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The Great War for Civilization – we’ll hear from award winning journalist Robert Fisk on day one of our fund drive. Plus, perspectives on US foreign policy from British MP George Galloway, author and activist Naomi Klein, and writer Gore Vidal.

GUESTS: Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent for the Independent

The recent eruption over racist and anti-Muslim cartoons published in a Danish newspaper have led to thousands of people demonstrating across Asia and the Middle East. Many newspapers across Europe and the United States have reprinted the offensive cartoons in the name of freedom of the press. But the reaction of Muslims is rarely explained in our media anything other than a demeaning manner. There are daily examples of the degradation of Arab and Muslim people at the hands of Western forces. For example, a recent video was found to show British troops beating up Iraqi teenagers in 2004. Councillors in southern Iraq have voted to maintain a boycott of British-led forces in response and hundreds of protestors marched to the headquarters of British troops in Basra and called on them to leave Iraq.

Today we begin the fund drive with a journalist of the highest caliber who has been covering the Middle East for decades upholding the best ideals of journalism. Robert Fisk has written many bestselling books, based on his field notes and recordings – combining straight factual reporting with analysis and often strong criticism the hypocrisy in British and United States government foreign policy. His view of journalism is that it must “challenge authority – all authority – especially so when governments and politicians take us to war”, and he quotes with approval the Israeli journalist Amira Hass: “There is a misconception that journalists can be objective … What journalism is really about is to monitor power and the centers of power.” Fisk’s latest book is The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East.

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Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“War is not about victory or defeat. It is about the total failure of human spirit. When you see the things I see, you would never support war ever again.” – Robert Fisk.