8/25/2007 Community Gumbo
Listen | Democracy Now (8/25/07)- "What this Rule Change Amounts to is a Declaration of War Against the Appalachian People": Opponents of Mountaintop Removal Decry Bush's New Mining Rules
- Political Prosecution? Justice Dept Holds onto Docs in Case of Jailed Alabama Governor Siegelman
- Grace Paley 1922-2007: Acclaimed Poet and Writer Dies at 84
Listen | Disaster Capitalism: Tsunami Victims Visit New Orleans
On December 26th, 2004, a magnitude 9-plus undersea earthquake struck the Indian Ocean just west of Sumatra, triggering a series of tsunamis along landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. The United Nations put the worldwide death toll at over 186,000, with more than 42,000 people lost. In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, more than 10,000 people died or were lost. The long coastline of southern India was filled with fishing communities. Since the Tsunami, a flood of assistance arrived from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's). The results of the disaster recovery, however, has caused the displacement of fishing communities in favor of tourism developments on valuable beachfront properties. Alex Doscano and Michelle Baxter are two residents of the state of Tamil Nadu who are in New Orleans as part of an Action Aid exchange of disaster victims. A few weeks ago, residents of Katrina-affected New Orleans visited India. Mr. Doscano and Ms. Baxter advocate for more equitable and democratic development to empower disaster-affected populations. What they've observed in India, however, are opportunists exploiting disaster for profit.
Related:
Tsunami photos, Guardian UK.
Vijay Prashad, Disaster Capitalism, World Affairs, v. 23, iss. 18, 2006.
Naomi Klein, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, The Nation, 5/02/2005.
Asian Development Bank, India: Tsunami Summary
Bill Quigley, "Less Meeting, More Fighting!: Lessons Learned by Grassroots Katrina and Tsunami Social Justice Activists," Common Dreams, 5/29/07.
Wikipedia, "2004 Indian Ocean earthquake."
Tsunami Affected Area of India, Maps of India.
Virginia Leavell, "Fishermen Swim Against the Tide of Disaster Capitalism," The Common Language Project, 1/22/07.
Nick Cater, "Calculating the risks from a flood of cash," Reuters AlertNet, 2005.
As donor nations pledge billions for tsunami relief, consultant and writer Nick Cater suggests local institutions should be at the centre of spending decisions, not international agencies.
Jane Perrone, "The coming age of citizen media," The Guardian UK, 12/26/05.
Randeep Ramesh, "Indian tsunami victims sold their kidneys to survive," The Guardian UK, 1/18/07.
John Vidal, "Tsunami victims still wait for promised billions," The Guardian UK, 12/20/06.
Of $6.7bn pledged, about $3.5bn has not been spent; Tens of thousands still homeless two years on.
Announcements:
Naomi Klein's celebrated posts from the front line in the war against corporate tyranny have appeared in The Nation, the Guardian UK, the L.A. Times, and many other publications. Her new book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, examines how corporate economic power exploits conflict and disaster -- natural or manufactured -- to enrich the few and disenfranchise the many by exploiting the disorientation and chaos of states of disaster.
Klein examines how the shock doctrine was used for profit in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when the Bush administration corporatized the recovery. Later, according to Klein, the dismantling of the public schools was another attempt to exploit the displaced population in order to privatize education and dismantle subsidized housing.
Naomi Klein is returning to New Orleans, this time to present her new book:
Saturday | August 25th | 6:00 p.m.
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
7214 St. Charles Avenue, rm. 405 (fourth floor, the large lecture theater)
You can also hear a recorded Naomi Klein lecture on Democracy Now, and on WTUL's Community Gumbo.
Music Played:Preservation Hall Jazz Band, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans," Our New Orleans 2005, Nonesuch, 2005.
Richa Sharma, "Maahi-Ve," from the Bollywood movie, "Kal Ho Naa Ho," performed at the Tsunami Relief Concert.
8/18/2007 Community Gumbo
Listen | Democracy Now (8/15/07)- KPFT Targeted: Bullet Pierces Studio Window of Pacifica's Houston Station
- Naomi Klein: From Think Tanks to Battle Tanks, "The Quest to Impose a Single World Market Has Casualties Now in the Millions"
Listen | Naomi Klein: Hurricane Katrina and Disaster Capitalism
Naomi Klein's celebrated posts from the front line in the war against corporate tyranny have appeared in The Nation, the Guardian UK, the L.A. Times, and many other publications. Her new book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, examines how corporate economic power exploits conflict and disaster -- natural or manufactured -- to enrich the few and disenfranchise the many by exploiting the disorientation and chaos of states of disaster.
Klein examines how the shock doctrine was used for profit in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when the Bush administration corporatized the recovery. Later, according to Klein, the dismantling of the public schools was another attempt to exploit the displaced population in order to privatize education and dismantle subsidized housing.
Naomi Klein is returning to New Orleans, this time to present her new book:
Saturday | August 25th | 6:00 p.m.
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
7214 St. Charles Avenue, rm. 405 (fourth floor, the large lecture theater)
(Note that (at last check) the Loyola calendar has the event listed as starting at 7:00 p.m. This is wrong (to my understanding). Email exchanges I received moved the time back to 6:00 p.m. under the logic that 7:00 was too late.)
You can also hear a recorded interview by Amy Goodman with Naomi Klein on Democracy Now, and later on WTUL's Community Gumbo. That's Saturday morning, from 8-10 a.m., 91.5 FM.
Blogging for RecoveryMark Folse writes for the New Orleans blog, Wet Bank Guide. He visited the WTUL studio to offer his perspectives on how the medium transformed from a forum for response to disaster, into a tool for recovery. The second New Orleans blog conference, Rising Tide 2, is scheduled for Saturday, August 25th.
Announcements:Rising Tide 2
Do bloggers matter? Over 100 New Orleans bloggers think so, and they’ve formed a nitch -- unique in the world -- filling a media void for eloquent narratives, personal stories, rage and angst, investigative journalism, civic activism, humor, and whatever else is on their minds. What began as a need for communication in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is now recognized around the world as the place to go to find out what average citizens are thinking about and doing as they struggle to recover their lives, their homes, their neighborhoods, and their institutions. Katrina-related short films open the Rising Tide 2 conference of New Orleans bloggers at Buffa’s Restaurant and Lounge on Friday, August 24th. The main conference activities take place on Saturday, August 25th, at the New Orleans Yacht Club. More information at RISINGTIDENOLA.COM.
Music Played:The Clash, "London Calling"
Randy Newman, "New Orleans Wins the War"
Susan Cowsill, "Just Believe It"
Wynton Marsalis, "Supercapitalism"
8/4/2007 Community Gumbo
Listen | Democracy Now (8/02/07)- “Robber Baron Over the Last Century”: Dow Jones Union Head on Likely New Boss Rupert Murdoch
- With New Internet and Cell Phone Rules, Federal Communications Commission Approves Mass Sell-off of Public Airwaves
- Independent Artists Lead Fight Against Proposed New York City Regulations Limiting Filming, Photography in Public Places
Listen | A Gentilly 4th of July (re-broadcast)
Photo Gallery
Announcements:Support Community Radio
Community radio hopefuls and broadcasters alike announced a breakthrough in the fight to bring low power FM radio licenses to thousands more cities and towns. Congressional bills H.R. 2802 in the House, and S. 1675 in the Senate, is a chance for community radio hopefuls from Omaha to Orlando to get new licenses to build their own low power FM radio stations.
The Senate spoke up in 2005 and 2006 in support of low power FM -- passing bills out of the Senate Commerce Committee to expand the service twice.
This is the first time in seven years that the House of Represenatives has considered expanding low power FM radio to your community.
To continue this momentum and get more Congressmembers to support low power FM radio, grassroots organizers are trying to get more Congressmembers to cosponsor and push for a full vote of Congress this fall to expand community radio.
Learn more about how Congress limited low power FM radio in most American cities here: PrometheusRadio.org
FreePress.net features research and action to stop media consolidation.
There are also efforts underway to start a full-power non-commercial FM community radio station in New Orleans. More information at FreeRadioNewOrleans.org.
Phoenix Recycling
Plastic (#1 - #7), glass, cans, newspaper, mixed paper, cardboard.
Bi-monthly collection, $15/month.
PhoenixRecyclingNOLA.com
Flyer
Coverage map:
Host a Katrinaversary
This Katrinaversary, Wednesday August 29th, the Gulf Restoration Network hopes you will join hosts across the country in reminding the nation & our leaders that Louisiana's coast & communities still need help!
· A copy of Louisiana Public Broadcasting and independent producer Christina Melton's award winning documentary, Washing Away: Losing Louisiana
· A “HOW TO” sheet filled with facts about Louisiana's coastal wetlands, and ideas about how to introduce the documentary to your guests and follow up after.
· Gulf Restoration Network brochures complete with forms that will allow you and your guests to become a member of the Gulf Restoration Network and alert your member of Congress about the need for Louisiana coastal wetland restoration and preservation.
· A Party Pack complete with a recipe for red beans and rice from renowned chef Leah Chase, who is featured in Washing Away, and other party favors straight from the Louisiana Coast!
As a "thank you" for hosting, you will receive a FREE Gulf Restoration Network T-shirt, and the top 5 hosts who garner the most RSVPs along with the 5 hosts with the most successful party will receive a FREE copy of Marsh Mission, a breathtaking book of marsh photographs and paintings by Louisiana artists C.C. Lockwood and Rhea Gary.
More information here, or go to HealthyGulf.org.
Music Played:Nick Drake, "They're Leaving Me Behind," Family Tree, Tsunami, 2007.
Johnny Cash, "Troublesome Waters," Ultimate Gospel, Columbia, 2007.
Nick Drake, "Rain," Family Tree, Tsunami, 2007.
