Meditations and Molotovs: Recent Episodes
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Show Description - Monday, December 11th: On today's program, Vince talks about 'Net Neutrality' and the role of the internet and information technology in our daily lives.
Show Description - Monday, December 4th, 2017: Exactly one year ago, Sergio Alexander Kochergin, Tony B, Vincent Lenartand I traveled to Standing Rock with thousands of veterans from throughout the U.S. to help indigenous peoples stop the construction of an oil pipeline. Unfortunately, we failed. Today, I'll reflect on those experiences and the past year of organizing in the age of Trump.
Today, Meditations and Molotovs airs live from PARC - Politics Art Roots Culture. Yes, you heard that right: we're back to live programming! Vince will be discussing the ongoing organizing work that's taking place in Northwest Indiana and the importance of organizational vision and structure. Organizing is much more an art than a science, nevertheless some techniques and principles work better than others. Let's talk about what works, and what doesn't.
On today's program, Vince speaks with Paul Street about Capitalism, Eco-Socialism, Structural Racism, Political Organizing, the NFL and Vietnam.
Paul is an independent radical-democratic policy researcher, journalist, historian, author and speaker based in Iowa City, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of seven books to date: Empire and Inequality: America and the World Since 9/11 (Boulder, CO: Paradigm, 2004); Segregated Schools: Educational Apartheid in the Post-Civil Rights Era (New York: Routledge, 2005); Racial Oppression in the Global Metropolis: a Living Black Chicago History (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007); Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics (Boulder, CO: Paradigm, 2008); The Empire’s New Clothes: Barack Obama in the Real World of Power (Paradigm, 2010); (with Anthony DiMaggio) Crashing the Tea Party: Mass Media and the Campaign to Remake American Politics (Paradigm, 2011); and They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy (Paradigm, 2014). Paul writes regularly for Truthdig, telesur English, Counterpunch, Black Agenda Report, and Z Magazine.
On today's program, we'll listen to Noam Chomsky's 1985 lecture, 'Lessons of the Vietnam War' in response to Ken Burns' absurd documentary and criminal attempt at white-washing the greatest war crime of the second half of the 20th century.
On today's program, Vince speaks with Charles Derber, who is a professor of sociology at Boston College.
Derber is a prolific writer. Derber's work falls into three major categories. One is a critique of individualism and American culture. In 2000, Oxford University Press printed a 20th year commemorative edition of 'The Pursuit of Attention', marking its status as a classic sociological work. It focuses on ego-centeredness and 'conversational narcissism' in everyday life as structured by class, gender and America’s individualistic culture. Derber's book, 'The Wilding of America', in its fifth edition, is a widely used text in American sociology. It offers a sharp critique of the American Dream and the crisis of hyper-individualism.
Derber is known as a public sociologist who writes for general audiences, offering not only sociological critiques but alternative visions. He appears frequently on talk shows, has written opinion pieces for media including the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, Newsday and Tikkun, and is a regular contributor to Cognoscenti, the opinion page of WBUR, Boston's NPR station. He is one of the most prominent contemporary exemplars of the sociological imagination as championed by C. Wright Mills, and, like Mills, he believes in the importance of melding critical scholarship with social justice activism. Derber has long been active in the peace, environmental and labor movements, from his 1960s work to register African-American voters in the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and his opposition to the Vietnam War to current movements such as Occupy and the struggle to prevent climate change and transform global corporate capitalism into a robust economic and political democracy.
Show Description - Monday, August 28th: On today's program, Vince finishes the series "Racism: A History -A Savage Legacy"
In the name of civilising 'the African,' 90% of Africa was divided among the European powers. Leopold II of Belgium set out to become personally wealthy through his seizure of the Congo, where extreme violence, mutilation and other coercive methods forced the local people to obtain rubber and other raw materials. Between 1880 and 1920 about 10 million people, were killed, yet Leopold built an opulent museum to the colonisation of the Congo, which became the venue of one of the first so-called Human zoos that toured Europe throughout the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.Then the words genocide, holocaust and racism became used in connection with the Nazi treatment of the Jews and it became clear that these were abhorrent. However, it did not change the way things were done towards people of colour.
In South Africa the system of racial classification did not have the intention of exterminating the black population created a bureaucracy to determine and enforce access to resources along racial lines. This included an illusory face of democracy which enabled the government to obtain the support of international governments. After the Sharpeville massacre, the banning of the ANC and arrest of Nelson Mandela, the attacks became increasingly violent and deaths mounted up. In 1976 student riots led to many schoolchildren being killed as well as Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko. Practically every family in South Africa was in some way affected by the killings and torture.
It comes as no surprise that many countries supported South Africa. In the United States African American soldiers returning from the war in 1946 were lynched at the rate of one a week. Protests led finally to the passing of anti-lynching laws. When schools were desegregated, violence erupted, resulting in the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, the photo of whose mutilated face, testimony of extreme viciousness and hate, bore witness of the white man's savagery towards blacks. Four months later the Civil Rights Movement was born, having to deal with years of violent resistance and the murder of two of its leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. However, even the civil rights legislation could not alleviate the ubiquitous poverty.
On today's program, Vince plays Part Two of "Racism: A History" - 'Fatal Impacts.
Part Two examines the controversial theories of Social Darwinism and Scientific Racism, concepts invented during the 19th century. Both ideologies that drew on now discredited practices such as phrenology and provided an ideological justification for racism, slavery and the violence of colonization. These theories ultimately led to eugenics .These same racial theories lived on into the 20th century to become part of the ideology that underpinned the Third Reich and Nazi racial policies of the master race.
On today's program, Vince plays Part One of the BBC documentary film, "Racism: A History - Part 1: The Colour of Money"
Part One of the series begins by assessing the implications of the relationship between Europe, Africa and the Americas in the 15th century. It considers how racist ideas and practices developed in key religious and secular institutions, and how they showed up in writings by European philosophers Aristotle and Immanuel Kant.
On today's program, Vince airs Wendy Brown's lecture, "In the Account of Neoliberalism."
Wendy Brown is Professor of Political Science at the University of California Berkeley. Her research interests include the history of political and social theory, Continental philosophy, and critical theory, together with the examination of contemporary capitalism. In her research into the problems that plague contemporary capitalism and neoliberalism, she employs theoretical works of Michel Foucault, Max Weber, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and Frankfurt school.
On today's program, Vince quickly runs through some current events, shares his reflections on what turned out to be a really useful gathering of progressive activists and organizers over the weekend, and mentions about some of the upcoming events taking place at PARC - Politics Art Roots Culture during the month of August. He also shares some of his first impressions of Michael Albert's new book, "Practical Utopia: Strategies for a Desirable Society."
On today's program, Vince plays Part 3 of Adam Curtis' documentary series, "The Trap."
The final program of Curtis' 2007 series focuses on the concepts of positive and negative liberty introduced in the 1950s by Isaiah Berlin. Curtis briefly explains how negative liberty could be defined as freedom from coercion and positive liberty as the opportunity to strive to fulfill one's potential.
The program begins with a description of the Two Concepts of Liberty, reviewing Berlin's opinion that, since it lacked coercion, negative liberty was the 'safer' of the two. Curtis then explains how many political groups who sought their vision of freedom ended up using violence to achieve it.
Curtis looks at the neo-conservative agenda of the 1980s which argued that violence would sometimes be necessary to achieve their goals, except they wished to spread what they described as democracy. Curtis argued, although the version of society espoused by the neo-conservatives made some concessions towards freedom, it did not offer true freedom.
On today's program, Vince plays Part 2 of Adam Curtis' documentary film, "The Trap: The Lonely Robot."
Part two reiterated many of the ideas of the first part, but developed the theme that drugs such as Prozac and lists of psychological symptoms which might indicate anxiety or depression were being used to normalize behavior and make humans behave more predictably, like machines. This was not presented as a conspiracy theory, but as a logical (although unpredicted) outcome of market-driven self-diagnosis by a check-list based on symptoms, but not actual causes, discussed in part one.
On today's program, Vince features Part 1 of Adam Curtis' documentary series, "The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom?"
Individual freedom is the dream of our age. It's what our leaders promise to give us, it defines how we think of ourselves and, repeatedly, we have gone to war to impose freedom around the world. But if you step back and look at what freedom actually means for us today, it's a strange and limited kind of freedom.
Politicians promised to liberate us from the old dead hand of bureaucracy, but they have created an evermore controlling system of social management, driven by targets and numbers. Governments committed to freedom of choice have presided over a rise in inequality and a dramatic collapse in social mobility. And abroad, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the attempt to enforce freedom has led to bloody mayhem and the rise of an authoritarian anti-democratic Islamism. This, in turn, has helped inspire terrorist attacks in Britain. In response, the Government has dismantled long-standing laws designed to protect our freedom.
On today's program, Vince examines the conspiratorial left and the organizations, media outlets and individuals who support it. In order for poor and working-class people to effectively organize in the long-term, we must reject the nihilism, cynicism and apathy produced by those entities. Unfortunately, these trends are not limited to progressive movements in the U.S.
On today's program, Vince is joined by Sarah Zawaki, as they talk about the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, gun violence in the U.S., new shipping lanes in the Great Lakes, climate change in Antarctica, police violence in Seattle, the Grenfell Tower massacre and the ongoing cultural divide between rural and urban Americans.
On today's program, Vince recaps the last several weeks of news, political actions and events, including local and regional campaigns and upcoming actions. Also, since many people inquired via email, text and phone, Vince talks about why he didn't attend "The People's Summit" in Chicago this past weekend.
On today's program, Vince is joined by two of his favorite people: Shumani Tutanka Owachi and Sergio Alexander Kochergin. They discuss all sorts of current events, but primarily the upcoming "Re-Defining Memorial Day" event that's taking place on Saturday, May 27th at P.A.R.C. in Michigan City.
On today's program, Vince spends the hour listening to Michael Hardt, a longtime friend of the program and someone whose work continues to serve as a guide for 21st century leftists. Michael Hardt (b. 1960) is a political philosopher and literary theorist, best known for three books he co-authored with Antonio Negri: Empire (2000), Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire (2004), and Commonwealth (2009). The trilogy, in particular its first volume—Empire—has often been hailed as the “Communist Manifesto of the 21st Century.” Michael Hardt is a professor of literature at Duke University and a professor of philosophy at The European Graduate School / EGS.
Hardt and Negri have also written Labor of Dionysus: a Critique of the State-form (1994) and Declaration (2012). Aside from these works, Hardt has also written Gilles Deleuze: an Apprenticeship in Philosophy (1993), as well as numerous articles, including: The Withering of Civil Society (1995), Prison Time (1997), Affective Labour (1999), Jefferson and Democracy (2007), and How to Write with Four Hands (2013).
On today's program, Vince plays Part 4 of Adam Curtis' documentary, "Century of the Self." In this episode, "Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering," Curtis explains how politicians on the left, in both Britain and America, turned to the techniques developed by business to read and fulfill the inner desires of the self.
Both New Labour, under Tony Blair, and the Democrats, led by Bill Clinton, used the focus group, which had been invented by psychoanalysts, in order to regain power. They set out to mould their policies to people's inner desires and feelings, just as capitalism had learnt to do with products.
Out of this grew a new culture of public relations and marketing in politics, business and journalism. One of its stars in Britain was Matthew Freud who followed in the footsteps of his relation, Edward Bernays, the inventor of public relations in the 1920s.
Monday, May 1st - On today's program Vince plays Part 3 of Adam Curtis' documentary, "Century of the Self." In the 1960s, a radical group of psychotherapists challenged the influence of Freudian ideas in America. They were inspired by the ideas of Wilhelm Reich, a pupil of Freud's, who had turned against him and was hated by the Freud family. He believed that the inner self did not need to be repressed and controlled. It should be encouraged to express itself.
Out of this came a political movement that sought to create new beings free of the psychological conformity that had been implanted in people's minds by business and politics. This program shows how this rapidly developed in America through self-help movements like Werber Erhard's Erhard Seminar Training - into the irresistible rise of the expressive self: the Me Generation.
But the American corporations soon realized that this new self was not a threat but their greatest opportunity. It was in their interest to encourage people to feel they were unique individuals and then sell them ways to express that individuality. To do this they turned to techniques developed by Freudian psychoanalysts to read the inner desires of the new self.
On today's program, Vince plays Part 2 of Adam Curtis' documentary "Century of Self" - "Engineering Consent." This episode explores how those in power in post-war America used Freud's ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses.
The US government, the CIA and corporations came to believe Freud's underlying premise - that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires and fears. They were convinced that it was the unleashing of these instincts that had led to the barbarism of Nazi Germany. To stop it ever happening again they set out to find ways to control this hidden enemy within the human mind.
On today's program, Vince plays Part 1 of the four part documentary series Century of Self.
The Century of the Self is a 2002 British television documentary series by filmmaker Adam Curtis that focuses on the work of psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud, and PR consultant Edward Bernays. In episode one, Curtis says, "This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy."
On today's program, Vince speaks with TruthOut's top environmental journalist, his friend Dahr Jamail. Vince first met Dahr back in 2007 when he was working with the antiwar movement and Dahr was writing his book on GI Resistance (after returning from Iraq, where his unembedded reporting was second to none). Today, however, they talk about abrupt climate change, staying sane in the context of ecological collapse, and why they remain engaged in activism.
Dahr spent more than one year in Iraq as one of only a few independent US journalists in the country. He has also has reported from Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. He is now focussing on anthropogenic climate disruption and the environment.
Dahr’s stories have been published with Truthout, Inter Press Service, Tom Dispatch, The Sunday Herald in Scotland, The Guardian, Foreign Policy in Focus, Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, The Huffington Post, The Nation, The Independent, and Al Jazeera, among others. Dahr’s writing has been translated into French, Polish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Turkish. On radio as well as television, Dahr has reported for Democracy Now! and Al-Jazeera, and has appeared on the BBC, NPR, and numerous other stations around the globe.
On today's program, Vince revisits a theme he's written and talked about for many years: blowback, or, the unintended yet predictable consequences of militarism and empire. Russia, as a result of their military actions in the Middle East and beyond, experienced another form of blowback today, as nine people were murdered when someone (or a group of people) detonated an explosive device in a crowded metro station in St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, analysts and corporate media outlets in the U.S. engage in detailed debates and conversations about the causes and consequences of Russian militarism and blowback, while never drawing comparisons to the U.S.
On today's program, Vince speaks with Andrew J. Bacevich about his most recent book, "America's War for the Greater Middle East." Bacevich is Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he received his PhD in American Diplomatic History from Princeton University. Before joining the faculty of Boston University, he taught at West Point and Johns Hopkins.
Bacevich is the author of Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War (2010). His previous books include The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (2008); The Long War: A New History of US National Security Policy since World War II (2007) (editor); The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War (2005); and American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U. S. Diplomacy (2002).
Bush, Blair and Co. are primarily responsible for the war in Iraq and the horrors that followed, however liberals, Democrats, and particularly the corporate news media (the same folks who gave the world President Trump) share a large portion of responsibility as well. They created the atmosphere necessary for the faux "War on Terror" (can't wage war on a tactic), which is simply the latest justification for U.S. hegemony and imperialism. Today, let's talk about history and why it still and always matters.
On today's program, Vince talks about the importance of culture in the realm of political organizing. All too often political events are dry, stuffy and honestly, not very fun. But that's not always the case. From Chicago's West Side to Melbourne, Australia, and beyond, Vince has encountered activists, artists and poets who are creating non-consumerist spaces and culture that truly engages their respective communities. The ultimate goal is to empower people to create their own spaces, mediums, outlets and so on. Creating culture shouldn't be intimidating - it should be fun.
March 6th - 2017: On today's program, Vince finishes his three part conversation with Sergio Alexander Kochergin as they reflect on their time with Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and the broader peace and justice movement. They also discuss Sergio's time in India, studying in the EU and reflections on activism and political organizing.
Today is part two of Vince's conversation with former Scout Sniper (USMC), activist, filmmaker and Vince's main compadre, the great Sergio Alexander Kochergin.
Sergio has a Master's Degree in Political Economy of Agriculture and the Environment and Economics of Development at the University of Rotterdam's Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands. For the past 24 months, he's been working on a documentary about events in Ukraine, where Sergio was born and raised.
On today's program Vince is joined by former Scout Sniper (USMC), activist, filmmaker and his main compadre, the great Sergio Alexander Kochergin. Sergio and Vince served together in the Marine Corps and have been involved with progressive activism ever since. This is Part I of their two part conversation.
Sergio has a Master's Degree in Political Economy of Agriculture and the Environment and Economics of Development at the University of Rotterdam's Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands. For the past 24 months, he's been working on a documentary about events in Ukraine, where Sergio was born and raised.
Vince is joined by world-class musician, martial artist, free-thinker and all-around interesting cat, Josh McClain.
Joshua McClain, from Oakland, CA, is a progressive cellist who loops and layers his sound live on stage—while classically trained he mixes Jimmy Hendrix-style rock ballads with blues, jazz, folk, and electronic music to produce all original compositions and soundscapes using only the cello. This year Josh is producing his 2nd studio album - a concept album that follows a hero's journey, all the way down to the depths of the shadows, where the listener is asked to look at themselves deeply, and face what's inside.
Here's a link to Josh's indiegogo campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/…/josh-mcclain-s-2nd-studio-album…
On today's program, Vince is joined by Olga Bautista. Olga is a life long resident and community organizer of Chicago’s Southeast Side. She is a founding member of Chicago’s Southeast Side Coalition to Ban Petcoke and ran as a candidate for Alderman of Chicago's 10th Ward in 2015. Olga continues to devote her time and energy toward building progressive political movements throughout the Chicagoland region.
On today's program, Vince speaks with Charles Glass about his recent book, "Syria Burning: ISIS and the Death of the Arab Spring." Charles Glass is a broadcaster, journalist and writer, who began his journalistic career in 1973 at the ABC News Beirut bureau with Peter Jennings. He covered the October Arab-Israeli War on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. He also covered civil war in Lebanon, where artillery fire wounded him in 1976.
He was ABC News Chief Middle East correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1993, he has been a freelance writer in Paris, Tuscany, Venice and London, regularly covering the Middle East, the Balkans, southeast Asia and the Mediterranean region. He has also published books, short stories, essays and articles in the United States and Europe.
On today's program Vince speaks with Paul Street about Barrack Obama's neoliberal legacy, Dr. King's radicalism and the future of leftwing political movements under a Trump presidency. Paul Street is an independent radical-democratic policy researcher, journalist, historian, author and speaker based in Iowa City, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of seven books to date, including "Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics," (Boulder, CO: Paradigm, 2008), "The Empire’s New Clothes: Barack Obama in the Real World of Power" (Paradigm, 2010), also w/Anthony DiMaggio, "Crashing the Tea Party: Mass Media and the Campaign to Remake American Politics" (Paradigm, 2011), and "They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy" (Paradigm, 2014).
On today's show, I'll talk about the so-called "Russian Hacking scandal," Donald Trump's first 100 days, upcoming events in the Chicagoland region, Brexit, Syria and the sad ending to the life of the Pioneer Cabin Tree.
Show Description - MONDAY, DECEMBER 12th - On today's program, Vince talks about love, the holidays, anti-Russian propaganda, Standing Rock, the unfortunate state of leftwing activism in the U.S., and why we should occasionally disconnect from social media and various other forms of manufactured digital realities.
Meditations and Molotovs "Live From Standing Rock" features Vincent's reflections on his recent trip to the encampments and why he thinks the tribal leadership squandered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On today's program, Vince speaks to one of the best organizers in Chicago, who also happens to be one of Vince's best friends - Roberto Jesus, otherwise known as "Joliet Jake," will be joining us for the hour. The conversation covers the anti-globalization movements of the 1990s, WTO protests, antiwar activism under Bush, Wisconsin, Occupy, Obama, and community organizing. This podcast is an excellent educational tool for organizing, especially for those who are just starting their political journey.
Roberto Clack is a community and labor organizer who lives in Chicago. Roberto was the primary organizer for Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) - Chicago, from 2007-2013. He's a former organizer with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) and the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC). He is currently the co-coordinator of the 25th Ward Independent Political Organization (IPO), which is located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago.
Today's program will cover a broad range of issues: local organizing, NDPL, Trump's appointments and why I think the vast majority of progressive political organizations and movements are not prepared - mentally, emotionally, physically, organizationally, politically - for Trump's reign as Il Duce.
On today's program, Vince interviews his friend, activist and writer, Ramon Mejia (the baddest hombre this side of the Mississippi).
Ramon is from Dallas, Texas, and enlisted in the Marine Corps upon graduating high school in July 2001 out of economic necessity in order to support his wife and daughter. Ramon served in Supply Ops. and participated in the initial invasion of Iraq, deploying to Dhi Qar Province in 2003. After suffering from multiple seizures, Ramon was placed on med board and discharged from the Marines in Nov 04. As a result of his experience in Iraq, he converted to Islam in 2008. Since then, Ramon has opposed the war and all US military expeditions around the world. He's been an active organizer over the last year or so in countering local manifestations of hate and racism by neo-Nazis and protest of mosques by a paramilitary group in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He currently resides in Biloxi, Mississippi.
On today's program, Vince reflects on 18 months of electoral madness and what people should expect over the next four to eight years under a potential Clinton Presidency.
On today's program, Vince interviews author and activist, Dr. Dahlia Wasfi. Dr. Dahlia Wasfi was born in the United States in 1971 to an American Jewish mother and an Iraqi Muslim father. After graduating from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Biology in 1993, she earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 but left medicine in 2002. Today, she works for social justice. Dr. Wasfi has made two trips to Iraq to visit her extended family since the 2003 "Shock and Awe" invasion, including a three month stay in Basrah in the spring of 2006. She is an activist in support of ending the US-led and US-funded occupations (military and economic) of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
Dahlia is currently working on a book that humanizes the victims of American and Israeli policy “From the Nile to the Euphrates.” On Twitter, her username is @liberatethis
Today, Vince speaks with author, activist and global citizen Deena Stryker about her book, "Cuba: A Diary of the Revolution" (Tayen Lane).
It has been nearly five decades since Deena Stryker, then Boyer, journeyed to Cuba. Deena, a photojournalist went to revolutionary Cuba to both write and photograph the struggles, the trials and disagreements, the victories, and losses of the Cuban people. There she experienced the revolution first hand and enjoyed numerous conversations and powerful moments with its revolutionary leaders—Castro, Che, Celia, and a host of Revolutionaries. Cuba, A Diary of the Revolution is the documented account of that journey during the early years of Cuba’s revolution in the early 1960’s and also a candid look at the Cuba of today as it comes to detente with the US.
Philadelphian Deena Stryker studied in Paris, became a French citizen by marriage, debuted at Agence France Presse in Rome, then, as Deena Boyer, followed Fellini’s creative process for The Two Hundred Days of ’81/2’. The proceeds enabled her to interview Fidel Castro for a major French weekly, meeting with him again a week after the Kennedy assassination, and several times in 1964 for this book.
Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the U.S. and Donald Trump will be in the media even more than he is today (recent reports have him starting his own cable channel - we'll see). His supporters, emboldened but disorganized, will remain.
But where does that leave the rest of us? What should we expect from a Clinton presidency? And how will activists, particularly the millions who were mobilized for Sanders, respond?
On today's program, Vince recaps the second presidential "debate" in all its wonderful madness and banality. He also discuss the possibility of organizing Trump's supporters and why he thinks The Donald's campaign has been the best learning experience for Americans in over a century.
Plus, why are liberals, progressives and Democrats silent as Clinton escalates Cold War 2.0 with Russia? Scoring cheap political points while simultaneously provoking war - textbook American liberalism! Hillary must have learned a thing or two from JFK.
On today's program, Vince is joined in studio by Samantha Castro, the Operations Coordinator for Friends of the Earth (Melbourne, Australia). Vince and Samantha talk about ecology, feminism and how to build more effective political movements.
Fifteen years after 9/11 and Americans have learned very little about war, violence, revenge, history, terrorism and empire.
So, for today's program, Vince plays Howard Zinn's famous speech,"Three Holy Wars" (The Revolutionary War, The Civil War and World War II) because these idealized wars must be questioned if we ever hope to stop the madness of U.S. Empire.
Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance sparked an important conversation and debate about nationalism and American Exceptionalism - an essential conversation more Americans should have. For this, he should be commended, not admonished. As Albert Einstein once noted, "Nationalism is an infantile disease." Of course, the same is true today, yet I hear less and less progressive and leftwing activists say so. Why? Is nationalism the ultimate taboo in American political discourse?
When will a prominent American athlete draw attention to the millions of people of color the U.S. military has killed overseas in the name of American Exceptionalism and under the banner of the U.S. flag? That's the conversation no one wants to have.
Show Description - AUGUST 22nd: On today's program, Vince explores a wide-range of issues, from the ways in which media consolidation colors our collective culture, to the absurdity of nationalism and why he loathes the Olympics. This off-script show is sure to entertain.
Today, Vince is joined by artist, public educator and community organizer,Thomas Frank. Thomas is leading the research team that's examining the situation in East Chicago, Indiana, where over 1,500 residents and students are being forced to move from their homes and schools as a result of lead and arsenic poisoning. We'll talk about the history of industrial crimes and ecological devastation that plague East Chicago and the surrounding region, the residents who are fighting back, and how you can get involved.
Vince talks about his recent article for CounterPunch, why the U.S. lacks an antiwar movement and what antiwar activists could do in the future to be more effective. After ten years of working with antiwar movements around the globe, Vince has seen the many ways in which those movements limit their own productivity. Interestingly, antiwar movements ranging from Spain to Australia are facing similar difficulties.
On today's program, Vince discusses the Khan family (recently made famous during their performance at the DNC in Philadelphia), Identity Politics (particularly Muslim-Americans and Veterans) within the context of the War on Terror, Jill Stein and the Green Party that doesn't exist, lead poisoning in East Chicago, uprisings in Naples, Italy, and world's disappearing water aquifers.
Today's program features Vince's reflections on the Fascist madness unleashed during last week's RNC in Cleveland. Vince also previews the Neoliberal madness that will be unleashed in Philadelphia starting today and talks about Debbie Wasserman Schultz (the ultimate apologist for Israeli terrorism), the Democratic Party, why I'm not in Philly, Russia, Wikileaks, Christo-Fascist Mike Pence, and the naivety of Bernie Sanders supporters.
In America, the chickens have come home to roost: killer cops, deranged veterans, Christian Fascists, racial apartheid, Neoliberal dynasties, Pokémon Go, and the rise of Donald Trump. Indeed, there's plenty to talk about on this somber and muggy Monday.
Most importantly, let's remember that the police and the military are sources of violence and instability, not peace and security. This is as true in Iraq and Afghanistan as it is in Baton Rouge and Chicago.
On today's program, Vince reflects on the difficulties of radio and listener expectations. More importantly, Vince talks about policing, violence, BLM, militarization, robotics technologies, resistance and why events such as those that took place in Dallas, Texas are just the tip of the iceberg.
Today's program features a discussion on the Brexit vote. Vince talks about what the vote means, and what it doesn't mean. He also explores procedural and legal challenges, the various ideologies and organizations that supported the "leave" vote and their connection to Trump's supporters, and what the Brexit vote means for Left political movements around the globe. Most importantly, Vince suggests that the Left shouldn't tear itself apart over the Brexit results. There is plenty of room for disagreement and solidarity. It would be wise to recognize that both sides have legitimate concerns and suggestions. Political, economic and media elites want to divide progressives. It's up to us to reject this false narrative and provide alternatives to both nation-state capitalism and neoliberal-EU capitalism.
On today's program, Vince speaks with author and activist Liza Featherstone, who recently edited a collection of essays entitled, "False Choices: The Faux Feminism of Hillary Rodham Clinton." They discuss Liza's perspective on the 2016 elections, feminism, political activism and much more.
Liza Featherstone is a contributing writer to The Nation. A free-lance journalist and essayist, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday, Columbia Journalism Review, Salon, Slate and many other publications. Featherstone is also the author of Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart (Basic Books, 2004). Last year, she was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business and Economics Journalism at Columbia University.
There is simply no way to understand the massacre in Orlando without asking fundamental questions about our society, its various institutions, cultures and ideologies.
Hence, today's program features a discussion concerning violence, guns, patriarchy, capitalism, civilization, homophobia, religion, militarism, racism, ecological devastation and how all of these things are inherently connected.
In the end, the government isn't taking anyone's guns in the U.S. There will be no "buy back" program. There will be no "confiscation efforts." And there surely won't be a "ban on assault weapons" in the near future. In the meantime, what are decent Americans to do?
Today, Vince speaks to everyone's favorite professor, sociologist and labor activist, Kim Scipes. They discuss Kim's latest book, "Building Global Labor Solidarity in a Time of Accelerating Globalization" (Haymarket). Building Global Labor Solidarity in a Time of Accelerating Globalization is a call for international solidarity to resist the assaults on labor’s power. This collection of essays by international labor activists and academics examines models of worker solidarity, different forms of labor organizations, and those models’ and organizations’ relationships to social movements and civil society.
Kim Scipes is associate professor of sociology at Purdue University Northwest in Westville, Indiana. He has previously authored two books: KMU: Building Genuine Trade Unionism in the Philippines, 1980–1994 (New Day Books, 1996) and AFL-CIO’s Secret War Against Developing Country Workers: Solidarity or Sabotage? (Lexington Books, 2010).
Hot dogs and hand grenades, mattress sales and murder tales: Memorial Day 2016! Vince talks about the U.S. Empire, the war in Iraq and his reflections on militarism and his time in the U.S. Marine Corps ten years after being discharged (yes, it's been that long). Vince makes the connection between war abroad and austerity at home. Why must we ditch nationalism? How can we challenge these ideologies? Tune in and check it out.
On today's program, Vince addresses a question he's been asked thousands of times as an activist and writer: "What do you want?" And, more importantly, "How are we going to get it?" The Left knows what it doesn't want - exploitation, inequality, dis-empowerment, racism - but what replaces the structures, institutions and cultures that produce these phenomena? People can resist all they wish, but without a vision for the future, resistance is futile. Let's talk about the future.
Today, Vince speaks with author, activist and alternative media pioneer, Michael Albert. Michael is the founder of ZNet and ZMagazine and the co-founder of South End Press. He is the author of over 21 books, ranging from economics and philosophy to politics and visions for the future. They discuss his early years as an activist, current social movements, the alternative media landscape, the 2016 elections and much more.
On today's program, Vince goes solo for the hour and talks about Bernie Sanders' Indiana victory, his experience with the campaign - both good and bad, and what Hoosier activists should be thinking about and doing as we move beyond the Quadrennial Electoral Extravaganza. Also, Vince informs people of how they can plug into the "Break Free From Fossil Fuels" event that's taking place in Whiting, Indiana on May 15th.
Vince interviews activist and artist Thomas Frank. Thomas lives in Northwest Indiana and has worked with various progressive and environmental organizations throughout Chicagoland and the broader Midwestern Region. They discuss many topics, but their primary focus is on the "Break Free From Fossil Fuels" event that is taking place in Whiting, Indiana on Sunday, May 15th. Break Free is a series of international events that are taking place from May 6th - May 15th.
Today's program is the second part of a two-part series on the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, Bernie Sanders, Socialism, Neoliberalism, the Green Party, Democrats, Race, Empire, the Left, and what's not being talked about during the 2016 Quadrennial U.S. Election Extravaganza.
Today, Vince reflects on the 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, Bernie Sanders, Socialism, Neoliberalism, the Green Party, Democrats, Race, Empire, the Left, and what's not being talked about during the 2016 Quadrennial U.S. Election Extravaganza.
The Private Prison Industry, Immigrant Detention Facilities, Racism, De-industrialization and the End of Capitalism. Dispatches from the Rust Belt with Samuel Love. On today's program, Vince interviews Gary, Indiana native, activist and artist, Sam Love, who is currently organizing to stop GEO Group from building yet another prison - this time, in Gary. Vince and Samuel talk about growing up in the Rust Belt, progressive activism, Chicago politics and building broad coalitions across racial and ethnic boundaries.
Who is Vincent Emanuele? Vince talks about his family, friends, and growing up in the Rust Belt. He also describes, in brutal detail, his experiences in the Marine Corps and Iraq. The second half of the show contains Vincent's reflections on antiwar activism and the Left. This program provides a good introduction to the life an work of Vincent Emanuele, and what people should expect from future shows.