Saturday, October 15, 2011

John Pilger: Democracy Comes to Venezuela


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 42 -- October 15, 2011

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

This week in New World Notes, radio program #189, October 18, 2011

John Pilger: Democracy
Comes to Venezuela

Hugo Chavez

In brief

From John Pilger's documentary film, The War on Democracy. The story of Hugo Chavez's democratic reforms in Venezuela ... their huge support among the common people ... intense opposition by the country's wealthy elite ... the CIA-sponsored coup (2002) that briefly removed Chavez from power ... and the popular uprising that restored democracy to Venezuela and returned Chavez to the presidency.

An interesting and inspiring story, well-told by Pilger, and very relevant to the US today.

John Pilger

On WWUH-FM 91.3 in West Hartford only:

Our special hour-long broadcast for the station's Fall Fundraiser includes all of the Pilger/Venezuela program plus live segments (featuring me) too.

That's noon to 1 PM (Eastern) on Tuesday, October 18.

During this hour, your pledge of financial support for nonprofit community radio station WWUH will register as support for the station's excellent public-affairs programming in general ... and support of New World Notes in particular. Pledges of any amount, large or small, are appreciated and do make a difference.

Please call--toll-free, 1-800-444-WWUH (-9984) or 860-768-4008--and let me thank you on-air (by your first name and town). Or stay completely anonymous, if you'd prefer. You can also pledge online, at any time, using the station's secure server: http://wwuh.org/ .

Notes, credits, & links

The War on Democracy was adapted to radio by Lyn Gerry, of the Unwelcome Guests Collective ( http://www.unwelcomeguests.net/ ). Previously broadcast in NWN # 55 (March 2009).

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "gun") 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.

April 2002: Coup president Pedro Carmona swears himself in.
Then he abolished nearly all of Venezuela's democratic
institutions. His administration, mercifully, was short-lived--
two days. The people forced the restoration of democracy and
of their elected president, Chavez.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • October 25 -- Notes on "Occupy Wall Street" (and elsewhere)
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Stop the Plunder of Public Education


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 41 -- October 8, 2011

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

This week in New World Notes, radio program #188, October 11, 2011

Stop the Plunder
of Public Education

Parents protest marketing products to children on school buses.

In brief

Want to destroy quality public education? First underfund it. Then open schools up to milking by corporate marketing departments. Then--by force of law--privatize public schools--in the process busting teachers' unions and replacing experienced, well-trained teachers with inexperienced, poorly trained, and ill-paid ones.

The result? Increased corporate profits and citizens/workers incapable of critically questioning (let alone fighting back against!) The System. It's a win-win situation!--at least for the corporate greedheads.

From the documentary Corporations in the Classroom we'll hear about two notorious schemes to market products to captive audiences of U.S. schoolchildren: Bus Radio and Channel One TV.

Journalist/commentator Chris Hedges discusses the Oligarchy's project of privatizing schools, destroying Liberal Arts education, and training young people only to serve as cogs in various parts of the economic engine. This project is a century old--but it has made great gains under Bush II and Obama.

Fr. Guido Sarducci offers some comic relief. He presents his plan to offer a quality college education in only five minutes, at a cost of $20.

Channel One brags to potential advertisers about
its captive audience of young people in school.

Notes, credits, & links

Thanks to Uprising Radio for the Hedges talk, to Unwelcome Guests for the audio of Corporations in the Classroom, and to Tereza Coraggio for the Sarducci routine.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "average quality") 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.
Never too young. (Note: the link doesn't function here.)

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • October 18 -- John Pilger: Democracy comes to Venezuela.  (WWUH only: Pilger plus LIVE segments in an hour-long broadcast for Pledge Week.)
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, September 30, 2011

Three Populists


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 40 -- September 30, 2011

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

This week in New World Notes, radio program #187, October 4, 2011

Three Populists

Tommy Douglas
In brief

What's a populist? Broadly speaking, it's a person who believes that government should be controlled by the people--not by the oligarchs and big corporations. And that government should serve the needs of the people (not ... etc.). The three populists we'll hear from this week are
  • Tommy Douglas: Longtime Canadian politician & reformer, co-founder of Canada's New Democratic Party (social-democratic), Premier of Saskatchewan Province 1944-1960. Said to be the person responsible for the first Medicare program in North America. Died in 1986. We'll hear his oft-told comic beast-fable about unresponsive politicians, Mouseland
  • Molly Ivins: Texas-based journalist and nationally-known commentator, here speaking in Berkeley, CA, around 2005. She died in 2007
  • Jim Hightower: Former Texas state government official (Agriculture Commissioner)--back when liberal Democrats could get elected to office in Texas. Now a nationally-known political commentator, self-identified populist, and general troublemaker. Still alive & kickin'
Each is witty and amusing (sometimes downright funny). Each offers a worthwhile critique of the present System--and a call to action.

Above: Molly Ivins. Below: Gov. Rick "Goodhair" Perry
plays a prominent role in Molly's stories.

Notes, credits, & links

Molly Ivins recording courtesy of Scooter, of "The innerSide" on KPFT-FM (Houston, Texas). This excerpt was previously broadcast on NWN #44 in December 2008. Jim Hightower's commentaries are from his Web site.

Mouseland is available as an animated video.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "Yum-Yum tree") 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.

Jim Hightower

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • October 11 -- Stop the Plunder of Public Education
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Shop Til We Drop!


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 39 -- September 25, 2011

How to download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): Click on this link.

This week in New World Notes, radio program #186, September 27, 2011

Shop Til We Drop!


In brief

Some personal reflections on our corporate-driven culture of massive consumerism. And memories of a time in U.S. history (early 1970s) when the "counterculture" rejected much of the consumer culture. Then 20 minutes of Gene Brockhoff's video documentary, Shop Til You Drop.

The documentary is a bit sprawling and loosely-organized, ... but it has many good and interesting things to say about America's consumer culture--and its causes. (Wish I could add, "and cures"!)

Notes, credits, & links

Shop Til You Drop was adapted to radio by Robin Upton, of Unwelcome Guests. It is presented in its entirety (52 minutes) in installment # 554 of that series.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "What. me worry?") 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)
  • October 4 -- Three Populists--Tommy Douglas, Molly Ivins, Jim Hightower--in their own words.
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Bruce Gagnon: Endless War for Endless Profit

New World Notes News
Vol. 4, Nos. 37-38 -- September 10 & 17, 2011

To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): 1. Place your cursor over the link (above). 2. Click your right mouse button. A small menu appears. 3. On the small menu, select "Save Target As...." A "dialog box" appears. 4. The dialog box shows the folder where your computer proposes to save the file. Either remember this folder or else select a folder you prefer. Then click on "Save."


This fortnight in New World Notes, radio programs #184-185, September 13 & 20, 2011

Bruce Gagnon:
Endless War for Endless Profit

The War Machine's grand vision: control the solar system through
space-based high-tech warfare--defending the profits of
U.S.-based transnational corporations.

In brief

Antiwar and antinuke activist Bruce K. Gagnon argues brilliantly that the main purpose of US wars is to enrich the military-industrial complex and the rest of the oligarchy.

And the techniques remain the same, generation after generation. The same lies, the same U.S. atrocities against civilans, the same false demonization of "enemy" leaders--from Muammar Gaddafi to Saddam Hussein, ... back at least as far as Crazy Horse in the 1870s.

Gagnon's history of the U.S. campaign against Crazy Horse is an eye-opener. After the U.S. government won the Indian Wars, and all the once-rebellious tribes including their leaders were sitting on reservtions--unarmed and horseless--profits of the war industries plunged. So the warmongers invented and widely publicized false stories of Indians still on the rampage. They especially demonized Crazy Horse, now denouncd for ongoing vicious plunder, rape, and murder of white settlers.

It was all lies, but military procurements rose in response, and war industry profits went back up.

Did somebody mention Gaddafi and his alleged Viagra-fueled rape squads?

Crazy Horse. Most graphics: Click to enlarge.

There's more, including the insanity of sending plutonium into space, of mining on other planets, and of planning to control--militarily--the solar system. Then there's the U.S. military's explicit acknowledgement (in case there was any doubt in your mind) that their purpose is to advance the interests of the plutocrats that control the transnational corporate capitalist stystem. (Defend the United States nation against attack? How quaint!)

Notes, credits, & links

I recorded Bruce Gagnon live in Wethersfield, Connecticut, on August 20, 2011. I have slightly condensed his talk for radio.

Bruce on the Web: http://www.space4peace.org/. His recent book, Come Together Right Now: Organizing Stories from a Fading Empire (revised ed., 2008), is available through his site: http://www.space4peace.org/sales#books

An earlier talk by Bruce Gagnon, also recorded live, was broadcast on New World Notes in May 2010. The Web page has photos, information, and links for listening or download: http://newworldnotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/bruce-gagnon-on-endless-war-and-economy.html .

Bruce Gagnon

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "aegis") 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.

Above: The United States Space Command, author of Vision for 2020, is now the Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFFC Space), within the United States Strategic Command.  ("U.S. Space Command" must have sounded far too clear.)  Below: Amen!

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • September 20 -- Bruce Gagnon, Part 2--recorded live in Wethersfield, Connecticut, August 20, 2011
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, September 3, 2011

Celebrities


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 36 -- September 3, 2011

To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): 1. Place your cursor over the link (above). 2. Click your right mouse button. A small menu appears. 3. On the small menu, select "Save Target As...." A "dialog box" appears. 4. The dialog box shows the folder where your computer proposes to save the file. Either remember this folder or else select a folder you prefer. Then click on "Save."


This week in New World Notes, radio program #183, September 6, 2011

Celebrities 


In brief
An interesting look at our fascination with celebrities ... and corporate marketers' exploitation of this fascination to sell products. In fact our attraction to celebrities appears rooted in our evolution: the closer our ancestors got to the alpha male, the more likely they were to survive. The show includes parts of the documentary film Starsuckers and Chris Hedges' critique of Michael Jackson's funeral.

Michael Jackson. Most graphics: Click to enlarge.

Notes, credits, & links
New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "counter") 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.
Chris Hedges. He described Michael Jackson's funeral
as "a variety show with a coffin."

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • September 13 & 20 -- Bruce Gagnon--recorded live in Wethersfield, Connecticut, August 20, 2011
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Can This Honeymoon Be Saved? (R)


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 35 -- August 27, 2011


This week in New World Notes, radio program #182, August 30, 2011

Can This Honeymoon Be Saved?

In brief

Progressives are increasingly alarmed at Obama's actions & inactions. Using a wide variety of audio soures, we explore The Audacity of Betrayal & the government's astounding lack of "change we can believe in." This installment focuses (though not exclusively) on war, the military, and "defense" spending.

Because the subject is such a bummer, I tried to make the show itself fun. You'll get to hear, among other sound sources, Amy Goodman; The Dixie Chicks; Obama Girl; an Al-Jazeera documentary; the trailer for the film, War of the Roses; and me.

This week's show is a replay of NWN #82, from September 2009.
Notes, credits, & links

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "Freedom of Information Act") 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)
  • September 6 -- Celebrities
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Friday, August 19, 2011

Peaceful Atom: Early Daze


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 34 -- August 19, 2011


This week in New World Notes, radio program #181, August 23, 2011

Peaceful Atom: Early Daze


In brief
In the early 1950s the federal government began strongly encouraging civilian uses of nuclear technology--good news for reactor makers General Electric and Westinghouse! "Atoms for Peace," the massive sales campaign was called.

President Eisenhower gave an important speech on the subject at the United Nations. The Post Office issued an "Atoms for Peace" commemorative first-class stamp (3 cents!) in 1955. In March 1956, Mechanix Illustrated magazine featured a profusely illustrated article, "Why Don't We Build an Atoms-for-Peace Dirigible." Not even a question mark.

A nuclear-powered blimp. What could be more sensible?

Yes, the propaganda was flowing fast and furiously. As I recall, "Our friend, the atom" was a slogan in wide use. As for nuclear-generated electricity, the watchword was, "Too cheap to meter!"

This week, in another nice audiocollage, Virtual Renderings explores the wild promises made made for civilian nukes--and the very scary reality behind the propaganda--from 1950 through the meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979. Sound sources include old propaganda films, news reports, interviews from documentary films, and some music--as usual, all very nicely woven together.
Most graphics: Click to enlarge.

Notes, credits, & links
Dozens of Virtual Rendering's *audiocollages* are available, without charge, here: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/2102

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "thumb") 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.
Above: from Mechanix Illustrated, March 1956.
Below: Nuclear power plant.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • August 30 -- Can This Honeymoon Be Saved?
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Cheap Junk & the Deindustrialization of America (R)


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 33 -- August 13, 2011


This week in New World Notes, radio program #180, August 16, 2011

Cheap Junk & the
Deindustrialization of America

Annie Leonard (from NWN #48, "The Story of STUFF")

In brief
We explore the connections among ubiquitous cheap junk merchandise, domestic unemployment and poverty, starvation wages abroad, pollution everywhere, the destruction of the environment, the deindustrialization and Third-World-ization of America, and the ever-increasing wealth of the already-rich. Was there a vote on all this that somehow I missed?

Includes unflattering words on G.E. by labor leader Marie Lausch & a passage on IKEA from Ellen Ruppel Shell's book, Cheap.
Above: Marie Lausch at UCONN, November 14, 2009.
Below: Ellen Ruppel Shell
.
Notes, credits, & links

Music added: Anne Feeney, "Brave New Christmas"

Connecticut United Electrical Workers Union president Marie Lausch recorded by me at a symposium on converting Connecticut to a peacetime economy held at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, November 14, 2009. Shell passage as reprited by the Toronto Globe & Mail, July 19, 2009, condensed for radio by me.

This is a replay of NWN #98 (January 2010).

"New World Notes" is produced under the auspices (Latin for "table") 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)
  • August 23 -- Peaceful Atom: Early Daze
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net

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Friday, August 5, 2011

More Voices from "Lifting the Veil"


New World Notes News
Vol. 4, No. 32 -- August 5, 2011


This week in New World Notes, radio program #179, August 9, 2011

More Voices from
"Lifting the Veil"

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
In brief

More selections from Scott Noble's interesting new documentary video about the betrayal of the American people by their political system--including both major parties. With some good explanations of (1) the financial industry lunkheads now put in charge of the US Treasury and (2) how the growing wealth of the rich comes from the pockets of the middle and working classes.

Voices heard include those of Noam Chomsky, commentator Chris Hedges, political cartoonist Ted Rall, Senator Bernie Sanders, and economist Richard Wolff. Plus some TV commercials and news clips.

Don't miss the news clip about the $175 hamburger sandwich you can buy for lunch at the Wall Street Burger Shoppe--complete with both black and white truffles and a sprinkling of gold leaf. Yum!
Above: the $175 hamburger. Below: Noam Chomsky.
(Click to enlarge)

Notes, credits, & links

The two-hour video is available, without charge, here.

New World Notes is produced under the auspices (Latin for "first floor") 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: "Lifting the Veil of Ignorance." That's Booker T. Washington, to the right.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • August 16 -- Cheap Junk and the Deindustrialization of America
Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):

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