Sunday, October 23, 2016

Ending the Many Wars in Syria

Part 1: New World Notes #451, 28:21 (October 25)
Broadcast quality MP3 (39 MB)
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB)

Part 2: New World Notes #452, 28:40 (November 1)
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Decent quality MP3 (13 MB)


A fine new speech by Progressive writer and activist Phyllis Bennis.
 
She argues that Syria is suffering not from a war but from a half-dozen different wars now being fought there. Many of these are "proxy wars" between other countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia and Iran) being "fought to the last Syrian." There is no military solution to the Syrian disaster--and furthermore, every military adventure the U.S.has taken in this century has been a dismal failure. But our record at diplomacy has been good. So let's try diplomacy instead of war in Syria.

Bennis offers fresh and interesting insights, not only about Syria but about America's role in Iraq and Afghanistan as well.

The talk was given at Emanuel College, Boston, October 13, 2016. Many thanks to Dave Goodman, of I.B.I.S. Radio (ibisradio.org), for the original recording.  I have snipped out a few stumbles and pauses; the talk is otherwise uncut.






Monday, October 17, 2016

Eugene Jarecki: The Drug War

New World Notes #450, 28:27 (October 18)
Broadcast quality MP3 (39 MB) *
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB) *


Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki's documentary on the drug war, The House I Live In, won a top award at Sundance in 2012. Now Jarecki talks about some things he learned while making the film.

Among them: 90% of crack arrestees--but only 13% of crack users--are Black. Drug laws, always a means of race control, are now also a means of class control, with poor whites increasingly targeted. And the original "War on Drugs"--launched by Nixon in 1971--devoted two-thirds of its budget to treatment programs (vs. almost nothing today).

Introductory & concluding remarks by K.D.

Jarecki's remarks are taken from an interview by Michael Slate, broadcast on The Michael Slate Show on KPFK, Los Angeles. Many thanks for permission to rebroadcast.

* New World Notes originally broadcast this program (as NWN #220) in May 2012. Audio files downloaded from the links, above, may be identified as NWN #220.




Monday, October 10, 2016

Morris Berman

New World Notes #449, 29:06 (October 10)
Broadcast quality MP3 (40 MB) *
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB) *


With great wit and humor--and clever specific examples--cultural historian Morris Berman argues a gloomy main point: American civilization as we know it is doomed. Few prophets of doom are as enjoyable to listen to as Berman, though.

Here he discusses 13 ways America is going to hell in a handbasket. (#2 includes this item: the new American History school curriculum in Texas has a unit on Estee Lauder but not George Washington. Berman asks: why not Kim Kardashian?)

With a preface by K.D. on Berman's ideas.

Morris Berman

This program is excerpted from an hour-long talk by Berman in Seattle, November 4, 2011. Video of the entire talk is available from Pirate TV Seattle (www.edmaysproductions.net). The complete audio track is available from Unwelcome Guests (www.unwelcomeguests.net/580).

Berman's most recent book is Why America Failed: The Roots of Imperial Decline (Wiley, 2011).

* New World Notes originally broadcast this program (as NWN #200) in December 2011. Audio files downloaded from the links, above, may be identified as NWN #200.



Sunday, October 2, 2016

Chris Hedges Ad Lib.

New World Notes #448, 28:47 (October 4)
Broadcast quality MP3 (40 MB)
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB)


Unscripted, incisive discussion of a range of issues by Progressive journalist, essayist, and activist Chris Hedges.

Topics include the corruption of the judiciary ... the mass media as the propaganda organ of the Corporate State ... how the Democratic Party has betrayed its constituents ... the false promises of Barack Obama ... the growing public opposition to Israel's Palestine policies ... and (not unrelatedly) the increasing attacks on free speech.

Hedges' remarks are taken from a question-and-answer session following his lecture, "The Algebra of Revolution" (Seattle, April 2016). The lecture was broadcast by New World Notes in August 2016. Thanks to Pirate TV Seattle for the original video recording. I have condensed and edited the audio.