Censored Stories 2014

New World Notes #308, 28:15 (January 28):

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Got oil?  US railroads spilled more oil in 2013--1.15 million gallons--than in the previous four decades combined.

In brief

A look at recent sins of omission and sins of commission of the mainstream news media. 

For omission, we look at some of the stories in the latest report by Project Censored.  For commission, we explore the rash of recent news stories warning of shortages of particular branded products--Butterball turkeys, Sriracha sauce, and now Velveeta! 

Plus a clip from Project Censored's movie, a news story in song by David Rovics, and an update on the great toilet paper shortage of 1973.


http://www.davidrovics.com/
http://www.projectcensored.org/

What If You Knew

Part 1: New World Notes #306, 28:52 (January 14):

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Part 2: New World Notes #307, 28:42 (January 21):

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In brief 

Virtual Renderings' new audio collage on our environmental crisis, especially global climate change. Features many perspectives and a wide range of voices going back as far as 1958 ... and some relevant music . . . and a little post-apocalyptic science fiction.  I've chopped the piece into two parts.  Introductions and a few inserted notes by K.D.

I've condensed the 55-minute collage slightly to fit our radio timeslots.  The complete 55-minute version (50 MB MP3) may be downloaded  here.  (Right-click then Save. . . .  The download may be slow.)  A smaller, low-bandwidth file (13 MB) also is available.  A large archive of Virtual Renderings' audio collages is available for free listening or download.

The title song is (IMHO) one of David Rovics' best. It's played in its entirety near the end of Part 2.

Love and Power

Part 1: New World Notes #304, 28:40 (December 31):

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Part 2: New World Notes #305, 29:18 (January 7, 2014):

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In Brief

We adapt to radio a documentary film by Adam Curtis.

Advocates of (1) computer networks, (2) Ayn Rand-ian "heroic individualism," and (3) financial deregulation--each claimed that their cause would increase personal freedom, expand democracy, and produce eternal prosperity and stability. These three causes were interconnected--and were combined in Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan.

All believed that the best thing politicians and governments could do would be to get out of the way and let "the New Economy" work its magic unhindered.

But it was all nonsense. This film explores these interconnected 20th-century delusions and their aftermath.

Part 1 takes us from the emergence of Ayn Rand in the 1950s to the economic bubble of the Clinton years (late 1990s).

Part 2 explores the love-affairs that damaged Ayn Rand's influence and Bill Clinton's power. It shows how computers and deregulation nearly destroyed the economies of several Asian countries while enriching U.S. bankers. And it shows how today's U.S. economy has been propped up and stabilized not by "heroic individuals" or computers or deregulated financial markets--but by politicians and government.  Specifically: by the politicians and government of China.  

Now what?

Love and Power (2011) is the first segment of Adam Curtis' trilogy, All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace.

Comic Satire for Christmas (2013 Edition)

New World Notes #303, 27:15 (December 24, 2013)

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(Not satire: a real ad)

In Brief

Some brief commentary by me, five seasonal satiric songs, and one satiric imitation Broadway "big production number." All take a comic but critical view of American hypocrisies, religiosity, commercialism, militarism, class warfare, and other Christmastime traditions.

I'm especially fond of the pseudo- "big production number": Stan Freberg's 1958 masterpiece, "Green Chri$tma$."  The audio fidelity is very good even by today's standards; the production is rich and sophisticated; the script is witty; and the message (alas) is still relevant.

Other contributions by Hugh Blumenfeld, Simon and Garfunkel, Anne Feeney, Roy Zimmerman, and Tom Lehrer.

Playlist:

• Hugh Blumenfeld, "Long-Haired Radical Socialist Jew"
• Simon and Garfunkel, "Silent Night / Six O'Clock News"
• Anne Feeney, "Brave New Christmas"
• Roy Zimmerman, "Buy War Toys for Christmas"
• Stan Freberg, "Green Chri$tma$"
• Tom Lehrer, "A Christmas Carol"

(Same here!)

Dispatches from the War on Christmas

New World Notes #302 (December 17, 2013)

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In Brief

A mostly lighthearted look at the right wing's favorite fantasy. Which is: that "secular progressives" have declared a "war on Christmas"--part of their larger war to destroy Christianity, promote drug use, legalize prostitution and narcotics, etc., etc.

We'll hear ravings by Bill O'Reilly, a funny rebuttal by Jon Stewart, personal reflections by KD, and a short history lesson. (The only real wars against Christmas were fought by the Puritan Christians.)  We end with selections from a fine comic audio collage on the subject by Scooter.

The uncut, 30-minute version of Scooter's collage (and other interesting audio) is available from his Web site, www.aksisofevil.org. 

Obamacare to Ecocide

New World Notes #301 (December 10)

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Derrick Jensen

In Brief

This time we start with comic absurdity--a funny satire on the Obamacare rollout.

Then we move to scary absurdity--the NYPD shoots some more innocent bystanders, then blames the unarmed man they were shooting at (Glenn Broadnax) for the bystanders' bullet wounds. 

We end with global calamity, with a fine talk (from 2011) by radical ecology activist Derrick Jensen.   

Something for everybody!

 Glenn Broadnax (left)

American Food

New World Notes #300 (December 3, 2013)

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Li'l Oscar and the Wienermobile
(I saw them in person ca. 1957.)

 In brief

'Tis the season to think of food. Not only the stuff itself but the politics, economics, and ecology of the American agricultural system. Some personal reflections by KD are interwoven with eight short commentaries by progressive populist Jim Hightower and a song.

Topics include packaging chicanery at the supermarket, declining food-safety rules for corporate meatpackers, low wages at fast-food chains, huge "agricultural" subsidies for the rich, how the drug-warriors destroyed an organic farm, and a family vegetable farmer near Hartford decides to add a few pigs and sell a little pork.

Jim Hightower's recorded commentaries are from his Web site.

Jim Hightower

False Stories TV Tells Us

New World Notes #299 (November 26):

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Dr George Gerbner (1919-2005)

In brief

Most of what we know about how the world works comes from the stories we are told. For a few generations now, most of the stories have been created by the corporate elite and told though the corporate-owned mass media--especially television. Researcher Dr. George Gerbner discusses how American TV distorts our understanding of how the world works.

Example: TV violence does not increase real-world violence.  But it does make people more afraid of violence--and more supportive of harsh "anti-crime" measures.

Gerbner's research found that the more you watch TV, the more afraid of your environment you're likely to be.  And the more you watch, the more you are likely to believe that women are not as capable as men, that racism does not exist, that most Americans are middle-class, that most Black Americans are middle-class, that poverty is not a social problem, and that the cure for crime is more police, more jails, longer sentences, and more capital punishment.

Gerbner's career as a communications scholar included 25 years as Dean of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication (1964-1989). He died in 2005.

Apokaluptein Tales

New World Notes #298 (November 19):

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Occupy Wall Street, 2011

In brief:

An intriguing audio collage (from 2010) by Virtual Renderings--condensed for radio by KD. It weaves together political commentary, music, clips from the movie The Matrix, and more. It combines critical views ranging from the Left (Noam Chomsky) to the far Right (stefbot)--and music ranging from the Stones to Harry Shearer to J.S. Bach and more.

It's an engaging, intelligent critique of a U.S. corporate state that pretends to be capitalism and pretends to be democracy. Wrong on both counts!

More from Virtual Renderings:

The unedited, hour-long version of Apokaluptein Tales is available (56 MB). (Left-click to listen online; right-click and save to download the recording.)  (A low-fidelity, low bandwidth version [14 MB] also is available.)

A large archive of Virtual Renderings' audio collages is available for free listening or download from radio4all.net. You'll find this same link on the right sidebar on this page, under "Worth a Look."

The Hollow Men

New World Notes #297 (November 12, 2013):

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Morris Berman

In Brief

KD's brief reflections on folk holidays (Halloween--good) vs. corporate holidays (Black Friday--bad) set the stage for a brilliant and witty short talk by historian Morris Berman.

Berman sees the essential hollowness of America's leaders as a reflection of the hollowness at the core of many of us--and the hollowness of The American Dream.  In its present form The American Dream is little more than a wish for more stuff.  The current political/economic system does seem to be unsustainable and collapsing--leaving Morris with decidedly mixed emotions.

Then singing comic-satirist Roy Zimmerman offers a more upbeat view of the oddness of American life.  The show ends with a few lines of T.S. Eliot's 88-year-old poem, from which we've swiped our title.

Thanks to Robin Upton and Unwelcome Guests for Berman's talk.

Can the People Change the System?

New World Notes #296 (November 5, 2013):

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It's strictly coincidence--honest!--but this installment will first be broadcast on Election Day 2013. The election here is for city council, school board, and so on--so maybe it will not be as meaningless as our Presidential elections have been.

Hope springs eternal. But Chris Hedges reminds us that hope needs to be grounded in reality.

In any case, this week Hedges returns, reflecting on American capitalism run amok--driving Americans closer to poverty and destroying the ecosystem.

And he reflects on the U.S. government, dedicated to furthering the interests of the corporate elite at the expense of the 99%.

Fears of popular rebellion against the (unsustainable) system--not terrorism--have moved the Obama administration to destroy Americans' civil liberties and spy on every citizen. But since the radical Left has been destroyed--and since the Democratic Party is as devoted to protecting the elite as the Republican Party is--change from within the system is impossible, thinks Hedges.

What to do?  Hedges sees making the elite afraid of the people--through widespread nonviolent resistance and protest--as the only strategy that has a chance of working.

A sobering but intellectually powerful and persuasive talk.  Excerpted from interviews with Paul Jay on The Real News Network (therealnews.com).  Thanks to Robin Upton, of the Unwelcome Guests radio show, for the audio, which I have edited (unwelcomeguests.net).

War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning

New World Notes #295 (October 29, 2013):

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 Chris Hedges

In Brief

Prophet and former war correspondent Chris Hedges reflects on the psychologically destructive--yet addicting--nature of war.

He focuses not on rulers and generals but on the people on the ground--civilians and enlisted soldiers and war correspondents too. This talk is based on his own experience and based on his book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002). 

Plus some additional reflections by Hedges on PTSD among soldiers who fought in World War Two.

Audio courtesy of Robin Upton's Unwelcome Guests radio program (http://unwelcomeguests.net).

Can Technology Save Us?

New World Notes #294 (October 22, 2013):

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In Brief

Even though you know the answer (no), you'll probably still enjoy the show, which features selections from two funny and inteligent talks.

Jello Biafra explains how the last supposedly revolutionary technological advances--cell phones and the Internet--have weakened real communities and increased alienation.

Then urban-design theorist James Howard Kunstler discusses our technology gurus' (at Google) inability to understand that technology cannot solve the problem of declining fossil fuel reserves. In a nutshell: you can make iPods out of petroleum (Dude,) but not vice versa.

This installment is a replay of NWN #58 (April 2009).

James Howard Kunstler

The Prostitute Press, the War Machine, and Anwar al-Awlaki

Part 1: New World Notes # 292 (October 8):

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Part 2: New World Notes # 293 -- (October 15):

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In Brief

A fine talk by journalist Jeremy Scahill based in part on his recent book, Dirty Wars. 

He tells the story of the radicalization of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki--who was assassinated by order of President Obama in 2011. But this is also the story of an ever-expanding national security state, of the U.S.'s ever-expanding global wars, and of Barack Obama's war against whistleblowers and press freedom.

And it's also the story of the corrupt U.S. news media, determined to serve the powerful rather than hold them to account.

In Part One, Scahill lambastes the Establishment media's Washington press corps and begins the story of Awlaki. He shows how how the Bush Administration's "Global War on Terror" transformed this American from a nonpolitical student . . . to the darling of the Washington elite . . . to a radical opponent of the U.S.'s wars in the Middle East--and a man marked for death by the Obama administration.

In Part 2, Scahill tells of Obama's secret war in Yemen, revealed by Yemeni journalist Abduleleh Haider Shaye--who was then abducted by US forces and imprisoned by Yemen's dictator at the insistence of President Obama. Scahill contrasts Haider Shaye's courage with the sycophancy of the US press corps.

Scahill tells also of the Obama administration's war against the press--and of the government-ordered assassination without trial of US citizens Anwar al-Awlaki and then his 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman.

Jeremy gave this talk at the "Socialism 2013" conference, in Chicago, in June 2013.  A video is available from wearemany.org.

16-year-old American citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, son of Anwar. Killed in Yemen by a U.S. drone strike two weeks after his father was killed. The President refuses to say why.

Palast & Pilger on Colonialism & Democracy

New World Notes #291 (October 1, 2013):

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(L to R:) Hugo Chavez (Venezuela),
Fidel Castro (Cuba), Evo Morales (Bolivia)

In brief

Two dispatches from South America show progress from (1) colonialism to (2) neocolonialism to (3) neocolonialism disguised as democracy to (4) democracy.

Greg Palast reports from Ecuador (Stage 3), ruthlessly exploited by & practically a colony of the World Bank and global financial institutions.  John Pilger reports from Bolivia, which has recently and tentatively arrived at Stage 4.  The US should be so fortunate!

Notes, credits, & links

We play selections (on Bolivia) from John Pilger's film, War on Democracy, adapted to radio by Lyn Gerry for the Unwelcome Guests Collective (http://unwelcomeguests.net).  Many thanks.  KD reads passages on Ecuador from Greg Palast's book, Armed Madhouse.

Music added: Chumbawamba, "The Bad Squire"; Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Pilger film theme-song)

This is a replay of NWN #71 (July 2009).

Journalist/filmmaker John Pilger

Vermont Yankee, Farewell (Sort of)

New World Notes #290 (September 24, 2013):

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Entergy Corporation's Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Station (2004)

In brief:

The good news: New England's most decrepit nuclear power plant--Vermont Yankee--is ceasing operations after more than four decades.   

The bad news: All its deadly radioactive material will just sit there untouched, on the banks of the Connecticut River, for the next 60 years. 

The really odd news: For many years the public has tried and failed to shut this plant down.  For three years, the Vermont legislature has tried and failed to shut this plant down. But the owner, Entergy Corporation, defeated every attempt to close its little New England moneymaker.  Then in August 2013, Entergy Corp. itself decided to shut to shut the plant down.  Just another business decision.

Moral: The public be damned, but business is business!

We'll hear details on the closing and then selections from Dr. Helen Caldicott's memorable 2009 speech--in Brattleboro, Vermont--on why the people have to shut Vermont Yankee down (and all its brethren as well).

 Vermont Yankee, 2007 (cooling tower collapse)

 Vermont Yankee, 2004 (overly warm transformer)

US vs Syria: What the Heck is Going On?

New World Notes #289 (September 17, 2013:

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In brief:

President Obama's rationale for bombing Syria is so preposterous, so illegal--and so unpersuasive to the American public--that one has to ask, What is this warmongering really about? 

The show features some provocative answers to that question by commentators Bruce Dixon and Eric Margolis, law professor Marjorie Cohn, singer Pete Seeger, and yours, truly. One thing all agree on: chemical weapons are not the real reason.

Credits and links:

Marjorie Cohn audio is excerpted from an interview on The Michael Slate Show.  The hour-long show is available here.  Thanks to Michael Slate.

The complete, uncut text of Eric Margolis' "Syria: March to Disaster" is available on Common Dreams.

Bruce Dixon's audio commentaries may be heard at Black Agenda Report.

Marjorie Cohn

Obey and Keep Calm

Part One: New World Notes #287 (September 3):

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Part Two: New World Notes #288 (September 10):

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 Temujin Doran (Click to enlarge)

In Brief

The propaganda barrage preceding the US attack on Syria has begun. So all the more timely is Temujin Doran's new film, Obey: How the Rise of Mass Propaganda Killed Populism. It's about the military, political, and economic crimes of the Corporate State. It features readings from from Chris Hedges' 2010 book, Death of the Liberal Class.

In Part One, we'll hear the first half of Obey and then--to cheer things up a bit--a sweet short film by Doran explaining the slogan, "Keep calm and carry on."

In Part Two, we'll have some words about our Syria war-fever, and we'll read Chidanand Rajghatta's new essay, "Why America Cannot Live Without Wars."  Then on to the second half of Obey.

Temujin Doran's Web site is http://studiocanoe.com/ .

Chris Hedges

Radio Broadcast Schedule

Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

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• Saturdays, 8-8:30 AM, WAZU-FM 90.7 (Peoria, IL) & http://www.wazufm.org/ . Repeats Mondays at 12:30 AM
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• Any time: Listen to or download any installment: See complete listing on the right side of our Web page.

Revised 12-23-2015

The Costs of Imperialism

Part 1: New World Notes #285 (August 20):

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Part 2: New World Notes #286 (August 27):

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In brief 

A brilliant, witty speech by Progressive political scientist Michael Parenti, delivered in 1994.  First in a New World Notes series of classic talks by Parenti.

In Part 1, Parenti argues that the U.S. is an imperial power.  However, the goal of this empire is not national glory but rather increasing the profits of the Fortune 500.  He shows how "neoimperialism" has replaced "direct-rule" imperialism, how empires cannibalize the republics from which they sprang, and how imperialism is a matter of class politics more than national politics.

In Part 2, Parenti develops his point that empires are about class and wealth, not nationalism. Empires are ruinously expensive, but the expense is paid by [what we would now call] the 99% in order to make the 1% even richer. The costs include not only dollars but also environmental damage, the gutting of the civilian economy, loss of liberty, degradation of politics and public discourse, increasing poverty, many deaths and injuries of our soldiers, and many others.

The gloomy picture is enlivened by Parenti's trademark wit and humor.

With many examples from recent U.S. history.  Introduction by K.D.

Note: In Part 1, Parenti and I each discuss the U.S.'s glorious military victory over the island nation of Grenada. This year marks our great triumph's 30th anniversary!

Michael Parenti