Less Safe, Less Free (Losing the War on Terror)

David Cole, Professor of Law at Georgetown University lectures at the University of Chicago about his recent book: Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror (University Channel podcast). He argues the Bush administration's sacrifices in the rule of law, adopted in the name of prevention, have had no successes in the realm of catching terrorists or preventing their attacks. Alternatively, he claims, the war on terror could be conducted in a lawful way and thus would preserve the American international standing, the rights of citizens and foreigners and give no propaganda for anti-American movements.

Professor Cole himself is acting as a litigator on behalf of victims of the legal freedoms the war on terror gave US law enforcement. The case samples as well as the figures he presents are stunning. Tales of terrible injustice and thousands upon thousands of people rounded up, interrogated and questioned, while not one terrorist has been caught (except maybe for the shoe bomber, but he was not caught thanks to the exceptional judicial freedoms). In my words: he shows how the security craze has given leeway for secret, discretionary, unrestricted and unchecked infringement of human rights.

Historically, he shows this is not exceptional. Roosevelt interned hundreds of thousands Americans of Japanese descent. The McCarthy era saw the communist paranoia, create veritable witch hunts. In neither eras there were human rights organization standing up against the government. Today there are.

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Simek Staal

Simek 's Nachts heeft het motto opnieuw verwoord: blijf je verwonderen. Ik verwonder me over de interviewstijl van Simek, waar ik eerst zo hartstochtelijk gek op was en die me de laatste tijd is gaan storen. In het interview met Eva Maria Staal (stream) ben ik me gaan realiseren dat datgene wat ik als een gemis aan scherpte ervaren heb, duidt op een andere dynamiek bij Simek. Anders dan die van de interviewer in mij. Ik wil me vastzetten in een vraag, de impliciete kritiek in de vraag is bedoeld.

Simek stelt vragen aan Staal en zij bespeurt er een onderliggende kritiek in. Dat is ook niet zo vreemd. Haar business was het om in wapens te handelen. Haar boek gaat over illegale wapenhandel en je vermoedt wel de zekere mate van autobiografie. We zouden geen moralisten zijn als we daarbij niet tenminste een beetje zouden steigeren. Dat verwacht Staal dus ook, maar dat blijkt Simek niet te bedoelen.

Ten slotte nog een opmerking voor Gijs Groenteman. Hij leidt sinds de terugkeer van Simek 's nachts als podcast, de mp3 in met een uitleg over het ontbreken van de muziek. Deze uitleg begint met de volzin: "Beste luisteraars van de Simek 's nachts." DE? Niet: 'Beste luisteraars van het programma...'? Niet: 'Beste luisteraars van Simek 's Nachts.'? Laat dat lidwoord maar weg, maker van de podcast.

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Inspired Minds - Karlheinz Stockhausen

Inspired Minds, the Deutsche Welle cultural podcast, pays homage to the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who recently passed away. In a recorded interview Breandáin O’Shea asks him about modern media.

Stockhausen is very positive about modern media. His music is electronic mostly and these days, all of that uses modern media and he goes on to emphasize the great advantages of the modern media. The public is wider and the variety of music becomes larger.

About commercialism he is very realistic. He feels he himself has been able to make a living thanks to commercial music. He doesn't expect the regular listener, to engage in 'Stockhausen'. Maybe he can do that occasionally, but not all the time.

Apartheid and Environmental History

The Environmental History podcast continues directing its attention to South Africa. In the latest episode Jan Oosthoek speaks with Phia Steyn about the effects of apartheid on environmental issues in South-Africa, also in the post-apartheid era.

There are still lingering problems around infrastructure, that is sewage systems and waste management, but there are also specific issues some remaining today. Apartheid caused South Africa's isolation and allowed a lot of leeway for the industry that brought in some money to continue its production even if it were hurting the environment. In addition, the apartheid regime engaged in the wars in Namibia and Angola, causing the pollution that comes with modern warfare.

From the pre-apartheid era, we see how the racist world view, that later would feed apartheid, already in the 19th century gave rise to environmental problems. During the great rinderpest, it was unthinkable the disease could spread by way of whites' activities. Almost naturally the blacks were accused and faced restrictions.

Eventually Oosthoek asks whether the environment, or more specifically environmental issues influnence history. According to Steyn it is more complicated than that. There is some effect, but in conjunction with other factors.

UCLA Israel studies

UCLA has an Israel Studies program which delivers a podcast which has around 6 issues in its feed. The latest in the series is a lecture by Shimon Shamir about the peace process in the Middle-East. Shimon Shamir was an envoy to Egypt for Israel during the days of the Peres/Shamir unity government. In his lecture he uses the two peace models that are working (more or less)- the peace with Egypt and the peace with Jordan - and analyzes how these models can be helpful for peace with Syria, the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab World.

Shimon Shamir summarizes 5 lessons from the peace with Egypt and Jordan:

1- It is problematic to have peace with one Arab country and not the other. Conflicts can spill over. Therefore peace must be comprehensive, that is: with the whole Arab World.

2- Israel expects normalization upon peace, but this is not always realistic and can in fact be damaging. The Arabs are afraid of some kind of immaterial domination. So one must not try to achieve normal relations where there is no genuine interest. It can be peace when there is just no fighting.

3- One must be realistic about the security that can be achieved in return for a peace agreement. Most of the security was already achieved with Jordan and Egypt. Syria and the PA have very little extra to offer, even reduction of terrorism, since it is mostly out of their hands. However, what is important to have also peace with Syria and the Palestinians, is to have a comprehensive peace with the whole Arab World. The symbolic effect of that should be valued and if anything, this can offer the maximum of security in return.

4- There is great importance in joint interest. One must make sure to have joint interest with for example Syria, even if that is rather complicated.

5- One must adopt the existing models to the appropriate players. The Egyptian model should be followed with Syria and the Jordanian with the Palestinians. The real effort will be to adapt these properly for there are specific problems with Syria and the Palestinians that do not exist with Egypt and Jordan.

Dan Carlin on the Assyrians

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is an extremely original history podcast in that it takes the listener through the facts and engages in analysis, comparative narration and as such makes a unique attempt to connect us with history, which is especially rewarding and laudable, when Dan addresses ancient history. He calls it: very very old world.

It just so happens I have been engaged in history podcasts recently that also address the very, very old history and also make remarks about the area of Mesopotamia. For one there is the Berkeley lecture series of Isabelle Pafford: The Ancient Mediterranean World (History 4A) In addition there is the newly revived World History podcast by David Kalivas. They do not pick out one of the Mesopotamian civilizations and concentrate, like Dan does with the Assyrians. And if they mention the Assyrians, they are not specifically identified from the Babylonians, the Medes or whoever, let alone they can be called: the Nazis of the ancient world.

Dan brings the Assyrians to life, compares them to the Germans for good measure and goes over there rise and sudden fall. He touches upon the Huns, the Medes, the Babylonians, the Israelites and so on. This podcast brings the history alive.