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November 13 - Assessing the Republican Commander-in-Chief Debate; More on Dismal Choices and Declining Public Morality; Big Sports and Corporate Power in Higher Education
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We begin with an assessment of the Republican presidential candidate’s debate on national security, billed as the Commander-in-Chief debate. David Rothkopf, the author of “Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power” joins us. We discuss the candidate’s positions and qualifications as possible leaders of the free world. |
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Then, for another opinion on the suitability of the Republican presidential candidates to be stewards of our national security, we are joined by Roger Morris who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Johnson and Nixon until resigning over the bombing of Cambodia. He is the author of “Between the Graves” a new book about the history of U.S./Afghan relations and is at work on a comparative Cold War history of the inner politics of the U.S. and Soviet Russia. |
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Then finally, in light of the prolonged cover-up at Penn State to protect the storied football program, we discuss the decline of public morality and ethical values in America and at universities, and the relationship of big money, big sports and corporate power to higher education. Joining us is Henry Giroux, the author of “Youth in a Suspect Society: Democracy or Disposability?” and “The University in Chains: Confronting the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex”. Henry Giroux previously held an endowed Chair at Penn State University. |
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| MUSIC: Jim O'Rourke - Memory Lane; Devendra Banhart - Foolin; Ben Harper - Excuse Me Mister; Fionn Regan - Be Good or Be Gone |
November 10 - Penn State and the Decline of Public Morality; Perry's Boot in the Mouth; "Physics on the Fringe"
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We begin with the disgusting scandal at Penn State University that has resulted in the firing of the university’s president and the famous coach Joe Paterno which provoked a student demonstration in support of the disgraced football coach. The award-winning senior writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, Will Bunch joins us to explain the moral vacuum at the university and apparently among the student body, that allowed the activity of a serial pedophile to be covered up for so long and why students would demonstrate in support of those who covered up such appalling criminal behavior. |
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Then veteran Texas journalist James Moore, who is writing a book about Rick Perry, joins us to explain the latest public display of political inadequacy from the Texas governor who could not even remember his own simplistic ideas. We discuss what Perry’s wealthy backers expected from him and why they didn’t even bother to find a candidate who could survive the less-than-rigorous softball questioning at audience-friendly highly-staged presidential television debates. |
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Then finally science writer Margaret Wertheim joins us in studio to discuss her new book “Physics on the Fringe: Smoke Rings, Circlons, and Alternative Theories of Everything”. We discuss “outsider physicists” and fringe theorists who probe the cosmos in their own way and since all great truths begin as blasphemies, as Galileo learned the hard way, they might just end up being proven right. |
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| MUSIC: M. Ward - Poor Boy; Jim O'Rourke - Memory Lame; Born Ruffians - Retard Canard II; Neil Young - Heart of Gold |
November 9 - An Insider's Analysis of the IAEA Iran Report; Curtains on the Berlusconi Burlesque Show; Voters Rebuke Republican Overreach
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We begin with an analysis of the just-released International Atomic Energy Agency’s report on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. One of the world’s leading experts on nuclear proliferation David Albright joins us. The author of “Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America’s Enemies”, he was with the IAEA’s Action Team from 1992 to 1997 and became the first non-governmental inspector of Iraq’s nuclear weapons program |
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Then we discuss the final exit of the scandal-plagued Italian Prime Minister who, assuming he steps down as promised, leaves behind a pile of debt exposing the Eurozone’s third largest economy to even more market speculation, as an economy that is too big to fail or bail, faces an uncertain future. Alexander Stille, the 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” joins us. We discuss the tawdry legacy of this titan of sleaze who combines the worst of Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch. |
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| Then finally Ari Berman joins us. He is a contributing writer for The Nation who has written extensively on American politics and the intersection of money and politics. We discuss yesterday’s election results in Maine, Mississippi, Ohio and Arizona where it appears voters punished Republicans for going too far and showed up at the polls to reverse laws that took away voter's rights, women’s rights and worker’s rights. |
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| MUSIC: The Smiths - Ask; LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations; Rod Stewart - Fool For You; My Morning Jacket - Look at You |
November 8 - Herman Cain Feeds the Scandal Culture; The Italian Debt Crisis and Berlesconi's Exit; Delaying the Oil Sands Pipeline
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We begin with the latest revelations of scandal consuming the Republican presidential front-runner Herman Cain. Mark Feldstein, a professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University and author of Poisoning the Press: Richard Nixon, Jack Anderson and the Rise of Washington’s Scandal Culture joins us to provide an historical context to the broken political system that Herman Cain claims is victimizing him along with the Democratic Party machine. |
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Then we discuss another magnet for scandal, Silvio Berlesconi, the embattled Italian Prime Minister who is currently a defendant in three trials for bribery, tax fraud, abuse of power and paying for sex with a 17 year old girl. Dominico Lombard, an expert on international monetary relations joins us to discuss the Italian debt crisis and since Berlesconi is reported to be ready to step down after the next budget is approved by parliament, how his exit will effect the future of the Eurozone’s third largest economy. |
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Then finally Jamie Henn joins us. He is the co-founder of the environmental group 350.org which has been leading protests at the White House that culminated with a huge demonstration Sunday against the proposed Keystone pipeline from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. We discuss the political future of the pipeline that has President Obama and the State Department in the hot seat. |
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| MUSIC: Of Montreal - Id Engager; LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations; Modest Mouse - Classy Plastic Lumber; Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource |
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November 7 - An Israeli Perspective Of Striking Iran; What Bloated Defense Budgets Have Bought; Have Bloated Budgets Become The New Norm?
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We begin and analyze statements from Israel’s Shimon Peres saying “the clock is ticking for a military strike on Iran” and warnings from the Russian Foreign Minister that “an attack on Iran would be a very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences”. Gideon Levy, the former spokesman for Shimon Perez, joins us to provide an Israeli perspective on whether the increasingly isolated Netanyahu government is determined to strike Iran. |
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Then we look into the task of cutting $450 billion from the defense budget over ten years that Secretary of Defense is wrestling with, or failing an agreement by the Congressional Supercommittee, Panetta could find himself facing 500 billion in additional reductions over the next decade. First we speak with Russell Rumbaugh who was a defense analyst on the Senate Budget Committee and is author of a new report “What We Bought: Procurement from FY 01 to FY 2010”. We discuss how much of the decade-long 700 billion defense budget, that has doubled since 9/11, will be cut and how. |
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Then William Hartung joins us to provide a different perspective on the defense budget and how to cut it. He is Project Director at the Center For International Policy and the author of “Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military Industrial Complex." |
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| MUSIC: Africa Hitech - Do You Really Want to Fight?; Super Furry Animals - It's Not The End of The World?; Lene Lovich - New Toy; Primus - Sgt. Baker |
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