BBC: Japan on 'maximum' nuclear alert

[marmar]

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said his government is in a state of maximum alert over the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

Plutonium has been detected in soil at the facility and highly radioactive water has leaked from a reactor building.

Officials say the priority remains injecting water to cool the fuel rods.

Mr Kan told parliament the situation at the quake-hit plant "continues to be unpredictable". ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12889541

[eShirl]

1. To quote Scooby Doo, "Rut roh."

[Bonobo]

2. This headline is sort of a fabrication.

There has been no "alert" declared in Japan and a quick scouring of the headlines makes no mention of such a thing.

In fact the linked article doesn't make any such claim either.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. There is this found in The Guardian

"The prime minister, Naoto Kan, fought off criticism of his handling of the crisis, insisting to MPs that a state of "maximum alert" would be maintained until the power plant had been made safe."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/japan-mulls-nationalising-fukushima-company

The story is about some consideration being given to nationalizing the plant - I found it in another DU thread.

In fairnes though this doesn't sound like any brand new declaration - just an acknowledgement that the crisis continues to be taken very seriously.

[marmar]

4. Well, that's the headline on the BBC story.

nt

[Bonobo]

5. And that's why I pointed out that the "headline" was a fabrication.

I never said YOU fabricated it.

[Junkdrawer]

6. So Prime Minister Naoto Kan's "Maximum Alert" is only for foreign consumption....

The people of Japan are not being alerted?

Great.

[Bonobo]

7. LOL. There WAS no maximum alert in Japanese, English or Swahili!

Where did you get there idea there was a "maximum alert" and what would that even mean?

Everyone in Japan has all the info you have. It would be comical to read your statements less serious circumstances.

But your implication that Japan is being kept in the dark is ridiculous.

[Junkdrawer]

8. In the last several days there has been talk that the Japanese government....

is not able to handle this crisis alone. I see Kan's recent statements as, in part, a reassurance to an international community that his government has things under control and that the government is under "maximum alert".

You are the one who then said there was no corresponding alert in the Japanese media. Perhaps you are mistaken about that.

[Bonobo]

9. Show me ANYWHERE even in the linked article where it says that

Japan is under "Maximum Nuclear Alert".

[marmar]

10. do a google search on 'japan maximum nuclear alert' and it pops up in several articles

nt

[Bonobo]

11. It is a clear translation error. Saying that the country is being as alert as possible is not

the same as putting the country "On Maximum Alert". You get that right?

Can you see the difference?

Can you see how it was either intentionally or unintentionally transmitted in a manner to confuse the two?

If, as the other poster is suggesting, that Japanese are being kept in the dark while the PM goes around screaming "Maximum Nuclear Alert!" to the rest of the world, is he suggesting that the PM did this in English? In front of a foreign group of reporters who lept it secret from the Japanese press?

Let's be serious now.

Japan is NOT on "Maximum Nuclear Alert" (if such a thing even exists as an official status)

Al the statement means is that they are maintaining maximum vigilance.

[marmar]

12. I'm not trying to get into a semantic argument with you......

People are going to see it how they see it. And yes, I get your point about "alert as possible" and an official "maximum alert." Either way, to most people's ears, it sounds grave.

[Bonobo]

13. Yeah, it's grave and I'm not trying to argue a semantic point.

I am pointing out that Japan is not "On Maximum Nuclear Alert".

I think clear information is one of the most important things at a time like this and no more panic is needed than we already have.

There is a VAST DIFFERENCE between "we are being as vigilant as we can be" and "We are on maximum nuclear alert!"

[Snoutport]

14. Every post about the meltdown/disaster I have been attacked on semantics

It seems nobody cares about semantics when it comes to following the rules about nuclear power but if you say one word about nuclear power you get attacked. I made a post about personal friends I have talked to who were flown home by the state dept and there must have been 25 posts from people attacking me because they FELT the state dept wasn't flying students home. When I and other posters put up links to articles this was their response: I don't believe that.

Nuclear power relies on their ability to use semantics to skip sharing real information.

[Bonobo]

15. You think the difference I am describing has ANYTHING to do with your internet beefs?

You think I am attacking someone to cover up something?

Bullshit.

I am correcting misinformation. Plain and simple. No ifs ands or buts.

[flamingdem]

16. Perhaps he is responding to accusations that Japan is not sufficiently alerting its people

as in Greenpeace.org saying that their readings are higher for cities near the plant and that they should be evacuated. That doesn't make them look like they are on top of things.

[Bonobo]

17. All I want to say in this thread is that the headline is misleading, false actually.

It gives the impression -erroneously - that Japan has changed it's alert status (if there is something like the Americans are used to with the "Security Status Orange bullshit) to a "Maximum Nuclear Alert".

It simply is not true.

It is a mistranslation, a false impression being intentionally given with slanted headlines.

It is not helpful, it is not true.

That is ALL I am saying.

If you have something to show otherwise, please say so. Otherwise, please read post #11.