Nuclear Irony

I burst into the amsterdam vlogger meetup this evening and my opening statement was as follows:

If you don’t want other nations to get nuclear weapons, try not developing them in the first place.

I listened to radio open source on the way from the oud west to de balie, and they were talking about what if Iran gets nuclear weapons. And then the bigshots give their little shpeal about what might happen and what might not. They bring plenty of points, some are even good, but I can’t stop having the same thoughts over and over:

Why does the United States or the European government get to decide who can and can’t have nuclear technology or weapons? I mean, I hate both and think both have brought more harm then good to the world. But put aside my idealistic evaluations — we live in a world where nuclear weapons exist. Yet somehow a few nations try to decide who can and can not have these weapons that can basically lead to the destruction of the earth. Somehow they are more responsible and are more qualified to determine right and wrong, good and evil, and responsible and irresponsible.

It just keeps repeating in my head — these weapons shouldnt exist to begin with, but they do. And who the hell can point the finger and say Iran is not allowed, while Pakistan, India, China, UK, Russia, North Korea, France, hell.. even Brazil has enriched uranium. Its the old double standard of international relations. Hypocracy through and through.

bm118 Nepal: Life, Liberty, and the whims of the King.

Lodged between India and China who perhaps steal the spotlight, Nepal continues to suffer as the King tries to keep a tight grip on citizen rights. Meanwhile Maoist Rebels and Government troops clash in a struggle for power. In between these two forces, you will find the Nepalese people growing increasingly impatient with the behavior of both sides and calling for a return to the democracy they once knew. Dinesh Wagle of United We Blog! For a democratic Nepal is my special guest to talk about these themes and much more.

AudioCommunique #118 (mp3)

Reporters Without Borders on Nepal

Music:

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros- Can Anyone
Rasham Firiri – (I think the song is called Srangi, but Im not sure)
Ani Difranco – Everest

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podcast made possible by you the listener and also Springheeljack.net

His Eyes Are Blood Thirsty

After wrapping up show 100 last night, since it was 3am anyway, I decided to catch some of the state of the union address. Course I could neither stomach or stay awake to watch more than 20 minutes of it, but I still had enough time to catch the war-criminal-in-chief’s Iran segment. And thought I was drowsy, it really hit home….

The man wants to invade Iran. The man wants to bomb Iran into the stoneage. I could see it, for some reason, this look I hadn’t noticed before. This dillusional rich-boy-turned-world leader actually believes it is an option to use war to get Iran to behave the way he thinks they should. And with the potential backing of the EU, China, and Russia, it suddenly occurred to me – he’s crazy, disconnected, and careless enough to order it. What difference does it make to him how many innocent Iranians would die, how many more soldiers would die, and all the remifications of invading a country as strong and proud as Iran.

I usually am not surprised by revelations in the realm of politics and conflict, you can usually see them coming, no matter how bad. But this one is a particularly tough one for me to swallow. I’m already thinking up actions that a podjournalist and an activist can take, to try and expose the stupidity and futility of using large scale violence to subjigate yet another nation in the name of “freedom”.

Preparing for a Coal Show

I’m presently preparing for my next program about the coal industry in the US and the world over the past 50 years. Maybe 50 is too much… at least the last 15. The minute I heard about this mine accident I immediately started to think about the push by the Bush administration and associated senators, to encourage the building of more coal plants and focus more on using coal. “Clean Coal Technology” was the oxymoron the megamoron president would keep repeating. Over and over. And of course, he got his way.

>I’ve been looking over the numbers, and worldwide, especially in China and the US, coal is growing and growing. Seems so strange to look at the year – 2006 – and then look at the fact that modern nations still use coal, despite the extreme air pollution, the mercury that contaminates most everything in the area of a plant, and the extremely dangerous conditions that miners work in. Is this the modern answer for a modern world? Seems more like the good ol’ boys trying to make good’ol money the good’ol way.

The usual channels that claim to bring you news are filled with sob stories, sound bites, and sad faces. Have they bothered to start asking real questions about what’s going on with coal? How is the coal industry effecting these communities? Is the focus on new coal plants and more coal a sustainable and healthy one for a country… hell… for a planet? As much as Im also concerned for other countries, especially China which is the biggest coal producer ever, I look extra critically at the US, cause as an American, I know the country is capable of much better; more creative, innovative, and forward thinking ideas. Not this old fashioned and dangerous obsession with filling our lungs and our lives with black soot in persuit of the mighty dollar.

More on my next podcast, which will come to you from Brussels… Im hitching a ride in 4 hours.

The Horror in Harbin

Hello I’m in New Jersey… and actually i did not have a pleasant flight and it seems the entire airline industry is one big ball of nerves and Im seriously going to save some loot so I can take a container ship from Rotterdam next time. Flying is a torturous ordeal these days, it is as if air-travel has taken 100 steps backwards since the dawn of this fake-ass war on terrorism. But I’ll address that in my first US recorded podcast tomorrow.

fortunately I grabbed a Guardian on my way onto the plane, and poured over the stories coming out of China. Besides the fact that militia opened fire on demonstrators who didn’t want the government to put a polluting coal power plant in their town, I read alot more on Harbin, a city that has been poisoned by the Chinese government and the petrol industry there.

It’s incredibly sad to watch china grow at this crippling pace that leaves so many people cast aside, forgotten, killed, and poisoned. The push to be this supercapitalist, consumer state, seems like one big ball of destruction. and if you live in Harbin, all you know is you can’t drink the water because the tap has been turned off and even if it weren’t your water supply is toxic and your government knew this could happen, but doesn’t care, like so many governments out there.

the People’s Space Program

It has been a while since I’ve talked about space programs, especially those non-American ones. Some of you may recall that I’m a huge fan of the space programs belonging to the European Union, India, Japan, Brazil, and of course – China. This because NASA has proven over the last decades that they’re basically the bitches of the military industrial complex and not interested in exploration and science. (not including the science of killing or spying)

So of course I must express excitement at the fact that yesterday the second Chinese space mission ever was launched. Two Chinese “taikonauts” are now in Orbit, and will remain there for a few days.

Naturally all these countries I listed might also use their space programs for military purposes, like the US. But at the very least, my hope is that the more nations that go into space – especially old wise ones – the greater the chance we will finally make some faster and larger advances in exploring the universe.

Oh and of course, a great source for space info and one my favorite left coast bloggers – the space tramp – is also a good read.