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2012 Program Archive
February 20 - An Advisor to the Greek Government on the Latest Bailout; Syria's Divided Opposition; Mexico's Latest Drug War Disaster
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We begin with the Greek economic crisis and speak with Richard Parker, an economic advisor to the last Greek government of Papandreou and the current Greek government of Papademos. We discuss the second E.U. Greek rescue package that is close to agreement and whether or not it will prevent further instability in the Eurozone where austerity measures have slowed growth. |
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Then we get an analysis of why the Syrian capitol Damascus has so far escaped the Syrian civil war that has raged in the countryside, with other cities such as Homs facing destruction. Bilal Saab, a Visiting Fellow in Non-proliferation Studies at the Monterrey Institute of International Studies joins. He has an article at CNN, “Why Damascus Remains Eerily Calm”. |
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Then finally we examine the latest outrage in Mexico’s war against drug cartels that has so-far killed over 47,500 Mexicans. The author of “El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency” Ioan Grillo, joins us. He is a correspondent for Reuters who is covering the drug war in Mexico and we discuss the prison riot in which 44 members of the Gulf cartel were bludgeoned and stabbed to death in a massacre that was a cover for a breakout escape of 30 prisoners from the ultra-violent Zetas drug gang. |
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February 19 - JCS Chairman Warns it is "Not Prudent" to Strike Iran; Pulitzer-Prize-Winner on the History of the FBI; Overturning Corporate Personhood
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We begin with an analysis of two big stories in the news, one the lead article in the New York Times “Rising Gas Prices Give GOP Issue to Attack Obama”, and the Chairman of the Joint Chief’s General Dempsey’s warning on CNN that an Israeli Strike on Iran is “not prudent”. David Rothfopf, the CEO and Editor-At-Large of Foreign Policy magazine joins us to tie these threads together to determine whether the Republican Party, in this election year, could be both the fire brigade and the arsonist, if gas prices spike later in the year and they profit from it. |
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Then Pulitzer-prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner joins us. He has a new book just out, “Enemies: A History of the FBI”. We look into the bureau which is largely seen as America’s police force, but is in fact primarily an intelligence agency, and we examine the recent and past history of the FBI and the abuses of power that its founder J Edgar Hoover exercised over the many decades. |
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Then finally, with the Supreme Court looking at Montana’s challenge to “Citizens United”, former Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clements joins us to discuss whether the Supreme Court is poised to revisit “Citizens United” as well as his latest book, just out, “Corporations Are Not People” which offers a roadmap for citizens to overturn a ruling that has led to the wholesale buying of our elections by powerful corporations and wealthy individuals. |
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February 16 - U.S. Stocks Rally While Europe Teeters; The .0000063% With Their SuperPACs Buy Our Elections; The U.N. General Assembly Vote Against Syria
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With U.S. markets up today, we take a contrary look into the standoff between Greece and Germany over the Greek debt crisis and how a likely default will effect the big European banks and a European economy already in recession as a result of austerity measures. William K. Black, the former Litigation Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and author of “The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One” joins us to analyze the on-going inability of the Europeans to deal with the Euro crisis. |
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Then, if you thought the 99% - 1% divide was bad enough, how about the 99.0000037% versus the .0000063%. Joining us is Ari Berman, a contributing writer to The Nation and author of an article at Tom Dispatch and the Huffington Post “The .0000063% Election: How the Politics of the Super Rich Became American Politics”. We discuss how the super rich have taken over our politics in this election via the Super-PACs that now dominate campaigns. |
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Then finally we look into the overwhelming vote today in the U.N. General Assembly condemning the Syrian regime. James Gelvin, a specialist on Syria at UCLA joins us to assess whether the Assad family regime, with the help of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, can kill enough Syrians to hold onto power, or whether the growing opposition inside the country will be able to fight back and turn the tables. |
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February 15 - Obama Visits Walker's Wisconsin; No Enthusiasm in the U.S. Military For a War With Iran
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We begin with President Obama’s trip today to Wisconsin and discuss the bellwether political battle shaping up in that state where Governor Walker, who is facing a recall, has declared that a win for him would deliver a “devastating blow” to Obama’s re-election campaign. John Nichols, The Nation magazine’s Washington correspondent joins us from Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of a new book, just out, “Uprising: How Wisconsin Renewed the Politics of Protest, From Madison To Wall Street”. |
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Then, with tensions rising over assassinations by Iranian operatives and a cut-off of Iranian oil to European customers that drove oil up to $120 a barrel today, as well as President Ahmadinejad’s announcement of Iran’s rapid progress in nuclear enrichment, we discuss a lack of enthusiasm within the U.S. military for a war with Iran many in the top brass believe would be messy, bloody, unpredictable and ultimately inconclusive. A Quaker and former conscientious objector- turned war correspondent David Wood joins us. He has an article at The Huffington Post “Iran Nuclear Threat Brings No U.S. Enthusiasm For A Military Strike”. |
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February 14 - Senator Sanders on Saving the Post Office; Who is China's New Leader?; The Godfather of Nonviolence
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We begin with Senator Bernie Sanders, the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. He and 26 other Senators today called for a stop to the wholesale closing of rural post offices and for measures to preserve First Class mail and Saturday delivery. We also discuss the obscene amounts of Super PAC money flooding into this year’s election and what can be done to overturn Citizens United. |
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Then we get a reading on China’s next leader, Xi Jinping, who is visiting Washington as well as a broader assessment of China’s emerging role as a global superpower. One of the world’s foremost experts on China’s language, culture, politics and people, Perry Link, joins us to look into the current backlash from Arab countries, angry at China’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at stopping the Assad family dictatorship from killing the Syrian people. |
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Then finally, we speak with an extraordinary and humble man who has had a direct effect on nonviolent resistance tactics around the world from Serbia to Iran, to Egypt and Russia. The founder of the Albert Einstein Institution Gene Sharp joins us. He is the author of a new book, just out, “Sharp’s Dictionary of Power and Struggle: Language and Civil Resistance in Conflicts.” |
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