The Shortwave Report August 30, 2024

The Shortwave Report

This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK Japan, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr240830.mp3 (29:00) From GERMANY- From the DW Business desk, Kate Ferguson presents the topic of increased spending on nuclear weapons. Last year the world spent $91 billion on nuclear arsenals, a 13% increase from 2022. The US led the race with $51 billion, China second at $12 billion, and Russia third with $8 billion. In the US lobbyists spent over $17 million promoting nuclear weapons to politicians. When the US extended its nuclear umbrella to South Korea, the North had no arsenal but may have up to 50 warheads now. NATO has 4200 warheads, most of them American, and this years US presidential election could change its stability. And speaking of the US election subject, the role of money in this years campaigns is huge. $4 billion was spent in 2020 and that will be surpassed this year. After some statistics are presented, Professor Ray La Raja from the University of Massachusetts discusses how the money is further polarizing the nation. He compares the European model of public campaign financing to the American system. From JAPAN- Japan reported a Chinese military aircraft drifted into Japanese territory for the first time. The US and Indonesia began military drills with 20 other nations participating or observing. Ukrainian president Zelensky said he has a peace plan with Russia to be presented to Biden next month. The next day Zelensky announced that his pilots were now flying US gifted F16s in the war, and that he wants more. Ukrainian drones started a fire at a Russian fuel depot. From CUBA- Californian Congressperson Barbara Lee is speaking out against the US blockades of Cuba. The electrical grid was again attacked in Venezuela, which the government blames on far right terrorists. Amnesty International in London called for a war crimes investigation into a new Israeli bombing of another refugee camp. Human Rights Watch reports that Palestinian health care workers are being rounded up from medical facilities, sent to detention centers in Israel, and then severely mistreated and some tortured. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml ¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts "Because we cannot save ourselves without contesting oligarchic control, the fight for democracy and justice and the fight against environmental breakdown are one and the same. Do not allow those who have caused this crisis to define the limits of political action. Do not allow those whose magical thinking got us into this mess to tell us what can and cannot be done.” -- George Monbiot Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net