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Mystery, Mayhem and Nukes: The Story of the Marshall Islands

2021-02-10 | 🔗

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a relatively tiny, remote place -- it's about halfway between Hawaii and Australia, with nothing but ocean on the horizon. And, for decades, this nation has been home to a terrifying secret. As the world entered the atomic age, the United States realized it needed a place to test its new weaponry, and to store the waste these nuclear experiments left behind. Tune in to learn more about US nuclear experiments in the Marshall Islands, and how the consequences of this conspiracy remain in the modern day.

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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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in Pennsylvania. First on one room anyway, drove me for one thousand dollars. Creed vat refund issue does not withdraw beside credit expressing fourteen days. Restrictions apply several terms its worth booked. I've handled outcome. Gambling problem call one hundred gambler from Europe. two psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn. Stop they don't want you to know a production of I hello and wolden back to the show. My name is meant. My name is no. They call me Ben dear joined, as always, with our sugar producer, Paul Mission Control Deck and, most importantly, you or you you are here, and that makes this stuff. They don't want you to know today story is a tragic continuing saga, and boiler alert
story that does not at this point have an ending, however, We feel it is important for more people to be aware of this piracy. This cover up the semi apocalyptic series of various fortune. events. This story comes to US folks. Kurdish of one of your fellow listeners left us a message: oh God, man, it was it was it twenty nineteen November she came from twenty twenty this year and we just want to say like you, anonymous teacher mean playing your voicemail right now, but you asked us not to Well, we did it. We did, of course play it for ourselves as a group, but, as we always say you know, we, we one respect people's wishes, for, privacy. We didn't you sound Scatterbrain at all for the market anonymous teacher you
raised a very interesting point? You also did something that I love the here. geez, I! U you mentioned some of your own research in this matter in this story of. The Marshall Islands Snow a lot of people, they probably heard in the bikini a toll, especially here in if you're interested in the history of nuclear. Hosty Nuclear Revolution. there's a larger, much larger story at play here and to splore this story. We have to first explore the Marshall Islands themselves, which are going to be unfamiliar with a lot of people in the? U S, especially if you have Don't have any relatives in the military or you haven't yourself been part of the military. So here are the fact The Marshall Islands are notes. Oh man, you thought
having driving for long weekend at a cabin in the mountains was a hassle. Just look at all: stuff you have to do to get from where you are now, wherever you're. Listening to this all the way out to the Marshall Islands they are about. half way between Hawaii and Australia like right near the equator and although its one sovereign country. Now, as of nineteen, seventy nine, it's really too, kind of parallel chains, a very a lot of very small, very small plots of land. I is considered and at once called in Associated state of the. U S. That means that, since its cause, the tuition and independence in eighteen, seventy, nine, its sovereign country, but as a formal, very distinct unique relationship with the United States and where
I'll- find out exactly why this pursued. I don't know why I'm laughing this is. This is a terrible thing. And even though it's it's a pretty big area of ocean and island population wise. It's a very small place, that's right estimated fifty eight thousand four hundred and thirteen human souls live in this region, spread out across tat t nine Coral atolls a call back as there there were almost like many islands like me when you look at them on an aerial view. They really just look like tiny little specks and these items are composed of a one thousand one. fifty six, individual islands or islets. I live in the capital called Maduro and it's beautiful. You know we're talking about, crystal blue waters in our island. paradise type giveaways, it incredibly remote, very low cry
ray and for many many years thousands of years was the kind of place where you can kind of go and live a life off the grid. Robinson, Crusoe style, unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate events lebanese naked style. This is no longer the case rights yeah. This this place has a long history of human occupation dating to at least the second millennium b c e, and the world and the country the world became increasingly connected in the modern era. More and more governments either half a world away or euro closer to that Pacific region. They became interested intensely interested in Control the territory we know as the Republic of the Marshall Islands today, as far back as nineteen forty
in Japan was interested. They were building basis, military bases on the islands and if you fast forward through the bloody events of world war. Two in the Pacific Theatre there you'll see that after the United States, defeated japanese troops in the area. They turned to atolls of the Marshall Islands, into military bases themselves. So it's kind of like there too, two things fighting, but neither of them the concerns of the need of people at the front of their mind. No, it's it's a strategic place to be If, if you ve got naval forces its strategic place to be, and is also strategic, if you need to be isolated, for some reason away from larger populations. Ding Ding, ding, yeah. then consider just the resupply value it offers to so in name. Forty, seven islands. Do the job
should by the EU in the islands, become part of something called the trust territory of the Pacific islands. There still not a country, this like the? U wins, idea officially, but this trust territory is administered, cough cough, controlled, cough cough by the United States- this is Opel. Sam's new islands paradise. If you will these gonna territory groups, we should know super common in any post war era. We go back tat. First battles, humans fought the there was usually a territory grab afterwards, and it was often about territory, no matter what ideology they put over it. I this is this. Happens for a number of reasons. One, as you pointed out, Matt, to gain control The strategic point, either for shipping purposes, economic purposes you could say or to plan for a few
You're wars, future areas that we can wait. Wage good are often sought from or areas that we could easily defend and then, of course, the big major in the bag of he wore ever. Could the local resources, every war you have seen fought or read about it is about getting stuff from other cable, no matter how its phrased. This makes the Marshall Islands Trust territory very strange in human history because the U S did have a plan for this region, but they didn't want to take any Instead they wanted to leave something something terrible behind here's, where it gets crazy, yeah what table wanted to leave behind was indeed something terrible,
it is a by product of nuclear testing, as described by Tony De Broom, the former minister of Foreign Affairs and health in ninety forty. Six of the. U S Navy pulled into the lagoon of the became, a tall and told the one hundred and sixty seven people that were living there at the time that they were going to use this land as attesting site for nuclear weaponry. They were direct and how they approached these individuals, but same time. It was some. There was like a Bush dick, almost like they'd, like they done it before the group phrase conversation in such a way, almost like you would with something like eminent domain where at slightly by you out. Let us in your help, you help us etc. They phrased it in terms of quota seeking permission, but they couched
mission as something that was the will of God himself and would ultimately benefit all mankind? You can't argue with God and the benefit of all mankind. I would say it as a sacrifice, they were asking these people to make for the future safety of the entire world, and so these small number of people admittedly took off they evacuated they did. Now remember here we're talking about a series of islands that make up this thing that we can, The Marshall Islands or the republic of the Marshall Islands in went to one one little at all and kick people off. do nuclear testing which, as we all know, has a bit of an area of effect, for the greater good, though, the forum for the greater good As a result of this pretty do
ingenuous approach. We learn that between nineteen forty, six, all the way up to nineteen fifty eight, the united. he ended up, conducting no less then sixty seven documented nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands is just the nuclear test. Do you ask, that did about twenty three of these tests at bikini at all, and then forty four or near another at all and no attack, but the fall out to your point about the area of the other they'll follow, spread everywhere. It spread throughout Marshall Islands When we say we test we're not talking about the nuclear equivalent of pop M eighty or a flash bang overall yield of these tests due to one curve, busting monstrous bomb
the overall yield of these nuclear test has been estimated to be to work out to an average of one point: six in Hiroshima level, detonations every day for twelve years, is this? How serious this is ending Hiroshima. If you look at the way this is, this can be average ass, the span of testing and now, with the benefit of rhetoric, spect. We know much more about the test, then people did in the time, even the people living there by the way who in some cases were not evacuated when He testing began so we're gonna pause. Were a word from our sponsors and in Wilbur term we're gonna dive deep into the hi, I'm lying in the specifics of these tests,
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the beginning at all and the inner walk at all so. Why would you do nuclear testing their? We know that the United States around that time in the forties had been testing nuclear weapons on american soil out there Nevada in resting grounds there and perhaps in a couple other places, but You know! Why would you go to a remote island to do this testing? Well, one of the main reasons was because the military machine wanted to know what happens to able vessel when a nuclear explosion occurs how far away does it have to be to have any kind of effect, what are they facts in general and all these questions, then I'm sure some some general had in their mouths under some admiral who as you know, what was going to happen in the future when a nuclear near his vessel now imagine at a base level. Secrecy was a very important year, two right sure. Yet
what the american public and, to a degree the marshal ease public to be to raise a hand and say hey, this is crazy. We live in this area, the the there couple other advantages: they were near by military bases this area is also you know. This is pre satellite. surveillance nets. So this area is also more difficult for enemy forces to to observe right everybody's get a sense or figure out a nuclear detonation of these this size. it's kind of a disturbance in the force vibe at this level of energy, but they also They also doing a nimby thing: Everybody knows that abbreviation not in my back yard. The treaty test did take place in the heartland. of America or the north american continent, blight
now that we have discovered the process to me the nuclear bomb who want to build better ones. To realize that post nineteen, forty five people in post war to really the? U S. Public is going to start asking increasingly difficult questions about why we're blowing up soon in our own country, so not just the general. but the policy walks and Congress wanted to get in of this thing, and now when they said you know, we ve got this place. We can go nuts here. This is is the nuclear testing equivalent Vegas baby role, the dice dropped the bombs and that's exactly what they did Ben. I asked you off my you know if we talked about this place being like an island, Paradise, etc. With such population, and my question was whether these are these transplant from other South Pacific Nations
are they would you consider these indigenous people? I think the answer is a bit of both, but largely it is. They are indigenous people correct yeah yeah, so there, marshalling culture is part of the wider culture of Micronesia, and if you look at the history of marshalling culture, we got it Mozilla topic, I'm going somewhere with this. We all are. Friends in New York and if you're, not from New York or even if you are, the big apple. You are well aware that New York has this weird thing: but when one can be called a local right and not just a tourist, once threshold is like eight years for subversion. I don't know the actual official number is certainly more than a couple yeah yeah end so soon theirs seems like that's a micro cosmic equivalent of the larger question, which is
When do people become considered indigenous people right? We know that with most continents land masses in the world. There was a migration at some point in ancient history, so as well Question indigenous People who live in the Marshall Islands have a very close relationship with the land and the sea forms part of the community and part of the culture and it looks like they were part, they said the second millennium b b c. It looks like they were part of that larger wave of human migration. Three thousand years ago, are spread across the western Pacific Ocean. So I would say I would say: I'm not doing New York rules here, far be it, but I feel like it. If you, lived in area? For that long, you can be considered.
You re a totally we're talkin generations and I didn't notice going end, but they know when you say that we refer to them as the marshal these people. They also have the marshal. use language, its correct I, and so there. This is mobile establishing here is that the Marshall Islands were by no means some kind of empty room, or some kind of Baron uninhabited place where the These tests could occur without consequence, the first team in the Marshall Islands incurred doing something called operation cross roads, and that's what that's what that was just talking about folks, the idea that we need to investigate the effects of nuclear weapons, I naval, warships because, of course, the this is not while its many things buddy, it's not foolish, is not naive enough to think that nuclear weapons will stay
U S, joint! For a long time, other people want the new toy right and when they the new toy they're, going to use it to break the toy their rivals, light battleships carriers etc. So we have to find out what happens before. We see it in the field so and in some of those Some of this stuff surrounding the Earl the early operation crossroads the actual testing that they did fearsome stuff and it's hard to imagine. This was a spectacle. We know you think, nuclear testing, at least in the beginning. There it was a very secretive thing we talked about. Are you you can't let anyone know there were testing this weapon? You don't want your arrivals to know, but as we into really the thick of up asian crossroads. The? U S has already dropped a nuclear weapon to. Nuclear weapons on egg another country and, at this it's almost as if the U S is wants to. willingly, show the might again,
but you're not hurt anybody just to show that might off. So it's in there in this one of the test I believe, is called able shot or shot you shot Asia shot able They invited a ton of people out watch. This thing they invited the press to hey film. This thing. Take pictures, hey check this out. Let's talk about this, let's get in the news, so I my opinion. So our allies and our enemies will notice similar to a military demonstration, is basically military demonstration with a little with a with a lab coat. I had a big bang in a big big bang, awesome, shot able to cruise on July. First one thousand nine hundred and forty six. This allowed various US authorities to confirm the power of these weapons and they determined some scary stuff. They said If there were any soldiers,
on any ships up to a mile away from this explosion. They would be killed, instilling no take back no worries about the lingering effects of radiation is just flippin off, like a very violent light switch. They followed up with these shot Baker test later that month. On July, twenty fifth these these tests were the first time the Eu S attested nuclear weapons since the days of Trinity in nineteen, forty five and there are also the fur nuclear detonations since those days in August, nineteen, forty five and little boy and fat man were dropped over Nagasaki in Hiroshima and when, when Cross Crossroads, ended It was on August tenth, nineteen, forty six and get this. They ended it because of very valid pressing terrifying concerns over radiation and the effects radiation can have on the human body, but they were worried.
The human bodies of soldiers were in a lot of people on Uncle SAM Side, saying I yeah. What about the people who live here for longer than a tour of duty. Free, so don't worry about. Although live animals that they loaded onto the ships when they detonated than hooks either the single half That was our textile like we're way you. Why were they always this too, to see the effects of the radiation on the animals in the blood and the radiation I mean? How do you think they figured out that the soldiers would be killed instantly eggs, goats and mice, I think specifically, so the opposite of Noah's Ark style. Basically, here loaded onto a boat and kill them all and Z, well well see what will happen. That's the phrase the liquid let's see what will happen which You know it's it's a lot like
winter. If you went to court for murder, cause you shot some one point blank, and you said your honor was an trainer heard any daddy? I wanted to see what would happen. First size dues likes, I know so little This is a huge deal, though, and a lot of people in who ass may be aware of the testing, but there's not much attention being paid to the people who are living in the market islands and they kept going. They kept going because This was a perfect storm of opportunity, right, there's a post world more lol there's a huge boost. in industry and technology. In the U S, because it's one of the few western places there was able to preserve its infrastructure, large parts of Europe are destroyed. Like not decades decades productivity were gone and
instant, I saw the also didn't have a lot of people who could stop them that whisky, we we heard today a vacuum. or that these people, I guess, willingly evacuated, highlight hundred sixty seven something people and we're talking about a collection of islands in the thousand or not in the thousands, but over a thousand. So how far with this site Ben from, like whatever the metro center, I believe Matura wow far with this ban geographically from there The distance from bikini to majority is eight hundred, and twenty seven kilometers occurs as the crow flies works out. Two five hundred fourteen miles got it and the This is still by the way that I might sound it's a long way away, but we have to Member he's your nuclear weapons
more now tests. There is an aggregate cumulative effect here after operations. Crossroads ends. Do too lose concerns about radiation. For this, soldiers only list. Fast forward there still going on nineteen? Fifty, then President Truman sides that we're going to increase research into thermonuclear weapons because of our new friend of me, the USSR. and then the conflict, the cold war conflict was already kind of brewing towards the end of world war. Two, of course, so to do this to increase this amount of research, we necessarily increasing amount of nuclear testing. it turns out. We have one place, one place where we love detest: all world. Indeed, toys still the Marshall Islands, so something called
duration greenhouse begins in nineteen fifty one, and then it goes to operation, ivy, November of nineteen. Fifty two I dont know whether the band is named after that folks by I had the same question was to give the same thing. I budgets there, but you ve met, that after the operation, I guess, but who knows who notes rose? I beg you, some of their songs still hold up so shot MIKE Here we had, we had those other things from mentioned earlier: shot able, for instance, there's another we called shot. My It is the world's first known, successful test of our hydrogen bombs and then just a little bit later on November. Sixteenth uncle SAM, conducted? What is called the king shot, which sound like a really. oh really heavy tourist drink. You get in New Orleans bar or something
It also sends a leg, vaguely Hamel Tony him. I don't know why then discuss the king and I'm not gonna, throw away my shot and all that mere oh yeah for sure man any kind omitted pull away from that of. I just want to remind everybody the difference between an atomic weapons like the ones that were dropped on Japan, verses, Woolridge, now introducing here a hydrogen bombs. I really the best way to think about it is these. Scale of destruction and the radius at which believe that, like instantly fatality occurs, so If you can imagine that. when a nuclear weapon was dropped on Japan around things. A radio a mile, people were killed fairly instantly when or instantly when it was, it was with a hydrogen bombs. You could increase that by
five times are ten times so like five miles, maybe ten miles in a radius where people would just be instantly killed, everyone's aware, especially or italian proximity to the other people who lived on the Marshall Islands, which is huge yeah. It's very good points, very important distinction to so we're going to pause for a brief word from our sponsors and then will return with story of the largest tests, the one that is the reason we're looking at an average of one five Hiroshima is every day for twelve years and the inevitable fall out, then the inevitable fallen, this episode of stuff- they don't want you to Know- is brought you by life, lock the joys of taxis and fell
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and less time was ship station gonna sixty day free trial with offer code podcast that's two months: free just go to ship station. Dotcom click on the microphone at the top of the page and type in podcast that ship station dotcom click on the microphone and type in podcast ship station make ship happen. We returned not to twenty twenty one, but two March, first, nineteen, fifty four, the Dubuque something called code name. Bravo witches objectively, a really cool name for a terrible thing I edge. I think it's cool. So do you ask
did the largest nuclear detonation. That country has ever conducted even now in the modern two largest ever full stop on Uncle SAM part. It was called castle. Bravo. This took place at the beginning at all on March first, and Bravo was a Teen megaton, hydrogen bomb, that is alone the equivalent of Hiroshima. One thousand times, was only one of a series of thermonuclear test, but it's it's the big one and it wasn't supposed to be This we talked about member earlier and open skies. We talked about how many close calls the huge Species has had a special with nuclear weapons and we were talking specifically
about breakdowns in communication or interpretation of what other countries or say it or signalling. In this case, screw it up entirely on our own This was the up for device of its kind, we, the calculations. We thought our math with solid, what we were so very wrong. And we meaning the scientists conducting this test got, got the math so screwed up that win the bomb was detonated, its nuclear yield was more than double what they a plan for or expected as consequences worth like this very area, miscalculate that that much the it's a new technology and you know they're they're testing right that's what this thing is for, and they didn't realize more to do how
who is going to be an end, like you said, there are consequences, been the the fall out did drift over into two inhabited areas there in the islands and Oh around two hundred men and women and children were living in the places where that fall out can adjust, spread right on top of an you know is one of those things we can even send us the whole episode right. the dangers year for the inhabitants of these islands, and it happened one at all Randal up the people there, found themselves instantly heavily affected. My the fall out and there are, of course, they're ecosystem is affected too and is just to clarify these are initial physical effects, not like long term stop like we hear about with other you now like D, the big picture of
creation me. These are direct burns. You now on people's bodies and very quick onset of radiation diseases yap exactly so, when you're talking about why spread heavy contamination like this, you think of it in terms of either to clocks- or maybe it's better to thing in terms of the our hand and the minute hands so the stuff that happens for those consequences, the burns, the sickness, the radiation poisoning, that's the minute head and it's going tick tick. Take you seen the results, but the bill. Real comes do with what the what we call the hour here, which is the long tail effects of these. Which are very serious and can take decades to manifest that's a problem for the victims in these situations, because there
makes it a little more difficult to prove that someone is free from a medical condition because of something that happened twenty years ago. No one is actually lotta room for unethical defence. Where's to play ball on that field. So agitated the military, the? U S, military, did evacuated. these residents as well about two days after the test is when they got around to it people partial islands, the March leaves were not informed, potential dangers, who is all very much you know glory to the greater good we're making the world a better place. Your sack facing, but they were under. They were under the impression that the sacrifice they were making was moving for a little while was a very different sacrifice involved, a senator of the Marshall Islands named John An engine explained the effects of castle. Bravo,
in a powerful new, powerful disturbing wait. He says five hours after the detonation of this device, it began to ring radioactive fallout? Had wronged lap? The toll was covered with a fine. White powder like substance and into this part. No one knew it was radioactive fallout. The children play in the snow: they aid. How would you know, how would you know yeah? That is rough men? I did it its rougher, interconnectivity, seven, the people of wrangle up came back, but officials and scientists, we're working for the E C decided that radiation was still at play, an still very much alive. One my eyes, as we said I mean that's, not that's not enough time, three years as we said this
In writing. As I related stuff comes in twenty years later, as cancer and birth defects and all of the terrible things so there's this there's a later report that comes out in two thousand for in it between the years of nineteen. Forty six in nineteen. Fifty eight d the full amount of contamination there. Have been generated. There was an excess of five hundred and thirty cancers Yes, what that means is that in that area, in their analysis. They said What are the average incidence of cancer population of all things are the same in this test. Never happened can You tell whether radiation increase cancer, answers guess five hundred and thirty times I am people are people more more likely to get cancer that we can trace back. In two thousand and four again so difficult time passes. So
That number is probably probably lower estimate is probably lower than the actual number I mean to say and to die. five. The National Cancer Institute said the risk of contracting cancer for people supposed to this fall out like your chance of getting cancer after this one out of three that me That is the three of us on stuff. They want. You know today, in the Marshall Islands at that time, one of us would get cancer. Are terrible, terrible odds. Two or three decades after the hosting ended. This is where the our hand begins to tick. Multiple, like many many adult citizens of the Marshall Islands, develop cancer His thigh Roy, no jewels. an associated health risk increase is well. I mean you: can media shattered you have to the home, where you know my generations before you lived, and
gives you stress, people PTSD. That also couple- with some other social factors like the importation of Eastern Diet, with the military leads to diabetes, obesity things that do not help you if you are contracting cancer and living in a irradiated area. it SAM it's rough because the leader of the National Cancer Institute comes back and twenty TED. And they say- and we looked at all the cancer between one thousand nine hundred and forty eight and one thousand nine hundred and seventy the Marshall Islands, The cancer Institute reports found one point. Six of all answers at least during this time in the Marshall Islands are directly attributable to radiation from nuclear testing. What this means, Is that the you s? No won't she on purpose, but the? U S through negligence, If these innocent people cancer, there
no way around it. They would I've had cancer if they are adopted, nuclear weapons exploding so often for so long so we're saying one point: six percent of all cancers there were developed on all of the islands. That's Orsay Lucas Gotcha cause someplace, got hit kit much harder right. The northern atolls in this study, found that in the northern atolls, fifty five percent of all cancers are the result of this follow up more than half day and at where was specifically just for the castle, Bravo test aloud the giant one brave while then you know movie on in the seventies the? U S. Does you now agree that some If mistakes were made on, maybe
the cave it indirectly sat by, they did agreed to clean up the mess as much as possible to clean up the islands. They took the crater from a previous bomb test on run an island, and this is the defence nuclear agency by the way, and they built a dome to store nuclear waste and this isn t. Now we see this in other sites around the United States, for example the Savanna Rivers. and near Augusta. Georgia, where I grew up, is a see mom contain site for spent nuclear weapons and they would store a lot of this material in pits that they would again in line and in no bury this stuff and they realized every time that some of those liners leaked and leeched all of that stuff into the soil, They had a similar response here, the defence nuclear agency.
this down to store the nuclear waste and they built inside of it two hundred and seventy seven feet wide, concrete enclosure that holds more than three. Point one million cubic feet. So this is a pity that is the equivalent of thirty four I've olympic size, swimming pools filled entirely with radioactive soil in debris that contain a lethal doses of plutonium all directly as as a result of the? U S, activities egg is worse. This is it this isn't just the the nuclear trash from March from the Marshall Islands, test the: U S took stuff from Nevada and put it on a boat and brought it there and buried it again, not in my back yard. They nimby this and this structure today is in danger of collapsing in use
deteriorating overtime and the big concern is that it could soon reach even more of a crisis level due to be rising. Sea is a good job. this was a problem with the Fukushima as well, when the ocean gets involved nuclear things are an unstoppable force but Who is the ocean for now and and shout out, as our anonymous teacher pointed out, shout out to the excellent work of the allay times, reporting on this situation, because The work will look at it Did this in a second but there's a sigh a case that the Eu S engaged in a series of cover ups here. So a lot of stuff that they were doing was classified at the time and you can say coercion. Had to be cause was nuclear testing, but nay. Also found it was the allay times who found that the? U S had taken a hundred and thirty tonnes
of irradiated soil from an avowed attesting site and dumped it they're into the dome. They also conducted by a large weapons tests. So wasn't it nuclear there were like hey while we ve got this testing thing lets. You know, let's take the anthrax round around the block spend wishes. We want Anybody, let's just see what happens. Yes, the thing is generally a no no explode eventually, it's not always against international law to do that kind of thing, birds, Good luck when you're scene resting biological weapons and the bill comes, do nowadays it is now our computer models that have the their sophisticated enough to decked, some of this stuff that you could in the asked only find out through actual physical testing other still This does not really an excuse for it and because again people live there.
and you can still see the dome today locals, call it the tomb, described as a nuclear coughing, berry the secrets of the: U S is wealth, officials in the Marshall Islands, lobbied the: U S, government multiple times for help. American officials initially decline to help with this clean up. They said, get this While the dome is our Marshall Liese land any open, nineteen, seventy nine? They are sovereign country, so therefore its responsibility of sovereign government hashtag, not it The land is your land with no lands, not my land, just because we tested as perfect wow that's exe yeah that song socks We now it's true that have been tat. Oh wow, wow I like a little red hand, type situation. You know, member that fable where
The other answer, your reversal, Red Henry, while the other animals wanted to eat the bread then alone, hand spent all his time making. And she said now you can have the bread, because I made it. This is literally the other way around or it's like you can't have the bread that we made that is going to kill you never mind it's bad it's! At around. You know, I think it's a good. I've got a bad when two or at the very least, its crass, its disturbingly similar to someone like two people hope up and when saying hey an addition. you're ruining my apartment. When we hooked up, I I think I'm pregnant. and then the other person saying you will be a fantastic single mother and I she the best of luck with your apartment, and in this case, obviously the child is nuclear waste cattle habit.
Why are we gonna? Have trouble for thou into tax at all? And I know it's good. I think it's I had such better than mine, no home. It did paints a good potato, disturbing picture ban rustly right the child is nuclear waste and the air. It's like we're, not gonna. Give you anything when I can help you fact that they went even further the folks they were left to clean up our mess. Weren't even help in the end, the most basic ways which you think they would at least provide them some kind of protective equipment in our heads that suits or what have you rat red suits if your file fan, but no not even that so There is, there is an argument to be me, where you could say. Well, maybe this was just a matter of not knowing the full extent of the full potential danger of this kind of closure because again, this was
early in the days of nuclear testing by much water. Does that hold how much nuclear waste fits in that rationalization dome, I would say not a ton especial we consider that the journalist the times do even to this day, interviewed every Marshall ease. U S, officials would talk to them about this. They went through thousands and thousands and thousands of de classified documents and found at the? U S did know some key pieces of information here and they purposely withheld it from the government of the Marshall Islands, so the and tell them about the weapon, testing programme in tell him about. the stuff there was actually inside this dome The reason they didn't tell them the reason they covered it up is because they were pushing sign a deal in nineteen, eighty six, that would rule he's the? U S, government from any further liability regarding
these tests, and this this deals importance ongoing, but under this deal they were supposed to pay settlements. Right, pay, five and also help the population of the country, while also cleaning up and pain for that cleanup right. So there is another study knows published. I Columbia University scientist and they found that levels of radiation in certain parts of the marshal islands even today, evil the radiation levels found at Chernobyl and Fukushima. I would also argue that the the silo ing and withholding of information rivals. Chernobyl yeah Formation Control centre. it's a necessary thing, but it's always choices so groups into not necessary. It's a really tough thing. We, got a story like this, that is based on new, no historical, miss
seeds worm wrong. Doing like outright wrong. Doing by I'm country, and then you can clearly trace the effects and the problems to present day in the future where its a long, lasting issue, its ears, very often we we hit on one of those topics, and this certainly one and its I'm. I'm just so grateful to our listener, who put us onto this. In my goodness, maybe we can find a way to help in some way. I don't know how, but I'm level do we don't have the resources? Well, yeah. We don't have much experience. Cleaning up nuclear waste, which I've always thought is, is a weak point of our party I would agree with you there, but we we do know that their he's an official holiday coming up, the remembrance stay on March. Second, every
which honours the victims and the survivors of nuclear testing. throw a holiday at it. My dear I arrived, raises visibility at least tie. I agree. No eve You if you are resumed the? U S, and you want to see further. U S, action in this area. Are you and always right to your local representatives, your individual results may vary in that regard. Unfortunately, but the facts. The facts are the same. I raised the Marshall Islands have radiation levels that are almost double of what is safe for human human habitation. Overall, As time passes, the islands are slowly becoming less radioactive is low, dome doesn't crack right, but we If you ask somebody, when will the Marshall Islands be free of radiation, win
and people returned to bikini at all. The answer is really I don't know. No one, no one is short. mental city we mentioned is over crowded due to write sea levels and dozens of other things eyes increasingly polluted their clean up efforts to continue as well. boarding the shoe today and the marshal ease government continues to rightly, I would say, advocate for compensation wisest Now. Why are the events more than half a century ago still relevant today, while aside for The radiation that nineteen eighty six deal up for renegotiation in twenty twenty three, so there is a goal or milestone to push your representatives, for, if you think you are be doing more in regard to this end, again, look you're just being honest here, we're not doing
hey peace on the United States. These are just facts. This was a real conspiracy. What we're doing territories fall in terms of you know, legislated representation. It's a good she saw, Again since nineteen, seventy nine, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, has been a sovereign country. However, do the nature of the relationship between the? U S and the Marshall Islands, if you're from the Marshall Islands, you can travel to the Eu S very easily inferior. Legally, it's very easy, and the same. If you are you a citizen who decides to go to the Marshall Islands, so as a kind of in a grey area, then almost right? Well, it's part of it. Is that thing we mention the top. Act that it's what's called and Associated State, so they have a special unilateral deal, so we do what we will with them, but don't really give them any protection. or representation yeah. It's similar to I mean it's not that
in writing as a territory. They put a regal right now, the territory, meaning that it does not have the right presentation in the government that a state would have right and in the Marshall Islands does it have that either there embassies course, big. U S military presence, but is still kind nuth instead, kind of world war, two era United States, keeping that pacific foothold than the next war in Amsterdam. It took to harp on this better me, which doesn't that make our actions almost like a form of like occupation liked to go in there and tell people to leave and just do these tests like what's the legal framework that makes that not a complete like act of war or you know, and ever mean, maybe that's overseeing the case a little bit, but I'm confused in terms of
diplomacy, how we can justify what we did, even if it didn't cause all the problems that it caused blur the art of diplomas is the art of finding a way to justify anything. You please a fortune there's a big business, but At the time these test occurred member, the Marshall Islands, where, yet a sovereign country. That's got it. The timeline did it gets a little fuzzy. There's a lot lot of moving parts in this one that fascinating and heartbreaking story here. and this is where we're out so there's a tribunal. That is a stab. That was established in eighteen. Eighty, two years after eighty six agreement has been to keeping I on the payments in the compensation that U S is supposed to offer. They conclude. That? The? U S, needs to pay two point: three billion dollars and claims. Congress in the? U S, courts have refused and die
and show the U S is paid a grand total of mission control. Can we get a drum roll four million dollars worth, but you guys it's ok. No, it's ok, none other matters, because in twenty twenty, the United States give re concluded that all this stuff that leaking nuclear waste from the tombs. Ok, the dome, all that. Of his safe you, don't you have to worry about anymore, yeah, don't even worry about hoof. Sancho SAM. I feel great now know what anyone. Anyone out there listening. I hope one of you is like associate producer at John Oliver's, show I need you to get John Oliver to do an episode on this, because if we do want to do something good for Stu, raising awareness or to stir some surreptitious.
Campaign to raise money without people realising the raising money for the marshal these people. He could do it no one can shame the. U S. Government into action like John Oliver yeah Big fancier If you listening I don't know you guys always makes by day all over the time I ve been doing this show. Where are we. We end up doing an episode and then later the breast of world decides. That is your like crazy and it did Matter Lake it doesn't have it all. It was a beautiful moment, give us a bit. For Mamma job, if you, if you feel so inclined and and help these help, the folks in the Marshall Islands out you're right mad. That official report did conclude that the nuclear dome is not in danger of eminent collapse. Blight
we have to remember. Island nations are fighting rising sea levels and within our lifetime it is quite possible that we may see like the Maldives, become in highly underwater and have to relocate the entire concept of its country, to another C4 landmass. Why not not to be now have two rose colored, it is about it, but at least we are transitioning into administration that acknowledges the science of climate change and rising sea levels, and things like that, east may, but still denies that the nuclear waste nodded you're, gonna be administration, things about the dome. well, ok here, the thing in this is gonna, make me so very cynical and maybe a little bit too real politic v, a change in advance,
striations or change in domestic business can make it enormous difference. So if you hate We see in the U S. If you hey what's happening, one term just wait for years. You know and it all and will change often in a way that reverses other stuff, but we have to, your stand outside of the bubble of the United States. The face this change, but a lot of the interventionist policies remain. The same it's not as if these international initiatives that have been in place for decades and yes, including conflict wars and disputed territory's. It's not as If they all the sudden get a get a ping on their on their beeper I don't know why I picture whomever is here having a beeper, they get beeper paying and it says new president, three three three whatever and they say: ok, stop we'll stop now, will stop making so much money
Then the nuclear waste is L will stop degrading rain, iterate blogger, but yeah, hopefully, flee, the world can cooperate on this one other thing they came out of this by the way is that the Marshall Islands are on the forefront of pushing against. pushing for nuclear disarmament. They say no, we don't want anything like this open to anyone and that's where we leave it today. We we also ask that we have to ask you some questions, folks, what should the? U S and do what the international community do in this regard. Is the? U S really doing all at all. It can. Are these good faith efforts now decades later, you have visited the Marshall Islands or, if you
they are now. Are we also love to hear your perspective? What is life like there is? Are the effects of this still readily apparent in your neck of the global? What's let us know we try to be easy to find online. You can find it twitter and Facebook, where we are conspiracy, stuff on Instagram, we earth conspiracy stuff show of you want to check out one of the coolest facebook group check out here's where it gets crazy or is it a page whatever it is It's called here's where it gets crazy in its on Facebook, and you can find a lot of your conspiracy realists there and you can have conversations with some of the best minds in the business running the show they had group for sure. Ok, integrate,
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Transcript generated on 2021-03-20.