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TVO - Big Ideas, December 2, 2002: Noam Chomsky on international policy continuity in the wake of 9-11

Category: Chomsky
Description:
TVO - Big Ideas, December 2, 2002: Noam Chomsky on international policy continuity in the wake of 9-11 MIT professor of Linguistics, Noam Chomsky, delivers his 2002 lecture on international policy continuity in the wake of 9-11. ----- Note: ;; This is an iPod video podcast that is available for free download from the website. ;; Quality is good. ;; Audio podcast (mp3 format) is also available for free download. ;; Type: mp4 file Size: 100MB Runtime: 01:00:27 Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 320x240 Audio: AAC 32000Hz mono 48Kbps Download this episode using the attached torrent file or download it directly using this link: http://feeds.tvo.org/~r/tvobigideasVideo/~5/OZCL5RnysHk/BI_Lecture_20021202_855330_NChomsky_320x240_304k.mp4 You can also watch a flash video of this lecture through your web-browser here: http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?video?BI_Lecture_20021202_855330_NChomsky ----- Please note I'm well aware that this is an older lecture from December 2002. My reasons for posting this are multi-purpose. First, although this lecture is from December 2002 and probably aired on TVO's Big Ideas program in early 2003, TVO only very recently made this video podcast available. Secondly, this is Chomsky, and Chomsky is always worth listening to. ;; If you're interested in this subject, you'll find this a worthwhile and informative lecture, not to mention incredibly prescient. ;; As usual, Chomsky demonstrates just how ahead of the curve he is of everyone else, which he is rewarded for by being slandered against and marginalized in the American mainstream media and the mainstream American intelligentsia, both liberal and of course conservative, even as establishment pundits and "intellectuals" on American mainstream media such as the war-mongering, NeoCon propagandist David Brooks and the truly vile, racist pompous-buffoon Tom Friedman with his racist, genocidal fever-dreams, not to mention those endless number of American corporate-funded right-wing think-tankers and pundit superstars like Bill Kristol continue to enjoy prominent positions in the media, and are even rewarded and promoted to higher positions and prestigious venues for being repeatedly, completely, and utterly wrong about everything. ;; It is also quite telling that this discussion doesn't lose much from being a couple of years old. ;; The issue of American foreign policy continuity, only with better PR and a smarter, better managed form of imperialism that Obama, the Democrats and American liberals specialize in, remains relevant given "the continuity that has become the hallmark of our so-called Age of Change," to quote the great Chris Floyd. ;; Of course, this was all completely predictable to those like Chomsky who actually understand the operations of power in the real world that lie behind the facade of elections and politics, who actually understand the American imperial power-structure and the actual motivations behind, and the long bipartisan continuity of, American foreign policy, in the Middle-East and elsewhere; to those who actually know and understand American political history, who know the long, sordid, war-mongering, murderous history of the Democratic party and its long track-record of betrayals of the left, and who understand how crucial and important bottom-up grass-roots activism, existence of third parties and pressure from a strong left were in bringing about civilizing, social progress like civil rights and in forcing the Democratic party to push through progressive policies like the New Deal and the Civil Rights Act; and to those who were actually paying attention to Obama's track record and who were listening to what Obama was actually saying instead of projecting their own (and in many cases, quite sincere and heartfelt) wishes for "Hope and Change" (tm) into Obama's deliberately vague, market-tested slogans (Yes We Can! yes we can .. what??) and "soaring rhetoric" that the dim-witted, shallow and sycophantic talking-heads and pundits on American media were easily dazzled and wowed by. ----- TVO - Big Ideas TELEVISION FOR PASSIONATE THINKERS [quote]I had never seen your program before, in fact I had never even heard of it. I was fortunate enough to tune in today ... Nothing is quite as nourishing as food for thought. -Brian, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] [quote]I have been off and on social assistance for several years. When I watch your show, I really am in university (a place I badly miss) and I don't feel so poor. -Gillian, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] [quote]... Were it not for Big Ideas to bring this to our attention we would be clueless. You are doing important work and those of us that are fortunate enough to catch your program, greatly appreciate your efforts. -Gary, Big Ideas viewer[/quote] BIG IDEAS, now in its eighth season, has an increasingly loyal following, exemplified by viewers such as Brian, Gillian and Gary. The program started in a late, late-night time slot with - among other offerings - the literary lectures by Robert Adams. It is now an established part of our weekend schedule, airing at 4pm on Saturday, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday, also at 4:00 pm. As TVO's educational mandate grew, so did the concept for BIG IDEAS, explains producer Wodek Szemberg: "We have recognized from the passionate viewer response that there was a real niche for this kind of unapologetically intellectual programming." BIG IDEAS podcasts are among the most popular TVO web offerings. "BIG IDEAS is a showcase of ideas that shape our public debates. At their best the lectures featured on the program expose us to the differing ways of defining what matters and how that affects our understanding of the world as it is and as it is likely to be," adds Szemberg. "Each age has a set of questions by which it defines itself. If, 50 years from now, someone came across a list of BIG IDEAS shows, they would have a pretty good idea of what people thought about and debated in the early 2000s." By nature of its lecture format, pacing and inquisitive approach, it is the antithesis of the prevailing sound-bite television norm. Engaging, articulate speakers stand behind lecterns across the province addressing audiences - a stark, on-air aesthetic running counter to fast edits and whizzy sound effects. The simple, bold concept, a victory of substance over style, has found an appreciative following. The success of this public television offering is testimony to our viewers need for nothing but intelligent discussion with perhaps a dash of personality and humour. At a time when much television programming induces in many viewers feelings of guilt, BIG IDEAS is as guilt-free television experience as it is possible to imagine. BIG IDEAS offers a variety of thought-provoking topics which range across politics, culture, economics, art history, science.... The program has introduced Ontario viewers to the impressive brainpower of people like Niall Ferguson on American empire, Daniel Libeskind on architecture, Robert Fisk on the Middle East, George Steiner on the demise of literacy, Camille Paglia on aesthetic education, Tariq Ramadan on being a Western Muslim, Noam Chomsky on U.S. politics, Leon Kass on dying, Janice Stein on accountability and governance. The public face of the program is Andrew Moodie, who assumed the hosting duties for BIG IDEAS on January 7, 2006. You may recognize him as one of the three jurors who helped us to come up with the 10 finalists in 2005's Best Lecturer Competition, or you may know him as a gifted actor and playwright. TVO's Big Ideas website: ;; http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?bigideas
Seeders: 7
Leeches: 1

Henry VIII The Mind of a Tyrant - Parts 1 and 2 2009 Ch 4

Category: Documentary
Description:
Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant (1 and 2, of 4 ) 2009 Ch 4 Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant 1/4 - Prince (1485-1509) Ch.4 – 6 April 2009 392.72 MB /48 mins To mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne, Dr David Starkey travels across Europe to understand the inner life of this feared English king. In this episode David Starkey follows the dramatic events of Henry's childhood, events that shaped his personality and his attitude to kingship. In 1485, on the field at Bosworth, Henry's father, Henry Tudor, seized the crown from the defeated Yorkist king Richard III. To us, this event marks the end of the Wars of the Roses but to contemporaries it was not clear that this bitter dynastic struggle was truly over. Henry, Tudor's second son, was created Duke of York to link the royal house to the defeated faction. But Henry had a rival in the shape of Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be the real Duke of York and rightful king. Henry Tudor would have to defend his throne twice in battle, and his son's life depended on the outcome. The death of his brother Arthur made Henry Prince of Wales, and his father's heir and rival. http://www.thebox.bz/details.php?id=73151 capper: geclipse Henry VIII: The Mind of a Tyrant 2/4 - Warrior (1509-1525) Channel 4 - 13 April 2009 392 mgs/48 mins Henry's father had won and defended the crown in battle. For Henry, this was the mark of true regal legitimacy and he was determined to emulate his father and win even greater glory. However, to wage war Henry had to free himself from the councillors he had inherited from his father and be his own man. Starkey traces Henry's quest to become a major player in Europe, his successes at the Battle of the Spurs and the Field of the Cloth of Gold and his eventual humiliation after the Battle of Pavia. Throughout these years, his relationship with the brilliant, Machiavellian Thomas Wolsey was central to his reign. But even Wolsey could not disguise the relative impotence of England and her monarchy compared to the great European powers. These foreign disappointments were mirrored by the gradual deterioration in Henry's marriage. If Henry had died, like so many, of the sweating sickness in 1525, he would have barely registered in history, his reign a feeble coda to the story of England's medieval monarchy. But events were about to take an extraordinary turn. Henry would remake himself, his throne and his kingdom - and all for love. Final two parts: April 29 http://www.thebox.bz/details.php?id=73851 capper geclipse shunster other active torrents/uploads at: http://www.bt-chat.com/browse.php?category=11
Seeders: 11
Leeches: 4

Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives

Category: Documentary
Description:
Mark Oliver Everett, singer of the band EELS, on his quest to get to know his later father, quantum physicist Hugh Everett III, who invented the Many Worlds theory.
Seeders: 3
Leeches: 2

Memoria del Saqueo (Fernando Solanas)

Category: Documentary
Description:
After the fall of the military dictatorship in 1983, successive democratic governments launched a series of reforms purporting to turn Argentina into the world's most liberal and prosperous economy. Less than twenty years later, the Argentinians have lost literally everything: major national companies have been sold well below value to foreign corporations; the proceeds of privatizations have been diverted into the pockets of corrupt officials; revised labour laws have taken away all rights from employees; in a country that is traditionally an important exporter of foodstuffs, malnutrition is widespread; millions of people are unemployed and sinking into poverty; and their savings have disappeared in a final banking collapse. The film highlights numerous political, financial, social and judicial aspects that mark out Argentina's road to ruin. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400647/ Subtitles: http://subscene.com/65695/SubtitleFilm.aspx
Seeders: 6
Leeches: 5

Democracy Now! Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Today's Headlines China Quake Toll Hits 15,000 Amidst Desperate Recovery Effort, Burma Could Face New Storm 60 Killed in India Bombing Overnight Clashes Claim 7 Lives in Sadr City Bush: Iran “Biggest Threat” to Mideast Peace Clinton Wins West Virginia Primary Colombia Extradites 14 Paramilitary Leaders to US Berlusconi Can Be Called to Testify in CIA Kidnap Case Report: US Forcibly Injecting Deportees with Psychotropic Drugs 1968, 40 Years Later: Student, Worker Protests Sweep France, Leaving Indelible Mark on the Country, and the World May 1968 was a watershed month for France, when a wave of student and worker protests swept the country and changed French society forever. We speak to George Katsiaficas, author of numerous books including “The Imagination of the New Left: The Global Analysis of 1968.” Legendary Author Gore Vidal on the Bush Presidency, History and the "United States of Amnesia" With a career spanning more than six decades, Gore Vidal is one of America’s most respected writers and thinkers. He’s authored more than twenty novels and five plays. His latest book is Point to Point Navigation: A Memoir. [includes rush transcript–partial]
Seeders: 17
Leeches: 1

49 Megawatts - Privatization of Rivers for IPP's from hell

Category: Documentary
Description:
49 Megawatts, made by Bryan Smith, a kayaker who discovered that a dam was going to be built on one of his favourite paddling places, the Ashlu River near Squamish. His response, after initially being incredulous that anybody would want to develop such a beautiful, natural setting, was to make a film. His 30-minute documentary 49 Megawatts, completed earlier this year, shows just how easy it is to turn a healthy, attractive ecosystem into a gravel pit in the name of “green energy.” Regular readers of this magazine will know something of the trouble at the Ashlu. (Stolen Rivers, a special feature on independent power projects, was first published in Common Ground in October 2006 and again in October 2007). The independent power project (IPP) proposed for the Ashlu is one of potentially hundreds that the BC Liberals are pushing to implement on rivers across the province. With a brazenness that’s become a hallmark of the province’s dealings with local communities, when local government voted against Ledcor’s IPP permit for the Ashlu, the province introduced Bill 30 to override its decision. Smith brings together a commendable range of voices – industry experts, professionals, mayors Whistler and Squamish), academics, energy specialists and locals – to grapple with the issues. The film points out that the IPP in question, which involves boring a tunnel through a mountain, is clearly not “small” – defined as under 50 megawatts by law – and should have undergone a more rigorous public planning process. Conspicuously absent are spokespersons from Ledcor, the provincial government and the Squamish Nation, who after initially opposing the project came out in support of it. Smith says they declined to do interviews.
Seeders: 25
Leeches: 2

Democracy Now! Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Headlines for November 21, 2007 - U.S. to Hold 1-Day Mideast Peace Conference - Bush: Musharraf “Hasn't Crossed the Line” - Ex-Press Aide Links Bush, Cheney to Plame Outing - Army Wants Wounded Soldiers to Return Bonuses - Saudi Arabia Sentences Rape Victim to Prison, Lashes - Supreme Court to Review Firearm Ban - Colorado Measure Would Grant Rights to Human Eggs Writers Strike Enters Third Week in Divide Over Online Content The strike has been felt across the entertainment industry, putting daily talk shows, sitcoms and dramas on hiatus due to a lack of scripts. The Writers Guild of America has called the strike over paying writers for online reruns and original work written for the Internet. We speak with WGA-East President Michael Winship. “Workers Bear the Cross”: Retailers, Churches Accused of Selling Sweatshop-Made Crucifixes With Christmas just over a month away a new report by the National Labor Committee accuses US-based Christian retailers and churches of selling crucifixes made under sweatshop conditions in China. We speak with NLC executive director Charles Krenaghan. “What Would Jesus Buy?”: As Holiday Buying Frenzy Begins, New Film Tracks Anti-Consumerism Gospel of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping The holiday shopping season kicks off this week with Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. The new documentary “What Would Jesus Buy?” follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping gospel choir on a cross-country tour, preaching their message in such destinations as the Mall of America, Wal-mart headquarters, Starbucks and Disneyland. We speak to Rev. Billy, and the film’s producer Morgan Spurlock, who gained fame with his documentary “Super Size Me.” Nicole Paltre-Bell Leads Vigil to Mark One-Year Since Police Shooting of Her Unarmed Fiance Sean Bell On the eve of their wedding day, Nicole Paltre-Bell lost her fiance Sean Bell in a police shooting. The unarmed Bell was killed in a hail of 50 police bullets as he left his bachelor party. Paltre-Bell will lead a vigil this Saturday to mark one year since her fiance’s killing. She joins us to talk about the vigil and her lawsuit against the New York Police Department.
Seeders: 1
Leeches: 0

Young, Nazi and Proud - ObscuredTV

Category: Documentary
Description:
Dispatches reporter David Modell films a remarkable six months spent in the questionable company of Mark Collett, leader of the youth wing of the British National Party, and reveals the true nature of a party trying to reinvent itself and broaden its appeal. A rising star of the party, Collet reveals to Modell his deeply held Nazi sympathies. This despite the party's claim it no longer has any association with Nazism It's clear why the BNP want intelligent young men like Mark, a university graduate. BNP leader Nick Griffin tells Dispatches that Collett is a potential leader of the party. But Modell is interested in trying to determine what motivates a bright young man to throw in his lot with a party which will make him reviled in public. Modell has little in common with his subject and finds himself taking an exception to some of Collett's interests and occupations - which range through rabid anti-Semitism ('Jews aren't white') to explaining how he likes to "break" people, in particular his ex girlfriend. Modell first films with Collett as he is canvassing for local elections in Bradford. They visit a predominantly white estate. Some residents share a perception that their Asian neighbours are favoured by the social security system. "Bunch of bloody pakis get money all the bloody time," as one of them puts it, just before her takeaway curry arrives. The elections are a major success for the BNP in some parts of England but despite all the flesh pressing, Mark only pulls in 209 votes. He is not disheartened. Mark is very close to his parents. Modell films them as they arrive for Mark's graduation from Leed's university. His dad says he goes into his other mode when he's doing his "party bit" but he defends his son's politics. In a slightly unfortunate turn of phrase he claims the BNP are always being "painted black." Mark appears to have no university mates to congratulate him on his achievement but he is among friends later in the summer at Red, White and Blue, the BNP's annual rally. Although the BNP has supposedly dropped its nazi associations, at Red White and Blue there is plenty of evidence of the opposite. There are discreet symbols everywhere. For example, men in shirts numbered 88 - H is the eighth letter of the alphabet - HH is Heil Hitler. Mark is explicit in his adoration of Nazi Germany when he thinks the camera is turned off. "I'd never say this on camera, the Jews have been thrown out of every country including England. It's not just persecution. There's no smoke without fire," he declares. Modell's six months filming Collett's activities conclude with a September 11 demonstration outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in London, where the BNP are joined by the NF and the chanting gets nasty. "Burn, burn, burn that paki - ear-ly in the morning." In the end Modell has to confront Collett to explain he has recorded his anti-Semitic pro-Nazi comments on tape. When he realises Modell is of Jewish descent, for once Collett is speechless. Collett tells Modell he is going to resign from the party. At the moment the BNP won't let him - they've currently put his position on hold. Young Nazi and Proud was broadcast on Channel 4 on Monday Nov 4, 9pm and repeated on Wednesday Nov 7, 03.55am
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

PBS The Merchants of Cool

Category: Documentary
Description:
PBS The Merchants of Cool 2001 May be viewed as segments or purchased at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/view Support productions of this kind. SYNOPSIS: They spend their days sifting through reams of market research data. They conduct endless surveys and focus groups. They comb the streets, the schools, and the malls, hot on the trail of the "next big thing" that will snare the attention of their prey--a market segment worth an estimated $150 billion a year. They are the merchants of cool: creators and sellers of popular culture who have made teenagers the hottest consumer demographic in America. But are they simply reflecting teen desires or have they begun to manufacture those desires in a bid to secure this lucrative market? And have they gone too far in their attempts to reach the hearts--and wallets--of America's youth? FRONTLINE correspondent Douglas Rushkoff examines the tactics, techniques, and cultural ramifications of these marketing moguls in "The Merchants of Cool." Produced by Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin, the program talks with top marketers, media executives and cultural/media critics, and explores the symbiotic relationship between the media and today's teens, as each looks to the other for their identity. Teenagers are the hottest consumer demographic in America. At 33 million strong, they comprise the largest generation of teens America has ever seen--larger, even, than the much-ballyhooed Baby Boom generation. Last year, America's teens spent $100 billion, while influencing their parents' spending to the tune of another $50 billion. But marketing to teens isn't as easy as it sounds. Marketers have to find a way to seem real: true to the lives and attitudes of teenagers; in short, to become cool themselves. To that end, they search out the next cool thing and have adopted an almost anthropological approach to studying teens and analyzing their every move as if they were animals in the wild. Take MTV. Long considered to be the arbiter of teen cool, the late 1990s saw MTV's ratings on the wane. To counter the slide, MTV embarked on a major teen research campaign, the hallmark of which was its "ethnography study"-- visiting teens' homes to view first hand their lives, interests and ask some quite personal questions. But what lessons do MTV and other companies draw from this exhaustive and expensive study of teenagers' lives? Does it result in a more nuanced portrait of the American teen? In "The Merchants of Cool," FRONTLINE introduces viewers to the "mook" and the "midriff" -- the stock characters that MTV and others have resorted to in order to hook the teen consumer. The "midriff"--the character pitched at teenage girls, is the highly-sexualized, world-weary sophisticate that increasingly populates television shows such as Dawson's Creek and films such as Cruel Intentions. Even more appealing to marketers is the "midriff's" male counterpart, the "mook." Characterized mainly by his infantile, boorish behavior, the "mook" is a perpetual adolescent: crude, misogynistic--and very, very, angry. But also very lucrative. To appeal to the "mook," MTV has created programs such as Spring Break -- a televised version of teen beach debauchery--as well as a weekly program capitalizing on the current wrestling craze. "What this system does is it closely studies the young, keeps them under constant surveillance to figure out what will push their buttons," says media critic Mark Crispin Miller. "And it blares it back at them relentlessly and everywhere." Of course, there is resistance to the commercial machine. FRONTLINE takes viewers to downtown Detroit, where media analyst Rushkoff speaks with teens at a concert by the Detroit-based Insane Clown Posse, purveyors of a genre of music that's become known as "rage rock." When asked to describe what appeals to them about such music, the teens invariably respond that it belongs to them; it hasn't yet been taken and sold back to them at the mall. Full of profanity, violence, and misogyny, rage rock is literally a challenge thrown up to marketers: just try to market this! But marketers have accepted the challenge: rage rock is now big business. Not only has Insane Clown Posse become mainstream, but much bigger acts like Eminem and Limp Bizkit are breaking sales records and winning industry accolades in the form of Grammy nominations and other mainstream music awards. In "The Merchants of Cool," correspondent Rushkoff details how MTV and other huge commercial outlets orchestrated the rise of Limp Bizkit--despite the group's objectionable lyrics--and then relentlessly promoted them on-air. But in doing so, critics ask, is MTV truly reflecting the desires of today's teenagers, or are they stoking a cultural infatuation with music and imagery that glorifies violence and sex as well as antisocial behavior and attitudes? In today's media-saturated environment, such questions, it seems, are becoming increasingly difficult to answer. "It's one enclosed feedback loop," Rushkoff says. "Kids' culture and media culture are now one and the same, and it becomes impossible to tell which came first--the anger or the marketing of the anger." Therein lies the danger of today's teen-driven economy, observers say: As everyone from record promoters to TV executives to movie producers besieges today's teens with pseudo-authentic marketing pitches, teenagers increasingly look to the media to provide them with a ready-made identity predicated on today's version of what's cool. Rather than empowering youngsters, the incessant focus on their wants and desires leaves them adrift in a sea of conflicting marketing messages. "Kids feel frustrated and lonely today because they are encouraged to feel that way," Miller tells FRONTLINE. "You know, advertising has always sold anxiety and it certainly sells anxiety to the young. It's always telling them that they are not thin enough, they're not pretty enough, they don't have the right friends, or they have no friends...they're losers unless they're cool. But I don't think anybody, deep down, really feels cool enough, ever." And as more and more teens look to the media to define what they should think and how they should behave, even some cool hunters are no longer sure that their work isn't having a negative impact. "Even though I work at MTV...I am starting to see the world more like someone who's approaching forty than someone who's twenty," says Brian Graden, the channel's president of programming. "And I can't help but be worried that we are throwing so much at young adults so fast. And that there is no amount of preparation or education or even love that you could give a child to be ready."
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0