alone, there's still the danger of soil contamination from the leeching out of contaminants...
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| And I heard there might be tigers there. Real tigers. I'm long past the 12-year-old boy who first developed a crush on the critters but the mere thought that there might be some still loping around the forests just 2 hours away from Seoul ... VERY cool. |
A tiger's best hope right now is status quo... and to be very careful where he steps. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:02 am Post subject: |
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What I don't get, is why anybody really cares what Turner says.
Seriously, what does he have to do with the situation over here? |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:41 am Post subject: |
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What I don't get, is why anybody really cares what Turner says.
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A breath of fresh air. Thanks, CC. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:41 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
What I don't get, is why anybody really cares what Turner says.
Seriously, what does he have to do with the situation over here? |
Good point. We're so busy looking at the content of the news we never asked 'why is this newsworthy?' |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:01 am Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| Captain Corea wrote: |
What I don't get, is why anybody really cares what Turner says.
Seriously, what does he have to do with the situation over here? |
Good point. We're so busy looking at the content of the news we never asked 'why is this newsworthy?' |
I already told ya. Tigers, man. Real tigers, not Tamils from Sri Lanka. Great big fricken cats. Orange and black, and maybe just a little while from where a lot of us live here in Seoul ... great big cats, just walking around, not in a zoo, and if that ain't cool, I don't know what is.
As for Ted Turner? Well. we urban northerners are hard-pressed to find folk from south of the Mason-Dixon Line we can respect. Jimmy Carter hammers nails to make houses for people who can't afford them. Bill Moyers (a Texan, of all things) tells the truth whenever he can.
And Ted Turner, he opens his wallet and writes a check to the UN, saying (I guess) I don't need this right now, so maybe you can use it to stop a war or two, or feed some people. or stop a disease ...
How big was that check?
Only a BILLION FREAKING DOLLARS.
Was that the largest single donation a human being made in a single donation? I dunno, but it says something and it says it about a lot of things. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:23 am Post subject: |
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[flip-flops]
more good points.
[/Kerry mode off]
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I like Ted. His heart is in the right place. However, I don't consider his opinion on nuclear energy for the Norks to be any more persuasive than any other non-expert. Kind of like Sean Penn and Iraq. Or, to keep it in the family, Jane Fonda and Vietnam. |
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