Posts Tagged ‘Activism’

decriminalise sex work

Image from: thealternative.in

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on StitcherCyber Ears or download it on Archive.org (37MB). 

Advocates for the Nordic Model for sex work argue that this approach does not target sex workers themselves, only their clients. However, Jane Green and Cameron Cox dispute these claims and argue that it is decriminalisation that leads to the best outcomes for sex workers. Jane Green is a sex worker who is on the Executive Committee of the Scarlet Alliance. Cameron Cox is a sex worker who is involved in a sex worker outreach organisation. Beyond the Nordic model and decriminalisation, Jane and Cameron also discuss the “rescue industry”, transphobia, unions for sex workers, and sex work phobia/whorephobia – follow @AnarchaSxworker for more on whorephobia. Part two of our interview with Jane and Cameron is featured on episode 105 (sorry for the delay!). For more on sex work, you can listen to our 44th episode: Rethinking Porn and Sex Work.

We also give some updates on Israel/Palestine, which we covered on episodes 62 and 63. We mention that Israeli products have a barcode of 729, for those looking to boycott Israeli products as part of the BDS movement. We also mention other actions being taken beyond BDS, such as an Israeli arms factory being shut down in the UK – update: these activists have since been arrested. Other updates include: Israel admits Hamas was not responsible for the kidnapping and killing of Israeli teens, Amnesty International challenges Israel’s claims about Hamas using civilians as “human shields”, BBC bias over Israel leading to a BBC journalist resigning (a journalist from the Sydney Morning Herald has also resigned for similar reasons), the use of social media by Palestinians – see here and here for examples of tweets, the Israeli government paying uni students to circulate pro-Israeli information on social media networks, and cartoons portraying Hamas and Israeli’s spark outrage. For more on Israel/Palestine, check out our last two episodes and also the article ‘Busting Israeli Occupation One Liners’ by Sara Saleh, Amnesty International Australia’s spokesperson. You can also read Nick’s article on Israel/Palestine, the first on our new blog!, here: ‘A Response to Sam Harris Blaming Muslims for the “Careful” and “Compassionate” Killing of Palestinian Civilians‘.

Also covered on the episode is our new “studio”comments from our listeners on the story ‘Church of England Votes to Allow Women to Become Bishops’, new “counter-terrorism” measures proposed by the Australian government, the Girls on Film Festival, and really important issues such as the upcoming David Brent movie and Nick turning 30. Shout outs to the Queer Punx Podcast!

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

Clips:

Frank Turner ‘Photosynthesise’, Green DayThe Grouch’, Dead Prez ‘Scar Strangled Banner’, Part 1 of our interview with Jane Green and Cameron CoxAustin PowersSubhumans ‘No’ (live).

You can listen to a short (9 minute) version of this episode, which features a shortened version of our interview with Jane and Cameron on the Nordic Model, here: Nordic Model is Nor Good for Sex Workers. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on StitcherCyber Ears or download it on Media Fire (38MB). 

On this episode we are once again joined by Naama Blatman-Thomas (a PhD candidate from Israel who has done field work with Palestinian groups in Karmiel) and Mark Thomas (an American activist who has lived in both Israel and Palestine, including spending years in Palestinian refugee camps). They discuss how you can take action against the Occupation of Palestine, focused on the Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) campaign – which includes boycotting companies benefiting from the Occupation. You can find out more information about the BDS campaign at Pacbi.org. They also discuss the one state and two state solutions to the conflict, growing fascism in Israel, and Israeli’s and Palestinian’s working together for human rights. You can hear the first part of this interview on our last episode: Episode 62: Exaggerated Threats and the Bombing of Civilians – Israel/Palestine 101.

Before we get into the interview, we give some updates. We discuss the end of the 12 hour truce and mention that the Palestinian death toll has gone over 1000 – 75% of those killed were civilians, according to the United Nations. So far there have been 45 Israeli deaths – 42 soldiers, 2 Israeli civilians and one Thai agricultural worker. We also discuss the protests around the world against Israeli human rights abuses – including in France, Perth and about 10 000 people protesting in the West Bank. The West Bank protest was in reaction to the bombing of a United Nations shelter, which was strongly condemned by the UN. We also condemn Anti-Semitic attacks in Britain.

We mention that the US (kind of) condemns Israel’s bombing of civilians and also gives $47 million in humanitarian aid for Palestinians, while continuing to donate $3 billion to Israel’s military and being the only country to vote ‘no’ on a UN resolution against killing civilians in Gaza. For further information on Israel/Palestine, Naama and Mark recommend: electronicintifada.net, adalah.org, 972mag.com, benwhite.org.uk, jonathan-cook.net, annainthemiddleeast.com, aljazeera.com, imemc.org, and maannews.net/eng/.

Also mentioned on the episode is vegan cats and shout outs to Mad Cowgirls Vegan Grocery and Friends of the Earth Café. You can hear activists from Friends of the Earth on our 5th episode on the carbon tax, which has recently been abolished. We discuss the data on the results of the carbon tax, green capitalism and free public transport as a more effective solution to environmental (and social) problems.

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

Clips:

Rap News ‘Israel vs Palestine RAP NEWS 24’ – featuring Dam, BBC Global News – 14 July,  Part 1 of our interview with Naama Blatman-Thomas and Mark Thomas, Part 2 of our interview with Naama Blatman-Thomas and Mark Thomas, Rap News ‘Israel vs Palestine RAP NEWS 24’, Remi KanaziThis Divestment Bill Hurts My Feelings’.

You can listen to a short (6 minute) version of this episode, where Naama and Mark discuss the BDS campaign, here: Boycott Israel’s Apartheid! You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

owie pic

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on StitcherCyber Ears or download it on Archive.org (26MB).

On this one Nick is joined by Dan (@verydangry) from Anarchist Affinity for the entire episode. We discuss a range of issues, including: the police, our visit to Villawood Refugee Detention Centre with Dan (you can read Nick’s article about this, published on the ABC here), austerity in Europe and Australia, apparently we’re all middle class in Australia (despite the evidence!), how the post-World War Two “glory years” weren’t glorious for everyone, “white labourism” compared to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the Aboriginal Tent Embassy at The Block in Redfern, Obama’s new policy to get around child trafficking laws, basic income, challenging ideas about “good” and “bad” asylum seekers, and activism for refugees.

Dan recommends people check out David Graeber’s articles ‘Are You An Anarchist? The Answer May Surprise You!’ and ‘On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs’, Selma James’s book ‘Sex, Race and Class’, Melbourne Anarchist Bookfair, Black Swan, the Melbourne Street Medic Collective, and Novara Media podcast.

If you like what you hear, please support the show!

Clips:

Michael Parenti speaking on Choking Victim ‘Money’, Mischief BrewThanks Bastards’, Dead Prez ‘Police State’ featuring Chairman Omali Yeshitela, Propagandhi ‘Fuck the Border’.

You can listen to a short (6 minute) version of this episode, where we argue for an internationalist approach to unionism that advocates for ALL workers – rather than a nationalistic focus of “local jobs first”, here: Workers of the World Unite vs White Labourism. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.

Image from missoulian.com

Listen to this episode and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. You can also listen to this episode on StitcherCyber Ears or download it on MediaFire (27MB).

On this one we discuss “Big Buzzfeed”, Facebook and online privacy. We finish the episode with a discussion on the human rights implications of drones, drawing on an article in the Guardian by Senator Scott Ludlam: ‘Two Australians were killed by US drones. Of course that’s our business’. Also covered throughout the episode is avoiding pointless debates online, privilege and witches. Shout outs to Team Earthling and Crimethinc podcast.

This episode is brought to you by “Man Next Door Michael”. We encourage people to follow Michael on Twitter –@mikkelbot. Thanks a lot to Michael for becoming a member of our show – you can become a member and sponsor an episode too!

Clips:

Colour Me WednesdayCat Hair’, The IT CrowdThe Last Byte’, The Onion News NetworkFacebook CIA Project’, Austin PowersScrubsAnal Is Not A Dirty Word’, Jamie KilsteinConan O’Brien Show talking War Torture Drones’, Fresh Meat ‘Series 3, Episode 6’, ‘Drone/Alone’ from Fresh Meat ‘Series 3, Episode 6’.

You can listen to a short (6 minute) version of this episode, which focuses on privilege, here: You Can Say You Don’t Believe In Privilege, But That Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have Privilege. You can subscribe to these short versions of our episodes through Omny.