Category: Podcast Info

Prof. Beau Grosscup on US air raids in Afghanistan; Robert Cruickshank on California politics. Grosscup is Professor of International Relations at Chico State and author of Strategic Terror: The Politics and Ethics of Aerial Bombardment. We talk about the repeated incidents of Afghan civilians killed by US air attacks, which Grosscup considers “terrorism” and the way that term is re-defined to apply only to our enemies. He also talks about domestic terrorism at Oklahoma City, Ft. Hood and the recent Stack attack on the IRS office in Austin. Cruickshank is policy director at the Courage Campaign and one of many excellent contributors to the progressive politics blog about California, Calitics. We talk about eBay billionaire Meg Whitman’s massive spending to buy the governorship–using Sarah Palin campaign tactics; about Jerry Brown’s slow start on his race; about failed HP CEO Carly Fiorina’s race to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer and Fiorina’s gutter-level attacks on her GOP opponent Tom Campbell; and about initiative battles over corporate influence, esp. the utility P G & E’s efforts to pass an undemocratic initiative to maintain its monopoly and block community power programs permitted by current law.

Brad Friedman updates the ACORN smear, Prof. Marjorie Cohn comments on whitewash of torture memo authors. Friedman, of Bradblog.com, serves up admissions from GOP provocateurs Andy Breitbart and Hannah Giles that Giles and her “undercover journalist” pal James O’Keefe were not, in fact, dressed as whore and pimp when they framed ACORN workers on video. The video was used by Fox and even the New York Times to attack ACORN, and led to shameful action by Congress to strip ACORN funding. So far, the Times has refused to correct its false reporting. Send your email comments to Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt: public@nytimes.com Prof. Cohn teaches at Thomas Jefferson law school in San Diego and is immediate past president of National Lawyers Guild. She deplores the OPR report and the spin of the mainstream media that Yoo and Bybee have been exonerated, and describes how they violated professional standards and twisted their opinions to give BushCo license to torture. Join the effort to discipline Yoo and Bybee here. Cohn is co-author of the new book, Rules of Disengagement, which gives the history of conscientious objectors and legal tips to those who reject service in the current wars.

Dr. Julien Mercille on Afghanistan. This is another in the Boiling Frogs interview series, co-hosted with Sibel Edmonds. Dr. Julien Mercille discusses the trail of Afghanistan’s drug money, the false impression given by the latest UN report on the effects of Afghanistan’s drug production, and the role of other nations and institutions including western banks. He talks about the predominant view of the US and NATO held by the majority in Afghanistan today, his interview with Malalai Joya, Afghanistan’s youngest Member of Parliament, who is well known for openly challenging the US, NATO, warlords and the Taliban, the current state of progressive movements in Afghanistan, and more. Mercille is a lecturer in US foreign policy at University College Dublin, where he moved after obtaining his PhD from UCLA. He teaches on US history and foreign policy and has published academic articles on Iran, Iraq and the Cold War, and is now researching the “War on Drugs” and Afghanistan. He has also written for various websites and magazines on those topics and others.

Rape in the US military, clean elections for California. Col. Ann Wright, with 29 years of service in the Army and Army Reserve, offers a chilling account of sexual assault and sexual harrassment in the military–where 30% of women report being raped and 80% subject to harassment. PBC notes that the homophobic opposition to repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell does not even acknowledge the problems caused by out of control heterosexuals in the military. Here is the link to Col. Wright’s recent article that we reference; and here is the link to Penny Coleman’s article. California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) makes the case for campaign finance reform, and Trent Lange of the fair elections coalition defines the terms of Prop 15 on the June ballot, which would set up a pilot program of publicly funded elections.

Prof. Juan Cole on Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kevin Kamps on Obama’s nuclear gamble. Prof. Cole teaches history at U of Michigan, and writes the Informed Comment blog, a great resource on America’s wars. We talk about the draw down of US troops in Iraq and Cole is optimistic about full withdrawal by the end of 2010. He describes the jockeying in Iraq over the March 7 elections and the influence of Iran and Ahmed Chalabi on the process. He details the capture of Mullah Baradar–the military leader of the “old” Taliban–by Pakistani and US operatives, and offers candid comments about the new US attack on Marjah. Kamps is an expert on nuclear waste at the think tank founded by Dr. Helen Caldicott, Beyond Nuclear and he is sharply critical of Obama’s decision to provide loan guarantees for Southern Co.’s plans to build two new nukes in Georgia so taxpayers take the risk and the utility takes the profits. In addition to the financial risk, Kamps talks about the fallacy that nukes are safe for people and the environment and the false promise that a blue ribbon panel can resolve the nuclear waste issues.

Kevin Zeese, activist and attorney, on Obama’s ongoing efforts to woo the political right while ignoring his evaporating progressive base. On the stalled health care debate, Obama says he will look at the GOP agenda, but refuses to listen to Dr. Margaret Flowers and other single payer advocates. We talk about the Dems’ capitulation on ACORN despite the exposure of dirty tricks by James O’Keefe, the growing influence of the Chamber of Commerce following the Supreme Court decision, Obama’s refusal to permit accountability for torture and other crimes, and the left’s failure to press Obama to actually bring troops home from Iraq. Follow the links above to get active on these issues! PBC comments on the race for California governor, and deconstructs the first TV spot from billionaire Meg Whitman.

Journalist and author Chris Hedges on Obama, Afghanistan and the media. This is the next installment in the Boiling Frogs interview series, co-hosted with Sibel Edmonds. Chris Hedges gives us a quick sketch of his latest book Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. He discusses the real role of the US media as one of the main culprits in promoting a sense of exceptionalism by disseminating fantasy, and poisoning civil and political discourse with entertainment and trivia. He talks about the spectacle surrounding Barrack Obama’s presidential campaign and his function as a brand just like any other commercial commodity brand advertised and promoted by corporations, the last decade’s coup d’etat in slow motion, and much more! Hedges is a senior fellow at the Nation Institute and the Anschutz Distinguished Fellow at Princeton University. He has written nine books, including Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle, and the best-selling American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. He spent two decades as a foreign reporter covering wars in Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and served for eight years as the Middle East bureau chief of The New York Times, where he shared the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism, for coverage of terrorism. Hedges also received the 2002 Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism. His weekly column is published on Truthdig

Journalist Anand Gopal on night raids and secret prisons in Afghanistan; Robert Parry on the partisanship of Supreme Court, Inc. Gopal has covered the war in Afghanistan for the Wall street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. This interview is based on his latest report, published in The Nation. Gopal talked to 2 dozen Afghans who have been grabbed by US troops, many in deadly night raids on homes, and held at 9 or more secret prisons and the Bagram prison. He also details how these tactics are winning hearts and minds–for the Taliban and other insurgent groups. Bob Parry is a longtime contributor to the PBC show, and we discuss his thoughtful analysis of the recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to inject unlimited amounts into candidate campaigns. Parry reacts to the decision and Glenn Greenwald’s commentary, then details the recent history of pro-corporate judicial appointments and the highly partisan decisions they have produced.