July 7, 2010, 11:24 am
The actions that governments have been taking in response to the ongoing global economic crisis during the last three years have culminated in the decisions coming out of the G20 summit held in Toronto at the end of last month.
The powerful European states are calling for the implementation of harsh austerity measures to curb government debt after many governments outlaid huge amounts of capital to prop up financial institutions. These policies are characterised by the recent British budget and those imposed in Greece which mean sharp decreases in government social spending programs and other social safety nets traditionally associated with liberal democratic industrial societies. The importance of such moves was highlighted by a London Treasury Official quoted in the Financial Times as saying “Anyone who thinks the spending review is just about saving money is missing the point, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way that government works.”
Back Story spoke to Ben Hillier, a contributor to Socialist Alternative about the state of the world economic system and the move towards economic austerity.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 7th of July.
July 7, 2010, 11:24 am
Back Story spoke to John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute of Policy Studies about the economic and political significance of Turkey in light of the country recently asserting itself, perhaps beyond that of an unwavering US ally. The Israeli flotilla attack which killed nine Turkish nationals was strongly condemned by Turkey to the extent of jeopardising Turkish/Israeli relations.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 7th of July.
June 30, 2010, 10:25 am
This month has seen major media exposure of the Israeli occupation of Gaza in the aftermath following the deadly Israeli attack on one of a flotilla of aid ships attempting to run the blockade of Gaza.
I spoke to Ali Abunimah to importantly reiterate the background details, what is the situation in Gaza and why was the attempt to run the Israeli blockade a justified and necessary response from international civil society.
Ali Abunimah is an analyst and the co-founder of Electronic Intifada, an online publication focussed on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. He blogs at aliabunimah.posterous.com
Unfortunately this interview was recorded over Skype with a machine that could not handle sound recording and Skype at the same time. Every now and then there will be half a second of dead air in the recording but the content of the interview still comes through very strongly.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 30th of June.
June 16, 2010, 11:44 pm
A producer here on Back Story, Craig Nielson is the author of “Israel/Palestine – A Christian Response to the Conflict”. A historical reader, the book deals with the issue of Christian Zionism from a Christian perspective while addressing the political effects of the movement. Ultimately Craig’s book shows the narrow extent to which a religious framework is able to explain a political reality.
The book is available through Koorong Books and more information is available by contacting us through Radio Adelaide.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 16th of June.
June 16, 2010, 11:44 pm
Back Story spoke to Anthony DiMaggio about the media aftermath following the Israeli attack on a vessel attempting to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Anthony DiMaggio has lectured at Illinois State University and is author of When Media Goes to War. He edits the website Media-ocracy.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 16th of June.
June 9, 2010, 11:12 am
One of the most fundamental marketing tools, polling is heavily prevalent in the analysis of the public’s perception of political events. Although political platforms are shifted as a result of rigorous public polling, they are done so under the framework of marketing and managing candidates rather than a genuine participation of the public in forming policy decisions.
Back Story spoke to Charles Derber about the results of a recent poll conducted to gauge the emotional reactions of Americans to words such as “capitalism” and “socialism”.
Charles Derber is Professor of Sociology at Boston College and a prolific political commentator. His latest book is “Greed to Green: Solving Climate Change and Remaking the Economy”.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 9th of June.
June 3, 2010, 10:59 am
South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has once again highlighted the corrupt way in which international corporate sporting events are run and ultimately for whose benefit.
Patrick Bond is the director of the Centre for Civil Society in Durban, South Africa.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 2nd of June.
June 3, 2010, 10:59 am
The ongoing elections in Colombia has seen the rise of an alternative “green party” to challenge the Uribe machine. How radical and legitimate is this movement and what effect will it have on politics in the region?
Dr. Green is a Senior Research Fellow at the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs and the author of Gaitanismo, Left, Liberalism and Popular Mobilization in Colombia.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 2nd of June.
May 19, 2010, 10:54 am
Formed in 1961, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is an economic bloc comprising of the world’s richest nations. Member states use the organisation as a forum to discuss issues relating to the world economy and although the organisation does not grant any monetary benefits, membership is prestigious and carries other political implications. In March 2010 the organisation invited Israel to join and Back Story spoke to Ziyaad Lunat about this decision.
Ziyaad Lunat is a member of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee and a coordinator of the Gaza Freedom March.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 19th of May.
May 12, 2010, 11:05 am
This talk took place on Saturday the 8th of May and was organized by the Australian Friends of Palestine Association.
Professor Bisharat has studied law, anthropology, and Middle East studies at Harvard and has written a book about Palestinian lawyers working under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. He is a prominent commentator on the Middle East, especially the legal and human rights aspects of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The talk he delivered is an interesting analysis of the legal ramifications of the conflict, especially given it’s continuation over such a long period of time. Additionally, Professor Bisharat brings an insight into what a one state or two state settlement might look like under international law and through what means such a solution would likely have to take place.
This talk was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 12th of May.
