Fascinatingly, the aftereffects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster have been significantly more devastating than they initially appeared. Like radiation itself, the short-term effects were nowhere near as brutal as those in the longterm. Things were bad at first, but in recent months, things have gotten much, much worse — for people all over the world.

Hundreds of American sailors that were attempting to help deal with the negative effects of the 2011 tsunami have since reported suffering from radiation poison as a result of the nuclear disaster. Typical of the United States servicemen, the sailors put their own personal wellbeing at risk in order to help those in serious need, but the dangers of radiation are extremely serious.

Junichiro Koizumi — who served as the prime minister of Japan from 2001 until 2006 — has expressed his support for those sailors and their claims, going so far as to create a fund to collect a goal of $1 million in order to help pay for their medical bills. They have even gone as far as to join a class-action lawsuit against Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Unsurprisingly, the lawsuit has been picking up steam in court.

AP Business writer Yuri Kageyama reports, “The lawsuit, filed in 2012, is ongoing, and a California judge has ruled it will proceed. More Navy personnel and Marines are joining the suit, now numbering about 400, according to Koizumi.”

We, as the human race, need to learn how to respect the environment and the planet on which we live. Far too many people confuse capitalism with intentionally mistreating the environment for potential monetary gain, but those people couldn’t be any more incorrect. It is entirely possible to be a capitalist who still acknowledges environmental issues and actively opposes situations that could lead to massive disasters with longterm consequences.

Above all, it’s apparent that Koizumi actually cares about the physical wellness of the human race. Sadly, the same cannot be said for most of the folks that currently comprise the American federal government. In America, you’ll be lucky if the politicians involved in the federal government don’t just kill you themselves…

Sources:

Macon.com

CounterPunch.org