Americans love free enterprise and both Democrats and Republicans are generally loathe to criticise any entrepeneurs. But the president’s re-election campaign has started off by attacking what Romney considers his strength; his years at Bain Capital. I…

When has an obsession with secrecy ever helped those clinging to power and authority? The hierarchy of the Catholic Church has long come under  fire for covering up child abuse and protecting the abusers. Now add to that the revelations from VatiL…

From a thorough examination of the science of what makes historical change, futurist Sarah Robinson discusses specifically what factors have served conservatives well. Part of it is simple, easy answers to complex, difficult problems, and an ability to…

Remember the film “There Will  Be Blood?” Throughout the 20th century and now well into the 21st, a lot of blood has been shed for the oil powers. Burt’s guest is Professor Michael Klare, author fo the new book The Race for What’s Left: The G…

The world was riveted on March 11, 2011 by the tsunami and nuclear accident at Japan’s Fukushima reactors. But since then we haven’t heard much. Reporter Brad Jacobson did a lot of research and found the danger is anything but past.

One of the worlds top writers, researchers, and speakers on the subject of the rise of wealth inequality, Chuck Collins talks about his new book. Burt and Chuck talk about how and when the rules changed to benefit the top few, and what precedence there…

On May 6, the people of France made a big change: ousting President Nicolas Sarkozy and replacing him with socialist Francois Hollande. One clear statement was a rejection of austerity as imposed by what they called “Merkozy”–Angela Merkel of Germa…

In late April the Vatican issued a decree which clamps down hard on the nuns of America for being “radical feminists.” I’m not kidding.  Mary Johnson, who was a nun for 20 years and a friend of Mother Theresa, is guest on this exceptionally inform…

Under Vermont law  the nuclear plant at Vernon was to close March 21 2012. And even though the owners had agreed to abide by that law, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission trumped that law, and today the plant still runs. The debate over stat…

Drones are not just for Pakistan anymore, they are coming soon to a neighborhood near you. There is now a large supply, and thanks to grants from Homeland Security, there’s also a growing demand for the domestic use of small, weaponless surveillance ai…

On one hand, it’s an increasingly valuable commodity. On the other hand, it’s necessary for all life. We’re talking about water. While some countries are selling their water assets to private interests, there are also cities taking over private water c…

Fear replaces rational thinking; FDR knew this. Most Americans don’t personally know any Muslims but we do know that those who caused 9/11 claimed to be Muslim. So today in 2012, we are in the grips of Islamophobia. The Institute for Policy Stu…

In exchange for giving up their rights to water in 1969, the Navajo and Hopi were promised they’d be returned to them in fifty years. As we approach that deadline, Arizona Senators Kyl and McCain are rushing a bill through the senate to keep control in…

One the first half hour, Professor Noam Chomsky discusses his area of expertise,  the situation in the Middle East. As you might expect, he’s not real optimisitic for avoiding war against Iran. And on the second half hour, 1972 presidential nomine…

Americans cheered last spring as the people of Egypt overthrew the dictator Hosni Mubarak. Temporary military rule was accepted by all as a way to ensure stability until democratic elections could be held. However now the military is ruling with a heav…

The beginning of the culture war, made famous by Pat Buchanan, can be traced to American art emerging in the fifties and sixties. Everything from Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol to Mad Magazine and the Yippies arises from an aesthetic sensibility scor…

It seems like decades that the right wing has claimed to own the values discussion. But on this show, Karen Greenberg, Director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University talks about some of the ways America is betraying its most impo…

You probably never heard of the Federal Arts Project from the 1930s. President Roosevelt understood that artists had to eat, and that the Great Depression needed stimulus to lift the nation out of the despair. There’s a new exhibit of some of this art …

Journalist Ethan Casey has lived in and written books about Pakistan, a much misunderstood country. In this interview, he talks about what’s real and what is not in nuclear-armed Pakistan. Is the government a reliable US ally? What’s likely ahead for…

On February 25 1952 a federal appeals court turned down Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s appeal of their conviction for conspiracy to commit espionage. The parents of two young boys were then killed in the electric chair. Now powerful new information…

For many years, the choice community has had difficulty reaching and convincing younger women that reproductive rights really can be taken away. On this show, Salon columnist Irin Carmon argues that the sudden rise of the startlingly extreme Rick S…

John Adams said: There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt. Germany militarily oppressed Greece in the second phase of the World War, and now many people recognize a financial oppression at work. The …

It’s hard to miss the steady drumbeat toward an Israeli-led attack on Iran. If Ahmadinijad really is building a nuclear bomb, isn’t a preventive war a lesser evil than a policy of appeasement? Has Netanyahu boxed himself into a corner so badly that he …

It’s called “Americans for a Better Tomorrow Today,” on line it’s occupy2012pac.org. Started by Vermont political veterans Bob Stannard and Todd Bailey, it’s already got it’s first advertisement out. The point is to not let there be one set of rules fo…

We’ve seen it before in American history: farmers, workers, and young people taking to the streets, uniting against powerful forces of greed. In this case, it’s Food Democracy Now and others taking it straight to Monsanto, maker of harm-causing genetic…

Gingrich kicked butt in South Carolina. Are you part of that nation?
It’s not just blue vs red, North vs South. There’s us here in Yankeedom, Then there’s New Netherlands, The Midlands, Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, The Deep South (of course), New Fra…

Since Newt hates it, that proves Hollywood is doing something right. While the Oscar nomintations are freshly out, bolder films are also recognized by the un-Oscars: the annual Progressive Movie Awards. The nominations are just out and while many of th…

Every year, there are always a few truly crazy bills. But this year, the ultra-Right House leadership is behind some actually dangerous ones. Such as: making it harder to arrest in domestic violence. Doing away with medicare. Guaranteeing higher prop…

Congress came back to work on January 17th 2012 and they were met by crowds of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. This interview with Mark Bray, part of the original press team for OWS, looks at the goals, the strategies, and answers concerns about how …

You know the prize fighter of the same name but you’ve never heard of the John L Sullivan from Manchester NH who served in Treasury and the Navy under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. But there’s a new book out by Stephen Clarkson abot the life and tim…