Thursday, 1.30.03
Very important interview with William Arkin, LA Times defense analyst, who broke the story that the Bush clique has lowered the bar for the use of nuclear weapons in Iraq and elsewhere. If you haven’t yet read his article, read and be terrified.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/la-op-arkin26jan26.story

In his discussion with Amy, Arkin emphasized the point that current Administration moves are an insult and deeply disturbing to U.S. military professionals. The decision to scrap the firewall between conventional and nuclear weapons was made by Rumsfeld and an inner circle of decision makers circumventing conventional military planners. The result is that nuclear weapons may be employed with little or no debate by top military planners.

Comment: This discussion helps to throw into question Amy’s idée fixe that the war against Iraq is a war about oil. You don’t contemplate using nuclear weapons in a situation where you want to take control of oil fields. The war against Iraq is a war in the service of the far right ideology of perpetual war and nuclear warfighting by the Bush clique. (It’s a clique because Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, et. al don’t represent much of the military, state department and other government agencies.) If Syria is next on the list, that might help dispel the war for oil idea.


The rest of today’s program was devoted to a very good examination of the effects of U.S. use of depleted uranium especially in 1raq in 1991.
***



Wednesday, 1.29.03
Review of last night’s State of the Union. Thank goodness for DN. I can’t imagine anywhere else where we can get this kind of perspective and analysis. Francis Fox Piven spoke feelingly on her dismay and astonishment at the reckless irresponsibility of the Bush clique’s warmaking. And throughout the program, it was emphasized again and again how the Bush policies are bringing about our insecurity.

Highlight: Sound bite from Bush’s address:

Throughout the 20th century, small groups of men seized control of great nations, built armies and arsenals, and set out to dominate the weak and intimidate the world. In each case, their ambitions of cruelty and murder had no limit.

Amy followed up with commentary by Howard Zinn who properly pointed out how the U.S. began the century with its brutal takeover of the Philippines and mentioned Grenada, Chile, and others.

The question the sound bite left unanswered was whether it was intentionally or unintentionally ironic. Is it possible that Bush and his speechwriters didn’t understand that the quote describes them?

Tuesday, 1.28.03
Excellent show on Iraq war with Phyllis Bennis and Andreas Zumach, etc. Good closing segment with Seymour Hersh in regard to regarding his latest New Yorker article on what the Bush administration knew about the North Korean nuclear program and when it knew it.
Too bad that there was no time to explore Hersh’s last paragraph where he quotes an American intelligence official on the Bush administration’s future plans for North Korea: “’Bush and Cheney want that guy's head"—Kim Jong Il's—"on a platter. Don't be distracted by all this talk about negotiations. There will be negotiations, but they have a plan, and they are going to get this guy after Iraq. He's their version of Hitler."


Monday 1/27/03
Very good show with Phyllis Bennis and Andreas Zumach from Die Tageszeitung discussing the Iraq war situation. More of these round table discussions on this vital topic would be welcome. However at the end, an opportunity was lost to mention that a war on Iraq matches Ariel Sharon’s and Likud’s hard line agenda to redraw the Middle East map, and to further repress and perhaps expel the Palestinians.

Friday, 1/24/03
Excellent show, don’t miss. First Russell Mokhiber, on Ari Fleisher’s press briefings and how Mokhiber is a thorn in their side and how they try to neutralize him.
Susan McDougal was on to tell about her prison experiences and how Ken Starr demanded that she lie about Clinton as the price for her freedom. Don’t miss. Very powerful.

Thursday 1/23/03
A lot of heat, less light on the subject of arresting foreign students for dropping a class at college. Fortunately the show included sufficient interviews with college administrators to show that this was not a widespread practice.
Timely report from Venezuela although there was little new in the segment.

Wednesday, 1/22/03
Anniversary show on Roe v Wade, featuring an able spokesperson from the anti-abortion side in a mini debate. It made for infuriating but riveting radio. Too bad Amy cut it short even as the anti-abortion spokesperson filibustered. Somehow there seemed no political space to put to her the question: Do you oppose a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion and if so, why?

Tuesday, 1/21/03
More on Sat demos; some good interviews with Western activists.
Monday, 1/20/03
MLK Holiday show, highlight, interview with Dexter King, MLK’s articulate son.
Friday, 1/17/03
Excellent show, more on the FCC. very good excerpts from yesterday’s NYC hearing . Some fluff at the end, but that’s ok. Good opening segment on Chavez’s news conference.

Thursday, 1/16/03
Excellent show on the FCC hearings which BAI played a small but significant role