Episode 68: #HeyASIO

Posted: October 5, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on Archive.org (37MB). 

On this episode we take on the new counter terror laws introduced by the Australian government, the National Security Amendment Bill (No.1). We raise civil liberties concerns, mention that the laws had bipartisan support – there was no opposition from the “opposition”, and also highlight the impact the laws will have on the media (even mainstream journalist Laurie Oakes has gone rogue and criticised the laws!). To further the discussion on the effect the laws will have on the media, we play an interview with journalist Tony Serve. This interview is from Indymedia on RTR92.1FM and Tony is interviewed by Karun Cowper and Caroline Smith. We encourage people to follow Tony on Twitter @perthtones, as well as following Karun @karun777 and Caroline @Cas_Flaneuse.

We also discuss Australian troops entering Iraq (you can hear Antony Loewenstein on Australian troops returning to Iraq on episode 67). There has also been direct action against this – anti-war protesters recently entered a military base in Victoria to disrupt this invasion. These activists faced brutality from the soldiers there. To find out more about this action, go to the website swanislandpeace.org and follow #SIPC14. We mention that Abbott is up in the polls as hysteria about terrorism provides a distraction from the budget and other important issues, such as domestic violence. We finish the episode by talking about the hashtags #HeyASIO and #stopdataretention, as well as the role of social media generally in putting forward alternative ideas to those promoted by the mainstream media and the government. Shout outs to Critical Transit podcast, Antony Loewenstein and the Melbourne Street Medic Collective.

This episode is brought to you by “Comrade Clare”. You can hear Clare on episode 8 discussing refugees and episode 26 talking about vegan cats. Thanks a lot to Clare for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too.

Clips:

1984 audiobook, Sneaky Sound System ‘1984’, Robert’s Productions ‘Censor Beep’, Mad as Hell ‘Series 4, Episode 2’, Interview with journalist Tony Serve from Indymedia on RTR92.1FM – by Karun Cowper and Caroline Smith, Austin Powers, Mad as Hell ‘Series 4, Episode 2’, Mad as Hell ‘Series 4, Episode 1’, The Office (UK) ‘Series 1, Episode 2’, Colour Me Wednesday ‘Shut’.

You can listen to a short (6 minute) version of this episode, which features our discussion on the hashtag #HeyASIO and the role of social media generally in challenging the new counter terror laws introduced by the Australian government, here: Hey ASIO. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Episode 67: Antony Loewenstein on Australian Troops in Iraq – Wait, Haven’t We Seen This Before?

Posted: September 28, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on Archive.org (31MB). 

We’re joined by awesome independent journalist Antony Loewenstein (@antloewenstein). He discusses Australian troops set to enter Iraq and Syria, his article ‘Of course Australia is going back to Iraq: That’s how a US client is expected to behave’, hysteria about terrorism in Australia and the poor state of (most of) the Australian media. You can hear more from Antony Loewenstein on our 41st episode.

We also draw on The Hunger Games to question whether this truly is a “humanitarian” mission, especially after Australia recently cut all foreign aid to Iraq. We discuss the reactions to the military intervention from different states at the UN security council and the need for UN reform. We also analyse whether the proposed air strikes are terrorism, according to s1 of the UK Terrorism Act.

Other issues covered on the episode are: Thai people read George Orwell’s book 1984 in public (as a form of protest against the dictatorship), “biological” sex as a social construct, and another direct action in Melbourne – this time activists take on Lockheed Martin. You can hear more about direct action on our 65th episode.

This episode is brought to you by “Timothyyy!!”. Thanks a lot to “Timothyyy!!” for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too.

Clips:

Nerina Pallot ‘Everybody’s Gone to War’, The Hunger Games ‘Catching Fire’, Interview with Antony Loewenstein, Lowkey ‘Terrorist’, Peep Show ‘Series 7, Episode 2’, Lowkey ‘Cradle of Civilisation’.

You can listen to a short (10 minute) version of this episode, which features a shortened version of our interview with Antony Loewenstein, here: Antony Loewenstein On Australian Troops Back In The Middle East. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Episode 66: Farangs in Thailand – Military Coups and Kathoeys

Posted: September 20, 2014 in Uncategorized
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1984

George Orwell’s book 1984 has been banned in Thailand. This image is from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on Archive.org (36MB). 

On this episode we discuss our recent trip where us farangs (the Thai word for people of European origin) visited Phuket in Thailand. Just before we got to Thailand there was a military coup and the new regime has banned George Orwell’s book 1984. We cover this, as well as having a discussion on representative versus direct democracy. We also discuss kathoeys (who ‘are born physiologically male but, as one Thai saying goes, “have a female heart” ‘) and avoiding transphobia in feminist movements. We explore the relationship people have with animals in Thailand compared to Western countries, travelling as vegans and anti-consumerists, and skin whitening products being sold in the supermarkets (rather than the tanning products sold in the West). Also covered is the books we read while we were away: Atheism – The Case Against God and Buddhism Without Beliefs. You can view some of our photos from our trip here.

There is also further discussion on direct action and Israel/Palestine – the topics covered on episode 65. On Israel/Palestine, we mention the indefinite ceasefire that has been agreed to, the open letter signed by 327 Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors of the Holocaust calling for an end to the ‘ongoing genocide of Palestinian people’, and try and work out where to now for the movement for justice for Palestine? On direct action, we talk about direct action during the Vietnam War (as discussed in the book Occupy Everything: Anarchists and the Occupy Movement). We also mention Dan discussing direct action for refugees – you can hear more from Dan on episode 61. We recommend people check out Team Earthling animal rights podcast – specifically their episodes on ableism (including covering direct action and ableism), their crossover episode with us (which included a discussion on violence and non-violence), and their episode on teen veganism (which has an interview we did for their show).

This episode is brought to you by “Mr Mcgee”. Thanks a lot to “Mr Mcgee” for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too, as well as getting a Progressive Podcast Australia iron-on patch!

Clips:

Lily Allen ‘The Fear’, Man on the Moon ‘Last Scene’, Aphrodite ‘One Man Woman, Two-Timing Man’, The Office (UK), Myq Kaplan ‘Buddhism, Feminism and Math’ from the album ‘Small, Dork and Handsome’, The Chaser’s War on Everything ‘Hillsong Church Parody – Praise the Lord’, Austin Powers, Sydney Anarchist Media ‘Anarchist Reflections of Villawood Protest to Refugee Transfers’, Propagandhi ‘Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass’.

You can listen to a short (8 minute) version of this episode, which features our discussion on kathoeys in Thailand, here: Kathoeys in Thailand, Challenging Gender Norms and Opposing Transphobia. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Episode 65: Direct Action Gets the Goods

Posted: August 19, 2014 in Uncategorized
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Image from @akaWACA: https://twitter.com/akaWACA/status/500054368222056448/photo/1

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher, Cyber Ears or download it on MediaFire (35MB). 

There has been widespread opposition to Israel’s bombing of Gaza and Occupation of Palestine. This has included direct action in the UK (which we covered on episode 64), which has now spread to Australia and the US too. We’re joined by Sam Castro from the Whistle blowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance (WACA), who discusses the direct action they carried out with a bunch of other groups in Melbourne against Elbit systems, a company profiting from the bombing of Gaza. This is the action pictured in the image above and you can find more photos from the action here. Sam also discusses the importance of direct action and gives advice to others looking to take direct action. We encourage people to check out WACA’s site waca.net.au, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Before we get into the interview, we discuss our new blog progressivepostings.wordpress.com, feedback on Nick’s article on Israel/Palestine, disputing the “can’t we all just get along?!”/“Kum Ba Yah” approach to Israel/Palestine, information from Jewish Voice for Peace, and links between Israel and South Africa, including an article from 1989 arguing that South Africa shouldn’t be singled out. We also introduce the new segment ‘Taking the “o no” out of ec-o-no-mics’, including government information revealing the Abbott government’s budget hits the poor the hardest, Joe Hockey’s apology, and the book Battlers and Billionaires by Andrew Leigh. Shout outs to Stic’s album The Workout as well as to the Melbourne Street Medic Collective for promoting our show at the Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair! Check out our 57th episode to hear Coggo from the Melbourne Street Medic Collective discuss their World Record Breaking protest, which they carried out with WACA and other groups.

This episode is brought to you by “Cashed Up Kathryn”. You can hear Kathryn’s great talk on social work and animals on Team Earthling podcast. Thanks a lot to Kathryn for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too!

Clips:

WACA ‘Elbit Systems You Can’t Hide!’, Pink Floyd ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, Peep Show ‘Series 2, Episode 2’, South Park ‘Kumbayah’, Interview with Sam Castro from WACA – part 1, NOFX ‘The Marxist Brothers‘, CNNNN ‘Series 1, Episode 1’, The Guardian ‘Joe Hockey Sorry’, Interview with Sam Castro from WACA – part 2, Rage Against the Machine ‘Killing in the Name of’.

You can listen to a short (9 minute) version of this episode, which features a shortened version of our interview with Sam Castro, here: Direct Action for Palestine in Australia! You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

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