Gregory Elich interviewed by Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman
The recent strain in inter-Korean relations, and how it ties in with U.S. North Korea policy
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Will South Korea’s Moon Defy Trump and Improve Relations with North Korea?
By Gregory Elich
North Korea is in the news again. As always, that means that it is time for mainstream journalists and establishment figures to reach for the handy cliché and to recycle received opinion as a substitute for thought. Terms like “provocation,” “threat,” and “aggression” abound. Not surprisingly, powerful political and military actors in the United States are seizing the opportunity offered by strained inter-Korean relations to try and kill any prospect of reengagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK – the official name for North Korea).
Zimbabwe Update: Sanctions, Land Reform, and Neoliberal Policies
Interview with Freedom Mazwi and Gregory Elich, on WPFW’s Voices with Vision program
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Mnangagwa’s Neoliberal Assault on the Zimbabwean People
By Gregory Elich
As Zimbabwe’s economy continues its descent since a military coup installed Emmerson Mnangagwa as the nation’s ruler in November 2017, his government’s response has been to double down on its ruinous neoliberal reform program.
The U.S. Tightens its Grip on South Korea to Strengthen its Anti-China Alliance
By Gregory Elich
Back in August, South Korea’s 90-day notice that it would withdraw from the General Security of Military Intelligence Agreement (GSOMIA) set off alarm bells in Washington. The agreement provided the means for South Korea and Japan to directly share military intelligence on North Korea.
How Real is the Trump Administration’s New Flexibility with North Korea?
By Gregory Elich
Although widely derided by the Washington Establishment as an empty photo opportunity, the recent meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un at Panmunjom produced an agreement to resume working-level talks in the near future. According to the North Korean news agency KCNA, the two leaders discussed stumbling blocks in improving relations and easing tensions, and agreed to work towards a “breakthrough in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and in the bilateral relations.”
A Stumble at Hanoi, but Negotiations Remain on the Agenda
By Gregory Elich
President Trump’s hasty decision to pull the plug on the Hanoi Summit ahead of schedule came as a stunning surprise. The feeling of disappointment in those who were hoping for success contrasted with the sense of relief in the U.S. foreign policy establishment, which remains steadfastly opposed to any improvement in relations.
Luigi Nono’s Musica-Manifesto
By Gregory Elich
Luigi Nono composed Musica–manifesto #1 in 1969, at a time when his music incorporated political content in a highly expressive manner. The work consists of two distinct sections, the first of which is entitled Un Volto, Del Mare (‘A Face, the Sea’), and uses as its text Cesare Pavese’s poem Mattina (‘Morning’). The music is composed for magnetic tape and two sopranos, whose sung, spoken, and whispered words are interwoven with an electronic score that is hauntingly meditative.
The Killing Season: A History of the Indonesian Massacres, 1965-66
By Gregory Elich
Review: The Killing Season: A History of the Indonesian Massacres, 1965-66, by Geoffrey B. Robinson. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2018. Cloth, pp 429.
Half a million people killed and more than a million imprisoned and tortured; the tragedy that befell Indonesia in 1965 was among the more dramatic moments in 20th-century history. It is also one of the most ignored. After more than half a century, Geoffrey B. Robinson’s new book is the first comprehensive history to appear in the English language.
Opposition to Peace Process Behind Media Frenzy over North Korean Weapons
Interview with Gregory Elich
An announcement by the North that it has developed an unspecified new “tactical weapon” is causing controversy. The hawkish CSIS think tank said this week that they had discovered 13 supposedly secret North Korean missile development sites. President Trump, however, said that he’s known about the sites for a long time. Is the Intelligence Community trying to sabotage the Korean peace talks?
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