Culture
New Powerful Populism
It’s been with us since before America’s founding. Now, as more and more of us demand a direction different from rule by the wealthiest few, the word populism is coming back into vogue. As Campaign for America’s Future’s Isaiah Poole
Billionaires Thank You for Paying Their Taxes
You may not love tax day, but for America’s few billionaires, it’s like Christmas and you are Santa Claus. Billionaire Warren Buffett knows it’s wrong that his secretary pays a much higher share of her income than he does. And
Congress of Vienna – Is This Still 1815?
In the face of many wars, the big powers are trying to steer small nations to create their own version of peace. That was the Congress of Vienna 200 years ago and there’s a lot of deja vu, and still
Why and How We Should Legalize Psychedelics
Psychedelics hold enormous potential for understanding the human mind, so why is it kept illegal? A recent study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology notes that some 30 million Americans have tried LSD and other drugs to no ill health effects. On this show former United Church of Christ minister George Zilliac discusses the spiritual benefits of the careful use of LSD and other similar substances.
A New Approach to Policy on Aging
Every day more than 10,000 people born at the baby boom turn 65. America is not prepared for what today’s guest Ai-Jen Poo calls the “elder boom.” Her just-published book is called The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elderly Future in a Changing America.
Democracy Can Succeed on Climate Change
The corporate polluters want us to just accept our sense of powerlessness. But not only are there real answers, available now, to global climate change, but they can actually be made to happen. Environmental engineer and writer for the Huffington Post, Ellen Moyer on this show offers exceptional insight with realistic solutions. Some of the biggest sources of carbon emissions may surprise you. And we can make them happen, despite moneyed resistance in Washington.
Greatest Movies of 2014. Not the Oscars.
One of the greatest aspects of democracy is artistic freedom. Movie makers put this value to great use. Everyone knows about the Oscars, many of those films have questionable artistic value, often winning because they make a lot of money.
Not All Poor People Are Black; Essays from a Thriving 77 Year Old Black Woman
In her new book of essays, author Janet Cheatham Bell shares her unique insights into lessons learned from growing up black in America. Henry Louis Gates Jr. called her a “pioneer.” She talks about how much progress has, or hasn’t, been made in race re…
Teaching Controversial Issues In Classrooms: Evidence and Ethics
Teachers today face intense pressure to avoid politically controversial issues in their classrooms. But according to our guest, Diana Hess, author of The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, the need to do this is great. Am…
America’s Battle for Media Democracy: We Can Get Back the Airwaves
How and when the media got put on a short corporate leash? When we had an activist FCC, it was understood that the airwaves were being leased from the public and that the public had to be served. How far we have come.
On today’s show, guest is V…
Christmas: We Celebrate War Over and Over, But Peace Only Once
You’ve probably heard of the Christmas Truce 100 years ago between the trenches of the British and German soldiers. These were indeed brave men. Today it seems anyone with a uniform is dubbed a hero, but what about the peacemakers? On this show Adam Ho…
Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better
Prisons are a very old concept and it’s time to ask: Do they still work? Do they accomplish the goals for which they were created? What can we do with dangerous people if we do away with prisons, how can we protect society? Maya Schenwar is guest on th…
Veterans Day 2014: How to Best Serve Vets?
No doubt you’ve seen the current near-worship of all things military. All men and women in the military are called heroes. But what does that really do? On this show, Will Hopkins, who was decorated for valor in Fallujah 2004 and now serves as executiv…
FBI Seeking More Power to Spy on Us All
But will congress give it to them? FBI Director James Comey recently went to congress asking to change the law to enable them to get a back-door access to our cell phone and computer communications data. But according to guest Jake Laperruque, Fellow o…
Free Speech For Everyone Except Those Critical of Israel?
There have been many clampdowns on free speech in America lately, a sudden radical and highly disturbing new trend has emerged. If you dare to criticize Israeli policies, watch out for your job. Today’s guest Allan Brownfeld of the American Council for…
Banned Books Week: What Are They Afraid Of?
Thomas Jefferson said: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” Maybe that’s exactly why some authoritarian political interests try to ban many books. The last week of September is the annual Banned Books Week an…
The Surprising Power of Millennials/Marijuana Laws: Also Big on November 4th
Freedom is very appealing. Especially in the case of over zealous and ill focused police work. On the first part of this show, Benjamin Domenech of The Federalist talks about the mood of the so-called millennials, people born from 1980 to 2000. They de…
Episcopal Minister Fired for Speaking the Truth about Israel
Freedom of speech; we take it for granted. But after the Reverend Bruce Shipman wrote short, a fairly mild letter to the NYTimes, recognizing that Israels devastation of Gaza probably fanned flames of anti-Semitism, he was forced to resign from his pos…
A Self Respecting Jew Takes on Israel
The State of Israel and it’s defenders have been very adept at intimindating Jewish Americans from speaking out against their brutality in Gaza by labeling critics as “self hating Jews.” On this show, “self respecting Jew” Eric Mann takes this charge h…
New Hampshire Connects With West Africa
So much of what we love about American culture has roots in Africa. Today some Americans fear the unknown Islamic world of the region. But there really is nothing to fear and a lot to gain. There is a West African music and culture festival coming up o…
Time to Look Seriously At LSD?
Brushed aside for decades, a recent conference of scientists focused on the potential uses of LSD and other psychedelics. On this show, guest Randolph Hencken of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies talks about Psychedelic Science for …
The Militarisation of America’s Police? Serve and Protect or Assault?
Is this America? With heavy arms and tanks, police in Ferguson attacking journalists? Police are there to serve and protect, while the military makes war on enemies. On this reprise show, guest is Alex Pareene, a columnist for Salon.com who has researc…
Rabbi: Israel is Murdering Judaism
Rabbi Michael Lerner says “Real friends don’t let friends pursue a self-destructive path.” Despite intense pressure, he refuses to be silent in the face of the destruction of Judaism. As the State of Israel moves away from traditional Jewish values and…
Orthodox Rabbi: “Zionists Bring Danger Upon Jews”
Most of the world seems to think that the State of Israel and Judaism are one and the same. They are not. Where Judaism is thousands of years old and lived for peace with Muslims and Christians in what Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss calls The Holy Land, Zio…
The Tolerance Trap: How It is Sabotaging Gay Equality
Though it’s usually thought of as a good thing, the word “tolerance” really falls well short of full inclusion. Instead tolerance actually preserves prejudice and leaves intact inequality. Suzanna Danuta Walters’ just published book (right in time for …