At this point, a week and a half after the earthquake and tsunami, and with the government and thousands of volunteers rapidly restoring power and water and municipal services to the affected area, Japan — and the world — is anxiously awaiting the resolution of the nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

What is clear to nearly everyone in Japan, and to many outside the country who have a stake in the problem, is that Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), which already did not have a stellar reputation for ethical behavior and honesty, has — despite the unquestionable bravery of individual employees on the ground — continued to let its customers, and the country, down.

The company threw up its hands three days after the quake, unable to get its nuclear material under control, and decided to pull all of its employees out of the crippled facility, which was at that point leaking radiation. Prime Minister Naoto Kan reportedly called Tepco President Masataka Shimizu into his office at 4 a.m. on March 15 to say in no uncertain terms that pulling out was not an option.