2013 Program Archive

March 18 - How Dick Cheney Captured Bush's Presidency; The Banking Crisis in Cyprus and the Targeting of Russian Deposits; Republican Soul-Searching in Their "Autopsy" Report

audio

Full Program

 LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM  

audio

Part 1

 With Tuesday marking the tenth anniversary of the Iraq war, we begin with an examination of the principal proponent and architect of that war, Dick Cheney, who is the subject of a new Showtime documentary “The World According to Dick Cheney”. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who was Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff in the first George W. Bush term, joins us to discuss how Bush’s presidency was staffed then captured from within by Cheney, who deceived and manipulated Bush, leading to today’s bitter estrangement between the two. lawrence wilkerson

audio

Part 2

Then we examine the banking meltdown in Cyprus that has revived concerns about the viability of the Eurozone. Dimitri Papadimitriou, the president of the Levy Economics Institute joins us to discuss how a tax imposed on bank deposits in Cyprus, in return for a E.U. bailout, has backfired with furious depositors threatening a run on the banks that have been closed until Thursday. We also look into the exposure Russian companies and individuals have in troubled banks in Cyprus where banking assets are eight times the size of the country’s economy.

 dimitri papadimitriou

audio

Part 3

Then finally we speak with Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis and author of “The Door of Hope: Republican Presidents and the First Southern Strategy”. We discuss the “autopsy” report issued Monday by the Republican National Committee that described the Republicans as “scary”, “narrow minded”, “out of touch” and the Party of “stuffy old men

 edward frantz

 

Tags:

March 17 - The New Pope and the "Dirty War"; Our Mentally Unstable Afghan Partner; An Impending Humiliation of South Korea by the North?

audio

Full Program

 LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM  

audio

Part 1

 We begin with an investigation into the role of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, when he was the head of the Jesuit order in Argentina and look into his dealings with the Argentine junta who kidnapped and murdered priests during the “dirty war”. Sam Ferguson, a visiting fellow at the Schell Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, who is writing a book “Remnants of a Dirty War”, joins us. He has an article at The New Republic “When Pope Francis Testified about the Dirty War”. sam ferguson

audio

Part 2

Then we assess the impending withdrawal from Afghanistan, America’s longest war, and what kind of functioning state will be left behind in the hands of kleptocrats and warlords, whose current leader Hamid Karzai, is not just corrupt, but is mentally unstable.  Christine Fair, a former United Nations political officer in Afghanistan, who is also a senior fellow with the Counter Terrorism Center at West Point, joins us to discuss Karzai’s latest outburst that has endangered the lives of American and NATO service members who he has accused of working with the Taliban.

 christine fair

audio

Part 3

Then finally, we look into the growing possibility that there will be a military confrontation between North and South Korea, following a warning by the North that the South should evacuate a group of islands on the border that the North shelled in 2010. Sung Yoon Lee, a Professor of International Affairs at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University joins us to discuss where bellicose rhetoric ends and military action begins.

 sung yoon lee

 

Tags:

March 14 - The Man Who is the New Pope; Protecting our Defenders; An Update from CPAC

audio

Full Program

 LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM  

audio

Part 1

 We begin with an analysis of the new pope who is both a doctrinal conservative and a humble man who rides the bus and cooks for himself. Matthew Fox, the author of “The Pope’s War: Why Ratzinger’s Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How it can be Saved”, joins us. An internationally acclaimed theologian, Fox was hounded out of the Catholic Church by Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict. We discuss the unknown chapters in the background of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in particular why he and the church hierarchy were silent when Argentina’s Military death squads were torturing and killing fellow priests and bishops who practiced liberation theology. mathew fox

audio

Part 2

Then we speak with Kirby Dick, the award-winning film maker whose latest documentary 'The Invisible War’ was nominated in this year’s Academy Awards. He attended Wednesday’s hearing in the US Senate on the epidemic of rape in the military where one in three military women are victims with 19,000 service members sexually assaulted every year. We will discuss the powerful testimony by women who have been victimized by assaults that are routinely covered up and questions about the Uniform Code of Military Justice that allows senior officers friendly to the assailants to overturn jury verdicts.

kirby dick

audio

Part 3

 Then finally we will get an update from CPAC where conservative activists are gathering to hear from Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and other Republican rising stars. Adele Stan, Alternet’s Washington Bureau Chief joins us to report on a gathering dominated by what John McCain calls “Republican wacko birds” where moderates like Governor Christie are not invited but “birthers” like Donald Trump are welcome. Adele Stan has an article at Alternet.com “Rand Paul No Progressive Hero, Despite Anti-Drone Filibuster”. adele stan

 

Tags:

March 13 - Italy's Dual Dysfuntion - The Vatican and the Parliament; How our Sailors on a Rescue Mission were Irradiated; Republicans Roll Harry Reid on Filibuster "Reform"

audio

Full Program
 

 LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM  

audio

Part 1
 

 We begin with the announcement of a new pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina and speak with Alexander Stille, Professor of International Journalism at Columbia University and author of “The Sack of Rome: How a Beautiful European Country with a Fabled History and a Storied Culture was taken over by a Man Named Silvio Berlusconi”. We discuss the dual dysfunction of a scandal-plagued Vatican under a new pope of the poor, Francis, and an Italian government in a state of political paralysis. alexander stille

audio

Part 2
 

Then we look into the deadly legacy of the Fukushima meltdown two years ago in terms of the tens of thousands of US military personnel and their dependents who were exposed to radiation with some sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan suffering chronic and severe illness that has led them to sue TEPCO, Tokyo Electric Power Company. Roger Witherspoon a 40 year veteran reporter who now blogs at energymatters.com joins us to discuss how the NRC and the Navy were lied to by Japanese authorities while sailors of a rescue mission were breathing in radioactive air and the USS Ronald Reagan was sucking in radioactive ocean water into its desalinization system for the crew’s drinking and bathing.

 roger witherspoon

audio

Part 3
 

Then finally we speak with Mike Lofgren a veteran House and Senate Staffer and author of “The Party is Over: How Republicans Went Crazy and Democrats Became Useless and the Middle Class Got Shafted”. We discuss meetings going on among Democratic senators about what to do about the Republican’s routine use of the filibuster to block Obama’s judicial and executive branch nominees following a “reform” deal Harry Reid made with Mitch McConnell over the objections of younger Democratic senators that has blown up in the Majority Leader’s face.

 mike lofgren

 

Tags:

March 12 - The Vatican's Unholy Alliance; Elizabeth Warren Shames the Shameless; Bloomberg's Ban Busted

audio

Ful Program

 LISTEN TO FULL PROGRAM  

audio

Part 1

 We begin with the Vatican that is currently the subject of unprecedented and uncritical media attention in what amounts to a public relations bonanza for a scandal-plagued church, as the world press breathlessly focuses on what color smoke is coming out of a chimney. Barbara Crossette, who covers the United Nations for The Nation and was the New York Times bureau chief at the UN, joins us to discuss what the Vatican is up to at the UN joining with Iran and Russia to thwart efforts by the Commission on the Status of Women to protect women from violence and rape, arguing that traditional values justify violations of basic human rights. barbara crossette

audio

Part 2

Then we look into two important confirmation hearings before the Senate Banking Committee on Richard Cordray to head up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Mary Jo White to head up the SEC. Lisa Gilbert, the Director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division joins us to discuss today’s hearings where Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted her Republican colleagues for doing the bidding of big banks at the expense of  regular people who have been cheated on mortgages, credit cards and student loans.

 lisa gilbert

audio

Part 3

Then finally we speak with Dr. Gary Bennett, a professor of Psychology, Global Health and Medicine at Duke University about Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on big sugary drinks set to go into effect in New York today that was blocked by a judge. We look into whether this is a victory for big business over big government and whether efforts to curtail the epidemic of obesity have been damaged by an apparent victory in the name of personal freedom, of corporate profits over people’s health.

 gary bennett

 

Tags: