Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, William S. Geimer, Andy Worthington November 8, 2023

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded November 8th, 2023

A tapestry of Pablo Picasso’s haunting Guernica hangs mutely in the foyer of the United Nations Security Council. The 25 by 11 foot recreation of the Spanish artist’s cri de coeur recalling the ruthless bombing of civilians in that Basque town in 1937 had served as backdrop for press conferences by that august body until February 3rd, 2003 when, fearing life imitating art in the form of George Bush’s coming “shock and awe” destruction of Baghdad, the UN custodians of decorum covered it from the cameras, preemptively shielding Secretary of State, Colin Powell from any embarrassment the image might cause America and its accomplices as he laid forth his bogus casus belli for the second Iraq war.

The “Blitzkrieg” of Guernica inspiring Picasso so long ago has been reenacted daily in Gaza for the last month; with many times more men, women, children, and animals killed, injured, made homeless, and traumatized. Thousands are dead. Hundreds of thousands wounded, but the great resistance feared by Bush and his claque way back when is apparently not a worry for current leaders of the Western world, who remain unanimous and unapologetic in their support of Israel and its project for the new Israel despite the horrendous cost.

William S. Geimer is a peace activist, Professor Emeritus of Law at Washington and Lee University, military veteran who resigned his 82nd Airborne commission in opposition to the war against Vietnam, and author of the book, ‘Canada: The Case for Staying Out of Other People’s Wars’. In 2020 Bill founded the Greater Victoria Peace School, which he says has, since his retirement, “been a success and my board members are carrying on admirably with peace education.

William S. Geimer in the first half.

And; most here have probably forgotten entirely about Guantanamo Bay prison, set up so long ago to confine “the worst of the worst” in George Bush junior’s Global War on Terror. Incredibly, all these years later, prisoners still languish there, without the benefit of the protection of laws that were once the pride of Western Civilization.

Andy Worthington remembers though; and more, he’s been working all these years to both publicize the plight of those held, and get them real justice. Last week he attended in London one of the “ten coordinated global vigils for the closure of Guantanamo“. He reminds: Sixteen of the thirty men are still held, after having been approved for release, as of November 1st, between 404 and 5,031 days.

Andy Worthington and remembering Guantanamo in the second half.

But first, Bill Geimer and the Gaza atrocity happening before our eyes.

Links:

Combatants for Peace

American Friends of Combatants for Peace

World Beyond War

Merchants of Death

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Yves Engler, William S. Geimer, Janine Bandcroft March 14th, 2019

Justin Trudeau’s government began the new year much as it left the old; mired in the mess of bad decision-making, and a foreign policy devoid not only of a moral compass, but lacking any coherent direction at all.

The scandale du jour surrounding the Liberals’ blind-eyeing of SNC/Lavalin’s Libya bribes and kickback schemes has Trudeau’s enemies seeing their opportunity to sunset at last the seemingly impervious prime minister; but are they and the hounds of the Ottawa press corps missing the real scandal?

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’, ‘The Ugly Canadian – Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy’, and his latest is, ‘Left, Right: Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada’.

Yves’ numerous articles appear at his site, YvesEngler.com, Dissident Voice, The Palestine Chronicle, and Pacific Free Press among other places.

Yves Engler in the first half.

And; Wednesday night UVic hosted, Human Rights in Israel and Palestine: Canada’s Response and Responsibility. The expert panel, sponsored by the University’s Social Justice Studies, Independent Jewish Voices, KAIROS Victoria, and the Vancouver Island Peace and Disarmament Network questioned this country’s unquestioning support of Israel as no party in Parliament, or Big Media is willing to do.

William S. Geimer is an author, peace activist, Professor Emeritus of Law at Washington and Lee University, and military veteran who resigned his 82nd Airborne commission in opposition to the war against Vietnam. He’s gone on to represent U.S. conscientious objectors of subsequent wars, and advised peace groups near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, long the focus of peace demonstrations. William serves too as advisor on peace and war policy issues for the Green Party of Canada, and his book, ‘Canada: The Case for Staying Out of Other People’s Wars‘.

William Geimer, arguing for peace in the second half.

And, Victoria activist and long-time Gorilla Radio contributor, 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, Yves Engler and SNC/Lavelin bringing Canada’s corrupt foreign policy practices coming home to roost.

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/