Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 11:56:59 +0200 (MET DST) To: marxism-general-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU From: rolf.martens-AT-mailbox.swipnet.se (Rolf Martens) Subject: M-G: UNITE! Info #34en: 3/3 US trickery on Barsebäck UNITE! Info #34en: 3/3 US trickery on Barseb=E4ck [Posted: 27.05.97] [Continued from part 2/3] 5. A SEEMINGLY STRANGE ARTICLE IN THE WASHINGTON POST ON 25.11.1994 In 1994, there in Sweden were some rather weak but significant moves in certain bourgeois circles to get out of the economically of course extremely damaging straightjacket that the above- mentioned stoneage laws against nuclear energy were imposing. There was also stronger and stronger, even if quite unorganised and thus mainly unexpressed, pressure in that direction from the great majority of people here. On 13.10.1994, for instance, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who happened to be a Swede, Hans Blix, in a speech in Stockholm (which - rather "naturally" - was not reported on in any of the media) i.a. said that "if another referendum is required to save our nuclear-energy programme, then let us take this". Another referendum? Then this "might have to" be a genuine one; it wouldn't be possible to pull anything nearly like the fantastic stunt of 1980 once more in this country. But this then would result in an overwhelming "yes" to nuclear energy, which, as those in power well know, has always been the opinion of the Swedish people, and in later years even stronger than before. If it's one thing that the main, ultra-reactionary, ruling bourgeois forces here and abroad are dead set against, that's precisely a *genuine* referendum on this question. It no doubt were these moves in Sweden that occasioned the otherwise rather inexplicable, very curious, cock-and-bull story that filled the first page, and several others, of the semi-govern- mental US newspaper the Washington Post on 25.11.1994. Its headline was: "Neutral Sweden Quietly Keeps Nuclear Option Open". Reading that headline, you wouldn't really immediately under- stand what "nuclear option" was being referred to, whether one of (extended) peaceful use, i.e. building some more power plants, or one of making bombs - even if the word "neutral" of course did give a hint. In reality, as the circumstances clearly shows, the article *was* intended to give the message, quite publicly this time, to the Swedish politicians: "Don't you dare abrogate those anti-nuclear-energy laws in your small country, for instance as a result of any real referendum, or else....". Pur- portedly, it was about a supposed suspicion that Sweden - that not only "friendly" but also very "docile" country, on these questions - was actually holding open a nuclear-weapons production option. Back In the late 50s, in a quite different situation in the world, there actually had been a certain discussion about such a possibility here. It rather quickly died out, after some grumpy reactions from both of the biggest powers at the time, the USA and the (of course neighbouring) Soviet Union. Since many years back today, no Swedish bourgeois politician would as much as dream of challenging the "Gods and Jesuses" of this planet by making the sligthtest move in the direction of an independent nuclear-weapons force similar to the French. Completely ridiculously, as all well knew, the WP article for "evidence" of its "suspicion" referred to the old and small, since more than 20 years back shut-down and today completely inoperable =C5gesta heavy-water reactor which had in the 60s and early 70s supplied the Stockholmers with some amounts of appreciatedly environmental-friendly heat and electricity. In the issue of the Dagens Nyheter the next day, it was reported that the Swedish government was preparing a statement on account of that article in the influential US paper, but eventually, silence was preferred on the matter. However, altough factually, the WP article had been a seemingly surprising piece of idiocy, it politically of course, precisely therefore too, constituted a very demonstrative piece of pressure on the rulers of this country. *That* - indirect - statement of 1994, and not the recent, later also "retracted" one by the ambassador, shows the *real* wishes and intents of those in power in the USA concerning nuclear energy here in Sweden. UNITE! / VEREINIGT EUCH! / UNISSEZ-VOUS! / =A1UNIOS! / F=D6RENA ER! Info en/de/fr/es/se series: Advocates the political line of Marx, Lenin and Mao Zedong. Each item # will be posted in one or more language(s). Leaflets in the INFORMATIONSBLAD series published by me, mainly in Swedish, since 1975 are available on request. Bef=FCrwortet die politische Linie von Marx, Lenin und Mao Zedong. Jedes Nummer # wird in einer oder mehreren Sprache(n) gesandt werden. Flugbl=E4tter der Reihe INFORMATIONSBLAD, von mir haupts=E4chlich in Schwedisch seit 1975 ver=F6ffentlicht, sind auf Anfrage erhaltlich. Avocate de la ligne politique de Marx, Lénine et Mao Zedong. Chaque numéro # sera envoyé en une ou plusieurs langue(s). Volantes de la série INFORMATIONSBLAD, publiée par moi principalement en suédois depuis 1975, sont accessibles sur demande. Partidaria de la l=EDnea pol=EDtica de Marx, Lenin y Mao Zedong. Cado n=FAmero # sera enviado en una o varias lengua(s). Se pueden conseguir a la demanda volantes de la serie INFORMATIONSBLAD, publicada por me principalmente en sueco desde 1975. F=F6respr=E5kar Marx', Lenins och Mao Zedongs politiska linje. Varje nummer # kommer att s=E4ndas p=E5 ett eller flera spr=E5k. Flygblad i serien INFORMATIONSBLAD, publicerad av mig huvudsakligen p=E5 svenska sedan 1975, kan f=E5s p=E5 beg=E4ran. Postal address: Rolf Martens Nobelvaegen 38 S - 214 33 Malmoe SWEDEN Tel: +46 - 40 - 124832 --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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