On 07/03/2016 10:52, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 07/03/16 09:15, Brian Gaff wrote:
How did we get into this sort of mess?

All it takes is voter ignorance.

The late Professor Cohen wrote in his book perhaps the clearest
explanation of how governments waste money, because voters are ignorant
and people who don't care take advantage.

This is on dealing with low level nuclear waste.
( http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~blc/book/chapter12.html )

"I have met the government officials who chose the billion-dollar plan,
and have discussed these questions with them. They are intelligent
people trying to do their jobs well. But they don't view saving lives as
the relevant question. In their view, their jobs are to respond to
public concern and political pressures. A few irrational zealots in the
Buffalo area stirred up the public there with the cry "We want that
dangerous waste out of our area." Why should any local people oppose
them? Their congressional representatives took that message to
Washington €” what would they have to gain by doing otherwise? The DOE
officials responded to that pressure by asking for the billion-dollar
program. It wasn't hurting them; in fact, having a new billion-dollar
program to administer is a feather in their caps. Congress was told that
a billion dollars was needed to discharge the government's
responsibility in protecting the public from this dangerous waste €” how
could it fail to respond? "

Once you realise that what allows bad politics, is public ignorance,
public education remains the most powerful weapon against it.

Hence Gridwatch ;-)


A very sensible comment. I long to be socialist, where a sensible
government plans and builds great national infrastructure for the
benefit of us all. But bitter experience tells me our governments just
**** money away on self interest, corruption and stupidity. Even local
government is infested with the dregs of humanity.

Related to this a couple of things really perplex me firstly why new
nuclear power stations are so expensive given that the French managed to
build them economically 30 years ago.

Secondly why trains are so expensive and still have human drivers given
that they are already experimenting with computer driven cars.