04 April 2006

Nuclear: the new black

"Paving the way" is the most common idiom used to describe Australia's new agreement with China to export uranium for their proposed 40 nuclear plants--peaceful uses only, the agreement says (freeing up Chinese uranium for let's not talk about that). "A win-win" as the Chinese call it. Money for Australia (our starving nation) and a great non-global-warming contribution to the world. The Chinese are also are tipped to mine uranium here, in the wonderfully named "Honeymoon Mine".

As Australian troops are still in Iraq, keeping, at last explanation, the world safe for democracy, our newest cuddle- buddy assures us of only peaceful intentions while it threatens to nuke Taiwan, a democratic nation larger than ours that crazily, is not recognised by the world as a nation--but let's not talk about that, especially since Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told us,"We are ready and we are willing to live in peace with all other nations on this planet."

Looking over at my refrigerator, a thing that was damned when it was born, I really should de-ice it. But, but that reminds me of uranium. Weren't there problems with it, even for peaceful (but let's not talk about that).

It's good to see that some people are speaking up, but the Labor Party in this country is as keen about nuclear as that other enthusiast of the new black for green, Tony Blair.

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