Saturday, January 28, 2012

Noam Chomsky on U.S. Politics and Economy


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New World Notes News
Vol. 5, No. 4 -- January 28, 2012

This week in New World Notes, radio program #204, January 31, 2012

Noam Chomsky on U.S.
Politics and Economy


In brief

These recent remarks by Noam Chomsky are both insightful and easy to follow.

He focuses on how the government serves the rich elite. We see this clearly in the gap between what the public wants (jobs, safety net) and the public policies we get (deficit reduction).

Relatedly, he also discusses how the West and the USSR--for different reasons--endlessly proclaimed the same lie: that Soviet totalitarianism was "socialism." With the same false propaganda being cranked out by both sides, socialism never had a chance.

Chomsky offers shrewd and interesting reflections on America today.

Introductory comments by K.D.


Notes, credits, & links

Chomsky's remarks are taken from several sources. Audio courtesy of the podcast Federal Legislative, Virtual Renderings' audiocollage Thought Crimes: OWS Memos 11-11, and the film Human Resources.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "unisex bathroom") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview:
Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Below: Yes, it's a joke. Good one, though.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • February 7 -- Are We Really Broke?
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net

Friday, January 20, 2012

Howard Zinn on War


To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): Click on this link for instructions.

New World Notes News
Vol. 5, No. 3 -- January 20, 2012

This week in New World Notes, radio programs #203, January 24, 2012

Howard Zinn on War


In brief

Some highly relevant reflections on our wars by the late Progressive historian (and World War Two veteran) Howard Zinn. Among his main points:

If war resulted from human nature, national leaders would not need propaganda, the draft, and prisons to cajole and compel citizens to participate. It's the leaders--not the citizens--who want war. Therefore, the first step to war is a propaganda campaign at home. War solves no problems, transforms virtuous people into beasts, and kills primarily innocent civilians. Finally: It's an uphill battle (forgive the metaphor), but people may be able to abolish war if they try.


As a bombardier in the Army Air Corps, Zinn helped kill his share of innocent civilians--as he later realized and acknowledged. A particularly striking incident, in which Zinn participated, was the destruction of the French resort town of Royan--a town of no military significance--in the final days of the war (April 1945).

Zinn later learned that the massive raid on Royan had killed a few German soldiers--who were "hiding and waiting out the closing days of the war"--and more than 1,500 French civilians. The carnage gave a few generals another "success" to add to their resumes. And it gave the Air Corps its first chance to test a new weapon it had developed: napalm.

1,500 civilians. Not even "enemy" civilians but "allied" civilians--though Zinn rejects that distinction as specious. Many of them burned to death. By the R.A.F. and the U.S. Army Air Corps. For what purpose?

At what point do we say, "This is insane"?

Royan, 1945

Notes, credits, & links

Zinn died two years ago, on January 27, 2010.

Zinn's remarks are taken from a video interview (courtesy of brasschecktv.com) and a public speech in Madison, WI, in 2006 (courtesy of democracynow.org).

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "benign neglect") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview:
Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.

Zinn in 2009. He died in January 2010,

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • January 31 -- Noam Chomsky
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net

Friday, January 6, 2012

Michael Parenti: The Goals and Results of American Imperialism


To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): Click on this link for instructions.

New World Notes News
Vol. 5, No. 1 -- January 6, 2012

This fortnight in New World Notes, radio programs #201-202, January 10 & 17, 2012

Michael Parenti:
The Goals and Results
of American Imperialism


In brief

Progressive political scientist Michael Parenti is in fine form in this recent speech, which brings together his key insights about the practice and purpose of the U.S. Empire and imperialism. Some of Parenti's main points will be familiar to long-time fans. Here they are made with fine wit and good specific examples from current events.

He argues that the purpose of our imperialism is not national glory but rather the further enriching of Wall Street and other transnational corporations. U.S. foreign policy seems "stupid," "irrational," or "self-defeating" only to those who misunderstand its real goals.

Highlights of Part One (NWN #201) include a look at how empires bleed dry the republics from which they grew. For instance, the city of Oakland, California, is closing most of its public libraries for lack of funds--while spending millions to equip its police force with military gear.

Highlights of Part Two (NWN #202) include a survey of the many governments the U.S. government has overthrown in recent decades. In each case, Parenti shows, the other country had attempted to chart an independent economic course. The list includes Iraq, Panama, Haiti, Chile, Yugoslavia, and--very recently--Honduras and now Libya. And who could forget our glorious military victory over Grenada (1983)?

Parenti ends his talk with a surprisingly explicit call for democratic socialism.

Introductory comments and a postscript by K.D.

Notes, credits, & links

Parenti spoke at the University of Guelph (Ontario) on November 2, 2011. Audio (edited by KD) taken from the videotape of the talk available at Dandelion Salad.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "oppressive yoke") of WWUH-FM, a community service of that beacon of light in darkest Connecticut, the University of Hartford.

You can listen to any installment of New World Notes online or else download it (as an mp3 audio file) for later listening. The show is archived at both radio4all.net and (from #90 onwards) The Internet Archive. Either link should get you a reverse-chrono listing of available installments. Or browse the show's Web site: Each installment has a page, and each page has links to the recorded audio. See the gray sidebar on the right ("CONTENTS [Links]") for a table of contents.

Series overview:
Political and social commentary in a variety of genres. Exploring the gap between what we want ... and what they're trying to make us settle for.


Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • January 24 -- Howard Zinn
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net