Shared posts

17 Nov 15:29

Radio War Nerd EP 482 — Gaza Genocide's Impact on Arab Masses, feat. Nihal El Aaser & Aamer

by mail@yashalevine.com (Gary Brecher)
Tom Roche

excellent as usual

Co-hosts John Dolan & Mark Ames
15 Nov 18:13

885 - Don’t Cry In Front of the Mexicans feat. Alexander Aviña (11/14/24)

Tom Roche

Felix+Will+guest Alexander Aviña (@ Arizona SU) go South of the (US) Border and bring back an
EXCELLENT survey of Mexico society, politics, and geopolitics. Topics discussed include
* how AMLO-Sheinbaum-Morena beats PAN-PRD-PRI: deliverism targeting the Mexican poor and working classes
* how AMLO built a winning movement (Morena) vs Mexican elites, esp vs their corporate-funded media and judiciary
* details on Morena redistribution programs, and how they are continuing under Sheinbaum (esp new housing program)
* problems with military and drug war
* improbable threat of Trump literally invading Mexico to fight cartels (but may drone them)
* Mexico geopolitics, esp re US, PRC, Latin-American left, and migration (about which Our Boys /almost/ go lib, but then realize the geoeconomics of Mexico's situation)

Surely there’s no way a country in the rightward turning west could elect a woman…leftist…member of an incumbent party…in 2024? We turn our eyes to our neighbors to the south to look at Claudia Sheinbaum’s recent election as president of Mexico, and the phenomenal success of her party there. Professor Alex Aviña joins us to discuss Mexico’s recent political history, the victories and shortcomings of Sheinbaum & AMLO’s Morena party, US/Mexico relations, and varying perspectives on the “crisis” at our border.


Follow Alex on Twitter @alexander_avina


And find his appearances on the occasional Tankie Group Therapy series via The East Is A Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-east-is-a-podcast/id1440795663

Get bonus content on Patreon

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15 Nov 17:13

E184 - Studying the Far Right w/ Benji Rolsky

Tom Roche

disappointing: rather than sequentially

1. reviewing historiography of the US rightwing
2. discussing what is broken

host Bessner (no Davison) and guest Rolsky seem to assume the listener /knows/ the historiography (some of which you probably know a bit, notably Richard Hofstadter), and just kinda bant/vibe on the State of the Field.

Historian Benji Rolsky speaks with Danny about how others in their profession have thought about the far right, a subset of history which has expanded greatly in the last decade or so. They explore how the study of the far right might be "broken", anti-fundamentalism, Christian nationalism, the episodic nature of this field, and how Trump might have changed the historiography.

Read Benji's piece "Why the Study of the Right is Broken": Part 1 and Part 2.

Also check out his book The Rise and Fall of the Religious Left: Politics, Television, and Popular Culture in the 1970s and Beyond.

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15 Nov 00:46

Hayek's The Road to Serfdom

Tom Roche

Melvin Bragg likes to pretend (and in the past has often pretended) that he's some kinda working-class Labour socialist, but in this IOT episode (as in several past) he's full-flaming classical lib. While he and panel /mention/ that Hayek acknowledged that market failures /can/ exist, and that early on Hayek claimed to be /not/ opposed to welfare-state liberalism, and that later on Hayek came out as an all-the-way market fundamentalist, there is in this borderline-hagiography no mention of how a Hayekian state would /actually/ deal with market failures (Great Depression, anyone? monopolies and monopsonies? the fact that wealth inequality has inevitably translated into political inequality?) nor of the shameful fact that Hayek very publicly came out pro-Pinochet. Much liberty-celebrating twaddle from these guests to the contrary, the fact is, Hayek was a classical liberal, in that he supported the rights and privileges of property über alles.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Austrian-British economist Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom (1944) in which Hayek (1899-1992) warned that the way Britain was running its wartime economy would not work in peacetime and could lead to tyranny. His target was centralised planning, arguing this disempowered individuals and wasted their knowledge, while empowering those ill-suited to run an economy. He was concerned about the support for the perceived success of Soviet centralisation, when he saw this and Fascist systems as two sides of the same coin. When Reader's Digest selectively condensed Hayek’s book in 1945, and presented it not so much as a warning against tyranny as a proof against socialism, it became phenomenally influential around the world.

With

Bruce Caldwell Research Professor of Economics at Duke University and Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy

Melissa Lane The Class of 1943 Professor of Politics at Princeton University and the 50th Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College in London

And

Ben Jackson Professor of Modern History and fellow of University College at the University of Oxford

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets Since the Depression (Harvard University Press, 2012)

Bruce Caldwell, Hayek’s Challenge: An Intellectual Biography of F.A. Hayek (University of Chicago Press, 2004)

Bruce Caldwell, ‘The Road to Serfdom After 75 Years’ (Journal of Economic Literature 58, 2020)

Bruce Caldwell and Hansjoerg Klausinger, Hayek: A Life 1899-1950 (University of Chicago Press, 2022)

M. Desai, Marx’s Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism (Verso, 2002)

Edward Feser (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Hayek (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Andrew Gamble, Hayek: The Iron Cage of Liberty (Polity, 1996)

Friedrich Hayek, Collectivist Economic Planning (first published 1935; Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2015), especially ‘The Nature and History of the Problem’ and ‘The Present State of the Debate’ by Friedrich Hayek

Friedrich Hayek (ed. Bruce Caldwell), The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents: The Definitive Edition (first published 1944; Routledge, 2008. Also vol. 2 of The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, University of Chicago Press, 2007)

Friedrich Hayek, The Road to Serfdom: Condensed Version (Institute of Economic Affairs, 2005; The Reader’s Digest condensation of the book)

Friedrich Hayek, ‘The Use of Knowledge in Society’ (American Economic Review, vol. 35, 1945; vol. 15 of The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, University of Chicago Press)

Friedrich Hayek, Individualism and Economic Order (first published 1948; University of Chicago Press, 1996), especially the essays ‘Economics and Knowledge’ (1937), ‘Individualism: True and False’ (1945), and ‘The Use of Knowledge in Society’ (1945)

Friedrich Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty (first published 1960; Routledge, 2006)

Friedrich Hayek, Law. Legislation and Liberty: A new statement of the liberal principles of justice and political economy (first published 1973 in 3 volumes; single vol. edn, Routledge, 2012)

Ben Jackson, ‘Freedom, the Common Good and the Rule of Law: Hayek and Lippmann on Economic Planning’ (Journal of the History of Ideas 73, 2012)

Robert Leeson (ed.), Hayek: A Collaborative Biography Part I (Palgrave, 2013), especially ‘The Genesis and Reception of The Road to Serfdom’ by Melissa Lane

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production

14 Nov 22:32

Bad Hasbara 63: Amsterdamaged, with Yahav Erez

Tom Roche

not the /best/ BH ep, but the discussion of the Maccabi Tel Aviv pogrom in Amsterdam (i.e., the pogrom done /by/ the MTA hooligans, with protection from the rightwing Dutch police, before getting stomped by the locals, who were then attacked not only by said police but by global Zionist media) is not only insightful but funny. Unfortunately that doesn't start until 48:54 in the audio--roughly halfway through this episode. Preceding that is an informative (though not as entertaining) discussion of Israeli resistance to all-the-way genocide (though not actually to "Zionism" as claimed--i.e., "genocide lite") with guest Yahav Erez @ Disillusioned. Also note brief ads before, after, and (once) in the middle of the content.

Matt and Daniel are joined by Yahav Erez of the Disillusioned podcast to discuss the violence in Amsterdam committed by Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, the reflexive pogrom declarations of the Israeli government, and who other than Eric Clapton will be shedding tears in heaven. 


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14 Nov 20:30

Are standing desks good for you? The answer is getting clearer.

by Beth Mole
Tom Roche

pullquote (from article archived [here](https://archive.today/RRVvy)
> While prolonged standing has its own risks, the use of standing desks at work can, to some extent, help lessen the risks of prolonged sitting. But, overall, it's important to keep total stationary time as low as possible and exercise whenever possible.

Without question, inactivity is bad for us. Prolonged sitting is consistently linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease and death. The obvious response to this frightful fate is to not sit— move. Even a few moments of exercise can have benefits, studies suggest. But in our modern times, sitting is hard to avoid, especially at the office. This has led to a range of strategies to get ourselves up, including the rise of standing desks. If you have to be tethered to a desk, at least you can do it while on your feet, the thinking goes.

However, studies on whether standing desks are beneficial have been sparse and sometimes inconclusive. Further, prolonged standing can have its own risks, and data on work-related sitting has also been mixed. While the final verdict on standing desks is still unclear, two studies out this year offer some of the most nuanced evidence yet about the potential benefits and risks of working on your feet.

Take a seat

For years, studies have pointed to standing desks improving markers for cardiovascular and metabolic health, such as lipid levels, insulin resistance, and arterial flow-mediated dilation (the ability of arteries to widen in response to increased blood flow). But it's unclear how significant those improvements are to averting bad health outcomes, such as heart attacks. One 2018 analysis suggested the benefits might be minor.

Read full article

Comments

14 Nov 20:25

11/13/24: Trump Taps Fox Host For SecDef, MAGA Revolt Over Rubio, Putin Ramps Up Offensive, Interview Live From Gaza, Socialist Runs For NYC Mayor

Tom Roche

Ryan and Emily (mostly) EXCELLENT (though weak on NATO's proxy war in Ukraine) as usual

Ryan and Emily discuss Trump taps Fox Host for SecDef, MAGA revolt over Rubio pick, will Trump snub Tulsi, MAGA plots Senate takeover with Rick Scott, Putin ramps up offensive ahead of Trump White House, lights go out mid interview with Gaza journalist, socialist runs for Mayor of NYC. 

 

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14 Nov 14:41

World War Civ 46: Ludendorff’s Last Gamble Spring 1918

Tom Roche

Justin and (mostly) Dave EXCELLENT as usual

With peace in the East, Germany can finally try to win the war against France in the West, and the clock is ticking before America’s troops make the war unwinnable. In addition to assembling a gigantic army and the largest artillery barrage in history, Ludendorff introduces Storm Troopers and a new tactic of “infiltration” past … Continue reading "World War Civ 46: Ludendorff’s Last Gamble Spring 1918"
13 Nov 17:24

How Trump's return will impact the world: Dollar, China, tariffs, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, etc

Tom Roche

Norton delivers another VERY EXCELLENT, brief (58 min is long for GER but Ben keeps it moving and, hey, he's covering the planet) but comprehensive /forecast d'horizon/ of Trump geopolicy (economic, political, and strategic). Topics/timestamps slightly edited from [episode page](https://soundcloud.com/geopoliticaleconomy/trump-china-tariffs-ukraine-israel) (archived [here](https://archive.today/3O84l))

00:00 Intro
00:33 Summary of Trump's foreign policy (2016-2020 and current)
10:44 Neocons in Trump's former cabinet, neocons proposed for Trump's 2025 cabinet
14:41 PRC geostrategy, esp ...
18:48 ... Tariffs & trade with PRC
24:47 Trump monetary vs industrial policy: Trump wants to stop dedollarization /and/ reindustrialize, which has inherent contradictions
29:39 Trump protectionism vs anti-inflation economics: more inherent contradictions
37:01 Russia geostrategy, esp NATO's proxy war in Ukraine
42:23 Trump Zionism: will back Israel vs Palestine, Lebanon, ... most of MENA and Muslim world, esp ...
44:31 ... Iran geostrategy
46:36 ... Middle East/southwest Asia: Yemen, Iraq, Syria
49:41 Latin America, esp Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia
53:17 Africa
54:32 Europe
56:11 Japan & South Korea
57:53 Outro

How will the return of Donald Trump as US president affect the world? What will his foreign policy and economic strategy be? Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJQKIwe2BYo Topics 0:00 Intro 0:33 Summary of Trump's foreign policy 10:44 Neocons in Trump's cabinet 14:41 China 18:48 Tariffs & trade with China 24:47 US dollar & re-industrialization 29:39 Protectionism 37:01 Russia & Ukraine 42:23 Israel-Palestine 44:31 Iran 46:36 Middle East (West Asia): Yemen, Iraq, Syria 49:41 Latin America: Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia 53:17 Africa 54:32 Europe 56:11 Japan & South Korea 57:53 Outro
12 Nov 17:41

Madrid: biography of a city

Tom Roche

excellent if necessarily thin (41 min is long for LNL but short for >1 kyr of history) "biography" of Madrid, discussing (et al)
* history esp architecture from c870 Alcázar
* art and artists esp Diego Velázquez 1599-1660 and Francisco Goya 1746-1828
* politics and economics esp Franco and after

Madrid, the Spanish capital in the centre of the country, has long lived under the shadow of coastal Barcelona, with its spectacular Gaudi architecture. But Australian author Luke Stegemann, who has lived in Madrid on and off for many years,  is passionate about the place and its significance.

10 Nov 16:54

Bonus - The CIA and Time Magazine w/ Simon Willmetts (Preview)

Tom Roche

8:12, so just /slightly/ more than a teaser

Danny and Derek chat with Simon Willmetts, associate professor of intelligence studies at Leiden University, about his recent piece for Diplomatic History, "The CIA and Time Magazine: Journalistic Ethics and Newsroom Dissent". The group discusses the subfield of intelligence history, public awareness of intelligence organizations, why the scope Time and Life magazines in the mid-20th century and why the CIA would want to collude with such publications, the development of journalistic ethics in light of journalistic connections with the national security state, and more.

Further reading:


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09 Nov 17:59

Why Donald Trump won the US election: Kamala Harris failed to provide an economic alternative

Tom Roche

VERY EXCELLENT summary of US politics, esp best 35-min overview of how CorpDems lost the 5 Nov 2024 elections so badly

Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election in a landslide. Why did Kamala Harris lose so badly? Ben Norton explains the failure of the billionaire-funded Democratic Party to provide an economic alternative to the billionaire-funded Republicans' pseudo "populism", as working-class people suffer. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSBi0m5xCJs Topics 0:00 Donald Trump wins 2024 presidential election 1:07 Who really is Kamala Harris? Does anyone know? 4:42 DNC strategy: sacrifice workers for moderate Republicans in suburbs 5:48 Harris campaigns with neoconservative Cheney family 6:56 Harris had no democratic mandate 7:42 Out-trumping Trump on immigration? Really? 8:04 Hillary Clinton 2.0 10:05 Low Democrat turnout 11:12 The status quo loses 12:34 Dems' extreme pro-Israel stance lost swing state voters 16:01 Rashida Tlaib & Ilhan Omar won; Harris lost 17:37 "Never Trump Republicans" barely exist 18:30 It's the economy, stupid 20:09 US GDP growth is not benefiting workers 21:39 Wealth inequality 22:32 Poverty & hunger increased under Biden-Harris 23:33 Trump scapegoats 24:09 (CLIP) Trump vows: "We are going to take other countries' jobs" 24:58 Trump's false promises 25:27 Deindustrialization 26:22 Immigration 28:40 Trump's tax cuts help rich elites, hurt workers 31:12 Billionaires Elon Musk & Stephen Schwarzman funded Trump 32:11 Inflation, debt, deficits 35:11 Tariffs 35:40 Conclusion
09 Nov 17:43

News - Ethnic Cleansing in Northern Gaza, German Government Collapses, Potential End to Ukraine War

Tom Roche

The Bessner and (mostly) Davison week-in-reviews are reliably EXCELLENT, but this week they're above that average--54 min of your time well-spent

Heads of state come and go, but not all of them make the news roundup with Danny and Derek. This week: in Palestine-Israel, Netanyahu fires defense minister Gallant (0:57), a leak scandal involving Netanyahu's office (6:36), an update on the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza (8:52), and the IDF appears to admit to committing ethnic cleansing (13:05); in Lebanon, the ceasefire push collapses (15:39), the IDF looks to create a "buffer zone" (17:46), and the Washington Post reports that Israeli evacuation warnings are misleading civilians (19:31); in Iran, Supreme Leader Khamenei threatens an attack on Israel (27:19); a new report details the mistreatment of migrant workers in Arabian Gulf states (30:35); the DPRK/North Korea conducts a new ICBM test (33:09); new RSF massacres in Sudan (36:41); in Russia-Ukraine, North Korean soldiers join combat operations (38:35), future concerns in the US about how the war will be conducted under Trump (41:38), and Russia floats the possibility of ending the war (44:36); the German government collapses (46:59); and in Bolivia, protesters supporting former president Evo Morales pause roadblocks amid clashes with the police (49:54).

Subscribe now for more content, including our two post-election specials:


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09 Nov 17:41

News - Knesset Bans UNRWA, Sudan Massacre, Georgia Election

Tom Roche

Bessner and (mostly) Davison week-in-review EXCELLENT as usual

Nothing's spookier than the news, but Danny and Derek find their courage. This week: in Israel-Palestine, a new report of the Biden administration ignoring Israeli war crimes (0:30), the Knesset votes to ban UNRWA (2:43), and yet more ceasefire talks (8:12); in Lebanon, Hezbollah names a new leader (10:32) and a push for a ceasefire there (12:25); regarding Iran, the aftermath of the Israeli strikes (15:36) and reports of an imminent retaliation (19:10); North Korea/DPRK tests an ICBM (22:07); Japan's Liberal Democratic Party loses its parliamentary majority (24:33); in Sudan, a new massacre by the RSF (26:52) and a UN report on sexual violence in the conflict (29:18); Somalia kicks out another diplomat from Ethiopia (30:28); in Russia-Ukraine, North Korean soldiers in Kursk (32:49), Russia makes gains in Donetsk (34:50), and new talks on sparing energy sites (36:56), the results of Georgia's election (37:59); Venezuela withdraws its ambassador from Brazil over BRICS (41:07); and the annual UN General Assembly's vote over the embargo of Cuba (42:43).

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09 Nov 17:41

News - BRICS Summit, IDF Assault on Lebanon, India-China Border Agreement

Tom Roche

Bessner and (mostly) Davison week-in-review EXCELLENT as usual

It's 80 degrees in late October here at AP headquarters, but Danny and Derek remain cool as a cucumber to bring you the news. This week: the 2024 BRICS summit was held, featuring Vladimir Putin pushing for a dollar alternative and potentially alienating some member states (1:36); in Palestine-Israel, an update on Northern Gaza (9:10), Antony Blinken visits (12:31), and a leaked document on Israel's planned counterattack on Iran (16:22); in Lebanon, the IDF targets the Qard al-Hassan banking network (18:22), US special enovy Amos Hochstein visits with special demands (21:13), and the IDF targets Tyre for the first time in this assault (23:45); in Turkey, a terrorist attack interferes with the Kurdish peace process (25:19) and Fethullah Gülen of (of the eponymous movement) dies (28:02); India and China negotiate a border agreement, with Xi and Modi meeting while at the BRICS summit (31:11); in Sudan, an RSF commander defects (34:18); the M23 ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo appears to have failed (36:03); in Ukraine, Russian forces are pressuring several towns (37:57) amid talk of DPRK/North Korean soldiers being deployed (40:18); and finally, a new UN climate report says countries have made no progress in cutting emissions to tackle climate change (43:42).

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Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

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09 Nov 15:35

Thanos Apollo: RSS Mastery with RSS-Bridge & Elfeed [Video]

by Thanos Apollo

I’ve just published a short video covering the basics of RSS, RSS-Bridge & Elfeed, it’s currently available on YouTube.

Video notes

What is RSS?

  • XML-based web feed that allows users to access updates of websites, without “visiting” the website.
  • Hacktivist including Aaron Swartz contributed to the development of RSS

Why use it?

  • Having total control over information you consume
    • Filter/Prioritize content from various sources
    • Bypass algorithms
    • Ad-free reading
  • Offline Access
  • Time saving
  • Allows creation of a personalized & decentralized information hub

(+ Emacs RSS) ;; => ’elfeed

No matter what RSS reader you choose, they all get the same job done

  • Elfeed is a simple & highly customizable RSS client for Emacs
    • Developed by Christopher Wellons (skeeto)
  • It has a well designed database & tagging system

use-package installation example:

(use-package elfeed
  :vc (:url "https://github.com/skeeto/elfeed") ;; vc option is available on Emacs 30
  :config
  (setf elfeed-search-filter "@1-week-ago +unread"
        browse-url-browser-function #'browse-url-default-browser
        elfeed-db-directory (locate-user-emacs-file "elfeed-db"))
  ;; Feeds Example
  (setf elfeed-feeds
        '(("https://hackaday.com/blog/feed/"
           hackaday linux)))

  ;; Play videos from elfeed
  (defun elfeed-mpv (&optional use-generic-p)
    "Play video link with mpv."
    (interactive "P")
    (let ((entries (elfeed-search-selected)))
      (cl-loop for entry in entries
               do (elfeed-untag entry 'unread)
               when (elfeed-entry-link entry)
               do (start-process-shell-command "elfeed-video" nil (format "mpv \"%s\"" it)))
      (mapc #'elfeed-search-update-entry entries)
      (unless (use-region-p) (forward-line))))

  :bind (("C-x f" . elfeed)
         :map elfeed-search-mode-map
         ("v" . 'elfeed-mpv)
         ("U" . 'elfeed-update)))

What to do with websites that do not provide an RSS feed?

  • Utilize rss-bridge to generate one.
  • RSS Bridge is easy to self host using docker

Example guix service:

(service oci-container-service-type
         (list
          (oci-container-configuration
           (image "rssbridge/rss-bridge")
           (network "host")
           (ports
            '(("3000" . "80"))))))
09 Nov 03:47

Dead Ringers: Ep1. Budget Politicians

Tom Roche

S25E1 of Dead Ringers is not a /complete/ win, as it has perhaps the worse ever Kamala impersonation. But even there, only the voice is off--the material is great, as is

* the opening (UK budget) skit works in Pulp's "Common People" (amusing for us olds)
* an excellent Ahnold (I mean Arnold) Schwarzenegger
* not /1/ but /2/ VERY-EXCELLENT Elon Musk hits
* an almost-EXCELLENT take on the Rogan-Trump interview: the Rogan voice is also off, but the much-practiced Trump is perfect, and the material is great
* perfect KC3 vs reparations for UK crimes
* ... and no DR would be complete without Liz Truss, Nigel Farage, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf

Some bits don't /quite/ work, but net: must-listen VERY FUNNY half-hour of BBC Radio 4 Comedy in top form. I just hope next week's DR on the US elections (the FNC feed remains on 1-week delay--this was the 1 Nov episode) is as good.

What was Rachel Reeves’ real inspiration for her budget? What advice is Kamala Harris giving to Joe Biden, and what exactly is a ‘working person’? JD Vance and Tim Walz make their first appearances on the show and Rishi Sunak probably his last.

This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Jess Robinson and Jason Forbes.

The episode was written by: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, Cody Dahler, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dickson with additional material by Jennifer Walker.

Sound design: Rich Evans Executive Producer: Richard Morris Produced and created by Bill Dare Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow

08 Nov 19:52

Democracy Now! 2024-11-08 Friday

Tom Roche

consistently EXCELLENT

Democracy Now! 2024-11-08 Friday

  • Headlines for November 08, 2024
  • Democrats Deserted Working Poor: Bishop William Barber on Healthcare, Living Wages, Voting Rights
  • "Open Celebration of the Oligarchy": Both Dems & GOP Sucked Up to Billionaires in 2024 Election
  • End the Arms: Humanitarian Chief Jan Egeland Urges U.S. to Stop Arming Israel Before Trump Takes Office

Download this show

08 Nov 18:38

883 - History Doesn’t Repeat Itself…But It Slimes (11/7/24)

Tom Roche

Chris+Felix+Will deliver excellent, insightful, funny review of the massive, continuing fail that is the Corporate Democratic Party

We have always lived in The Zone. We take in the stunning re-election of Donald Trump, the manifest failure of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and the entire Democratic party, and all of the myriad obungles that have brought us to this moment. This has happened before, it will happen again…Reasons to be scared, reasons for hope, and assurance that we’re still ready to ride with you all every day. Get bonus content on Patreon

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08 Nov 15:20

Special - The U.S. Presidential Election, the Latino Vote, and the Deportation Regime w/ Alexander Aviña (Preview)

Tom Roche

9:25, so bit more than a teaser

Alexander Aviña, associate professor of history at Arizona State University, joins Danny and Derek to talk about narratives forming around the election regarding a Latino shift to the right, Biden and Trump's respective records on the border, whether Trump will be able to carry out his threats of mass deportation, right-wing anti-migrant rhetoric vs. businesses that depend on that labor force, and more.

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08 Nov 15:00

882 - Election Eve Live (11/5/24)

Tom Roche

not as good as Chapo's previous liveshow, but still amusing

We’re joined by Charles, Alex & Andrew from Episode 1 for a night of Election-themed spoofs and goofs live at the Aratani Theater in Los Angeles. Featuring the Dan Boeckner Christmas Time Players: Dan Boeckner, Nick Thorburn, Alex Fischel &  Adam Halferty. And of course, a special visit from Santa. Get bonus content on Patreon

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07 Nov 19:35

Project 2025 Is Even More Radical Than You Think

by Arjun Singh
Tom Roche

EXCELLENT, esp re links between not just rightwing Republicans and Heritage Foundation (from Paul Weyrich t Kevin Roberts and Paul Dans), but between the tightening ties between Corporate Republicans and not only Protestant-fundamentalist Christian nationalists (the Weyrich/Heritage project) but rightwing Catholics (from Leonard Leo to JD Vance), esp Opus Dei.

If elected, former president Donald Trump has promised to implement mass deportations, target journalists, and carry out other unprecedented actions. How could he pull it off? Project 2025, a radical plan to reshape the government under Trump, highlights the key to his sweeping agenda: Schedule F, a policy that would expose federal workers to political interference and give the president broad leeway to govern through fear. 

Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh unpacks this radical strategy for Trump’s second term — and explores the religious fundamentalism and free-market ideology driving the creators of Project 2025, the right-wing think tank called The Heritage Foundation. 

In the early 1980s, the Heritage Foundation became the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement and today wields huge influence over the Republican party. Unlike other conservative think tanks, the Heritage Foundation was unique in blending the principles of free market capitalism with Christian nationalism, creating a blueprint for conservative politics that has now become the status quo. Over the past four years, a brain trust within the foundation has been drawing up Project 2025, laying the groundwork for how Trump could warp the tools of government and deliver ineradicable changes.

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07 Nov 18:46

11/7/24: Kamala Concession Speech, Trump Possible Cabinet, Zelensky Sucks Up To Trump

Tom Roche

consistently EXCELLENT

Krystal and Saagar discuss Kamala's concession speech, Trump's potential appointments, Zelensky sucks up to Trump.

 

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07 Nov 18:46

11/7/24: Biden World Blame Game, Bernie Shreds Dems For Abandoning Working Class

Tom Roche

consistently EXCELLENT esp closing segment (David Sirota vs Corporate Democrats)

Krystal and Saagar discuss Democrats play blame game over Kamala loss, Bernie shreds Dems for abandoning working class. 

 

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07 Nov 17:19

Trump has won the US election - so how did he do it?

Tom Roche

this unusually-long LNL (52 min, all of a nightly episode) has some moments of insight, but is unfortunately dominated by the toxic (and, I argue, Kamala-crushing) mixture of Dick-Cheney-style neocon foreign/military policy (esp guest Heilbrunn) and identity-politics/norms-revering neoliberalism (esp guest Shapiro and host David Marr)

Late Night Live's team of experts bring you their analysis of the US election 2024. What went right for Donald Trump? What went wrong for Kamala Harris? And will Trump Make America Great Again?

Guests: 

  • Bruce Shapiro - Contribution Editor with The Nation, Executive Director with the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia
  • Chas Licciardello - Co-host of Planet America on ABC TV
  • Clare Corbould - Associate Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University
  • Jacob Heilbrunn - Editor of The National Interest, author of America Last: The Right’s Century Long Fascination with Foreign Dictators
07 Nov 16:19

Special - The 2024 US Presidential Election (Preview)

Tom Roche

excellent but truncated (runtime=11:05)

Danny and Derek jump on the mic to break down Donald Trump's decisive election victory. Topics include the crisis of liberalism, the end of the road for the Democrats' status quo, what Trump and Vance mean for American foreign policy, the Boomers and members of the Silent Generation holding onto power, and the profound alienation of our time.

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06 Nov 18:32

Radio War Nerd EP 479 — Ukraine Military Rot, feat. Peter Korotaev

by mail@yashalevine.com (Gary Brecher)
Tom Roche

EXCELLENT survey of the Ukraine scam

Co-hosts John Dolan & Mark Ames
04 Nov 19:45

Billionaire BlackRock CEO: 'Doesn't matter' who wins US election; Trump & Kamala benefit Wall Street

Tom Roche

VERY EXCELLENT short overview of US economic inequality and how this makes economic oligarchy the best model of US politics and government

Billionaire BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said it “really doesn’t matter” who wins the US presidential election, because both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be good for Wall Street. Ben Norton shows how the United States is not a democracy but rather an oligarchy, in which big corporations buy politicians and lobbyists create policies. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPfp01rsD0 Topics 0:00 US election season 0:42 BlackRock CEO: it “really doesn’t matter” who wins US elections 2:20 The "Big Three" Wall Street asset managers 3:06 S&P 500 and Nasdaq bubbles 4:35 Richest 10% of Americans own 93% of stocks 5:30 Princeton study: USA is oligarchy, not democracy 6:26 Billions spent buying US elections 7:54 Money buys seats in Congress (90% of the time) 8:50 Crypto industry funds Republicans & Democrats 10:51 Biden promised rich donors "nothing would fundamentally change" 11:59 Extreme wealth & income inequality in USA 15:12 US wages stagnated while productivity soared 15:42 Financialization of US economy 17:09 Inflation & cost of living crisis 18:43 House prices grow much faster than wages 20:48 Blackstone: the world's largest landlord 22:49 Private equity 24:03 Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman funds Trump 24:28 Kamala Harris & Trump woo Wall Street 25:25 Trump tax cuts make rich much richer 27:19 BlackRock makes economic policy for Biden & Harris 28:10 USA is an oligarchy 29:41 Outro
04 Nov 19:06

Ivo Graham's Obsessions

Tom Roche

skip

Ivo Graham brings 2 more celebrity guests to Radio 4, to tell us about their obsessions.

Comedian Fatiha-El Ghorri and Paul Gorton of the hit BBC show 'The Traitors' join Ivo this week. Fatiha El-Ghorri is obsessed with trainers, and judges the audience on theirs while Paul details the hours he spends in his gaming room. Ivo also delves into the audience to find out what their obsessions are, and finally Ivo is joined by a Very Obsessed Person, or 'VOP'. This week, Ailish Morrison comes on to tell us about her unexpected twin passions of cheerleading and Lord of the Rings.

Hosted by Ivo Graham Featuring Fatiha El-Ghorri, Paul Gorton and Ailish Morrison

Written by Ivo Graham and Zoe Tomalin

Additional Material by Cody Dahler, Christina Riggs and Peter Tellouche

Recorded at the Marylebone Theatre by Duncan Hannant Sound edited by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinators: Katie Baum and Jodie Charman Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4

An EcoAudio certified production Show image: Matt Stronge

04 Nov 15:50

Democracy Now! 2024-11-04 Monday

Tom Roche

after headlines, very skippable

Democracy Now! 2024-11-04 Monday

  • Headlines for November 04, 2024
  • "You're Being Lied To": Pennsylvania County Elections Chair Debunks Claims of Voter Fraud
  • Former FEC Counsel Speaks Out on Big Money, Citizens United & Elon Musk's Illegal Moves to Help Trump
  • Save the Children in Gaza: Israel Bombs Polio Vax Site, Bans UNRWA in Attacks on Humanitarian Aid
  • Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud on Refusing Meeting with Trump, Not Endorsing Harris

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