Author Archive

Burt Cohen

The word 'TRUTH' formed using the repeated word 'LIES' in black letters on white background.
CulturePodcast

It did not begin with Trump. How have we gotten to this place where truth and lies are interchangeable? There are a lot of factors not the least of which is the clutter and chaos of the internet, where anything

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Portrait of a woman next to the cover of the book 'The Tango War' by Mary Jo McConahay.
History That Matters NowPodcast

There’s the European theater and the Pacific. But hidden away as both sides preferred, Latin America held the key to which side would be victorious. There were a lot of Germans in Brazil, vital war resources in Central America and

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Person painting 'Putting Peace First' on a wall with purple paint.
Civil LibertiesCultureEducationJusticePodcastRacismTake Action

Remember your not-so-great high school days? Remember wanting to be respected while being consistently treated as less-than? According to author Eric David Dawson, “the system is set up to be destructive of everybody.” His new book, Putting Peace First: Seven

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Black executioner's axe on wooden block against red background.
Civil LibertiesFreedomPodcastTrump

With his open appreciation of violent white nationalists, his insistence that he is above laws, his admiration for dictators, Trump has long embraced the rhetoric of fascism. But with his new attacks on the Justice Department for indicting his special

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A man in a suit and tie against a cityscape background at night.
CultureEconomyMilitary and Defence PolicyPodcastTrump

“Critics see Trump as an abomination, but he is also one of us.” So says Andrew Bacevich scholar and author of the forthcoming book “Twilight of the American Century.” He explains in this podcast that Trump is one of a

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Map of Africa on a red, black, and green flag with yellow stars.
History That Matters NowInternational NewsPodcastRacism

Nearly every inch of Africa used to be owned and controlled by the colonial powers: British, French, German, Portuguese, Belgian, Spain. Mussolini’s Italy finally went after its share with a one sided assault on Ethiopia in 1936. Is the long

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Police officers clash with protesters during a tense street confrontation at night.
History That Matters NowPodcastProtests & ResistanceRacismTake Action

Blood in the streets. Chaos at the convention. The establishment Democrats won and then they lost. From the vantage point of 50 years later, it may surprise some how less has changed and been learned than we might have thought.

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Bold text announcing a nationwide prison strike on August 21.
Civil LibertiesCultureJusticePodcastRacismWomen

America’s prisons are where we warehouse and punish bad people. But how much injustice behind the walls and razor wire is acceptable? Is using inmates as slaves OK? Is it a good idea to maintain a system that reinforces people’s

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Illustration of a stern face with the phrase 'Big Brother is watching you'.
Civil LibertiesFreedomPodcast

Those who were surprised that Facebook was widely distributing personal information were quite naive. Our expectation of privacy is so very quaint. This according to veteran private eye Judith Coburn, whose new article on TomDispatch is titled Goodbye to All

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A man with gray hair raising his fist near a brick wall.
Civil LibertiesFreedomPodcast

“What we’ve got here is a systems problem.” Americans honor brave whistleblowers and serious investigative journalists who  reveal covered up truths. But according to today’s guest Professor Lawrence Davidson, in his article on CounterPunch, the fate of the very controversial

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A man speaking passionately against a red background.
Israel & PalestinePodcastPopulism

He’s spoken openly about his concern for justice for Palestinians. As Jeremy Corbyn is continuing to rise as he leads the traditional left Labour Party of the United Kingdom, his detractors are working feverishly to discredit him as an anti-Semite.

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Portrait of a serious middle-aged man in a suit.
Israel & PalestineJusticePodcast

At least it’s now out in the open. All Israelis who are not Jewish have had their rights diminished. Given the longstanding discrimination against non-white non-European Jews, Palestinians and Druze are now just third class citizens. Prime Minister Netanyahu described

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Crowd of people gathered in 1968, black-and-white photo.
CulturePodcastSocialism

What is freedom? Coming from a context of widespread economic security, young people across the US and Europe in 1968 drove older generations crazy with the insistence that there was more. More than the grey flanneled conformity in which we

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A sleek supersonic aircraft flying above the clouds against a deep blue sky.
Fiscal PolicyPodcastWar

With near consensus from both sides of the aisle, congress just rubber-stamped a nearly three quarters of a trillion dollar spending plan for defense contractors. There is no limit on what we will spend on weapons, according to today’s guest

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A soldier in combat gear holding a rifle with a flag in the background.
PodcastWar

If we’re spending billions on a defense system that actually makes us more vulnerable,maybe it’s time to reconsider. According to today’s guest Foreign Policy in Focus columnist Conn Hallinan, NATO has gone from serving as a bulwark against the Soviet

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Flags of various countries flying outside the United Nations headquarters.
National PolicyPodcastTrump

America First is leading quickly to America being left out. Even Republican internationalists are gone from the stage. The current administration is making a steady and sustained war on diplomacy and is now standing outside the tent. On this show,

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Smoke rising from a burning area in a forest with a person standing nearby.
PodcastTrump

NATO was created to defend the west against the Soviet Union. According to John Feffer, of Foreign Policy in Focus, the west missed a rare “golden opportunity” in 1991 to shift away from wasteful militarism in search of a new

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American flag painted on cracked concrete surface.
CulturePodcast

With all the current discussion about ever-more inflamed divides in the currently united States, more people are wondering if we  really are one nation after all. It’s not just blue vs red, North vs South. There’s us here in Yankeedom.

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A woman smiling and shaking hands at a crowded event.
PodcastPopulismSocialism

When big gets too big, free market capitalism is stifled. The increased concentration of power and wealth undercuts economic freedom. The socialism of FDR’s New Deal very much helped capitalism become more competitive. A big, though lesser known, aspect of

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Cracked ground separating EU and UK flags symbolizing Brexit.
PodcastPopulismRacismTrump

Much like the toxic combination of angry racist populism with the power of the financial elite here in America, the European Union has been a brake on this dangerous combination in England. Today the British Right’s push for the UK

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Logo of the National Rifle Association since 1871.
GunsPodcast

Since its founding after the Civil War the NRA was concerned about the proliferation of guns in America. They became a sportsmen’s gun club focused on responsibility and safety. And conservative  Christian evangelicals cited Bible references to say life began

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Protesters take cover behind barricades during a tense clash.
JusticePodcastSocialism

Reached somewhere he won’t specify in Nicaragua, our guest is protecting himself from killings, kidnappings, and the coordinated strategy of roadblocks.The Trump Administration and most of the mainstream press paints a picture of the Sandinista government turning against their own

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A person gripping prison bars, symbolizing confinement.
CultureJusticePodcastRacismTrump

America is shocked at the sight of 2500 migrant kids in cages. But behind high walls are over 50,000 American kids.This is invisible for a reason. According to Professor Cara Drinan, expert on juvenile sentencing and criminal justice reform, if

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Five children posing outdoors, dressed in vintage western-style clothing.
CulturePodcastProtests & ResistanceWar

Donald Trump won a lot of support from conservative Americans who agreed our endless wars are nothing but a big waste. Of course he flipped positions since then but renowned professor Andrew Bacevich observes that there is still anger at

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A man passionately speaking into a vintage microphone indoors.
PodcastProtests & ResistanceWar

Is it treasonous to urge resistance to a war once America is in it? Most Americans opposed our entry into the First World War but once Wilson sent our men, some argued it was no longer OK to urge resistance.

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A sign warning of a two-tier internet system ahead.
CulturePodcastTrump

The effects of net neutrality have been like the founding fathers dream: a truly free media open to all points of view, where even the smallest voice can reach millions. It’s logical then that the big internet service providers and

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Women wearing shirts with a controversial political message at a rally.
CulturePodcastPopulismRacismTrump

It may be out in the open now, and it is disconcerting to see and feel the blatant racism and hatred across America now. But maybe the ugly spirit of white supremacy may have been hidden from white people before 

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Judge holding a wooden gavel in a courtroom.
JusticePodcastSexualityTrump

No matter how soon Trump goes away, all Americans will feel the effects of his judicial appointments for decades to come. He’s going around legislatures and using the power of the presidency to undo hard fought battles for reproductive, sexual

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A man discusses voter suppression with a bird character.
PodcastRacism

We need a photo ID to buy liquor or fly on an airplane, so what’s the big deal about needing one to vote? Don’t we need to stop voter fraud? Actually voter ID is a solution in search of a

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A tilted statue of a man reaching out, set against a mosque backdrop.
National PolicyPodcastWar

We all hate it when other countries meddle with our elections. Yet we do it more than any other. And it never works. From Iran in 1953 to Iraq in 2003, the US has employed a policy of regime change.

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