Dirty Work
Ralph spends the whole hour with Eyal Press, author of “Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and The Hidden Toll of Inequality in America,” where they discuss the large gap separating the people who perform the most thankless, ethically troubling jobs in America from the rest of us, who benefit from their work. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions.
Why Do We Still Have The Electoral College?
Ralph welcomes Harvard history professor, Alex Keyssar, scholar of voting rights and author of “Why Do We Still Have The Electoral College?” to discuss the battle over the Electoral College and the role white supremacy played in conceiving and perpetuating it. Then, we welcome back Steve Silberstein, board member of “National Popular Vote,” to update us on the progress that movement is making on the interstate compact where states would promise to give their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.
Wilkerson on Afghanistan
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former chief of staff, gives us his thoroughly unvarnished take on the history of our twenty-year debacle in Afghanistan. Then, we are joined by Jacob Wilson, cofounder of Congressional Progressive Staff Association an organization devoted to drawing congressional staff from the ranks of civic activists, organizers, faith leaders, and people from the labor movement in order to bring fresh, bold, progressive ideas directly into Congress members’ offices.
The Remaking of American Liberalism/Nairn on Afghanistan
In a fascinating interview, where the historian gets questioned by one of the main subjects of his history, Ralph welcomes professor Paul Sabin to discuss his history of the public interest movement, “Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism.” Plus, intrepid investigative reporter, Allan Nairn joins us to give us his take on U.S. culpability in the violent history of Afghanistan.
Feeding Local Economies/Starving the IRS
Ralph welcomes Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance to talk about how enforcing anti-trust laws would lead to more decentralized and productive local economies. And Pro Publica’s Jesse Eisinger joins us to explain how Republican anti-tax groups have starved the IRS budget, which leads to billions of dollars of uncollected taxes from the wealthy. Plus, Ralph answers your questions.
Eugenics/Wuhan Lab Leak?/Donziger Update
Andrew Kimbrell, director of the International Center for Technology Assessment, joins us to talk about his documentary “A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream,” and to give us an update on the Wuhan Lab leak theory. Plus, Ralph welcomes legendary civil rights attorney, Martin Garbus, to update us on new developments in the case of corporate prisoner, Steven Donzinger.
December 17, 2016
Ralph talks about the institutional corruption behind the practice of gerrymandering with David Daley, author of Ratfucked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal America's Democracy. Then Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen tells us what he thinks President Obama should do in the final days of his administration.
December 11, 2016
Activist Winona LaDuke gives her first person account of how the “water protectors” fended off the oil company over the Dakota Access Pipeline. And Ralph offers a plan to help Marine families, gain justice with Mike Magner, author of A Trust Betrayed: The Untold Story of Camp Lejeune and the Poisoning of Generations of Marines and Their Families.
December 3, 2016
Ralph talks to political activist Kevin Zeese about how to resist in the age of Trump and to professor Joel Andreas about his graphic novel-style critique of the military industrial complex: Addicted To War: Why the U.S. Can’t Kick Militarism.
November 26, 2016
We talk to social psychologist, Arlie Russell Hochschild, who helps us get inside the head, and more importantly, the heart of the typical Trump voter. Also, Bill Curry gives us his take on the way forward for the Democratic Party. And, Ralph responds to your questions about last week’s show on the Electoral College.
November 19, 2016
Stephen Silberstein of National Popular Vote rejoins us to tell us how the Electoral College can be reformed to more fully reflect the will of the people. And Ralph pays tribute to longtime colleague and head of The Center for Auto Safety, the late Clarence Ditlow.
November 12, 2016
Salon’s Bill Curry and The Nation’s John Nichols join Ralph and David to sort out what the hell just happened this past election day.
November 5, 2016
Author, Dan Zak, tells us the gripping story of the three peace activists, who broke into the most heavily guarded nuclear facility in the country. And poet Samuel Hazo tells us who “they” are in his new book of poetry entitled “They Rule The World.”
October 29, 2016
The tables are turned this week when Ralph gets to ask the questions in our interview with legendary broadcast journalist Ted Koppel about the state of the media and his book Lights Out: A Cyber Attack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath.