Broadcast Archives — Page 21 of 73 — Alternative Radio

Democracy: Theirs & Ours
Angela Davis, Astra Taylor
The term democracy is frequently invoked perhaps never more so than after the January 6th assault on the Capitol which was almost unanimously described as an attack on democracy. The Ancient Greeks coined the term, demos is people and kratia is power or rule. So ideally, rule of the people. The U.S. is the champion […]
Civil Resistance in the 21st Century
Erica Chenoweth
The success and failure rates of civil resistance movements might seem like something studied at the U.S. Army War College. But social scientists and political activists always want to know why some tactics work, and some don’t. Boycotts, street protests, armed conflict, nonviolent and non-cooperation tactics, we’re seeing myriad forms of resistance as governments place […]
Smash the Mirror: Imagining a Different System
David Harvey
The global health and economic crises are points of opportunity. Arundhati Roy, the great Indian intellectual and writer says, “Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt like nothing else could. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the […]
Capitalism, the Pandemic & the Two-Party Monopoly
Kali Akuno, Richard Wolff
The pandemic has revealed a huge systemic failure in the ability of the U.S. to effectively attend to the well-being of millions of its citizens. World-class inequality has exacerbated the situation. You don’t need a degree from MIT to figure out the score. The rich get the gold and most of the rest of us […]
Class Struggle or Get It in the Neck
Noam Chomsky
The ruling class, and there is such a thing, assiduously attends to its needs. That is to say, to maintain and expand its power and wealth. How does it do that? By manipulation, propaganda and political influence. It deploys divide-and-rule tactics to not only distract most people but goads them to turn on one another. […]
Beyond the Politics of Despair
Chris Hedges
Despair. We all experience it. It can lead to demoralization. What’s the antidote? Engagement. Finding kindred spirits and acting collectively. Building bonds of solidarity. Working toward the common good. John Lewis, long-time Georgia Congressperson and civil rights icon had this advice: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our […]
Israel & Palestine: What’s Next?
Diana Buttu, Ilan Pappe
The decades-long one-sided Washington policy in favor of Israel reached new heights during the Trump regime. The peace process is a joke. The ever-expanding Jewish-only colonies, known euphemistically as settlements, have grown ever larger. The possibility of a sovereign, viable Palestinian state has dramatically receded. Yet, despite the occupation, the Palestinians practice, what is called […]
Retargeting Iran
Nader Hashemi, Trita Parsi
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the JCPOA, the Iran Deal, was a major diplomatic accomplishment. By all accounts it was successful. However, it was unilaterally abandoned by the current president. The UK ambassador to the U.S. called Trump’s move “an act of diplomatic vandalism.” Biden indicates he may return to the deal. Iran and […]
Chaos in the Middle East
Robert Fisk
The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 is one of the great crimes in modern history. No one has been held to account. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died, many more wounded and millions became refugees. Washington’s insane action unleashed a cascade of disasters across the Middle East from Syria to Libya and sparked […]
Resisting Fascism
Jason Stanley, Andy Zee
As a political ideology, fascism developed in Mussolini’s Italy, a century ago. At its core, fascism conjures up a mythic past. There is nostalgia for a so-called purer time. Its advocates deploy a raw appeal to nationalism. Opponents are demonized. Politicians spew racist dog whistles. Minorities are scapegoated. Fascists use fear, one of the most […]
The President, The Pandemic & the Election
Noam Chomsky
We are in “unchartered territory,” as the media incessantly remind us. We are on the eve of an election amidst a pandemic. The president has declared in advance that the election is a “hoax,” it is “rigged.” He would not even commit to saying he would honor the outcome. “We’ll see what happens,” he says. […]
Polarization Can Kill Democracy
Steven Levitsky
It’s axiomatic that political discourse in the U.S. is becoming more and more extreme. There’s even talk of a coup. In textbook coups, martial law is declared. The internet and phones go dead. The opposition is jailed or killed. This is how we think of authoritarian regimes beginning. Yet Steven Levitsky says, “Democracies may die […]

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