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2012 Program Archive
May 8 - The Greek Political Tantrum; The Economy and What The White House Can Do About It; Secular Liberals Need To Understand Evangelicals
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We begin with the political upheaval in Greece where parties on the far left and far right appear to benefiting from the distress caused by austerity while offering rhetorical solutions to a growing economic crisis. A former U.S. diplomat living in Greece, John Brady Kiesling joins us to discuss the angry mood in Greece where many voters want to tear up the austerity deals with the EU and take their chances on defaulting, bringing back the drachma and diving into a depression. |
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Then we speak with a former White House economic advisor Jared Bernstein who was the Vice President Biden’s Chief Economist. We discuss what the White House can do to improve the economy in the face of determined Republican opposition to any stimulus, even though there is growing evidence that austerity policies are stifling growth and recovery in Europe. |
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Then finally we speak with Tanya Luhrmann, an anthropologist who has done extensive field work with religious evangelicals in the United States. Her latest book is “When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God” and she has an article in Monday’s New York Times “Do as I Do, Not as I Say”. |
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| MUSIC: The Chordettes - Never On A Sunday; Bing Crosby - Brother Can You Spare A Dime; Radiohead - Dollars and Cents; Patsy Cline - A Closer Walk With Thee |
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May 7 - Twelve More Years of Putin?; The Twilight of the Last of the Moderates; The Fight For Healthcare Reform Within the Catholic Church
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We begin with today’s inauguration of Vladimir Putin, who, after having ruled Russia for the past 12 years, begins a six and possibly twelve year term. Joining us from Moscow is Masha Gessen, a Moscow-based journalist and author of several books, including her latest “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin”. She is one of the organizers of the demonstrations that took place on Sunday and Monday to protest Putin’s fraudulent election and continuing reversal of freedom, transparency and the rule of law in Russia. |
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Then we examine the fate of a Republican statesman Senator Richard Lugar who is about to lose his re-election in Indiana to a Tea Party candidate who is being funded by the Club For Growth and other right wing SuperPAC’s. Marjorie Hershey a professor of Political Science at Indiana University in Bloomington joins us. We discuss the implication of Senator Lugar’s possible defeat by outside money in a campaign that denigrates statesmanship while demanding more conservatism. |
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Then finally we speak with Sister Simone Campbell, the Executive Director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby. She was recently criticized by the Pope for promoting “radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith” and not pushing church teachings on abortion, contraception, homosexuality and the male-only priesthood. We discuss the fate of Obama’s healthcare reform that she has championed and Paul Ryan’s theology. |
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| MUSIC: The Beatles - Back In The USSR; Kurt Vile - Puppet To The Man; Nina Simone - Funkier Than A Mosquitos Tweeter; Michael Jackson - Heal The World |
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May 6 - France Rejects Austerity; A CIA Interrogator on the Guantanamo Trials; Reversing Wealth Inequality
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We begin with the French Presidential elections and speak with Philippe Marliere, an expert on the French Socialist Party, whose candidate Francois Hollande appears to have won the election and has vowed to change the direction of France away from the austerity policies that have crippled Europe. |
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Then we speak with a former CIA officer who broke with the Agency over torture and has written a book about his experience of using enhanced interrogation against alleged Al Qaeda terrorists, “The Interrogator: An Education”. Glenn Carle joins us to discuss the 9/11 terrorism trial at Guantanamo just underway where defense attorneys say they are not allowed to discuss torture with their clients. |
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Then finally we speak about the growing inequality in America that Mitt Romney’s biggest donor and former partner at Bain Capital says is a sign that our economy is working and that a little more inequality would be good for the 99%. Chuck Collins, the Co-founder with Bill Gates Sr. of Wealth for the Common Good joins us. He has a new book “99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality is Wrecking the World and What we can do About It”. |
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| MUSIC: Quasi - Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler; Cinematic Orchestra - Ode To The Big Sea; Doom - Gazillion Ear; Primus - American Life |
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May 3 - A Chinese Dissident's Plea To Secretary Clinton; What Obama Did Not Say About Afghanistan; Jackson Browne On His Music And Activism
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We begin and speak with a prominent Chinese dissident who is urging Secretary Clinton to visit Chen Guangcheng in Beijing to ensure his safety. Bei Ling, an exiled Chinese poet and essayist and the founder of the Independent Chinese PEN Center joins us along with Scott Savitt a former Beijing-based foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and United Press International.
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Then we get an analysis of President Obama’s exit strategy from Afghanistan and the extent to which it does not conform with the reality on the ground. Christine Fair, a former UN Political Officer who served in Afghanistan joins us to discuss what was not said about relations with Pakistan and what will happen to the massive amounts of military material when the U.S. starts its exit in 2014. |
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Then finally we speak with singer/songwriterJackson Browne about his music and politics and how he navigates between the worlds of entertainment and activism. Jackson Browne, along with a roster of great musicians, will be appearing at the KPFK Hero Awards and Tribute To Gil Scott Heron at Club Nokia this coming Sunday May 6th, tickets for which are available at KPFK.org. |
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| MUSIC: Girls Next Door - Slow Boat to China; Fionn Regan - Shadow of an Empire; Jackson Browne - Rock Me On The Water/ For America |
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May 2 - Terrorism Alarmists Keep Al Qaeda Alive; A Pakistani Lawyer Who Defends Victims of Drone Strikes; A Pacifist Held Hostage by Jihadis
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We begin with the president’s address from the US military complex at Bagram in Afghanistan where he outlined the exit strategy for 2014 and touched on the history of America’s longest war on the first anniversary of the killing of Al Qaeda’s leader. Political Scientist John Mueller, the author of “Terror, Security, and Money: Balancing the Risks, Benefits and Costs of Homeland Security, joins us. He has an article at The National Interest “Why Al Qaeda May Never Die”. |
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Then we speak with a Pakistani lawyer Shahzad Akbar who is the co-founder of the Foundation for Fundamental Rights, an organization representing victims of drone strikes in Pakistani courts. We discuss the recent “clarification” of drone policy by the White House and what is happening on the ground in Pakistan in terms of victims of collateral damage from drone strikes who are suing the U.S. and Pakistan governments. |
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Then finally we hear from a Canadian peace activist who was captured in Iraq by a Jihadist group calling themselves the Swords of the Righteous. Held in brutal captivity for 118 days, his American companion murdered, and all the while hiding that he is gay, he was eventually freed by a joint SAS and U.S. Special Forces team. James Loney, the author of “Captivity: 118 Days in Iraq and the Struggle for a World Without War” joins us to discuss how a pacifist dealt with murderous extremists and being rescued by soldiers who risked their lives to save his. |
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| MUSIC: Daft Punk - Robot Rock; Major Lazor (Ft. Amber Coffman) - Get Free; Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Released |
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