Noble Hearts Forums

CLR Show 1723.  Air Date April 5, 2022.  Is the very thought of non-violent resistance within the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine a rational or reasonable one? Is there a point at which non-violent resistance becomes irrelevant or even counter-productive? Or is the exercise of non-violent resistance an absolute virtue, demanding exploration and implementation despite the extreme nature of the circumstances? These are difficult questions at best, and all the more so when explored in the context of an ongoing conflict.

CLR Show 1722. Air Date April 1, 2022.  It falls to AG Merritt Garland to initiate the first criminal prosecution of a former American president. The thought must be daunting and the list of possible unsavory consequences frightening. But to ignore his moral, ethical and legal obligation; even to degrade the gravity and significance of this prosecution by pushing it further into the future, is to debase the constitutional foundations of this country and any hope of both reversing our functional malaise and recapturing our moral standing in the world. Consider the plight of the ancient warrior, Arjun, in the epic tale, 'The Bhagavad Gita'. With Friday Co-Host, David Bach.

CLR Show 1721. Air Date March 29, 2022. We can persist in surrounding ourselves with the half-realities of social media, 'sorta-fying' reality and making it less disturbing and far less significant than how many hits, friends and donations some biased story about reality may generate. Or we can do the one thing that will force us to deal with the real world and its consequences––and put our democracy to a true test of its underlying strengths before the eyes of the world: indict and try Donald Trump. Now. Whatever the consequences might be.

CLR Show 1720.  Air Date March 25, 2022.  Putin's lies about the reasons and results of his criminal invasion of Ukraine and trumpian lies about SC Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson unfortunately have much in common.  Both sets of lies are rooted in the deep-seated fears of the liars and both pander to popular imaginings about fictional periods in the nation's history that were––supposedly––better than the imperfect present. It is the job of a free press and rational commentators to point this out, together with the dangers inherent in pursuing national policy based on lies. With Friday Co-Host, David Bach.

CLR Show 1719. Air Date March 22, 2022.  Social Media and Media generally are largely promoting a fear-based perception of the world around us, discouraging any deeper comprehension of the challenging issues that face us and the development of the thoughtful, comprehensive solutions needed to deal with them. Historically, this lack of comprehension has proven far more dangerous than the problems that confront us. Our true leaders must help us recognize this as they help us to overcome our collective fear of knowing.

CLR Show 1718.  Air Date March 18, 2022.  At some point, wall-to-wall coverage of the American/international unity and moral indignation occasioned by Mr. Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine will invariably give way to the more mundane elements of the American mid-term elections. Will we once again replace our visions of real war with manufactured culture war issues pandering to the worst of what we are?  And can we do this without recognizing the damage we're inflicting on ourselves? With CLR Friday Co-Host, David Bach.

CLR Show 1717. Air Date March 11, 2022. The second in an ongoing series of Noble Hearts Forums exploring the hard facts, immediate implications and potential evolution of the Ukrainian crisis, with a focus on both international and domestic issues. Panelist include Dr. Charles Webel, Dr. Bill Mulligan, John Cugini and Bill Arnone. Dr. Webel's insights into the mindset of Vladimir Putin––based on his personal contacts with the Russian autocrat––are especially revealing. Must listening.

CLR Show 1716. Air Date March 4, 2022.  For as disturbing and irrational as Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine is, it has served to galvanize virtually the entire planet against him and is leading to an unforeseen range of anti-Russian reactions in all spheres of government, finance, technology and even the arts. The end point of all this is presently unknowable, and rightfully disturbing. At the same time, the callous buffoonish-ness of trumpian politics and politicians are being drawn into sharp relief, especially when viewed against the harsh realities of war and death. With CLR Friday Co-Host, David Bach.

CLR Show 1715. Air Date February 25, 2022.  The notion that we can put morals and ethics aside and neutrally observe Putin's fear and paranoia unleashed on an independent nation is folly in the extreme and a total denial of history. To deny our own fears about his actions is an even greater folly. Putin's desperate efforts to reconstruct a false past are part of a growing rejection of hope for lack of a capacity to confront and suppress our greatest fears. And there is no neutral corner from which any American can safely observe the process. We must embrace hope and positive change. With Friday Co-Host, David Bach.

CLR Show 1714. Air Date February 21, 2022. The fifth in our continuing series of Noble Hearts Forums examines the (mis)perceptions, challenges and opportunities defining current Sino-American relations, with an emphasis on the numerous political, military, economic, sociological and other layers of what often seems to be a schizophrenic relationship. Panelists include Dr. Vincent Mosco, Dr. Charles Webel, Dr. Bill Mulligan and Chinese national/Czech-based PhD candidate Su Luo. Must listening.