Radio Democracy Playlist 19/11/08

No nukes is good nukes

The good news...
The Ranger mine crazily located in Kakadu National Park is due to cease operations this year.
The bad news...
Another 7 years' worth of uranium was discovered in the area, meaning Ranger's life may be extended.

The ACF says this is a dumb idea but no doubt state and federal governments, much like Energy Resources Australia and its owner Rio Tinto, are all rubbing their hands together at the thought of digging up the filthy $hit. At least behind closed doors. Apparently the Australian population doesn't much like the idea of selling nukes to non-NPT signatories. So maybe – hopefully – not.

Which lead us right into our next piece. We heard Dr Helen Caldicott's conversation with Robert Alvarez, who has written a report into the US's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The GNEP is a hare-brained product of the Bush administration, which if I understand correctly, is about processing and reusing spent uranium, plutonium and the like. While I'm all for reduce, reuse, recycle, I don't know that this is the best application of that philosophy. Yikes.

The more things change, right?

We then heard Mumia Abu Jamal's take on the election of Barack Obama on the US. MAJ says the machine behind Obama is – you guessed it – THE SAME as previous governments of both the Republicans and Democrats.

América latina está en marcha

Finally, we heard an update on three different Latin American countries and the typical political skulduggery that they suffer.

Peru – Anti APEC site shut down
Organisers of political demonstrations against the 2008 APEC meeting in Peru have claimed a website they are using to coordinate actions has been shut down.

The anti-APEC 2008 site was down on Sunday night, with local organising groups claiming interference on the part of the Peruvian Government and international – namely US – security forces.

The activists asked: “How can they promote economic integration, prosperity and a culture of peace when freedom of expression is restricted?

"The internet is one of the few spaces remaining for activists fighting neoliberalism – what other forms of repression will be seen at APEC Peru 2008?"

The website is now back online, with actions scheduled for the rest of the week.

For more information: www.antiapec.tk (in Spanish) or indymedia.org.

Mexico – More confrontations in Zapatista country
See Kristin Bricker's story at Narconews here.

Colombia – Yet another unionist arrested
Briarpatch magazine provided us with a comprehensive overview of the case of Liliany Obando, a Colombian trade unionist, activist, independent filmmaker and single mother of two who has been under arrest in Colombia since August.

To learn more about the Free Liliany Obando campaign, go to www.colombiasolidarity.net.

Musica
Emergency – The Herd
The Elite – Bill Hicks
Bulshit Politicians – Propagandhi
Peligro – Mano Negra
Legalize It – Elephant Wise
Pig City – The Parameters
We Call Upon the Author - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds