Millions of years ago, a huge asteroid hit what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The global forests and grasslands burned. The smoke from the resulting fires marks one of the greatest extinctions in Earth’s history, including not just dinosaurs but also fish, plankton, ammonites, and plants. A decade-long Ice Age ensued. A war with just a few of the world’s thousands of nuclear weapons targeted on densely populated cities could plunge Earth into the same types of conditions that the dinosaurs experienced. A war involving Russia, NATO, and the United States could kill billions of people. And what is the U.S. doing? It is upgrading and modernizing all components of its nuclear weapons arsenal at a cost of over a trillion dollars. With the possibility of nuclear war, humans may end up like the dinosaurs.
--------
56:59
--------
56:59
[Robin D. G. Kelley] Colonialism, Capitalism & Fascism
The era of traditional colonialism, with a few exceptions, is over. But it continues in new shapes and forms to have a profound influence on former colonies all over the world. We are in the age of what may be called neo-colonialism, where former colonies are simultaneously independent and dependent. Neocolonialism is a more insidious form of imperialism in which more powerful countries keep developing nations in a state of economic dependence. This dependent relationship is seen primarily in structural inequality, where the rich countries exploit the resources and labor of the poor. Colonialism fostered and institutionalized racist ideologies that continue to manifest in systemic racism. Scholar Robin D.G. Kelley says, “It's important to recognize that the consolidation of the modern colonial state and the rise of the fascist state occurred pretty much at the same time. The modern colonial state and the fascist state are both particular forms of capitalist states.”
--------
57:01
--------
57:01
[Koohan Paik-Mander] Algorithms, Digital Technologies & Warfare
Algorithms are processes or sets of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by computer. Sounds innocuous enough. But hang on. It has a dark side. Algorithms can make mistakes due to biases, poor design, coding errors, or flawed assumptions. They can collect and process large amounts of personal data which can put people’s privacy rights at risk. There are lethal dangers. Koohan Paik-Mander warns the algorithms that missiles have spawned “have been a scourge on Mother Earth and our own humanity with our smartphones, satellites, robotics, AI, nuclear power and all the rest through which civil society has unwittingly become militarized through and through.”
--------
57:01
--------
57:01
[Richard Seymour] Resentment Politics
There is a class in this country that reeks of obscene wealth. From mansions in Beverly Hills and the Hamptons, they fly around in their private jets and sail the seas in their luxury yachts. Left behind are countless millions who are subjected to austerity programs and lectures about hard work. The rise, not just in the U.S., but globally, of right-wing politics is fueled by economic inequality. Goebbels was Hitler’s minister of propaganda. He always insisted that it was a mistake to rely on logic and facts to manipulate people. The skilled propagandist, he said, must focus on emotions, not reason. Everything must be depicted in simple terms and constantly repeated. Resentment is a powerful force. We see it in today’s politics.
--------
57:01
--------
57:01
[Jesse Hagopian] The War on Education
The right-wing war on education is well-documented. The battleground extends from elementary and middle school all the way up to Harvard and Columbia. Books have been cut from curricula and pulled from school library shelves. Teachers have been fired. Schools that teach critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion are being threatened with defunding. The radical right wants to control what is being taught. They want to turn the educational system into an indoctrination machine. Their goal includes plans to abolish the Department of Education. Students who peacefully protest and exercise their First Amendment rights have been, in some cases, suspended, expelled, and even denied their diplomas. Some international students have had their visas cancelled and may face deportation. Jesse Hagopian says what’s at stake is the freedom to expose injustice and to tell the truth.
Alternative Radio is an "unembedded" weekly one-hour public affairs program offered free to all public radio stations in the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and on short-wave on Radio for Peace International. AR provides information, analyses and views that are frequently ignored or distorted in other media. Visit alternativeradio.org for the complete catalog.
South Africa