Best of 2012: Seymour Hersh and John Pilger on U.S. imperialism, Iran’s imaginary nuclear weapons, and media complicity in war
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Seymour Hersh
This week, we hear a repeat of Dr. Caldicott’s January 2012 conversations with two noted journalists: Seymour Hersh, an American Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative writer based in Wahington D.C., and Australian documentary filmmaker John Pilger, two-time recipient of Britain’s Journalist of the Year award. In the first segment, Dr. Caldicott asks Hersh about his November 2011 article Iran and the I.A.E.A. They discuss the lack of evidence of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. Other topics include how the U.S. government manipulates information to justify its belligerent stance toward Iran, and why the U.S. media never questions the White House about its war-fighting aims. Dr. Caldicott mentions a Physicians for Social Responsibility report that speculates about the radioactive fallout if Israel were to drop two nuclear weapons on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Check out War is Not the Answer: The Medical and Public Health Consequences of Attacking Iran. Read two other articles by Hersh: Iran’s Nuclear Threat - Real or Not? and Judging the cyber war terrorist threat. Find other articles by Hersh here. And read Seymour Hersh … and the Men Who Want Him Committed.
John Pilger
Dr. Caldicott starts the conversation with Pilger by stating that the media has become part of the Pentagon’s killing machine. She mentions her book The New Nuclear Danger. Pilger talks about the history of governments using the media for propaganda purposes. He refers to his film The War You Don’t See. Pilger talks about colonialism and how propaganda is used to justify imperial wars. Other topics discussed include the media’s lack of ethics and objectivity, Wikileaks, the New York Times publishing false reports to cheerlead for the 2003 Iraq War, U.S. military expenditures vs. social spending, and the glorification of war. Read three articles by Pilger published in the last year: The world war on democracy, Once again, war is prime time and journalism’s role is taboo and Welcome to the violent world of Mr. Hopey Changey. Read all of Pilger’s articles and find video excerpts of his films on his website.
April 29th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Here’s a song about the topic: Michel Montecrossa’s ‘Günter Grass Is Right: World War Is Bad - New-Topical-Evolver-Song triggered by the Günter Grass poem ‘What has to be said”
video of the song:
http://vimeo.com/41190237
Michel Montecrossa (MichelMontecrossa.com) says:
“‘GÜNTER GRASS IS RIGHT: WORLD WAR IS BAD ‘ is a New-Topical-Evolver-Song triggered by the controversial Günter Grass poem ‘Was gesagt werden muss / What has to be said’. It is not a song about politics but about what the people want in these times of world war fears, disinformation and big trading of weapons: The people want peace, unity, freedom, jobs, education and security for themselves and their children. They don’t want the destruction of their lives, brain messing and always more horrible weapons.
Listen to ordinary people in Israel or Iran and all over the world. They talk with each other in the internet and want peace, not war. To wish for the destruction of a nation is not what the people want. That’s why I sing this song triggered by a poem which is somewhat lopsided and certainly controversial, but at the same time a good occasion to think about ways for proper handling of complex realities which pose a threat to the life of us all.”
GÜNTER GRASS IS RIGHT: WORLD WAR IS BAD
Günter Grass is right: World War is bad.
We have to speak about the root of all
hate and misunderstanding,
of blindness and of anger,
of conflict and ill will.
Günter Grass is right: about facts we have to talk
free in mind and true, ready to find the ways
to peace and understanding,
to celebration of humanity,
to joy of human unity.
Günter Grass is right: trading of weapons is a danger
strengthening war in the world and the willingness to kill.
Better let us strengthen
the readiness to live together
and to solve our problems together.
I see the people everywhere: they don’t want wars.
Old and young want peace and love for all the world,
good work and not poverty
freedom and the contacts
connecting all and making us happy.
Music, Lyrics & Drawings: Michel Montecrossa © Mira Sound Germany