Howard Zinn on War

New World Notes #400, 28:11 (November 3)
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Some highly relevant reflections on our wars by the late, great Progressive historian (and World War Two veteran), Howard Zinn. Among his main points:

War does not come naturally to people. 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.

Introductory comments by K.D.

This installment was previously broadcast (as NWN #203) in January 2012.  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).

Howard Zinn died on January 27, 2010.

Howard Zinn (2009)

Unshackling Ourselves From War

Part 1: New World Notes #398, 29:15 (Oct. 20)
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Part 2: New World Notes #399, 29:00 (Oct. 27)
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Kathy Kelly

Veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly gives a powerful talk on the human costs of the US's elective wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She tells stories of average people caught on the ground in a war zone ... and of US-government-sponsored lies, crimes, and fraud in our conduct of war and alleged "reconstruction."

She tells stories of the courage of ordinary people in the war zones--people working to ease the suffering and repair the damage to their and their neighbors' lives. And she calls on Americans to "unshackle" ourselves from militarism, the war industry, and endless war.

In Part 2, she also connects our military violence abroad and social problems here at home--such as police violence and our "broken" prison system.

Kelly--and other members of the organization Voices for Creative Nonviolence--has spent long periods living among the people caught in war zones in Gaza, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Kathy Kelly spoke in Syracuse, New York, on October 6, 2015. Original recording courtesy of Wilton Vought, of Other Voices, Other Choices. Many thanks. I have condensed the talk slightly for radio broadcast.

Energy News

New World Notes #397, 28:13 (October 13)
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Icebreaking ships in the Arctic

We look at recent (and other) developments--some of them good--concerning oil drilling in the Arctic (stopped for now), coal-fired power plants (dealt a setback by the EPA), Greenpeace's new head, Obama's record on the environment (bad) and otherwise (also bad), Jeb Bush's real name, and how some citizens in Denmark said no to nuclear and built the biggest windmill generator in the world.

Featuring commentary by KD and by Bruce Dixon, a news story from the New York Times, and a song by David Rovics.

David Rovics' song, "The Biggest Windmill In the World," recorded live in Boston by Chuck Rosina, January 2013. (Many thanks.) Bruce Dixon's recorded commentary courtesy of Black Agenda Report.

Arctic drilling rig being towed into position