Podcast
Little Armenia Leads the World In Stopping Authoritarianism
It was a successful popular movement for empowerment. And it was a close call: the parliamentary leader tried to declare himself prime minister, Armenians took to the streets in creative, even artistic, civil disobedience on a mass scale. They successfully
Tax Day 2018: Billionaires Thank Us!
It’s the same only worse. Much worse. While the Trump/Ryan tax law won’t really hit until next April, there is no question the beneficiaries are those at the very top of the wealth pyramid. Regular income earners will be subsidizing
International Hero Bill Richardson and International Threat Trump
He’s brought back hostages from North Korea, Cuba,Iraq and Sudan. He was governor of New Mexico, US ambassador the UN. He won my vote for president in 2008. Bill Richardson’s record is exceedingly impressive. On the first half, Governor Richardson
Millions of Jobs Are Disappearing. The Answer? $12,000 for Everyone?!
How radical can you get? Well, Nixon was on board with the idea in 1971. Entrepreneur and author Andrew Yang’s new book is titled The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income
Trump’s Massive Corruption Troubles//April4’68 Plus 50: Action, not Dreams
Stormy Daniels and the Russia investigation grab all the headlines about Trump, but his flagrant violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution is the best chance to get him removed. “Emoluments?” Our first guest CommonDreams.org journalist Julia Conley explains
Saudi Power in Washington: Harming America in the Middle East
Americans are just beginning to learn about our deadly role for the Saudi war in Yemen. For many decades and many presidents, the Saudi royal family has held great sway in Washington. Today the famine and cholera outbreak in Yemen,
Peace Coming to Korea? It Could Happen!
Because of factors beyond his control, Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong-Un may actually succeed. The new leadership of China, and especially of South Korea, have much to gain from fostering a real peace between North and South. And despite the
States Crack Down On Dissent
Much of the national agenda is enacted at the state level. The popular protests of The Dakota Access Pipeline scared the crap out of oil companies and they are using something called ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) to draft cookie-cutter
Immigrants More Likely to Be Law Abiding Than Americans as a Whole
Immigrants under Trump are painted as the dangerous “Others.” Yet despite the successful campaign of fear, the reality is immigrants are more likely to be good hard working, law abiding citizens than Americans as a whole. Journalist Arnold “Skip”Isaacs, who
Russia/Trump Scandal Stands in the Way of Preventing a Big War
You read that right: The chances of a big war between the US and Russia are greater now than ever. But the Russia/Trump scandal effectively prevents the dialogue essential to preventing a war. Our guest Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief
For Our Common Empowerment, Let’s Learn What Works
All too often in recent decades social, cultural, and political movements have worked in isolation from one another. But there’s so much to learn so none has to reinvent the wheel. Among the more successful movements has been that of
Teens As Targets. Parkland and Kent State: Real Change Coming?
Change only comes after enough innocent blood soaks into America’s soil. Is it enough now? Forty eight years ago, the war came home. From the Kent State Massacre, college students learned they were not safe exercising their first amendment rights.
The Many American Wars No One Notices
We don’t even know we’re being kept in the dark. America’s wars are everywhere. With the mainstream news focus on all Trump all the time, major stories affecting us all get virtually no attention. Did you know, for example, that
America First Means China First//Trump’s “Infrastructure Plan” a Gift to Polluters
On the first part, we try to talk with author Dilip Hiro in London about his new article “Donald Trump Offers a Helping Hand to Russia and China,” but the connection most regrettable. If you can bear with the poor
Grit Is Not Enough: Structural Barriers Remain To High School Kids
The pervasive myth of kids just needing “grit” and lifting themselves up by their own bootstraps is false and is doing real harm.Our guest today Linda Nathan spent fourteen years as founder and co-headmaster of Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s only
Today’s Wars: Still Trying to Win Vietnam
The military brass sees new wars as a way to finally do what we should have done in Vietnam, and that is: Win. Guest on this show is Major Danny Sjursen, a U.S. Army strategist and former history instructor at
Sowing Chaos: Good Strategy?
Since September 11, American citizens have yearned for safety and security from further attacks. But instead of reducing violence and terrorism, there’s no question our policy has been very effective at sowing chaos everywhere. Our policies actually serve to recruit
Welcome to the Pro-Democracy Movement
Resistance is great but it’s not enough. Since 1971, there has been a very effective anti-democracy movement aimed at replacing it with plutocracy. Trump is but a symptom of this problem so solutions have to be much more than merely
Heartland Dems to Washington: You’re Killing Us!
It used to be that everyone in the Midwest knew “FDR is for people like us” and they voted solid Democrat. Not any more. On Part One, conventional wisdom is that Democrats will most likely make gains in congress in
Breaking the Cycle of Cynicism: It Can Be Fun
Americas founders intended us to enjoy real power. Yet powers that be have convinced many of us that we are powerless. From many years of community organizing Gordon Whitman’s new book shares what he’s learned can work to empower average
Trump Was Set Up By Putin
Russia aims to weaken America. Putin was determined to stop Hillary Clinton who was exceptionally hawkish toward Russia. He found a perfect candidate in Trump. Incredibly enough, a similar story was written as as a political thriller novel by well
Weapons Industry on AutoPilot Under Trump
What actually works to make us safer? Much of recent military policy has actually worked to strengthen our 21st century enemies. Why is it that the defense industry is so effective at convincing members of both parties that we really
16 Year Old Girl Takes on Israeli Military
If you are a sixteen year old girl, standing up to the men of the Israeli military is highly risky. You may not have heard of Ahed Tamimi. She is being held in an Israeli jail for slapping an Israeli
Cuba 2018: Neither Heaven Nor Hell
Talk about great mysteries: what do you think of when you hear the name Cuba? Cigar chomping communist dictator? People yearning to breathe free and live like Americans? We get one small picture here while the rest of the world
Disobedience: Democracy Depends on It
“Just following orders” is no defense. In a democracy we assume that individuals in society will take personal responsibility and disobey immoral commands. But as many experiments have shown, people rarely question orders from authorities. Our guest on this show
Democrats: A Party in Need of Reboot
Democrats have gone from a state of shock to one of denial. It’s time to face up to what needs to be done to win in 2018. On this show, former Congressman Paul Hodes discusses how we blew it and
The Real Pre-Christian Meaning of Christmas
While some argue Christmas is really an international religious Christian holiday, that is just not the case. On this show, Burt’s guest is the Reverend Selena Fox, a Wiccan priestess, interfaith minister, Pagan elder, author, and lecturer in the fields
Christmas/Hanukkah: Strength Through Generosity Not Domination
It’s more than the similar time of year. According to guest Rabbi Michael Lerner, of Tikkun Magazine and chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, both holidays mark times in which people without power successfully took on the powers of
Bringing Democracy into the 21st Century
Democracy in 18th century America worked fairly easily. Nearly 250 years later, we are the least democratic of all the world’s republics. Right, left, or independent: nearly all Americans feel frustrated that the ability for average citizens to have power
The New Danger of Trump and Jerusalem
As of Trump’s unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, the threat of a wider war is now much greater than with North Korea. So says Patrick Lawrence foreign affairs columnist for salon.com and The