Category: Podcast Info

Tibet documentary; single payer for California. Filmmaker Tenzing Sonam talks about the new documentary, The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom”, a fascinating new film that covers the 2008 uprising in Tibet and features many comments from the Dalai Lama in public and private. The film explores the divisions among Tibet citizens and exiles over the Dalai Lama’s “middle way approach” (calling for autonomy instead of independence), the Buddhist principles of nonviolence, and the call for independence in the face of China’s control of Tibet. Andrew McGuire is a longtime activist who brought us the fire-safe cigarette, California’s ban on assault weapons and other health and safety programs. He now leads California One Care in the ongoing political battle for single payer health care. You are invited to create your own message supporting single payer, joining Lily Tomlin, Elliott Gould and many others in the campaign to build support for real reform. McGuire offers a political roadmap to passage, and inspires renewed determination to overcome corporate power to provide health care to all.

The Internets: Social Network Bill of Rights, Legalize online gambling? Two reports on the web: first, attorney Lisa Borodkin reports from the conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy in San Jose. Borodkin and USC law professor Jack Lerner have proposed a bill of rights for social media; she discusses the real lack of privacy and control by users over Facebook and other sites, how most people are clueless about their exposure online, and that operators take advantage of user ignorance. One example: after you delete a photo from Facebook, it is still archived and available to anyone with the correct URL. In our second segment, we talk with Melanie Brenner, head of Poker Voters of America, who is promoting California Senate Bill 1485 to legalize and tax online gambling here; we’re joined by my friend and poker player Mark Lewis, who is skeptical of online gambling: “it’s not about protecting consumers…it’s about money, for the state and the operators”. Second segment starts at about 37:22

Developing, Update: SC Senate Primary Results Challenged. Brad Friedman of Bradblog updates us on the developing story of possible election fraud in the 6/8 US Senate primary in South Carolina, where unknown Alvin Greene showed as the winner with 59% of the Democratic votes. The alleged loser, Judge Vic Rawl, announced today (6/14) that he is challenging the election results and made one of the clearest allegations from a candidate that electronic voting machines are a prime suspect. Brad notes that most media outlets and pundits ignore the voting machine angle and/or ridicule people who raise these obvious issues, and that Donna Brazile has been unafraid to raise them on CNN. And His Bradness promises to keep us posted as his investigation continues.

Super Tuesday Electile Dysfunction. Journalist Brad Friedman of Bradblog reports on election irregularities in the June 8 primary elections, and delivers an excloo to the PBC Show: the largest private voting company in America now….is a Canadian company that does not have clear ownership of some of its key software. Brad details his own painful experience trying to vote in L.A. on an electronic device intended for the blind–which malfunctioned in numerous ways over 2+ hours as poll workers tried to get it to work properly–and failing. Brad also raises important questions about Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s alleged victory in Arkansas, where Garland County reduced the number of polling places from more than 40 in the primary to only 2 in the runoff, suppressing turnout in a very tight race. Friedman recaps the Supreme Court action that guts Arizona’s clean election system, without even holding a hearing. And birther Orly Taitz is the focus of several jokes: thanks for being there for us, Orly!

Jason Leopold exposes human medical experiments on detainees. Leopold is a regular contributor to the PBC Show, and an editor at Truthout.org. His chilling report is based on a study just released by Physicians for Human Rights. The medical experiments were linked to the legal memos from Yoo and Bybee trying to re-define torture and game the Geneva conventions. The experiments on early captive Abu Zubayda (2002) predated the legal memos, and they tested sleep deprivation and waterboarding–determining that 11 days of no sleep would be OK, and suggesting that saline solution be used in waterboarding. Kinder, gentler barbaric torture. We also talk about Obama’s refusal to investigate–a coverup–even as Bush brags about approving torture.

Dr. Paul Larudee on Israel’s assault on Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Larudee has been on this show numerous times, most recently in March. He is a founder of the Free Palestine Movement and over the past two years has been on some of the boats that have made 10 attempts to penetrate the Israeli blockade of Gaza’s port. Larudee gives a chilling first-person account of the events of May 31, when Israeli choppers and gunboats accosted the flotilla in international waters. Larudee was aboard the Sfendoni which was boarded before the larger ship, Mavi Marmara; he explains the sequence of events, and his own nonviolent resistance–including taking a plunge in the sea–which enraged the soldiers who beat him and treated him roughly. Larudee responds to lies and spin delivered by the Israeli Defense Ministry, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the US media echo chamber. While 9 Turks (including a US dual citizen) were killed in the Israeli assault, Larudee says the Israeli commandos fired as they landed on the ship, before some passengers attacked with sticks and tossed an invading soldier into the sea. Larudee feels that their efforts are producing a shift in the policies of Israel and neighbors like Egypt, which has re-opened the Rafah border with Gaza. After our conversation, Larudee left for a meeting in Beirut to plan next steps, and he urges you to contact members of Congress to support an end to the lockdown of Gaza. PBC opens the show in honor of Helen Thomas, the intrepid White House reporter. Tech note: due to a computer glitch, there are some audio dropouts in the file, but you should be able to follow without missing much.

Jeffrey Kaye on immigration. Kaye is the former correspondent for the PBS Newshour and author of Moving Millions: How Coyote Capitalism Fuels Global Immigration. The book takes a thoughtful look at the complex set of factors that cause people to cross borders for work, the history of waves of migration and American xenophobia, starting with the anti-Chinese actions dating to the late 1800’s. You’ll hear Meg Whitman’s anti-immigrant screed in the current California governor’s race (with a bad cameo from former Gov. Pete Wilson), a discussion of H1-B visas and their abuse by US corporations, and the recent legislation in Arizona. Kaye offers history, economics and context for the so-called “debate” on immigration in the US today, along with rational analysis–all the things that are missing from the mainstream media’s coverage.

California Special! PBC was asked by listener Ethan Knox to comment on the June 8 primary election. While he does not explicitly endorse candidates or tell you how to vote, your over-opinionated humble host is quite willing to tell you how he’s going to vote: Republican. That’s right, as an independent (decline-to-state) voter in California, Mr. Collins will be voting against the mega-wealthy corporate tools, Meg Whitman and Carlyfornication Fiorina. This podcast covers the races for governor, statewide constitutional offices, Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat, and 5 ballot measures, including 2 insidious initiatives openly written and promoted by corporations. And PBC apologizes for the reduced podcast schedule as he leaves for a week’s vacation; he pledges to deliver more podcasts starting in June.

Naomi Wolf, author and activist joins me and Sibel Edmonds for the next installment of the Boiling Frogs interview series. Wolf has been outspoken about the loss of civil liberties and our creeping police state. Wolf’s latest book is The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot.

Steven L. Pease, author of The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement. Pease, a retired CEO and venture capitalist, talks about his interest in Jewish culture that developed as he worked with many Jews in business. As a gentile, he has an outsider’s appreciation for the cultural and religious characteristics–especially the commitment to education–that have enabled Jews, especially Americans, to excel in numbers that are disproportional to the population. For example, Jews make up about 2/10ths of one per cent of the world population, but 31% of the Nobel Prize winners in medicine have been Jewish.