PROGRAM NOTES 02/23/18-
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This weeks show features stories from RADIO HAVANA CUBA, NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN, SPUTNIK RADIO, and SPANISH NATIONAL RADIO.

From CUBA- Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. Unelected President Temer has mobilized the military to take full control over security in Rio De Janeiro. This follows a spike in violent crime and homicides since the city hosted the Olympics two years ago, fueled by increasing poverty and corruption. Many citizens and observers fear that this action could return the country to a dark period of repression and further inequality.

From JAPAN- An Insight concerning the disposal of nuclear waste in Japan. The government plans to bury highly radioactive materials, much of it from the 2011 Fukushima disaster, deep in the ground in various places. Public hearings were held to inform citizens about the dump locations, however it was revealed that the company responsible for the dumping hired people to attend and support the plans. This has further undermined public trust in the use of nuclear power.

From RUSSIA- On his show called Going Underground, Afshin Rattansi presented Kate Hudson and Peter Kennard from the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the organization. There is global concern over the increasing threats of a nuclear war, and growing opposition to upgrading and producing more nuclear weapons at vast costs.

From SPAIN- Alison Hughes produced a remarkable show on military spending, alliances, and propaganda. In the half that I can fit in, American weapons manufacturers support all political candidates and a fortune on lobbyists. The US accounts for a third of global defense spending. Princeton Professor Stephen Cohen is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, which he describes as a bastion for the new cold war between the US and Russia. Journalist Glenn Greenwald talks about fake news, disinformation, and other forms of propaganda.

"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good."
--Vaclav Havel