Entrevista David Barsamian, por Rafael Roldão (em inglês)

Rafael Roldão fez a entrevista, por e-mail, em inglês, claro. Como somos abusados, que nem o Caco Barcellos, convidamos o Barsamian pra ler o resultado no blogdopc. Barsamian já viu a página no site da Faculdade e enviou a seguinte mensagem pro Rafael. Curta, mas significativa.

"Got the issue. Looks Good. Nice Job".

Abaixo a versão em inglês.
pcInterview – David Barsamian

First of all. I wish you could explain me whats be an independent journalist means? Why did you choose this way of journalism and not the conventional?

Independent journalist means to be free of coercion and censorship, not connected to or subservient to power. I had no choice. Why should I be a lackey for an agent of imperialism and predatory capitalism.

Do you think it´s a good alternative for new journalists? I don´t know about USA, but here in Brazil is very dificult to get a job when you finish your university – especially in journalism.

I created a new model. I produce and distribute a weekly one-hour radio program free of charge to public and community radio stations. I support my project post facto in that listeners buy CDs and texts of the programs they hear on the radio.

What do you know about Brazil? I mean about our government policy, about our president Lula, who is from the left side.

I know that Lula has disappointed some of his most ardent followers. It is
difficult to navigate the treacherous currents of the IMF/World Bank/WTO.
To add to his woes have been corruption scandals in the PT.
I would hope if Lula is reelected that he forges closer ties w/ Bolivia
and Venezuela, supports further Telesur, strengthens Mercosur, and
distances Brasil from U.S. imperialism.
Another world is possiblle and that world is coming from the Southern
Hemisphere. Brasil can and should be a big part of it.

You came to Brazil for the FSM (World Social Forum), correct? There you were wearing a t-shirt saying: “The batllefield is between your ears”. What woud you like to mean with these words?

Wow. What a memory!
Yes power wants to control what people are thinking. It is important to deflect the attention of the masses away from important issues such as war and peace, militarism, imperialism, etc. Their goal is to reduce U.S. citizens to consumers. They should worry about where they should buy clothes at Banana Republic or the Gap. And they should focus on sports and Hollywood celebrities. The corporate media function as a weapon of mass distraction. We need UN inspectors in the U.S. to protect us from the toxic waste the corporate media produce. The t-shirt is to encourage people to resist, to recognize propaganda, deconstruct it and create alternatives.



In the book that you have an interview with Noam Chomsky, he said that the Bush´s excuses to invade Iraque “are not much more convincing than Hitler´s”. Do you agree with that? What do you think about Bush´s external politics?

It is not even a controversial statement. All warlords historically have always declared that they are for peace and want to spread freedom, liberty and democracy. These are mere terms of propaganda primarily directed to U.S. citizens. It is important that they be brainwashed. Bush is a major war criminal. He is guilty of the “supreme international crime-the planning and waging of aggressive war.” (The UN Charter) He and the clique of criminals around him should be facing charges at the Internal Criminal Court in the Hague.

About Alternative radio. How the idea born? Did you always work with radios or in Alternative was your first time?

The idea was born by chance. I moved to Boulder, Colorado from New York City in 1978. (I had been teaching English in a language school in the World Trade Center.) On my arrival I was told a new community radio station just starting broadcasting and they were looking for volunteers to do programs. I proposed doing “Ganges to the Nile,” an international music program. Within a short time I had my own weekly program. That program quickly became very politicized. I could not simply play music without given context, background and history. At KGNU, I learned all the intricacies of radio production, writing, narration and editing. Then I began my Alternative Radio project in 1986, 20 years ago.

Do you know how many people use to acess the Alternative Radio website? Do you think about put this web site in anothers languages?

Translating is very labor and capital intensive. Many thousands, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world access our website and listen to our broadcasts. In addition to the U.S., AR is broadcast in Canada, Australia, U.K, South Africa, etc.
You told me about "be a lackey for an agent of imperialism ". Is all the
american press a lackey for an agent of imperialism ?

It should be or not for.
Basicaly yes the corporate media in the US serve as a conveyor belt for
state propaganda. They are embedded with a priori assumptions about US
benevolence and good intentions. They refuse to discuss imperialism excpet
when it relates to other countries. The corporate media report in a
framework of A to B instead of A to Z. They contribute to the lack of
information most US citizens have about their own country and the world.