Secular Sunday

Tony Gossling and Martin Summer's latest Friday drivetime "State of the State" program from Bristol Coopertive community radio in the United Kingdom.
From the program summary: NATO-Russia tug-of-war in Ukraine. Is Ukraine one country? The history of Ukraine – maybe similar to Yugoslavia; far right elements of ‘protesters’; economic collapse; NATO; identical leaflets in Egypt and Ukraine; CANVAS. During Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union (USSR), and the subsequent German–Soviet War, millions of Red Army prisoners of war were taken. Some of them were arbitrarily executed in the field by the German forces, died under inhuman conditions in German prisoner of war camps and during ruthless death marches from the front lines, or were shipped to Nazi concentration camps for extermination. Some 3.3 million Soviet POWs died in Nazi custody, out of 5.7 million. This figure represents a total of 57% of all Soviet POWs and may be contrasted with only 8,300 out of 231,000 British and US prisoners, or 3.6%. ... Ireland peace deal and the letters of immunity from prosecution: John Downey case – coincidence with events related to murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby. He was arrested, despite the peace agreement on the day of the Rigby murder. ... Clip from 2004 documentary Aspartame – ‘Sweet Misery, A poisoned world’ about the detrimental health affects of aspartame – lobbying of governments. Paul Mason’s World War One: ... Part 2 The Slaughter: trenches and use of chlorine and mustard gas; naval warfare and blockade to hit the civilian population; 1 million dead in the 1916 battle of the Somme; Winston Churchill’s failed battle of Gallipoli which attempted to capture Constantinople in Ottoman Turkey; Brusilov offensive, prelude to revolutions. 20th anniversary of the death of US comedian Bill Hicks, on the JFK assassination ‘Go back to bed America’.