Lying his way towards Fascism; Donald Trump as President
Matthew LaClair talks with Jon Greenberg (PolitiFact), and Barry Seidman talks with John Bellamy Foster (Monthly Review), on President Donald Trump.
Audio can be found here!
Show 560: Takis Fotopoulos and the New World Order in Action
The phasing out of economic and national sovereignty…by the (NeoLiberal) process has led to a popular global movement for sovereignty, i.e. self-determination and against globalization. The rise of the New World Order and the role of the Transnational Elite; that is, the network of the economic and political elites which administers it, are examined in Fotopoulos’ new text, ‘The New World Order in Action: Globalization, the Brexit Revolution and the “Left”‘
The mythology used by the elites as well as by the globalist “Left” is examined. It was the full integration of the Left into the new order which has led to its political bankruptcy and the rise of neo-nationalist movements embraced by most of the victims of globalization, particularly the working class that used to support the Left. The need for a struggle for national as well as social liberation has become imperative today on the way to a new form of internationalism inspired by the principles of solidarity and mutual aid, rather than the catastrophic principles of competitiveness and profit-making.
Audio can be found here!
Show 558: David Neiwert on the Rise of the Alt-Right
David Neiwert on the Rise of the Alt-Right
Matthew LaClair speaks with journalist and author David Neiwert on his new book, Alt-America; The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump. Growing up in rural Idaho, Neiwert lived alongside a culture that included right-wing nationalists and white supremacists, which gave him first-hand experience on the belief system and thought process that makes them tick. In this book, Neiwert lays out a vivid history of the changing radical-right as it evolved to include not only the poorly educated, but also the highly educated people who are susceptible to believing almost anything, so long as it fits their world view. Why do so many people think this way? How did they help Trump, and how did Trump fuel their growth? Are these people “stupid?”
Audio can be found here!
Show 549: A Discussion with Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Host Matthew LaClair interviews Leonard Pitts Jr., a nationally syndicated columnist and novelist. Throughout his 35 year career, he has written on subjects ranging from music to politics, religion to science, race, writing, and more. We touch on all these subjects, with a focus on how interest in facts and critical thinking have declined, with ignorance taking its place.
Audio can be found here!
Show 540: George Lakoff on the Political Mind
George Lakoff on The Political Mind
This week, Matthew LaClair speaks with cognitive linguist George Lakoff. Professor Layoff is the author of eleven books including NY Times bestsellers The Political Mind: Why you Can’t Understand 21st Century American Politics with an 18th Century Brain, and The All New Don’t Think of an Elephant, and he has just retired from teaching after 50 years, 44 years which he spent at the University of California at Berkley.
How do political ideas spread? Why do people often vote against their own interests? Why have ultra-Conservatives been so successful in controlling American discourse? What message should liberals and progressives focus on going forward?
Audio can be found here!
Show 529: The Rise of Donald “Drumpf”
For this show we will explore the psychology, history, and political climate that has fueled the rise of the Right-Wing and its most prominent symbol of today, Donald Trump. Our first guest will be Dr. Leon Seltzer, a psychologist practicing in Del Mar, California. Dr. Seltzer is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy, and is a frequent writer for Psychology Today, where he writes on subjects such as anger management and conflict resolution. He most recently published 3 parts of a 5-part series in Psychology Today called “Outrage and Outrageousness: The Secret to Trump’s Popularity.”
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Following Dr. Seltzer, we will speak with attorney Tom Turnipseed, who served as the executive director to conservative George Wallace’s 1968 campaign. Joining him will be his wife, Judy, who also worked in the Wallace campaign. The Turnipseed’s experienced dramatic political and personal changes since then. Mr. Turnipseed later served as Chairman of the Board of the Center for Democratic Renewal, worked as the co-council for Macedonia Baptist Church in Clarendon County, S.C. in their case against the Ku Klux Klan for burning their church in 1997, and has promoted additional progressive causes.
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What leads people to promote and support racism, and what led some of them to change? What is the psychology behind Donald Trump and his most adamant supporters? What can we learn from the past to change the present?
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Audio can be found here!