The Imperial project progressed another step towards the abyss over the weekend with Israel's unprovoked air bombardment of Syria. It continues a consistent pattern of unilateral aggression followed by America and close ally Israel over especially these last twelve years, but going back much longer.
William Blum is an award-winning American journalist, founding editor of the Washington Free Press, celebrated author,and creator of The Anti-Empire Report, an internet bulletin marking the passage of his sad nation at its most historically corrupt moment.
Blum's book titles include: 'Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower,' 'Killing Hope: CIA Military Interventions Since World War II,' 'Freeing the World to Death: Essays on the American Empire,' 'West-Bloc Dissident: A Cold War Memoir,' and the freshly released, 'America's Deadliest Export: Democracy - The Truth About U.S. Foreign Policy and Everything Else.'
William Blum in the first half.
And; a few months ago, Israeli-American peace activist and author, Miko Peled visited Victoria, addressing a full house here at the UVic with the lecture, 'Beyond Zionism, a New Paradigm for Israel/Palestine.' Peled's first book is, 'The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.'
As Middle East tensions ratchet up, with Israel's second and third bombing attacks against neighbour Syria in as many days, it's as good a time as any to air a hopeful perspective on the seemingly intractable conflicts in the region.
Miko Peled and Beyond Zionism in the second half.
And Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what's good to do in and around our city in the coming weeks. But first, author, historian, and US policy critic, Bill Blum and 'This Thing Called Terrorism and the United States.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
Mass worker mobilization, police riots, and a raging fire in the rubble of a collapsed factory marked Workers' Memorial Day in Bangladesh yesterday. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports the arrest of executives from three garment makers, along with the owner of the former Rana Plaza in Savar, Bangladesh following public outcry and demonstration.
So far, more than three hundred and sixty are confirmed dead, with many more missing. Rescue operations were halted due to the fire within the rubble of the large Rana manufacturing complex that literally fell apart last Wednesday, and authorities now say they are switching from manual searches to machine assisted recovery operations.
The usual culprits are cited as causing the disaster: shoddy building materials, unskilled labour, sub-standard building codes, and rampant corruption at all levels of the Savar Municipal Corp., the licensor. But what's really behind the death and carnage in Savar, and so many other places, and who bears ultimate responsibility?
Daniel Kovalik is Senior Associate General Counsel for the USW, or United Steel Workers union, teaches international human rights law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is a long-time peace and justice activist. Dan has focused on the movements for peace and justice in Colombia and Central America, where he serves as an attorney for Colombian plaintiffs in cases alleging corporate human rights violations. He's also co-recipient of a Project Censored Award for chronicling the murder of trade unionists in Colombia.
Dan Kovalik in the first half.
And; in 1998, oil patch consultant, Jessica Ernst moved out to Rosebud, Wheatland County in Alberta's heartland. She bought a little house on a tidy bit of land serviced by fresh wells sunk into the Rosebud aquifer. It was an idyllic spot, until EnCana arrived to carry out experiments on a new way to get money out of the ground. The new process was called "hydraulic fracturing," and anyone who hasn't heard of it by now, and the dangers it poses to water, wildlife, and people must be living with their head in a hole in the ground.
Those dangers have been exposed in the States, most famously in the documentary film, Gaslands, and dramatized in Matt Damon's recently released feature film, 'Promised Land.' But despite the growing clamour against the practice, or perhaps because of it, fracking is progressing full tilt with ever more wells across ever-broadening jurisdictions.
When Jessica Ernst's water went bad, she knew why and who was to blame. Ernst filed suit against EnCana, and the company's enablers in the government of Alberta charged with regulating the industry and protecting the environment. But filing a suit is one thing, fighting it quite another.
Jessica Ernst and when David meets the whole Goliath clan in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what's good to do in and around Victoria in the coming week. But first, Dan Kovalik and Labour's global fight from Bogota to Bangladesh.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
April Fools Day marked the opening of British Columbia's bi-annual Grizzly hunt in the Great Bear Rainforest. Kiff Archer and Jason Moody both live within the Great Bear, located along the mid-coast of BC, and they're both with the newly formed, Central Coast Grizzly Patrol.
I spoke with them at the start of last Fall's hunting season to talk about the beginnings of the Coastal First Nations Coalition and its unilaterally declared ban on trophy hunting within their collective territories.
The provincial government however neither recognizes the authority of the First Nations to do this, nor does it honour their demand for a ban on the hunt.
Kiff Archer and Jason Moody still standing tall in defense of the bears and other "trophy" targets in the Great Bear Rainforest in the second half.
And; the first funeral of a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings was held this morning, but that untimely death is not the only thing being mourned in the United States. The behaviour of the authorities in the aftermath of the attack too marks a further departure from the founding concepts that made America the exemplar in a world hungry for a just society.
Dave Lindorff is a long-time, award-winning investigative reporter and founder of the 3-time Project Censored Award-winning web news site, This Can't Be Happening.net. His journalistic writings are featured at sites as diverse as CounterPunch, BusinesWeek, The Nation, and Rolling Stone. He is also an author, whose titles include: 'This Can't Be Happening: Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy,' 'Market Medicine: The Rise of the For Profit Hospital Chains,' 'Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu Jamal,' and 'The Case for Impeachment: Legal Arguments for Removing George W. Bush from Office,' that co-authored with Barbara Olshansky.
Dave Lindorff and an American Police State on view in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will join us at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what's good to do in and around Victoria for the coming week.
But first, Kiff Archer and Jason Moody dogging the bear killers in the Great Bear Rainforest.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
Went down to the 32nd annual Earth Walk in Victoria today (April 20). I buttonholed a few local notables along the way. It was different from all the other walks, in that local organizers had abandoned the concept. Last year, corporate involvement soured the usual suspect toilers who'd put the show together with shoe-strings; this year they didn't show up. It was left for the sophomore Creatively United for the Planet, a trades fair and paid showcase for green-minded companies, artisans, and musicians to pick up the slack. Rather than culminate at the BC Legislature buildings for political posturing and speechifying, the marchers were ushered into the grounds of St. Ann's Academy, where vendors and paid stage shows awaited.
This song and laughter filled evening is set aside to honour these most amazing Women. For years the Victoria Raging Grannies have sung, ridiculed, marched, occupied and been arrested, all in the name of justice for the planet and the living creatures who reside upon it. Lets us gather, with local comedian and MC Wes Borg to pay tribute to the legacy of the Victoria Raging Grannies.
Entrance is by donation with all proceeds going to Our place societies Breakfast Program
And good news folks!!! the Grannies are recruiting! Come dressed in your most garish hat and Boa for the event, and show your radical stuff.
The capacity of the hall is only 100 so don't be late.
G-Radio is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in corporate and state media. Gorilla Radio airs live every Monday, 5-6pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 102FM, 104.3 cable, and on t