First Published: The Call, Vol. 8, No. 13, April 2, 1979.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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Your contributions to the struggle against building nuclear power plants have really improved over the last year. The “anti-nuke” movement is one that deserves our support.
While I liked the March 19 article “Nuclear power unsafe in hands of capitalists” in general, it does not have a scientific line. While it may be true that “it ought to be possible to design a safe reactor,” as Prof. Kendall of UCS says (but not under capitalism, as you say), I am not convinced that you handle the question of dumping nuclear wastes correctly. I don’t think the question of nuclear power being safe is “settled” just because capitalism misuses it. Because nuclear wastes remain highly dangerous for thousands of years, we should look at the issue in terms of science, whether it would be safe under any system.
Socialist industry and science will harness natural resources for the benefit of the people, not for profits of a few. Who’s to say that a more efficient form of energy than nuclear power can’t be developed, without all the dangers of nuclear waste? The big power companies have a monopoly on uranium today, just the way they have with oil and coal. They can produce more energy at a lower cost with nuclear power, so of course they push it.
You should go deeper into the question of nuclear power and not just jump to the conclusion that because it’s capitalist it’s unsafe.
In solidarity, S.D.
While we agree that The Call should write more articles going deeper into the question of nuclear power, we don’t agree with your analysis that the problem of nuclear wastes might never be solved. We believe that this problem can be solved under socialism. What’s more, gains can be made even under capitalism by putting public pressure on the bosses to make changes for safety in the nuclear industry.