Links for more information
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Mobile contact: Ian Curr 0407 687 016
I’ve thought about the question of should people support community radio stations like 4ZZZ.
My answer is, I have renewed my subscription. But, of course, people have to make their own decisions.
This may surprise some people given my chequered history with the station since 1976.
On International Women’s Day I broadcast 2 speeches by radical feminists about the transgender issues. 4ZZZ will not brook any critique of Trans people occupying women’s spaces. Some wild statements were made about me getting advice from a 4ZZZ board member on this issue but that is incorrect. No one on the board would talk to me as to why Paradigm Shift (4ZZZ fm 102.1 Fridays at Noon) was suspended.
I think the Trans issue is important, but, overall, it is not a political question affecting all human beings. For example, lifestyle choices by individuals are not politics.
Some people on the Left are confused, they think personal gender preference is more important than issues of class relating to war, of access to food, shelter, and work. Democratic rights that affect everyone.
I had no choice but to resign from 4ZZZ as an announcer because the Paradigm Shift that I anchored (with others) for over ten years is a political broadcast. We wish to change the world.
Curiously the people who ran the station in the early days of 4ZZ never sought to use what skills I have as a broadcaster and activist. For example, it was I who provided the people at IWD ’21 with the PA system owned by LeftPress that enabled women to press their concerns on a range of issues relating to poverty, work and housing in the public arena. I have received no complaints from the women who organised the various events held on International Women’s Day.
However Zed management did allow Andy to continue with Paradigm Shift, 4ZZZ fm 102.1 Fridays at Noon.
Andy is doing a good job on Paradigm Shift … listen in on Fridays at Noon or on demand.
In the great scheme of things what I think matters little … my beliefs are political not personal. We (Paradigm Shift and Justice for Palestine) did manage to convince the station to boycott the Eurovision song contest in 2019. I held up this banner when the organisers of Eurovision (SBS) were selecting their contestant at Eurovision in Tel Aviv in Israel. Then I placed the banner in the front window of 4ZZZ lit up by a light box made by a comrade from this and many struggles. It stayed there for some time until someone at Zed turned off the light box and took it down.
Meanwhile keep an eye out for 4PR – Voice of the People
Ian Curr
4PR – Voice of the People
30 Aug 2021
This is Corey Green’s unique interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s famous nonsense poem “Jabberwocky”
“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe” is one of the best known couplets in English literature. It is loved by children and adults alike, because it is so much fun. Beware the Jabberwock is a caution to us all … be it the Taliban or Scott Morrison.
Recording, editing and sound design is by Corey Green of Transducer Audio. The graphic is also by Corey Green.
Avid readers, keep a look out because Corey’s book on podcasting is coming out soon!
Terms of use – Don’t alter the work without Corey’s permission, credit her, and don’t profit from the work. Corey Green can be contacted at contact@transducer-audio.com
Paradigm Shift
Andy & guests
Friday
12:00 – 1:00 PM August 13, 2021
Welcome to the Paradigm Shift on FM 102.1 4ZZZ Fridays at noon. We challenge the assumptions of our current society, to resist oppression …
As part of 4ZZZ’s “Dream Baby Dream” radiothon, we speak with different activists about how dreaming of an alternative future informs their activism.
Listen at https://4zzz.org.au/program/paradigm-shift
Speakers:
Playlist
Rivermouth — Something like peace
The Wild –Dreams are maps
Spindles — Dream human
Jaap Stam — I have a dream (remix)
Image: Helmets, armor, etc. used by opponents in the Sanrizuka struggle (Narita struggle). Photographed at Narita Airport and Community Historical Museum (Shibayama, Chiba) with permission.
The ABC report reads: “A Qantas charter flight arrived at Narita Airport last night, before they spent hours waiting for saliva tests to confirm nobody is carrying the virus. The vast majority of Australia’s Olympians have touched down in Japan, welcomed by a city that is desperately battling to keep its growing coronavirus outbreak under control.”
At Narita there was a 40 year struggle against the building of the airport. Most of Japan’s progressive forces and a large farming population opposed it. So what has that got to do with the Olympics? Well, it is not solely that airports and air travel are the biggest transmitter of the Covid pandemic. It is what and who the protestors are up against. The Olympics like Narita airport changes the city and opens it up for even greater capitalist development. Like Tokyo, Sydney and now Brisbane the Olympics become a free for all where the Maaates carve up the public purse to acquire big profits through development. It is a land grab.
__oOo__
Kathy Freeman winning the 400 metres race in the 2000 Sydney Olympics was a defining moment for Australia. Friends saw the race in the Olympic stadium tell of how much such support Kathy Freeman got when she draped herself in the Aboriginal flag. I cried. At last some recognition. It was better than Keating’s Redfern speech, although that was pretty good too.
Now the Queensland government wants to host the 2032 in Meanjin (Brisbane). At face value it is a stupid idea; a con trick to rip off money from ordinary people so that the elite and their maaates can bask in corporate glory and the developers can profiteer off the land grab that goes with .
Andy interviews Megumi Hoshino who has been involved in protesting the Tokyo Olympics. The Japanese Left have a long history of opposing the compulsory acquisition of precious land from the poor in Japan. Such struggles go back to the protests against the Narita airport in the 60s and 70s. That struggle stemmed from the government’s decision to construct the airport in Sanrizuka without the involvement or consent of most area residents. It is a similar situation here in Meanjin, the government has not consulted with the general population nor has it spoken with those most affected by the decision. Here are Andy’s notes:
This week’s show is all about the Olympics! We hear from Megumi Hoshino who has been involved protesting the Tokyo Olympics, and we chat to Greens MP Amy McMahon and aboriginal leader Boe Spearim about the possibility of Brisbane hosting the games in 2032.
Listen at http://4zzz.org.au/program/paradigm-shift
Playlist
Frenzal Rhomb – Bronze for Straya
Sportchestra – Amereicha
Sportchestra – We want beans not goals
Mitch Tambo – Absolutely everybody
Flangipanis – Sportsball
Welcome to the Paradigm Shift on FM 102.1 4ZZZ Fridays at noon. We challenge the assumptions of our current society, to resist oppression …more
This week we get an update on what’s happening in climate struggles around the country – from those trying to stop Adani’s Carmichael mine in central Queensland, to disrupting a fossil fuel industry conference in Perth, to demanding a senate inquiry into government subsidised fracking in the Northern Territory.
Andy speaks with Hannah from Don’t Frack the Territory, with Ben Pennings who is being sued by Adani, and others.
Listen here
Playlist
Mick Daley – No minister
Kev Carmody – Dirty dollar
Bombs Away ft. Greta Thunberg – How dare you
Stretch Fabrigas – Adani stinky farty
Feraliza – Like it or not
Paradigm Shift (11 June 2021) today looks back at the week of resistance to the arms trade that was Disrupt Land Forces. Andy speaks to organiser Margie Pestorius , West Papuan activist Poro Bibi , plus Tara Mae who stormed the arms fair and jumped on top of a tank.
12-1pm, 102.1fm or 4zzz.org.au (where you can also stream it later at http://4zzz.org.au/…/paradigm-shift/2021-06-11).
In Myanmar, Palestine, Arkine state, West Papua … The importance of this cannot be underestimated nor judged by people that are not living under violent colonialism. For example Hamas resists Israel. The ‘peacemakers’ the Palestinian Authority (PA) collaborates with Israel.
Playlist
Mouldy Lovers – Civilised crossfire
Zelda Da – Kangan bunuh kami lagi
DJ Ali – Asymmetrical warfare
Aireleke – Full freedom
We post this open letter of support for Councillor Jonathan Sri (for the Gabba Ward) who has been charged with official misconduct under Chapter 5A of Queensland’s Local Government Act 2009. The penalty includes a large fine and possible dismissal from office by the relevant Minister. Under section 244 of the Local Government Act 2009, a finding of Official Misconduct is not appealable in a court of law .
Cr. Sri recently won a resounding victory for the Greens in local government elections. His close colleague Amy McMahon won the seat of South Brisbane for the Greens in the 2020 state government elections. His campaign manager, Max Chandler-Mather, is contesting the upcoming federal election, up against sitting Labor member, Terri Butler, in nearby Griffith.
It seems that both the LNP and Labor have been unable to stop the Greens juggernaut at the polls are now trying backroom tactics to unseat Councillor Sri and his team.
To Whom It May Concern,
I live at xx xxxx xxx xxxx and I am a retired Commonwealth Public Servant and radio broadcaster.
I write to express my strong support for Councillor Sri’s involvement in the refugee rights protests at Kangaroo Point in mid-2020.
I know something of the circumstances which required that people, including Councillor Sri, needed to act to prevent an injustice from taking place.
Immigration authorities were attempting to remove, by force, an Iranian engineer, Farhad Rhamati, from Kangaroo Point Central Hotel and Apartments at 721 Main St, Kangaroo Point. The Australian government had detained Farhad Rhamati for 8 years for lawfully seeking asylum in Australia. In 2020, Farhad was confined to his room in Kangaroo Point under Medevac laws which require that the government provide a duty of care to asylum seekers in Australia; Farhad was then forcibly removed, firstly to Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation and then to Villawood in Sydney.
On 17 February 2014 at Manus Island, Farhad lost his friend and countryman, Reza Berati, who was murdered by G4S guards contracted by the Australian government to enforce offshore immigration detention policy.
Farhad’s detention on Manus Island was deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea Court.
During his ‘extraction’ from Kangaroo Point Central apartments, Farhad was assaulted by SERCO guards and handcuffed, dragged downstairs and forced into an unmarked white van to be transferred to Brisbane Immigration Transit Centre (BITA) and then onto a high-security ‘alternative place of detention’ (APOD) at Villawood, in Sydney. Farhad was handcuffed for the entire flight.
Given this history, it was reasonable for people monitoring these apartments to be concerned for Farhad’s safety and welfare. One of the people concerned was Cr Jonathan Sri. While I do not know what actions were taken by him, I believe the actions of which he accused should be considered both ethical and moral:
– blocking traffic as part of a protest outside a Kangaroo Point hotel where refugees were detained;
– temporarily lying down in front of a vehicle that was seeking to enter the Kangaroo Point hotel-prison; and,
– stopping and searching a vehicle that was leaving the hotel-prison.
I believe Councillor Sri showed high quality leadership by participating in these protests, including by blocking vehicle access, and that it was an appropriate use of his power and role as a Councillor.
I do not believe Councillor Sri’s behaviour constitutes misconduct, and in fact I think it would be great if more politicians took similar actions to stand against the unlawful detention of refugees.
I am concerned that attempts to unseat Cr Sri at the ballot box may have triggered back room tactics by his political opponents.
Regards,
Ian Curr
E: iancurr@bigpond.com
M: 0407 687 016
8 June 2021
Reference
A Rohingyan friend recently told me that drones were used against his people in Arkine State in Bangladesh in three ways, to produce:
Here is a show Andy has put together about Drones and the fear of blue skies
Paradigm Shift June 4, 2021 Friday – 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Welcome to the Paradigm Shift on FM 102.1 4ZZZ Fridays at noon. We challenge the assumptions of our current society, to resist oppression …
This week we hear from Alex Edney-Browne about drone warfare. Alex went to Afghanistan to interview people who had lived through drone strikes; and also studied the role of drones in the US wars, and Australia’s involvement through the Pine Gap base. Alex queries the accuracy of drone technology. She discusses the number of civilian casualties in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Estimates by the Obama administration say that total civilian casualties are between 64 and 116.
Independent journalists estimate 1,147 civilian deaths.
Listen also at http://4zzz.org.au/program/paradigm-shift
Pine Gap – Central Australia
Guilt by Association
Drone attacks depend upon signals intelligence of daily routes of their targets. Pine Gap processes this intelligence.
Many taxi drivers get killed by drones simply because they are on the road dealing with different people (militants) and are conspicuous. https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F289639625&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true&show_comments=true&color=false&show_user=true&show_reposts=false
Alex talked about ‘rogue states’ getting the technology. Andy gives an example of IS (Daesh) using a drone in Iraq recently. She mentions Iran, Russia and Nth Korea (but this depends on your political perspective).
Proxy wars
Alex questions the ethics of USA’s undeclared wars on Somalia, Pakistan and Yemen.
Human fallibility
Drones are an attempt to rule out the humanity of people required to kill others when there are innocent children nearby.
Playlist
Anomie – Predator drones over Yemen
Sole and DJ Pain – National bird
Killing Joke – Seeing red
Anohni – Drone bomb me
Common Enemy – Satellite regime
Franz James – Drone lament
Reference
https://www.thenation.com/article/the-most-important-us-air-force-base-youve-never-heard-of/
On the evening of 2 June, arms dealers inside the Brisbane Convention Centre clapped and cheered Queensland police as they arrested peace activists trying to stop more arms deals between Australia and Saudi Arabia.
The tactic of entering the convention centre is a bit like Bob Brown going to Central Queensland during the last federal election, like going right into the heart of the beast. Was it a play to the media? How is mainstream media gonna help stop the arms dealers when their papers, magazines and websites are full of adverts touting the military and the the big arms dealers?
To this day, a question mark hangs over Bob Brown’s anti-Adani campaign decision to go to the home of coal in central Queensland.
Now Land Forces mob going into the convention centre repeat the same strategy. Why?
It may have been better to concentrate on a blockade from outside. But given the generally small number of participants and the level of organisation that was always going to be a difficult task.
This was conceded by the organisers in their aim “to disrupt” rather than “to stop” the arms convention.
Outside a gala event for arms dealers at the Brisbane Convention Centre, peace activist and Friend of the Earth, Robin Taubenfeld, made a speech. A sombre march of death accompanied by the Riff Raff band had started at Jagera Hall and marched down past the Convention Centre to SouthBank. This is what Robin had to say outside the Convention Centre:
Aerospace is hosting social drinks inside the Brisbane convention center to network the machines of death and killing. And shortly in the ballroom of this place there will be a gala dinner. … Also a networking event … and we don’t speak of war as a networking event. Some of the world’s largest and most lethal weapons manufacturers and arms contractors are gathered here. This is not about an event. This is about making Australia a top 10 weapons exporter. The federal government support and the Queensland Government hosts this event … like its a khaki state it’s war, a social occasion, and networking events.
However we’re here to say the truth about what these events are. We are many people mourning today, we’ve come on this somber occasion to say, “This is no place for celebration”. This is not the direction that we want to see in our society, our country, our world. And look at this, where are we? We’re at South Bank your family friendly destination. And inside here, what are we hosting? killing machines, because the companies here are not just involved in tanks and small armaments.
The companies here are supporting the nuclear arms race. A nuclear weapons proliferation race and the sort of the militarization, which is an ongoing colonisation. (Shame). The first invasion. The first murderous lethal incursion. And this event and these events that are carrying on here today, tomorrow and yesterday, and especially, I’d say social networking gala event are abhorent … a continuation of the colonization, and the militarization of the place. And we mourn that.
Speech by Robin Taubenfeld (Friends of the Earth) outside Brisbane Convention Centre
Conclusion
However despite its comparatively small size, ramshackle organisation of throwing disparate groups together in protest, and absence of the unions, Disrupt Land Forces still achieved much of their object. Arms Dealers will be reluctant to come to Brisbane again soon.
Congratulations to the organisers who put in all the hard work and to those people who participated.
Ian Curr
3 June 2021
4PR - Voice of the People 