Staff Favorites

U.S. Interventions in the Middle East
Edward Said
The current occupant of the White House has said, “The Middle East is a troubled place. There are a lot of bad things happening in that part of the world.” Indeed. But why is it a troubled place and why are bad things happening there? There is no mention of Washington’s role. Actions have consequences. […]
Surviving the Future
Naomi Klein, Arundhati Roy
What will tomorrow bring in the age of COVID-19? There is so much uncertainty. Arundhati Roy sees an opportunity. She writes, “Whatever it is, coronavirus has made the mighty kneel and brought the world to a halt. And in the midst of this terrible despair, it offers us a chance to rethink the doomsday machine […]
U.S. Nuclear War Policy
Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg
How many times have we come close to destroying the world? You don’t want to know. In this discussion, Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg review the disturbing historical record. They talk about the phony bomber and missile gaps that were used to justify more military spending. Today dangers are increasing. So much so that the […]
Fascism: The False Revolution
Michael Parenti
Fascism is being mentioned more and more in the context of U.S. and European elections. It is a term that is bandied about often rather loosely. Orwell wrote that it is understood to be “something not desirable.” But it is a complex political and economic synergy that has racism, force and nationalism as its animating […]
Russia, Ukraine, the War & the U.S.
Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Russian invasion of Ukraine with its horrific atrocities and massive refugee crisis has turned the world upside down. The war will have a huge impact on global food security as both countries are major exporters of wheat, barley and other grains. As usual, the media provide very little context and background. We are told […]
Remembering Well & Raising Hell
Martin Espada
If you’d ask most people, they’d rather stay at home and watch a Seinfeld rerun than go to a poetry reading. Yet almost imperceptibly poetry enriches our lives and generates cultural growth and change. Think about it. Add up all the myriad poetry-related activities: readings, workshops, symposia, retreats, undergraduate and MFA programs at universities, books, […]
Real Politics, Real Poetry
Amiri Baraka
The role of creative people in society has long been debated. Should they focus on their art and stay away from politics? Poets, writers, painters, filmmakers, musicians, artists in general occupy a unique position. Their impact and influence extend far and wide. They illuminate realities in imaginative ways that expand awareness and understanding. Think of […]
Making & Breaking Stories
Rebecca Solnit
Dominant paradigms, dominant stories, the big picture through which our lives move. How much of it is constructed for us? Most of it. What are the prevailing paradigms and cultural narratives really made of? Words. Language. To coin a phrase, define the terms, frame the issue, to write the story that sticks in the public […]
The Meaning of Freedom
Angela Davis
The idea of freedom is inspiring. But what does it mean? If you are free in a political sense but have no food, what’s that? The freedom to starve? Or if the candidates on the ballot are yoked to unjust power structures, what’s that? The freedom to vote? The colonies in Asia and Africa gained […]
Propaganda & Control of the Public Mind
Noam Chomsky
2 CDs Most people associate the term propaganda with totalitarian dictatorships like Iraq or North Korea. Yet propaganda, in different shapes and forms, is an important element in democratic societies. The control and use of images and information can alter perceptions, frame debate and influence opinion. This special two-part program features Noam Chomsky in a […]
The Working Class
Michael Yates
Warren Buffett, the much-admired genius investor and one of the world’s richest men said, “There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” And who are the losers? The working class, people who work for an hourly wage or are salaried. The ruling class has driven […]
The Armenian Holocaust
Araxie Barsamian, Robert Fisk
In 1915, the Turkish government launched a premeditated organized campaign to eliminate the millennia-old Armenian people from their traditional homeland in what is now southeastern Turkey. The Turkish officials responsible for the genocide were never brought to account. This was not lost on Adolf Hitler. Just days before launching World War Two he told his […]

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