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This week on Uprising:

* US-Iran relations Heat Up: “The Iranian Chessboard”
* Empire Notes on Sadr City
* Bolivia: Autonomy Referendum and Nationalization
* Black Agenda Report: Extreme Prosecution – In Search of Black Enemies
* Matt Gonzalez on Election 2008

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US-Iran relations Heat Up: “The Iranian Chessboard”

GUEST: Pepe Escobar, foreign correspondent for the Asia Times, and a news analyst for the Real News

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking on Israeli TV, characterized the prospects of a US attack on Iran as a “significant challenge.” In his statements made on Monday May 5th, Admiral Michael Mullen cited the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in his reasoning, and noted that he was hopeful the U.S. could avoid a conflict with the Tehran regime. Still, Mullen maintained that all military options should remain on the table against Iran while other forms of pressure continue to increase. The admiral’s comments come a week after he announced the Pentagon is planning for “potential military courses of action,” against Iran and said a conflict would be “extremely stressing,” but not impossible for the U.S. military. Also last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates dispatched a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf. He called the move “a reminder” not an escalation. Meanwhile Iran entered the presidential race with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton promising to “obliterate Iran” in case of a nuclear attack on Israel. As pressure against Iran continues, Asia Times foreign correspondent Pepe Escobar, in his most recent article concludes that any attack on Iran would be disastrous.

Read Pepe Escobar’s article here: http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174926

Empire Notes on Sadr City

GUEST: Rahul Mahajan, author of Full Spectrum Dominance and The New Crusade

Empire Notes are weekly commentaries filed by Rahul Mahajan, author of Full Spectrum Dominance and The New Crusade. Today’s commentary is about Sadr City.

Empire Notes is online at www.empirenotes.org.

Bolivia: Autonomy Referendum and Nationalization

GUEST: Dr. Waltraud “Trudi” Q. Morales, Professor of Political science at the University of Central Florida. She is the author of “Bolivia: Land of Struggle” and more recently “A Brief History of Bolivia”

Bolivia’s wealthiest province voted for autonomy from the central government on Sunday May 4th. Santa Cruz, populated by a wealthy elite of largely European descent, has defied attempts by Bolivia’s first indigenous president, Evo Morales, to centralize the economy in order to share its benefits more equally. Morales declared the vote illegal, unconstitutional, and dictatorial. Three more states out of a total of nine, plan to hold autonomy votes next month. If these wealthier Eastern states declare autonomy, it would split the country, leaving a poorer population in the Western Andes region. The autonomy measures come at a time when Bolivia’s constitution is being rewritten to give more land and national wealth to its indigenous population. In that vein Morales made the May Day announcement that his government was taking control of the national telephone company and some foreign-owned energy companies. Bolivian soldiers and police took over the installations being nationalized after Morales pronounced that “Bolivia wants partners, not owners.” The move is part of an on-going two-year nationalization process.

Black Agenda Report: Extreme Prosecution – In Search of Black Enemies

GUEST: Glen Ford is a writer and radio commentator and the Executive Editor of The Black Agenda Report

This week’s commentary is called “Extreme Prosecution: In Search of Black Enemies”. Visit www.blackagendareport.com for more information.

Matt Gonzalez on Election 2008

GUEST: Matt Gonzalez, running mate alongside Ralph Nader

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has embarked on a tour of the West Coast states as part of his presidential campaign. Nader returned to Oregon earlier this week where, four years ago, he made three failed attempts to make it onto the Oregon ballot and then filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee for sabotaging his candidacy in Oregon. Nader is being joined on tour by his running mate Matt Gonzalez, the former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Gonzalez narrowly lost a 2003 bid to be the first Green Party mayor of a major U.S. city. As an independent vice presidential candidate, Gonzalez plans to call for changes to open the electoral process to third-party candidates.

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door. That’s the only difference.” -– Ralph Nader