Year: 2018

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Welcome to the last show of this busy 2018. The year ends with Canada’s foreign policy in a mess; and it’s all of our own making. Prime Minister Trudeau has staggered the globe from one policy dumpster fire to the next, his ultimate misstep, (assuming he can manage the year’s four remaining days diplomatic disaster-free) being the ill-advised December 1st arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

Though the Chinese government denies it, the arrest triggered the retaliatory nabbing in China of two Canadians, one an entrepreneur taking tourists from China into North Korea, and the other former Canadian diplomat and current Senior Adviser for North East Asia of NGO, the International Crisis Group, Michael Kovrig.

Kovrig’s detention, (and rumoured mistreatment) shines a light on the intersection of NGO’s, international diplomacy, and spycraft.

Yves Engler is a Montréal-based activist, essayist, and author. Some of his ten book titles include: ‘A Propaganda System—How Canada’s Government, Corporations, Media and Academia Sell War and Exploitation’, ‘Canada in Africa — 300 Years of Aid and Exploitation’, and ‘The Ugly Canadian — Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy’. His new book, ‘Left, Right: Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada’ is freshly off the press.

Yves’ numerous articles on the NGO/Neoliberal Order nexus appear at his site, YvesEngler.com, Dissident Voice, The Palestine Chronicle, and Pacific Free Press among other places, and his latest, ‘Why do Raptors associate with blood-stained dictator?’ explores the Giants of Africa charity and its partner, the Toronto Raptor’s celebration of continental tyrant Paul Kagame.

Yves Engler in the first half.

And; as it’s year’s end, a look back at some of the stories covered in 2018.

The Left Coast Events Bulletin hiatus continues this week, but Janine will be back in the New Year to keep us up to date with the weekly good goings on in and around our town. So first, Yves Engler and getting to know the NGO’s.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Stock markets tanking, uncertainty battering the currency exchanges, international commerce slowing to a crawl, rumours of trade, (and shooting) wars, and US companies considering exiting China in the New Year; all in all, Donald Trump can settle himself before the holiday hearth happily regarding his full-to-brimming America First Christmas stocking.

But how’s the view from the over there side of the trade war?

Peter Lee is a freelance journalist writing on East and South Asian affairs as they intersect US global policy. He blogs at the Asian affairs website China Matters, and his China Watch report features at Newsbud.com.

Peter Lee in the first half.

And; as most are aware, there’s a Canadian connection to the ongoing trade/tech war between the United States and China. The December 1st arrest of Huawei executive, and daughter of the company’s founder, Meng Wanzhou has, more than embarrassing Canada on the World stage and revealing the gormlessness of the Trudeau government, called into question the very idea of the country’s sovereignty and its ability to actually be a “rule of law” nation in the face of American pressure.

Christopher Black is a Toronto-based criminal lawyer best known for his involvement in a number of high-profile, international war crimes cases. He’s also a poet, essayist, and novelist who’s latest book is, ‘Beneath the Clouds‘. Black’s articles on international law, politics and World events appear at New Eastern Outlook among other places, and his latest, ‘Canada Takes A Hostage: Free Meng Wanzhou’ examines the rice paper-thin case against holding Meng and Huawei hostage.

Christopher Black and unwinding the Huawei media spin in the second half.

And; Janine’s Left Coast Events Bulletin takes a break this week for the holidays. So first up, Peter Lee and US/China trade; a war by any other name?

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire money manager to the ‘super wealthy’ would have walked out of a West Palm Beach courtroom whistling last week, but then he paid someone else to do it for him.

The notorious convicted sex offender was to, figuratively, be in front of a civil court answering to a defamation suit brought by the attorney that had successfully represented women who as girls had been molested by Epstein, and his A-lister friends.

But, if he seems to have evaded justice once again, Jeffrey Epstein isn’t out of the legal woods just yet.

Derrick Broze is a freelance journalist, community activist, gardener, promoter from Houston, Texas, and co-author of the book, ‘The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality.’ He’s founder of both the Houston Free Thinkers, and The Conscious Resistance Network, and last month released the documentary expose, ‘Bringing Down Jeffrey Epstein‘.

Derrick Broze in the first half.

And; Julian Assange’s continued sanctuary in Ecuador’s London embassy is under threat. Ecuador’s new president, Moreno Lenin is not sympathetic, and his government has been sending out signals it is ready to evict the crusading WikiLeaks publisher, soon.

Stefania Maurizi is an Italian investigative journalist for La Repubblica. She’s stayed on the Assange story from the start, and last month was the first journalist allowed in to the embassy to speak directly with Assange in more than eight months. In her article, ‘The detention and isolation from the world of Julian Assange‘ she describes his increasingly frail health, saying, “Never before has the life of the WikiLeaks founder been so crucially in the hands of public opinion and in the hands of one of the few powers whose mission it is to reign in the worst instincts of our governments: the press.”

Stefania Maurizi and seeing Julian in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town in the coming week. But first, Derrick Broze and bringing down Jeffrey Epstein.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Left Coast Events for week of December 13-20th, 2018

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Last week victims of the tainted blood scandal voted to accept an out of court settlement of cash in return for promises to drop future litigation against the Canadian Red Cross. To many, the money involved is a slap in the face, barely enough to cover funeral costs, but to the desperate and dying, it’s a chance to salvage something out of a bitter fight that drags on, while plaintiffs die waiting for justice.

On today’s program, Mike McCarthy, Vice President of the Canadian Hemophilia Society, and the lead plaintiff for the class action suit brought by those infected before 1986 and after 1990. He’s also the lead plaintiff in the billion dollar prison blood lawsuit, and he’ll be here in the first half of the program talking about blood on the hands of the mighty in Canada and the United States.

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Little noticed in a Western press obsessed with personalizing geopolitics, last week that media’s favourite bête noire, Vladimir Putin, the man who’s bent over backwards conciliating NATO’s relentless encirclement of and constant intriguing against his country, was superseded by Russia’s military command.

And it is not in an accommodating mood; tersely stating,

“[A]nyone approaching Russian territory with hostile intent will be shot.”

John Helmer is a long-time, Moscow-based journalist, author, and essayist whose website, Dances with Bears is the only Russian-based news bureau “independent of single national or commercial ties.”

He’s also a former political science professor and his book titles include: ‘Uncovering Russia,’ ‘Urbanman: The Psychology of Urban Survival,’ ‘Bringing the War Home: The American Soldier in Vietnam and After,’ and ‘Drugs and Minority Oppression’, among others.

His latest article, ‘Force Talks – An Approach with Hostile Intent to the Russian Frontier, Aircraft, Ships at Sea, or Troops in the Field Will Be Shot‘ should serve as stark reminder of our precarious proximity to another global war.

John Helmer in the first half.

And Canadian journalist, author, and interactive documentarian J.B. MacKinnon‘s first book, ‘The 100-Mile Diet‘, (co-written with Alisa Smith) was an international sensation and catalyst to a whole new “loca”-lexicon. The myriad award-winning, Vancouver-based UBC journalism prof’s next, (national best-selling) book, ‘The Once and Future World‘ examines Nature’s past, parlous anthropocene present, and possible futures.

J.B. MacKinnon and The Once and Future World: Nature As It Was, As It Is, As It Could Be in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things going on in and around our town in the coming week. But first, John Helmer and stalking Russia with hostile intent.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Left Coast Events for week of December 6-13th, 2018

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Place-Making as Radical Urbanism – A City Talk with Mark Lakeman

by The City Talks

November 29th, 2018

UVic’s Distinguished Downtown Lecture Series

Mark Lakeman, Co-Founder and Creative Director of the City Repair Project in Portland, OR, joins us at The City Talks.

This presentation will describe how placeless practices and landscapes that characterize modern urban planning are being actively and aggressively retrofitted through place-based citizen engagement.

Lakeman will discuss the transformation of Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square and the movement to transform public space all over North America and Europe.

Lakeman’s presentation will outline the practical means and technical support that is needed to transform our own urban spaces, here in Victoria.

Listen. Hear. Mark Lakeman speaks to Gorilla Radio.

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Climate change is often blamed for the record fire seasons experienced in BC, and across western North America these last few years, but is there more than climate causing the increasing devastation?

Stop the Spray BC has been warning about the effects of intense herbicide spraying throughout the province, and says the practice is dangerously exacerbating an already dire situation.

James Steidle has worked in BC’s forest industry as a treeplanter, mill worker, and currently runs a woodworking company based in Prince George. Steidle and fellow forestry professional, Herb Martin started Stop the Spray BC to bring to an end wrong-headed government policies.

They ask, “As our planet continues to warm, biodiversity fades and forest fires grow worse, does it make sense to keep eliminating the trees with the highest biodiversity values, lowest probability of flammability, and best ability to sequester CO2 and reflect solar radiation from our forests?”

James Steidle in the first half.

And; over the last month, Elections BC has administered the latest referendum on determining the future voting system for provincial elections. Ballots were mailed out, and the deadline was originally slated for tomorrow, November 30th. But, and it is a very big but; due to Canada Post labour actions, Elections BC has extended by one week the deadline to get ballots on electoral reform in.

Terry Dance-Bennink is an Eco and democracy activist, Pro Rep champion, defender of indigenous rights, United Church member, and Vice President of VotePRBC; and Rick Habgood is a democracy activist and producer of the ShawTV program, ‘Voting for Change?’.

Rick Habgood and Terry Dance-Bennink on BC’s chance for electoral change in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things going on in and around our town in the coming week. But first, James Steidle and stopping the BC spray. 

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Left Coast Events for week of November 29th-December 6th, 2018

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Last week’s resignation of Israel’s defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman and withdrawal of his party’s support for the coalition government of prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has not only sown political turmoil in the country, but also signals dangerous days ahead for Palestinians throughout the Occupied Territories.

The ultra-right wing Lieberman left the government in protest over Netanyahu’s Gaza cease fire agreement with Hamas, and already even more extreme members of the prime minister’s razor thin coalition majority are pushing for harsher measures against both the eight month-long Great March of Return in Gaza and Palestinian protesters generally.

Richard Hardigan is a journalist, university educator and activist who in 2014 traveled to the West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement to experience firsthand life on the other side of Israel’s infamous “security fence”. The result is his recently released book, ‘The Other Side of the Wall: An Eyewitness Account of the Occupation in Palestine‘.

Richard Hardigan in the first half.

And; four years on from the Western-backed coup and overthrow of the democratically elected government in Ukraine, the war against the eastern regions refusing to cede to the Poroshenko regime is stalemated. The determination of the separatist Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics to forge their own way was reinforced at the November 11th elections that saw record turnouts and overwhelming support for the People’s Councils.

But, the vote was immediately dismissed by America and the European Union as a “sham election“, rigged by Russia and its proxies in eastern Ukraine.

Christopher Black is a Toronto-based criminal lawyer best known for his involvement in a number of high-profile, international war crimes cases. He’s also a poet, essayist, and novelist who’s latest book is, ‘Beneath the Clouds‘. Black’s articles on international law, politics and World events appear at New Eastern Outlook among other places, and his latest, ‘The Donbass Dilemma‘ examines the election and international reaction to it.

Christopher Black in the second half.

And Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town in the coming week. But first, Richard Hardigan and looking at the other side of Israel’s wall.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Left Coast Events for week of November 22nd to 29th, 2018

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A new day’s dawning in the ongoing communications revolution that has, over the last four decades, already transformed our World.

5G, or fifth generation wireless technology will, promises Canada’s Communications Research Centre, “benefit Canadian telecommunications systems, technologies, and applications.” It is, they say, a “game changer” readying us for a near future where online devices vastly outnumber the humans using them, and will enable the coming age of “The Internet of Things”.

Walt McGinnis is a Victoria-based political activist, citizen journalist and co-host of Citizens Forum, a local political affairs program.

He’s also the past president of Stop Smart Meters.ca, a citizen’s coalition to reverse BC Hydro’s imposition of the so-called “Smart Meter” without due consultation, and at great cost to British Columbians.

McGinnis’ work with Stop Smart Meters was instrumental in bringing about the 2011 moratorium on Smart Meter installation at the Convention of the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Walt’s also an electrical contractor specializing in “making the built environment safe from the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation.”

Walt McGinnis in the first half.

And; a lot has changed in the year since Spain’s central government brought out the Gardia to violently shut down pro-independence activists in restive Catalonia; and a lot hasn’t. As it stands, Spain is still whole, though the leadership on both sides of last year’s contretemps are out of power, but resentment is more than simmering in Barcelona, heart of the Catalan independence movement, where pitched battle was seen again in the streets between old foes last week.

Dr. Pablo Ouziel is a Post-Doctoral fellow at UVic whose project in progress is, ‘Towards Democratic Responses to the Crisis of Democracy in Spain: Forms of Participatory and Representative Civic Engagement.’ He’s freshly returned from a visit to his home city of Barcelona.

Pablo Ouziel and a darkened horizon persisting for both Spain’s and European democracy in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and CFUV Radio broadcaster at-large, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town in the coming week. But first, Walt McGinnis and a 5th Generation dawning.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

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Left Coast Events for November 15-22nd.

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very Armistice Day, pacifists and anti-fascists meet at Victoria’s memorial for the MacKenzie-Papineau Brigade. The “Mac-Paps” are those Canadians who defied their government to travel to Spain and fight the fascists during that country’s Civil War.

Here’s what wikipedia says:

“The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada.^[1] The first Canadians in the conflict were dispatched mainly with the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Battalion and later the North American George Washington Battalion, with about forty Canadians serving in each group. The XV International Brigade was involved in the Battle of Jarama in which nine Canadians are known to have been killed.”