Flashpoints Radio Oct 4: On the roots of terror & is there racism in California?

FLASHPOINTS RADIO
produced by Dennis Bernstein

Thursday Oct 4, 2001 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: the Knight Report from New York City, news update
-05:25 Dennis about the open letter to the President published in Rolling Stone Magazine by Dr. Benjamin Barber, Kekst Professor of Civil Society at the University of Maryland, and the author of many books including Strong Democracy (1984), An Aristocracy of Everyone (1992), and Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Reshaping the World.. why Clinton did not ratify the landmine treaty.. (discussion).. if you want to make war on terrorism, don\'t start a war of only one front.. distributive justice.. billions of people live in poverty and despair.. they see the international marketplace as something that destroys their welfare.. their children.. until we address their concerns.. most of the world\'s people see us as oppressive.. 2/3 of the world\'s people go to bed hungry.. a war FOR democracy.. FOR social justice.. all this spending for arms, doesn\'t address the causes of terrorism.. the great majority of the world sees us as part of the problem.. Dr. Barber is a principal in The Democracy Collaborative.. that brings together an international consortium of the world\'s leading academic centers and citizen engagement organizations.
-24:10 Noelle Hanrahan: Diana Evans and her husband Robert live in Forestville, California.. the FBI tracked them down.. Diana: I was in my classroom (she is a teacher), the last period of the day.. came in to my classroom.. \"Hello, We\'re with the FBI\".. I was thinking, \"God, how could they be there for me.\" they said one of my neighbors called them and told them we had a visitor..\" (Miguel, from Bolivia).. they tracked Robert down at the DMV.. talked to Miguel in Robert\'s vehicle.. Robert: I was upset.. I confronted my neighbor.. I called the FBI, I told them I have a lot of brown people come to visit me, are you going to show up everytime I have a visitor.. Robert: I am black, from Barbados.. My wife is Puerto-Rican/Greek, dark-complexion.. Diana: my five children are all multi-racial.. Robert: they were flashing their guns at school, a (not too) subtle form of intimidation.. Diana: about the confederate flags flying down the road.. makes me want to fly a Puerto Rican flag, or Greek flag.. Robert: about the racial profiling directed at them and their kids
-46:00 music break
-46:35 Noelle Hanrahan: Pacifica Watch segment.. w dissident board member, Pete Bramson, and Sherrie Gendleman, chair of the local KPFA advisory board.. Pete: about yesterday\'s emergency board meeting, about Democracy Now!.. I am disappointed at the outcome of the meeting.. Amy has done really really excellent work around the tragedy in New York.. the board will not take a stand.. a telephonic meeting.. we were all blocked from speaking.. no dialogue.. a one person show.. \'this meeting is a travesty\'.. not the way to run a network.. Sherrie: while the judge did let the meeting go on.. he wanted it conducted better.. Bessie Wash continues to mismanage the finances.. bills remain unpaid in all the stations.. using listerner donations to pay lawyers and spin doctors..
-55:00 End today\'s show.. today\'s review by john lionheart

Audio this show (scrollable)
Flashpoints website, audio archive

KPFA Flashpoints Radio 94.1 FM Berkeley
Your Daily Investigative Radio News Magazine
-produced by Dennis Bernstein
online live 5-6pm Pacific time weekdays at KPFA.org

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Flashpoints Radio Sept 25: UK journalist Robert Fisk; Feminist poet Robin Morgan

Tuesday, Sept 25, 2001 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein w news headlines from Robert Knight in New York City.. 1/3 of New Yorkers according to a poll favor internment camps for those \"sympathetic to terrorist causes\".. 50% opposed
-05:00 Dennis w Robert Fisk, a award-winning reporter for the London Independent.. Fisk: this part of the world (Middle East) has suffered from terrorist actions.. Irishmen murdered by South Lebanese militiamen, the killers flown to sanctuary in the U.S. by Israel.. 17,500 Lebanese civilians killed by Israeli military in 1982.. crimes against humanity.. 1,800 massacred in Sabra and Shatilla.. Fisk: I don\'t remember any candlelight vigils in the U.S or Europe for them.. I don\'t remember any memorial services.. this is not a war against terrorism, this is a war against America\'s enemies.. Dennis: about Israel strategies.. Fisk: the moment the Palestinians continue to resist occupation, they automatically become \'terrorists\'.. (about American officials) without any understanding or compassion for the Middle East.. urging that the U.S. should start bombing around the country, around the region.. absolutely obscene.. an innocent country, Lebanon.. on the verge of economic breakdown.. attacks could have earthquake responses here.. IF it\'s bin Laden, and I\'m waiting for the proof from Powell.. IF it\'s bin Laden.. he did it because he wanted an American reaction so.. brutal that Arab people overthrow Mabarak, the Saudi regime.. Fisk: In 1842, 16,500 English (4,500 soldiers and officers, 12,000 women, children and servants) left Kabul (reference).. attacked by Afghans wielding knives and axes.. killed every Englishman and woman except one.. hacked them to death.. Britain lost four wars.. Soviets lost 62,000 men.. Afghanistan not a country, but a collection of tribes within borders drawn by others.. Fisk: as the days have gone by, it has become clear.. America does not want to attack *all* sources of terror.. about ordinary civilians around the world.. what are we westerners being asked to sign up to?.. a vehicle for the reimposition of massive American power.. European powers already extremely skeptical.. what happens if we take over Afghanistan?.. nation-building again?.. the crimes against humanity in New York and Washington.. have we thought this through? do we know what we\'re doing? we can fund.. the Northern Alliance.. are we going to turn them into a government? are we planning to decide who their government should be?.. if we are, i think the people who are being asked to support this war should be told about it.. Dennis: about oil, about pipelines? Fisk: the Saudis who helped create the Taliban.. had plans for a pipeline.. about Saudi Arabia\'s connection with the Taliban².. (discussion).. Dennis: what about the \'second wave of terror\' here in this country, attacks on Arabs and others.. Fisk: It is infantile.. We have a whole history.. we\'ve had 30 years of movies that portray Arabs as rapists, murderers, child molestors.. reminds me of the worst propoganda.. like the Nazis made about the Jews.. the message coming from Hollywood appalling.. about the movie made in Israel 30 years ago, portraying Arabs as slave traders, child molestors, rapists.. if movies were made in Hollywood, and they never should be, ever, that portray Jews as they portray Arabs, there would be a revolution.. but when it comes to Muslims, they can be portrayed in the most grotesque ways.. Fisk: I was in Brussels when these crimes against humanity took place in NYC and DC.. WHY did this happen? (he was attacked for asking the question).. those who want to prevent this discussion.. will happily talk about Islamic terror.. but then why is the Middle East a dangerous place for Americans?
-32:00 Noelle Hanrahan: about the songs banned by Clear Channel.. music break: Peace Train by Cat Stevens.. \'Peace Train\' is another \'targeted song\' by the altogether creepy radio conglomerate, \'Clear Channel\', banned either because it is promotes peace or because Cat Stevens converted to Islam.. [you can email a POLITE! reminder to Randy Palmer, Clear Channel guy at Investor Relations, that censorship negatively impacts both freedom *and* profits]
-36:20 Noelle Hanrahan w feminist poet, former editor of MS. Magazine, Robin Morgan.. Robin: we have to think outside the box.. (the government) gearing up for a \'jihad\'.. looking for ways to address the rage on the Muslim streets.. Robin is author of The Demon Lover: on the sexuality of terrorism.. Robin: we can (only) name 5-10 women involved in terrorism worldwide.. [it\'s a guy thing].. why? it comes back to the [perceived] \'eroticism\' of violence/ terror connected to [erroneous concepts of] manhood.. it affects absolutely everything.. entertainment, rhetoric, parenting, sexuality as defined by patriarchy.. when you examine the profiles of men involved in terrorism.. they are as human as the boy next door, e.g. Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy.. well educated, too.. it reminds me of Joseph Campbell\'s \"The Hero\".. Robin: when women reach a point of outrage, they march.. at the edge of human suffering.. part of it is a drive to make the people with their foot on your necks see how you feel..
-43:00 Noelle Hanrahan w feminist poet Robin Morgan: (more discussion of the roots of terrorism, and real actions we can take to end it forever) Robin\'s latest essay, Ghosts and Echoes, written Sept 18, 2001, an excerpt:

As a woman I have no country
As a woman I want no country
As a woman my country is the whole world
If this is treason, may I be worthy of it..."

For a email copy of Ghosts and Echoes send an email to: robinmorgan2001@aol.com

-54:30 End today\'s show.. -today\'s review by john lionheart

Audio this show (scrollable)
Flashpoints website, audio archive

KPFA Flashpoints Radio 94.1 FM Berkeley
Your Daily Investigative Radio News Magazine
-produced by Dennis Bernstein
online live 5-6pm Pacific time weekdays at KPFA.org

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