International News Archives - Keeping Democracy Alive: Recent Episodes
Burt Cohen
We’re in Monroe Doctrine 2.0. Our guest on today’s show Terie Matson is in Mexico City, the other side of Rubio’s multipolar scheme for division of the world. Trumps random attack on Venezuelan vessels is but a symptom or a
The post What’s Happening in “Our Backyard?” Sovereignty Is Happening. appeared first on KDA Keeping Democracy Alive Podcast & Radio Show.
There are two petrostate oligarchies linking up and gravely threatening what had been a rock solid alliance: Europe and the US. The traditionally shared moral universe of Europe and the rest of the “Free World” is suddenly gone. On this
The post Europe Now Squeezed By Trump and Putin’s Pincer appeared first on KDA Keeping Democracy Alive Podcast & Radio Show.
So much history of over-reliance on military solutions when governments don’t have the support of the people, yet we’re doing it again in Africa. Our guest who has major experience in the White House and Defense Department is Dr. Gordon
The post US Africa Policy: “Willful Disregard of Reality” appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
In phase one of French elections, the far right of Marine LePen did very well, winning about a third of the total. The next and crucial vote is July 7. According to on-the-ground reporter, Oliver Haynes, President Macron is likely
The post On the French Election: First Far Right Regime Since WWII? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
In phase one of French elections, the far right of Marine LePen did very well, winning about a third of the total. The next and crucial vote is July 7. According to on-the-ground reporter, Oliver Haynes, President Macron is likely
The post On the French Election: First Far Right Regime Since WWII? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Used to be Labour was left, Tories were conservative. Now it seems each party is trying to be just like the other. This right before PM Rishi Sunak shocked everyone by scheduling a new election for July fourth. And stirring
The post Snap UK Elections: A Fight for Mediocrity appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Progressive Americans have looked to Europe for successful building of a strong economy which addresses climate change effectively. But now there is a new rise of a far right throughout Europe, starting with Trump’s buddy Orban in Hungary. As with
The post The End of Europe? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
India enjoys a romanticized image; you may think of Gandhi or the Beatles visit there. The reality is open repression and violence against the large Muslim minority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited America and the bulldozer is the symbol
The post Not Just America: India’s Exceptionally Harsh Religious Nationalism appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The big fish love the UN Security Council. It keeps them able to make wars. But the UN was not always toothless nor must it always remain so. Two badly behaved little boys really can’t be the only option for
The post With Courage In The UN, Peace is Possible in Ukraine appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Keeping one ethnicity in control: The Israeli state and Modi’s India. Palestinians and India’s Muslim minority. The chumminess of Bibi and Modi. And in both cases, the oppressors ask: who lit the fire? On this show, Stan Cox explains the
The post Parallels: Israel and India; Bibi and Modi appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The Republicans in power are set against themselves: on one hand there’s the revved up old Cold Warriors targeting China. On the other hand there’s the strength of the big business powers who see their futures tied to China. On
The post US Powers Split on China Policy appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The thousands of islands in the global south have been treated as toys by the western “civilizers.” Though they are responsible for less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions, today their voices are not part of the conversation on dealing
The post Sea Change: As Islands Sink, Will Communities Rise? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
India enjoys a greatly romanticized image; you may think of Gandhi or the Beatles visit there. The reality is open repression and violence against the large Muslim minority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon visit America and his Hindu
The post It’s Not Just in America: India’s Harsh Religious Nationalism appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
All refugees lives are threatened equally, so why are Ukrainians handed the welcome mat as it is denied to most others? On this show, Columbia University Professor and co-author Helen Benedict shares what she’s found in the new book Map
The post Only Refugees Who Look Like Us Are Welcomed. appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
It took a mere ten days before the UK’s new prime minister blew it big time. Liz Truss’s budget was instantly panned; pretending to be trickle down, it gushes money upwards to those who need it least. On this show
The post The Beloved Queen is Gone, Now the Class War Resumes appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Of all the motivations for war, nostalgia is at the top. Longing for an imagined glorious past. We see it not only in Ukraine but in many former empires, like France. And this nostalgia plays itself out in racist nationalist
The post The Murderous Power of Imperial Nostalgia appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
What had been a strong established left in France has seen much of its support move to the right. People who feel left out and looked down on see a kindred spirit in the far right candidacy of Marine LePen.
The post Will the French Republic (and the EU) Survive? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait, we went to war. With Russia massing at the Ukraine border, we threaten war. But when the repressive kingdom of Morocco claims possession of another distinct nation, silence from the US. The rest of the world
The post The Last Colony: Western Sahara appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The words seem so obviously neutral and just technical. In her new book “Does Skill Make US Human?” author Natasha Iskander reveals that the language of skill versus unskilled is being used to justify dehumanizing workers in Qatar, much the
The post “Skilled/Unskilled” New Political Categories appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Here we are well into the 21st century and we’re stuck on imperialism, a 19th century western idea. Meanwhile a new non-western, non-American, nonaligned world is emerging. And perhaps it’s a very good thing. On this show international journalist Patrick
The post The Emerging Post-American Non-West Order appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Here we are well into the 21st century and we’re stuck on imperialism, a 19th century western idea. Meanwhile a new non-western, non-American, nonaligned world is emerging. And perhaps it’s a very good thing. On this show international journalist Patrick
The post The Emerging Post-American Non-West Order appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
It’s a rich country full of poor people. With his teaching pencil as a symbol, from the countryside Pedro Castillo is the winner of the very tight but certified free and fair June 6th presidential election. The candidate of the
The post Rural Teacher Elected President in Peru While the Right Claims Fraud. appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Fossil fueled fascism is not limited to the west. The roots of India’s ruling party go back to Mussolini and Nazis. Repressing minorities as they increase wealth and power of the autocratic rulers. The US is tight with Prime Minister
The post The Rise of Fascism: It’s India’s Turn appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
On part one: By strict legal standards, Donald Trump is obviously guilty. But the impeachment trial is a political not a legal proceeding, the Republican majority senate is the jury. And according to Marjorie Cohn, former president of the National
The post Two-fer: Senate Trial Realities and Biden’s China Conundrum appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Smeared and driven from leadership of the British Labour Party. Relentlessly attacked by the uniquely powerful British tabloid media, our guest today Matt Sarb-Cousin argues there’s never been a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. Except perhaps America’s own Bernie Sanders. Trump
The post The UK’s Jeremy Corbyn: What Now? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The world is as they say it is. Never mind the people who actually live there, Trump and Pompeo decided and imposed new boundaries between Morocco and Algeria. It may start a war between them but at least it gets
The post Trump and Pompeo Dictate New Map on Africa//Franco Still Dead appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
They went from a tiny group at the fringe to the third largest political party in Greece. In the birthplace of democracy, after a five year trial, the most significant anti-fascist trial since Nuremberg, the Golden Dawn has been convicted.
The post Greek Fascist Party Convicted as a Criminal Gang appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Militarized police against African Americans and Africans as well. There’s a sharp rise in consciousness from the murder of George Floyd witnessed by millions. The many resources in Africa have been a curse for that continent, according to our guest
The post BLM Movement and Shut Down AFRICOM appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Whatever you say about Donald Trump, he is a skilled provocateur. The instant Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign, there was Trump, sowing divisions, insisting Bernie supporters “have a home” in the Trump campaign. Of course very few would ever fall
The post Trump Provocateur Against Democrats//Weaponizing Coronavirus on Iran and Venezuela appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Putting out wildfires is one thing but how about paying attention to the causes? Our guest today is Daniel Judt who wrote a cover story for The Nation: “Australia’s Devastating Wildfires Were Not Inevitable.” Australia is among the highest emitters
The post Australia’s Fires: Both Victim and Perpetrator appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
There’s been no coverage in America of the extended turmoil engulfing France since early December. But it is huge, and it is a major intensification of a worldwide struggle against neoliberal globalism. As Macron’s government and so many others aim
The post Massive French Strike: What You Haven’t Heard appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Hard to imagine but the mainstream media has it wrong. What has been pictured as a crushing blow was actually a victory for progressive politics in the UK. Across Europe and Britain, working people are standing up against what our
The post Brit Election Was Actually a Win for Anti-Globalist Left–Really! appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Chinese leadership in Beijing is very insecure. They control many distinct regions of the vast country and what’s going on right now in Hong Kong makes them worry about leakage. Former Hong Kong and China correspondent for BusinessWeek Dave Lindorff
The post Hong Kong Explained appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
It didn’t start with W’s 2003 war on Iraq. The British have plundered what is now Iraq since the 19th century. After the incredible economic and physical devastation and perhaps a million deaths, though little noticed in the news, the
The post Plundered Iraq Rising Up appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Consumed with Brexit, the old upper and lower class divisions are themselves divided. According to professor Kenneth Surin, a Brit teaching at Duke, the decision made by voters in the upcoming general election will be of major importance. On one
The post The Crucial December 12th British Election Explained appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
We all know that, thanks to Trump giving them a green light, Erdogan’s Turkish military is now aggressively slaughtering the stateless Kurdish people. Kurdish women warriors were exceptionally effective in their fight against our common enemy ISIS. Yet Trump abandoned
The post The Kurds are a Nation; Why Don’t They Have a State? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Bolivia’s first indigenous president Evo Morales brought better lives to many of the dispossessed, yet he was recently overthrown. What of the role of the US and Brazil’s right wing leader Bolsonaro? On part one Bolivia scholar Nicole Fabricant explains
The post The Truth On Bolivia//Believing Trumps Lies appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Across Europe tens of millions of refugees are living in horrible conditions, as countries erect razor wire to keep them out. Our guest today Tim Horgan of the World Affairs Council argues it is best to keep people where they
The post A Real Solution To Refugee Crisis appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Did Trump mean to be anti-Semitic with his insistence that Jewish Americans who vote Democratic are disloyal? According to our first guest, civil justice advocate and attorney Mark Bello, without question yes, Trump is anti-Semitic. And he says Trump is
The post Trump and “Disloyal Jews”//The Corpse of Franco and Democracy in Spain appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
He’s often said to be England’s Trump. And many hope his reign as Prime Minister of the UK will be the shortest in British history. How much damage will Boris Johnson do to formerly great Britain? The chaos is astounding.
The post BoJo’s Brexit Helter Skelter appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
The middle fiddled and the right has risen. With the European Union elections fast approaching (May 23-26) the ascendancy of the racist right and the demise of the traditional mainstream left will be tested. On this show, Foreign Policy In
The post Europe at Cliff’s Edge appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Always out of the headlines, on purpose, America’s military footprint truly spands the globe. And how well is our nearly 18 year old “war on terror” going? Is it working? After what she calls a “research odyssey” Stephanie Savell of
The post Fueling The Backfire: Our Everywhere War on Terror appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
It’s not a shooting war. Not yet anyway. But already begun is a 21st century version of war. And the fate of the earth is at stake. As both the US and China pour hundreds of billions into this intense
The post We Are At War With China appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
If you thought something was fishy about what we’re being told about Venezuela you were right. The scene of blocked humanitarian aid at the bridge? Well the bridge has never opened. Our guest Alliance for Global Justice’s Chuck Kaufman goes
The post Venezuela: Behind the Crafted Image appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Neither the traditional French Socialist Party nor the right wing National Front, the yellow vest movement sweeping across France is something new, leaving the political powers including President Macron befuddled. With about 70% public support, the people on the streets
The post France’s Yellow Vest Movement Explained appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
A wall isn’t going to work. What will work is addressing the reasons desperate Central Americans walk a thousand miles. Foreign Affairs columnist Patrick Lawrence suggests ways to alleviate the conditions causing the caravan. And on part two, why did
The post Obvious Migrant Solution//CNN Fires Professor appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
It’s right there for us to learn from. Not facing history has terrible consequences. With the rise of right wing authoritarian Trumpism in America the long dead Spanish dictator Franco is being reborn. As Spanish political history professor at Oberlin,
The post Not Learning From History: Franco Not Dead Anymore//WWI Women appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Bombing a school bus that killed 44 children in Yemen was almost two months ago! We Americans have had so many other distractions since then. But the marriage of commerce and war continues largely unnoticed. The military contractors learned that
The post Yemen: An Accountability Free Zone appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.
Nearly every inch of Africa used to be owned and controlled by the colonial powers: British, French, German, Portuguese, Belgian, Spain. Mussolini’s Italy finally went after its share with a one sided assault on Ethiopia in 1936. Is the long
The post Pan-Africanism: Can Colonialism Be Overcome? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.