Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

By Burt CohenSociety & CultureNewsPolitics
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Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen episodes

  • Finding Unexpected Bravery and Tenacity Among the Homeless
    Many of those of us who have homes wish the homeless were invisible. Unknown, clearly on hard times, why isn’t it done, why is it in all of our interest to prevent homelessness? Noted psychiatrist Dr. Robert Okin lived for two years among theis demographic and has a new book Silent Voices: People With Mental Disorders on the Street. He ends ups with an admiration for the homeless. We, on the other hand, are not living up to our responsibilities.
    1 hr
  • Biden is Not Royalty. Neither is Democracy
    Biden’s problem is he’s not a TV star, just a good president. What is the draw of royalty? It’s much less effort than tedious democracy to just accept legitimacy being handed down from above. On this show, from the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, Suzanne Schneider explains how today’s fascination with royalty and reverence for military trappings displays a hunger for divine intervention, as democracy takes a big very dangerous hit. But history shows it doesn’t have to.
    1 hr
  • This Supreme Court May Preemptively Ban Wealth Tax
    It used to be just the far right fighting against an income tax. Now that’s the Republican Party. On this show Matt Ford, staff writer for The New Republic explains a case the court soon may or may not take which would override the 16th Amendment to preemptively rule in favor of billionaires and ban a wealth tax. Some of us actually think that people ought to have a say in how we are taxed.
    57 min
  • A Revolution in Public Power
    It took a lot of persistent steady heavy lifting but New York State now has a new democratically run power authority. Instead of the traditional for-profit monopolies, the public good will determine a greener, less expensive supply of electricity.
    58 min
  • It’s Costing Taxpayers Billions. “Prespond” To Effects of Climate Change.
    Our infrastructure is overloaded. It already can’t handle extreme weather and climate change is making it more frequent. We can’t keep sweeping it under the rug. On this show Steve Ellis, president of the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, talks about their alliance with E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) and the need for upfront investments. Right nowMiddle and lower income taxpayers are getting whacked. They’re at greatest risk. Ellis argues that for our economy, “Presponding” is necessary.
    58 min
  • Righting a Century Old Wrong: Free Kurdistan From Middle East Prison
    Their language is illegal where they live. They can not give their kids Kurdish names. A continuing legacy of European imperialism. Americans owe Kurds gratitude for beating ISIS in 2014. Our guest Kani Xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network is walking over three hundred miles to the United Nations, arriving 100 years to the day when Kurdistan was carved up, calling for self government. Give a listen.
    1 hr 1 min
  • One Nation Indivisible: Oh Really?
    It’s not just blue vs red, North vs South. There’s us here in Yankeedom, Then there’s New Netherlands, The Midlands, Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, The Deep South (of course), New France, The Far West, El Norte, The Left Coast, and First Nation. You know this is accurate. On this show Colin Woodard, discusses his acclaimed  book “American Nations.” Listen to hear about the history of these rival regional nations and ask yourself whether today’s boundaries will look the same in a hundred years. One Nation? Never was. Check out this thought-provoking interview.  It’s our past, present, and future
    1 hr
  • Trumpism: Opposite of Populism
    What passes today for populism is anything but! It’s astounding that the far right calls itself that when they are the total opposite. Labor historian and author Steve Babson on this show clarifies the meaning of the word “populism:” and it’s all of the left. Give a listen to both William Jennings Bryan’s 1896 “Cross of Gold” and Huey Long’s 1935 Share the Wealth speeches. Fred Harris and Bernie Sanders were populist candidates for president. Not those other guys. And for the future, imagine a populist economic democracy, and a democratic foreign policy! Populism is for more democracy, not less.
    1 hr
  • The Term “MAGA” Admits Empire is Over
    He served 20 years in the military. No, he’s not the macho militarists; our guest today retired Lt Col. William Astore says empire is killing the America he served to protect. Our insane war budget, our “full spectrum global dominance” is resulting in an Iron Curtain here at home, the real heroes are those speaking out. Like Snowden, Manning, and Assange. Meanwhile the glorification of all things military is making domestic gun violence worse, as our effort to dominate the world weakens America. This guy knows what he’s talking about, give a full listen.
    1 hr
  • Seriously Radical Action To Defend the Earth
    It’s a tale of fiction but in his new book Altar to an Erupting Sun well known activist and author Chuck Collins tells the story of the main character Rae Kelliher who, facing her own death, makes a bold, shocking, and yes violent and desperate act aimed at shaking it up and saving the planet. As we all know, for decades, the powers behind the avoidable destruction of the earth have waltzed above protests and politics. They have severely limited the choices available to us, causing death and destruction especially in the global south. So is Rae a hero?
    1 hr

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