{"id":31168,"date":"2012-09-07T13:49:31","date_gmt":"2012-09-07T20:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/?p=31168"},"modified":"2012-09-07T13:49:31","modified_gmt":"2012-09-07T20:49:31","slug":"weekly-digest-090712","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/2012\/09\/07\/weekly-digest-090712\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Digest &#8211; 09\/07\/12"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/player.wizzard.tv\/player\/o\/j\/x\/131878025621\/config\/k-2f06894703ea9a10\/uuid\/root.m4v\/height\/300\/width\/475\"><\/script><em>Our <a href=\"http:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/?page_id=23\">weekly edition<\/a> is a nationally syndicated one-hour digest of the best of our daily coverage.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.archive.org\/stream\/WeeklyDigest-090712\"> <img decoding=\"async\" border=0 src=\"graphics\/listen.gif\"\/> Audio Stream<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/uprisings-podcast\/id117521619?ign-mpt=uo%3D4\">Podcast<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/uprising\/uprising_2012-09-07.mp3\">Mp3 Download<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This week on Uprising:<\/p>\n<p>* Dissecting Obama&#8217;s DNC Acceptance Speech<br \/>\n* Undocumented Immigrants Ride to Charlotte to Raise Awareness &#8211; a Report by Aura Bogado<br \/>\n* Four Years Makes a Difference: The Democratic Party on Civil Liberties<br \/>\n* Elephant Massacres Linked to African Armed Conflicts<\/p>\n<p>*   *   *<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dissecting Obama&#8217;s DNC Acceptance Speech<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" align=right width=50% src=\"\/home\/graphics\/obama_dnc.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>President Obama on Thursday formally accepted his party&#8217;s nomination for reelection at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Speaking for 40 minutes, Obama laid out specific examples of how his economic recovery efforts have led to the saving of jobs and industries. He also brought up the issue of war, more so than any one has so far during the political conventions. Raising his foreign policy credentials, the President contrasted himself with his opponent Mitt Romney&#8217;s lack of experience on international affairs. Throughout the speech he also reiterated the DNC&#8217;s theme, that this year&#8217;s election is a clear choice: a vote for Obama means to &#8220;move forward,&#8221; while voting Republican is to &#8220;go back.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Throughout his speech Obama made several assertions that were fact-checked by the Associated Press and found to be misleading. Among them was his claim that he would never ask seniors to pay more for Medicare. AP counters that the Obama administration has considered budgets in the past that have involved higher payments from Medicare recipients. He has since backed off from these proposals. <\/p>\n<p>Obama also claimed to have increased manufacturing jobs by half a million over the past 2 and a half years. But according to the AP, since the President&#8217;s term began, there has been a net loss of half a million manufacturing jobs. <\/p>\n<p>Obama also claimed that the war in Afghanistan will end by 2014. However, military analysts expect as many as 20,000 US troops will stay past that deadline. <\/p>\n<p><em>GUEST: Arun Gupta, Independent journalist and regular contributor to AlterNet, Truthout and The Guardian, Gupta is a co-founder of the Occupied Wall Street Journal and The Indypendent. Arun is also Uprising&#8217;s 2012 Election Analyst<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Undocumented Immigrants Ride to Charlotte to Raise Awareness &#8211; a Report by Aura Bogado<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" align=right width=50% src=\"\/home\/graphics\/undocubus.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>After a five week long journey starting in Arizona and traveling through more than 10 states the Undocubus finally arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina at the site of the Democratic National Convention last weekend. The 1972 aqua blue bus stopped in more than 15 cities to hold protests and musical events to bring critical attention to the plight of undocumented immigrants. Calling their journey the \u201cNo Papers, No Fear Ride for Justice\u201d riders chose to stop at the Democratic National Convention to have their voices heard about the proliferation of anti-immigrant policies sweeping the country. Colorlines.com and Nation Reporter Aura Bogado was on the bus and documented its journey.<\/p>\n<p>Ten of the undocumented immigrants who were on the bus were arrested outside the DNC as they chanted, \u201cNo papers, no Fear! Dignity is standing here!  Although fearful of being deported, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE has since released all those in custody.   <\/p>\n<p>Watch the video here: <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"477\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9_236XsMN8Y\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Four Years Makes a Difference: The Democratic Party on Civil Liberties<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" align=right width=50% src=\"\/home\/graphics\/civil_liberties.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>In 2008, newly elected President Obama pledged to shut down the US prison at Guantanamo Bay. However, four years later, the facility remains open. In fact, the difference in the Democratic Party\u2019s position on Guantanamo is apparent in the party\u2019s platforms in 2008 and 2012. Writing for Mother Jones, earlier this week Adam Serwer analyzes the liberal party\u2019s position on civil liberties in general. Serwer found, that while President Obama pledged in 2008 to fight for civil liberties both at home and abroad, over the past four years, Obama and the Democrats have instead, continued and expanded the national security policies of the George W. Bush Administration. In addition to keeping Guantanamo open, these policies include: expanding the parameters of indefinite detention to US citizens, continuing warrantless surveillance and racial profiling, extending the Patriot Act, and preserving and defending torture networks internationally. <\/p>\n<p>The DNC\u2019s 2008 platform spelled out: \u201cWe will close the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, the location of so many of the worst constitutional abuses in recent years.\u201d But this year\u2019s platform simply pledges to \u201csubstantially reducing the population at Guant\u00e1namo Bay without adding to it,\u201d while adding, \u201cwe remain committed to working with all branches of government to close the prison altogether.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><em>GUEST: Shahid Buttar, Executive Director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bordc.org\">www.bordc.org<\/a> for more information. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Elephant Massacres Linked to African Armed Conflicts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" align=right width=50% src=\"\/home\/graphics\/ivory_trade.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>A New York Times investigation earlier this week explored a recent spike in elephant massacres in a number of African countries. The elephants\u2019 ivory tusks are sought by rebel militia forces and national armies alike to procure large shipments of weapons and fuel on-going bloody conflicts. <\/p>\n<p>The predominant demand for the ivory comes from Chinese markets. The Times writes that \u201cas much as 70 percent [of African ivory] is flowing to China, and though the Chinese have coveted ivory for centuries, never before have so many of them been able to afford it.\u201d On average, the tusks of a single elephant can sell for up to $20,000 in China. Tom Milliken, director of the Elephant Trade Information System classified the poaching and smuggling operations as, \u201cAfrican based, Asian-run crime syndicates.\u201d Chinese officials from the Forestry Ministry declined to discuss the issue saying, \u201cThis is a very sensitive topic.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>According to reporter Jeffrey Gettleman, \u201clike blood diamonds\u2026ivory\u2026is the latest conflict resource in Africa.\u201d Gettleman adds, \u201cLast year, poaching levels in Africa were at their highest since international monitors began keeping detailed records in 2002.\u201d The groups involved in the poaching include \u201csome of Africa\u2019s most notorious armed groups\u201d like the Lord\u2019s Resistance Army (LRA), Somalia\u2019s Al Shabaab and Darfur\u2019s Janjaweed rebels. Even some African national armies, such as those of Uganda, Congo, and South Sudan, who benefit from US training and financial support, are involved. <\/p>\n<p>Among the forces on the front lines of curbing elephant slaughter are rangers, like the 140-strong outfit in the Congo\u2019s Garamba National Park. Chief Ranger Paul Onyago told the New York Times how he has witnessed the poachers\u2019 increased access to military weaponry firsthand. Eleven of his men have perished in the past four years in the course of their work. <\/p>\n<p><em>GUESTS: Jeffrey Gettleman, East Africa Bureau Chief for the New York Times and this year won a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, joining us live from Nairobi, and Kambale Musavuli, Congolese activist, student coordinator and spokesperson of Friends of the Congo<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.congojustice.org\">www.congojustice.org<\/a> for more information about Friends of the Congo. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/09\/04\/world\/africa\/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?_r=1\">Click here<\/a> to read Jeffrey Gettleman&#8217;s article in the New York Times. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Sonali&#8217;s Subversive Thought for the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you want peace, work for justice.\u201d &#8212; Henry Louis Mencken<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><em>This week on Uprising &#8212;<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>Dissecting Obama&#8217;s DNC Acceptance Speech &#8212; Four Years Makes a Difference: The Democratic Party on Civil Liberties &#8212; Elephant Massacres Linked to African Armed Conflicts<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"?page_id=4\">Click here<\/a> to get Uprising on your station. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/uprising\/uprising_2012-09-07.mp3\">Click here to download the latest show<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/uprisings-podcast\/id117521619?ign-mpt=uo%3D4\">subscribe to the podcast<\/a>, or use the player below:<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/player.wizzard.tv\/player\/o\/j\/x\/131878025621\/config\/k-2f06894703ea9a10\/uuid\/root.m4v\/height\/100\/width\/175\">\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-program-digest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31168\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uprisingradio.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}