Flashpoints Radio Sept 27, 2002: poet, activist Aurura Levins Morales

Friday, Sept 27, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein:.. an hour with Aurora Levins Morales, poet, historian, activist.. Aurora: poetry can function as a scalpel.. to allow people to wake up, to feel a personal intimate connection with current events.. about her new book, born the day after 9/11.. Aurora: after 9/11 my personal life fell apart, my husband an affair with someone half his age, and left our marriage, our work partnership.. what makes some people keep faith and others not keep faith.. the metaphor of political struggle.. the most difficult writing I've ever done, (and the best)
-05:18 Aurora reads from her new book, 'Shema'.. reads the poem 'Choice'.. (about Cuba and it's tortured relationship with the US)..
-07:20 this poem for the children, victims of violence around the world, 'Memorial'..
-10:00 a poem that Aurora wrote for Barbara Lubin..
-12:55 Aurora, this poem from oral histories I've been doing the last six years, and from my connections with the Longshoremen Union, 'Waterfront'..
-18:xx Aurora reads 'Seeking Justice', inspired by the Salvadoran peasants who succuessfully sued the generals who tortured them, and by a story of an Israeli man whose son had been killed by Palestinians, calling on Israel not to seek revenge..
-xx:xx more poetry from Aurora Levins Morales.. (no further review tonight).. Dennis: Aurora's email: remedioscenter(at)aol.com
-54:40 Mary Bishop: wrapup..
-55:07 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart

Thursday, Sept 26, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Mary Bishop: introduction: encore presentation of an hour long interview with legendary whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg, of 'Pentagon Papers' fame
-01:00 Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: Congress moves closer to a non-declaration of war, allowing Bush to persue military action "as he determines to be necessary and appropriate".. Rumsfeld claims Iraq and Al-Quada conspiracy.. Ivory Coast calls for peacekeepers; French troops evacuate 1000 foreigners.. post Taliban opium production soars from 185 tons last year to 2,700 tons this year (+1,400%).. inside Britain, an anti-dope (ie anti-Tony Blair) rally.. "Bush will hit Iraq like a drunk hits a bottle, to satisfy his thirst for power and oil".
-05:10 Dennis Bernstein: about Daniel Ellsberg (Salon.com), 1960's Marine Corp Commander, Pentagon official, turned whistleblower in 1969 when he released the 'Pentagon Papers'.. about his new biography, 'Secrets'.. Daniel: about current events, Rumsfeld, weapons inspectors.. about the intentions of Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, and Rumsfeld.. to deceive the American people.. Saddam does not have a suicidal urge.. unless faced with death by US action.. that's the way to get him to use any weapons of mass destruction he might have.. if we attack him, he will use all his weapons against Israel or the US.. I (fear) the world will see the use of nuclear weapons before the end of the year.. US wants regime change.. for the oil.. about the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons legitimized.. will greatly increase the threat of global destruction of the human species.. about Ellsberg's new book, 'Secrets'.. about the Gulf of Tonkin resolution.. more about the current situation.. Daniel: when I went to the press with the Pentagon Papers.. the NY Times injoined.. the Washington Post.. the Boston Globe.. all defying the Attorney General.. an amazing rebellion.. now.. we've seen the same kind of courage.. witness Scott Ritter.. and Colleen Ralley (sp?) of the FBI.. Talking to: the people in the government who know we're on a dangerous reckless course.. who have seen in writing, estimates to that result.. PLEASE COME FORWARD.. Dennis: like Nixon needed a special group?.. Daniel: we have real danger in the world.. Saddam launching a weapon against us, is not a real danger.. Congress should demand real assessments.. about nuclear whistleblower, Mordecai Vanunu.. a technical worker in the Israeli nuclear weapons program.. an Israeli.. gradually became convinced that the program could not be justified.. total censorship in Israel.. a total lie that Israel would not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons in Israel.. the number of Israel nuclear weapons in the hundreds.. what country in the world have the right to have hundreds of nuclear weapons?.. NOT ONE.. Vanunu was lured out of England by an Israeli agent to Israel, and kidnapped to Israel and imprisoned by a secret trial.. for 17 years.. he is a hero.. Israel's nuclear program increases the possibility that Israel itself will be destroyed by a nuclear weapon..
-53:30 Mary Bishop: wrapup Events: 1) Dennis reads his poetry 7PM Friday, Point Reyes Bookstore; 2) Rally to Stop the War 1PM tomorrow, Friday, Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street; and 3) Saturday, Sept 28; protest Stop the War on Iraq and Free Palestine, assemble Dolores Park 11AM; at Noon march to Civic Center for a rally.. info 415-861-7444
-54:44 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart

Wednesday, Sept 25, 2002 - Start Audio

introduction: US peace delegation arrives in Iraq; interview w activist Barbara Lubin and Voices in the Wilderness leader, Kathy Kelly; upcoming SF & Houston protests against Bush's new war; Shoshone greatgrandmother has her cattle seized

is the leader of Voices in the Wilderness, Nobel Peace Prize nominee.. and w Alexander Cockburn of Counterpunch.org.. Kathy: we want our team to feel encouraged.. NO NEW WAR AGAINT IRAQ!.. Cockburn: I haven't seen any evidence linking Bin Laden with Saddam Hussein.. Bush pushed this notion very hard, but it wouldn't fly.. Leslie: a big protest in SF this weekend.. Cockburn: the treatment of the Palestinians one of the most horrible situations in the world today.. knocking down houses, killing of kids, supported by the Bush admininstration.. Leslie: will the sanctions ever be lifted?.. Kathy: NT Times article this weekend by Wolfowitz.. children dying in front of their parents in Iraq everyday because of sanctions.. in Jenin, Israel didn't allow UN inspections.. no Israel child should ever suffer because of that, but half million Iraqi kids died horrible deaths because of sanctions against Iraq for refusing inspections.. Cockburn: about the coverage of Iraq sanctions in the media.. the US press has fallen down.. on accounts of Clinton and Bush betrayed every pledge ever made to Palestine.. the phoney deal Barak offered Arafat (Camp David).. but the deal lauded by the US press.. CNN desperate for a war to win back viewers.. Fox thrives on war.. the reporting generally very very poor.. fortunately there is a lot of alternative media.. Kathy: come out Saturday (in SF) protest and demonstrate.. help swell the ranks.. hopefully the mainstream media won't be able to ignore us.. Cockburn: I hope we can stop the invasion of Iraq.. the economy is in terrible shape.. demonstrations add to the feeling.. embolden politicians.. the more pressure you get, you raise the level of dissent.. very very important..

Ken Freeland:

Carrie and Mary Dann, two Shoshone sisters from Nevada.. right to graze cattle.. US *extinquished* the treaty.. agents seized 210 head of cattle, and threaten to seize 700 horses.. (Las Vegas Sun item) (link2).. Carrie: like a military zone, so many people carrying guns.. three big trucks, two small trucks.. loaded up the cattle.. a rumor two days prior the only warning.. now Christopher Soll of the Western Shoshone Defence Project.. Soll: in 1883.. Shoshone land extended from Snake River in Idaho to Mohave desert.. the Shoshone agreed to share their land.. agreed to adapt their culture.. in this treaty.. only a very small bit of land really left for the Shoshone.. the US government says all the land now federal land.. in violation of the treaty.. in 1980 the US government offered the Shoshone $27 million dollars.. rejected by the Shoshone.. a big rip off, typical of US history and behavior toward non-Europeans.. and the US saying the Danns owe a fine of about $3 million dollars.. the $27 million dollar offer dividing the Shoshone.. Mary and Carrie the rock of resistance.. for 30 years the US threatening the Danns with trespass and confiscation.. Carrie: I protest at Yucca Mountain nuclear waste.. most Shoshone very poor, a lot of alcoholism, drugs.. Soll: the reservations very small.. originally three small ranches that went bankrupt in the depression.. now 27 Shoshone families living on the same land.. 85% of Nevada declared federal land, exploited by one government agency or another.. free flowing hot springs.. development interests.. everybody making money off Western Shoshone lands, except the Shoshone.. Carrie: THIS IS DOMESTIC TERRORISM.. we're living in fear.. Soll: because of the US refusal to address these complaints, the Shoshone have brought these complaints to international courts.. the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights report concluded that the Dann sisters' human rights have been violated.. right now we have an administration that only invoked international law when it happens to coincide with their preset agenda.. the basis of US Indian law.. any European to claim land could, because the Indians were 'non-Christian'.. still in effect.. Carrie: please help us defeat Bill 958.. Acadia Valley, CA.