Sunday, May 26, 2013

The "Seven Sisters" and the Oil of the Middle East

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New World Notes News
Vol. 6, No. 21 -- May 26, 2013

This week in New World Notes, radio programs #273-274, May 28 & June 4, 2013

The "Seven Sisters"
and the Oil of the Middle East
(in 2 parts)


In brief

The "Seven Sisters" was Big Oil. It was the cartel of huge private oil corporations that ended up owning almost all the oil in the Middle East. They stole and kept this treasure by hook and by crook, in violation of many laws, with help from corrupt monarchs abroad and muscle from the U.S. government, armed forces, and CIA.

We adapt to radio a new video documentary. Part 1 takes us from the founding of the cartel in 1928 (by Standard Oil, Shell, and BP) to the creation of OPEC in 1960.

Of note in Part 1: The story of how BP came to own all of the oil in Iran--and how, in 1953, Iran's parliament tried to regain control of the country's oil--and how the United States government responded by overthrowing Iran's democratic government and installing the Shah as dictator of Iran. (We then gave Iran's oil to US-based oil companies, not back to BP.)

Part 2 takes us from the creation of OPEC in 1960 to the fate of Iraq today (its oil weath again taken away from the Iraqi people and again handed over to the big oil companies). Includes the Suez crisis, OPEC price hikes, Iraq's nationalizing of its oil in 1972 (succeeding where Iran in 1953 had failed), the Iranian revolution, and Gulf Wars I and II.

Introduction by K.D.

Man of the Year: The last prime minister of democratic Iran, Mohammad Mossadeq (January 1952). In 1953, the Iranian parliament nationalized the country's oil, threatening BP's profits.  The United States overthrew Iran's government, installed the Shah as dictator, and handed Iran's oil back to the big Western oil companies. 

Notes, credits, & links

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.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • June 4 -- The Seven Sisters ..., Part 2

Catch New World Notes (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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Monday, May 20, 2013

George Carlin on American BS

New World Notes # 272, for Tuesday, May 21 (WWUH)

Broadcast quality MP3 from our normal server (radio4all.net).
Medium-quality MP3 from our normal server.

In case of difficulty, here's another broadcast-quality copy from a different server (archive.org).


In brief:

In his last years, socially-engaged comedian George Carlin seemed less angry, more resigned, and shrewd as ever as he observed American politics and culture rushing to hell in a handbasket. Our show presents some of Carlin's last performances and parts of an interview--plus a new and very Carlin-like song by David Rovics.

The theme is B.S., America, and why the two make an especially bad combination. Prologue by K.D.

Thanks to Chuck Rosina for the live recording of David Rovics' "God Bless the USA"

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Orwell Rolls in his Grave

Listen to or download Part One now (Good quality 64 kbps--13 MB)

Listen to or download Part Two now (Broadcast qlty. 192 kbps--40 MB)
Difficulty downloading? Try this link to an alternative server.
Listen to or download Part Two now (Good quality 64 kbps--13 MB)

List all . . . and listen to or download any . . . installments
To download an audio file (save it on your hard disk): Click on this link for instructions.

New World Notes News
Vol. 6, Nos. 18-19 -- May 4, 2013

This fortnight in New World Notes, radio programs #270-271, May 7 & 14

Orwell Rolls in his Grave
(in Two Parts)

Why are these men smiling?

In brief

At the recent love fest at the new W. Bush Presidential "Library," the media and Obama too celebrated our most famous torturer and warmonger.

But this was just the straw that broke the camel's back. In the preceding weeks, the Administration had again allowed a giant media company (Comcast) to acquire 100% of another (NBC-Universal).

Then Obama announced that he will cut Social Security benefits to retirees, to reduce the budget deficit. Problem: Social Security is entirely separate from the federal budget. It has no connection to the deficit.

No matter. Wall Street and the corporate press praised Obama's "courage."

The incestuous relationship of "the one percent," the corporate-controlled media, and our prostitute government is getting pretty hard to miss.

Time to hear large parts of a fine documentary on the very subject, Orwell Rolls in his Grave (2006). Introductions and epilogue by K.D.

Update: Obama's new (May 2) choice for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission--a prominent telecommunications industry lobbyist and venture capitalist--promises more of the same, and the public interest be damned. Details at the end of Part 2 (NWN #271).


Notes, credits, & links

Orwell Rolls in his Grave was produced by Robert Kane Pappas. It was adapted to radio by Lyn Gerry, of the Unwelcome Guests radio program. Her complete adaptation is available (as installment #416) at www.unwelcomeguests.net .

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.

George Orwell (1940s).  It's not just that Big Brother is Watching You.  Worse still, Big Brother is controlling everything you know about current events and the past.

Coming soon (Tuesday air debut date shown)
  • May 21 -- TBA
Catch New World Notes  (all times Eastern):
A-Infos Radio Project http://www.radio4all.net
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