Obama

Ralph Nader On Democracy, Optimism and His Life as an Outspoken Citizen

August 22, 2013UncategorizedBradley Manning, EPA, Green Party, Interview, Nader, Nixon, Obama, politics, Progressive, Ralph, Ralph Nader, Ralph Nader Interview, Told You So, U.S. Politicskevincaners Leave a comment

Renowned progressive Ralph Nader certainly has no shortage of descriptions that can be attached to him: author, outspoken consumer advocate, lawyer, environmentalist, public citizen, the list goes on. But to many – especially those of us who were born from the 1970s on-wards, Nader is probably best known for challenging the dominate two party system in America as a four time presidential candidate, running both as an independent, and under the banner of the Green Party.

His presidential efforts include his controversial run in the 2000 election, when some progressives and former allies blamed his campaign for siphoning off votes from democrats in critical swing states and causing Al Gore to narrowly lose the presidency to George Bush.

But the true extent of Ralph Nader’s contributions as an individual to American society, go far beyond any debate as to the positive or negative impact of his presidential runs. Many of the institutions and the key regulations that are taken for granted in the United States today – things that protect consumer rights, democracy, and the environment – are virtually the direct result of his work. This includes such things as the EPA, The Freedom of Information Act, The Clean Air and Water acts, and countless other pieces of crucial federal legislation which were enacted into law in the 60s and 70s thanks to Nader’s efforts along with the public interest institutions he founded.

He first came to prominence in the 1960s when he took on the large U.S. car manufacturers such as GM over known design and safety flaws that they allowed to be built into their models vehicles. His research and findings led to his 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed, which in turn helped usher in – by an unanimous vote in congress – the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act which gave the government new oversight powers into the safe design of cars and roads.

Now, Ralph Nader is out with a new book called Told You So, The Big Book of Weekly Columns. It’s a collection of his best weekly column that he has been writing since 1972 and covers subjects ranging from coporate crime, and foreign policy, to the media, and health care. It’s a compelling and fascinating look at the determined work of one of America’s most outspoken and progressive figures. I reached Ralph Nader by phone at a studio in Washington, D.C.

Political Activist & Intellectual Noam Chomsky on Confronting Reality and Speaking Out

March 24, 2013UncategorizedActivist, American Politics, Chomsky, Climate Change, Conversation, dissident, father of modern linguistics, Foreign Policy, Interview, Keystone XL, Linguistics, MIT, Noam Chomsky, noam chomsky on climate change, Obama, Occupy, Professor, professor noam chomsky, Vietnam War, young noam chomskykevincaners Leave a comment

This week, an episode we’re very excited about- an interview with renowned public intellectual Noam Chomsky!

From his activism during the Vietnam War and overcoming self-deceit, to the Keystone Pipeline and the looming threat of climate change.

The Public interviewing Political Activist and MIT Professor Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is widely considered the most important intellectual alive today. In the academic world he is heralded as “father of modern linguistics” thanks to ground breaking theory of syntactic structure which revolutionized the field, as well as for his significant contributions to disciplines from psychology to computer science.

But to ordinary people around the world he better known and admired for his willingness to speak truth to power. For decades he has served as a constant thorn in the side of the U.S. elite and political establishment, delivering lectures, publishing books and writing articles that take on everything from U.S. foreign policy, and state capitalism to distortion in the news media.

Young Noam Chomsky

In the 1960’s he was one of the most prominent figures opposing the Vietnam War and became heavily involved in resistance efforts, leading a tax revolt against the state, and helping students avoid the draft. But his activism didn’t stop with the end of the war, And throughout the 70’s 80s and 90s Chomsky continued devoting his time and speaking out on political issues ranging from the U.S. overthrowing democratic governments Latin America, to corporate attacks on the working class.

And it continues right up to today. He has rallied against the Obama administration for their extrajudicial use of drones strikes and policy of targeted assassinations, and he continues to warn of the environmental and climate crisis currently facing humanity.

He has published upwards of 100 books, and despite his age, he doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing dow. At 84 he maintains a gruelling schedule, regularly traveling around the world to for political talks and lectures, writing a constant stream of articles, and sitting down for hundreds of interviews a year.

For our interview, I sat down with Noam Chomsky at his office at MIT in Boston.

If you’re interested in checking out more of Noam Chomsky’s articles and interviews a great resource is www.chomsky.info

Thomas Frank of Harper’s Magazine on Obama, Wall Street, and Pitying The Billionaire

March 24, 2013UncategorizedCulture, Easy Chair, Election 2012, Harper's Magazine, Harpers, Interview, Journalism, Obama, Obama's second term, Pity The Billionaire, Radio, The Baffler, Thomas Frank, Wall Street Journal, Writekevincaners Leave a comment

Thomas Frank is probably best known for his regular easy chair column in Harper’s Magazine – the opening essay in which he draws together elements from history culture and politics to make insightful, often unexpected observations into the social-political landscape of our time.

In his columns he has taken on everything from the high cost of tuition and the obsession with austerity in Washington D.C, to the culture of gun violence in America.

Thomas Frank, Easy Chair columnist at Harper’s Magazine

He was born in Kansas City Missouri in 1965, and attended the University of Virginia to study history. Although he originally was conservative, and was even briefly involved with the campus Republicans, soon he discovered his interest in writing, and while still an undergrad, he along with a group of friends founded THE BAFFLER magazine, a journal of cultural criticism.

In 1988 he began studying American history at the University of Chicago, from which he received a PhD in 1994. His dissertation was eventually turned into THE CONQUEST OF COOL a book about how industry had successfully commercialized the idea of rebellion and 60’s counterculture. After leaving academia, he became a full time journalist, although his main interest was culture, while writing for the Chicago Reader he became increasingly drawn to political and economic topics from investigating the advertising efforts of Enron, to challenging the dominant free market ideology of the day.

During his career as a newspaper and magazine columnist He also has written four best selling books – His most recent is called Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right.

Journalist and Political Force Chris Hedges on The Corporate Coup D’Etat

March 24, 2013UncategorizedActivism, America, American Politics, Chris Hedgs, days of destruction days of revolt, inequality, Interview, Joe Sacco, Journalism, Obama, Occupy, social justice, Wall Streetkevincaners Leave a comment

This week, a conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and outspoken public intellectual Chris Hedges on his latest book Days of Destruction Days of Revolt (co-authored with Joe Sacco) and his life spent fighting for political and social justice.