March 2006 – Page 3 – Citizen Reporter

Seeking Belarus Sources

Alexander Lukashenko is pretty well known as the last dictator of Europe, that is if you don’t count Tony Blair. His ability to remain in power while most of the continent, especially Eastern Europe, moved towards a more open and liberal-democratic system, is pretty impressive. Despite the mixed results in the Ukraine, where the orange revolution seems to have gone sour somehow, it seems likely that the people of Belarus want change, beginning with the president.

Or at least that’s what it seemed before these latest results came out. Though the opposition claims fraud, no clear evidence of fraud has been presented, which means it is quite likely that his 82.6% of the vote is legit. BBC says even if the election were redone, it is very likely that Lukashenko would win easily.

So what to make of all this? I’m going to read up on Belarus bloggers and see if I can’t learn something and get a guest for the podcast this week. Could it be that he’s not an evil dictator that I’ve so often heard about? Maybe things in Belarus are going great? Or is it that culturally, perhaps people aren’t so into the idea of changing horses; instead they prefer to stay with the same president for as long as he lives. Or maybe it’s just well executed corruption. Hard to tell right now.

Straight Outta Compton

Inappropriate Brian works in the television biz, here’s how our conversation started today:

Inappropriate Brian: so guess who was on the show… well u would never guess…

bicyclemark: who who?

Inappropriate Brian: Ice Cube and guess what i played him.

bicyclemark: what what?

Inappropriate Brian: Nina Gordon’s Straight outta Compton.

bicyclemark: hahah had he heard it?

Inappropriate Brian: no.

bicyclemark: holy shit where has he been; what did he say?

Inappropriate Brian: he looked at me and said: white girls with guitars can do anything.

bicyclemark: hahahaha

Inappropriate Brian: im like I KNOW! he laughed and left. dont think he took her name. he didnt ask come to think of it.

bm113 Reproductive Rights, After South Dakota

South Dakota found its way into the news earlier this month with its ban on abortion. So what other states might follow? What are the ongoing battles within the question of reproductive rights, and what issues will emerge now that power has been consolidated within the supreme court? Amanda Marcotte, direct from Austin, Texas, blogs at pandagon.net and joins me to discuss these issues and more.

AudioCommunique #113 (mp3)

Music:

Stars – The Very Thing
Sweet Honey & the Rock – Your Children
Antony and the Johnsons – Man is the baby

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springheeljack.net
and by you the listeners, through your financial support.

Personal Media to Increase Understanding

Last night at the “little” Dutch Vlogger Meetup, I rehashed a topic that I began talking about during the bloggers in Amsterdam roundtable a few weeks ago. The topic involves a personal belief of mine that producing personal media: blogs, podcasts, vlogs, photoblogs; and sharing them with people around the world, increases incultural exchange and therefore decreases the likelihood of using violence to resolve international disputes.

Did I lose you? It’s pretty basic, and some people might label it as naïve or wrong, but I simply believe that by reading blogs, for example, from people in Iran, we are getting to know Iranians on a very personal level. By knowing them and reading their thoughts and work, this helps defeat any propaganda that might be pushed by a government or a media that wants to sell you the idea that, say – Iranians are dangerous and tyrants and the answer is to bomb the shit out of the country. Readers, listeners, and viewers of Iranian pesonal media would immediately dispell such fairy tales, and insist that whatever methods are used to resolve a disagreement, violence is not an option – EVER.

When I brought this up, asking if the bloggers believed in this possibility, I think it was Ezra or Amanda, who saw it as unlikely, stating that for every Iranian blogger that might blog about peacefully resolving a conflict, the a warmongering Iranian blogger in the US or wherever, would emerge to support the opposite.

Amongst others last night, Gabe was an especially outspoken supporter of this idea, that if more people watched vlogs and were consumers of personal media across borders, the less propaganda that promotes violence, mistrust, and hatred would ne believed.

I think the biggest disappointment factor in all this is that we are still a long way from this being a reality. You reading this post are still a small fragment of the world’s population, as is the case for all personal media – most people still don’t understand or use it. Despite the fact that we may have the key to more peace in the world, we’re not even close to being able to save any lives.

For more on Iran in particular, I like to read Juan Cole. And of course, the granddaddy of the Iranian blogosphere – Hoder.

bmtv2 A Visit to Avó and Avô’s House

Since my driving vlog received such wonderful feedback. I used a few leftover clips to create this one, all about my grandparents and the town where they live.

Watch the Video

Some Burmese-American Hypocracy

Not that anyone should ever look to Secretary of State Rice or any of her colleagues for statements that mean anything or consistancy in general – but I noticed she was talking about Burma today.

Yeah, you know, Burma… oh I know.. you still remember the good old days of Myanmar, you’re so old school. Oh and you probably still have fond memories of Rangoon as the capital… well that’s just about over. And if you think extra hard, you might recall companies like Unocal, Halliburton, and Chevron; American oil companies (they’re not alone, plenty of European too), doing lot’s of business with the military Junta over the last 20 years.

But I guess that was before the United States government received a message from god that said they should spread freedom everywhere and stop being friends with their old friends who are possibly genocidal murderous dictators, and generally not nice people.

Thing sure are a’changin, cause today I read Condoleezza’s speech where she says:

“So long as the proud people of this great nation remain oppressed, there can be no business as usual in Southeast Asia”

No business as usual? Well Well. What about the usual business and all your friends who profit? Are you going to suddenly turn your back on them? Impressive!

Sorry, suddenly I started talking directly to Condi instead of just, about her. Here’s an interesting related PBS-NOW report as well as an old Nation article that might point out some hope. I mean, besides our champion of global justice secretary of state.