Friday 18th July 2014

BCfm’s weekly politics show presented by Tony Gosling

At five – discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After six – straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers

Listen live http://icecast.commedia.org.uk:8000/commbrist.mp3

First hour: news review with leader of the Green group on Bristol City Council and Councillor for Bishopston Daniella Radice Bristol Mayor, George Ferguson, and how the new system is working in Bristol council – vote of no confidence – petition against mayor from outside council; Clifton residents parking -100 changes; Snowden – British spies are seeding internet with false info – waste of tax-payers money? – politicians in charge of secret services or other way round?; PMQs Cameron reshuffle – more women; ‘Today in Parliament’, Lord Cormack, Lord royal – Conservative Party paying part of a woman Minister’s salary – equal pay for men and women; PMQs Jack Straw – why dismiss the Attorney General?; PMQs and Labour MP Glenda Jackson delivers a broadside – why has Iain Duncan Smith been kept? Fiasco of welfare changes, particularly on the disabled – universal credit, food banks; TUC say unemployment rates higher now than before recession; PMQs when will Cameron publish his tax returns? – his father pioneer of tax havens, QE; Church of England votes for women Bishops; Archbishop of Canterbury resigns from male only club; new website that reviews rental properties www.rentalraters.com
download

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jckm3X5MXo]

Second hour: Investigative reports: Malaysian Airliner down over Ukraine but what was it doing there? The Malaysian Airways airplane MH17 crash in Ukraine:  the Buk weapon that probably brought it down and who could have been in charge of this gun;  possible motives of different players – false flag?;  chemical weapons attack in Syria done by Turks and Saudis.  BRICS countries form ‘The Global Development Bank’, an alternative to the Bretton Woods System which the West have used to control world finance since World War II – the IMF and World Bank finally challenged. Bristol based Palestinian journalist Iqbal Tamimi discusses the recent Israel collective punishment in Gaza, Palestine conflict, real reasons behind it: Labour leader Ed Miliband’s support for Israel expresses just before attacks on Gaza and now silence, his close ties with Labour Friends of Israel and the fact that he is Jewish. He should be seen to distance himself from the acts of the Israeli military but he does not do so. The desperation of the Palestinian situation and the unfairness of the Israeli government; Hezbollah; Ramadan; ISIS;  Ed Miliband attends ‘Friends of Israel’ meeting.  Annie Machon discusses implications of the Edward Snowden revelations at this year’s ‘Independence from America Day’:  Snowden and how to rein in and regulate the secret services – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Dan Glazebrook breaks it all down in his new book ‘Divide and Ruin: The West’s Imperial Strategy in an Age of Crisis’. Dan Glazebrook analyses a new overarching strategy employed by U.S. and British imperialism since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of so-called Cold War. Limited by its relative decline in the context of the global economy and unable to sustain the Bush-like adventurism that led to the Iraq debacle, the Empire, argues Divide and Ruin, seeks now to rely primarily on proxy military forces against those it targets for regime change. The goal though is nothing other than the long-term weakening of any country that serves as a regional counter-weight to the absolute dominance of imperialism. From Glazebrook’s view, U.S. and British foreign policy should be viewed as a wrecking ball of sorts aimed at weakening the strongest and most independent players in the Global South.
download