Political Analysis - 02/28/12

Karyn Strickler of Climate Challenge Media guest hosts this episode, featuring: Distinguished Professor of History at American University Allan Lichtman.  He discusses his system for predicting Presidential elections, "The Keys to the White House," a model with 100% accuracy.  Listen for his prediction on who will be the next President of the United States.  We will also discuss Lichtman's book, "White Protestant Nation:  The Rise of the American Conservative Movement," which explains that conservatives are not about limited government, fiscal responsibility or state's rights, but rather support their own form of intrusive, big government.  And finally, we'll discuss Lichtman's upcoming book, "FDR and the Jews," giving the real story of what Roosevelt did and did not do to aid the Jews of Europe during the Nazi era. 

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 02/21/12

Tonight's Guest: Whistle-blower Hugh Kaufman

Whistle-blower Hugh Kaufman, senior policy analyst at the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

As the nation approaches the two-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and the massive oil spill that followed, Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) takes a closer look at the worldwide use of so-called “dispersants" by Big Oil to "clean up" the environmental damage caused by oil spills. SLV is joined in this pursuit by EPA whistle-blower and environmental defender Hugh Kaufman, a forty-year veteran of the EPA, who gained notoriety in the spring of 2010, after speaking out about the BP cover-up in the Gulf  -- and exposing the toxic and environmentally damaging nature of "Corexit," a dispersant used by BP after the disastrous 2010 "spill." 

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 02/14/12

Guest: Phil Rockstroh

 
Tonight Sandy LeonVest pays tribute to deposed Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, with news, analysis and audio clips of what is now widely being considered a coup. The coup took place exactly one week ago today, when the Maldives' first democratically elected president was removed from office at gunpoint by police and military authorities. Maldivian authorities say Nasheed was deposed for what they describe as “criminal behavior,” but supporters believe that the story of the rise and fall of their idealistic young (ex) president has only begun to be told. Many believe that the Maldivian military and police, who remained loyal to the islands’ former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, had planned the coup for months in advance of February 7th, when they carried out their "forced removal." Tonight, after a weekend of diplomatic talks in the Maldives with US and European officials, the political crisis there continues, and supporters of the now-deposed President Nasheed are promising to continue protesting until he is reinstated. 

During the second half of the show, poet, lyricist, journalist and master of political satire Phil Rockstroh joins SLV to reflect on the meaning of Valentines Day -- how love, inspiration and transformation play out in an era of destruction and decline. By the end of the segment, SLV feels a little better about it all ... She hopes you will too.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 02/07/12

Guest: Nomi Prins

Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to author, journalist and consumer advocate Nomi Prins, about the US "economic recovery," in the context of the European monetary crisis and austerity measures in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and other countries. They discuss the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the evisceration of capital at the hands of a criminally corrupted global banking system. 

Nomi Prins turned in her credentials as an investment banker (with, among others, Goldman Sachs), to advocate for transparency and accountability in the financial industry. Today, she spends her time spreading the word about the global financial cartel, and explaining how a small group of financial elites managed to hijack the world's wealth to fill their own coffers. Her work in the area of corporate accountability has been widely acknowledged as groundbreaking. Nomi Prins is the author of, among other books, "It Takes a Pillage: Behind the Bonuses, Bailouts, and Backroom Deals from Washington to Wall Street" and “Black Tuesday.”

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 1/31/12

Tonight on Political Analysis, host Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to two of the nation’s leading progressives -- David Swanson and Joshua Frank -- about whether progressives need to shift their focus from electoral politics to more direct action. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupy movement, why environmentalists need to start talking about war as a crime against humanity and against the environment and, as David Swanson puts it, why we need to “stop obsessing over who we elect," and organize to put the issues that matter most to us back on the agenda. 

The show is the second in a series of conversations being aired on the Progressive Radio Network that takes on the issue of how progressives can best strategize -- and have their voices heard -- as we approach the 2012 elections.

David Swanson is a longtime anti-war activist, blogger and author of "War is a Lie." His most recent book, "When the World Outlawed War" offers a powerful account of how, back in the 1920s, people around the world actually managed to abolish the act of war as legitimate state policy … David Swanson’s groundbreaking work offers new ways of thinking about both war and political activism. Listeners can learn more about David Swanson at www.warisacrime.org.

Joshua Frank is an environmental journalist and author of (among other books) "Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush." His forthcoming book, co-authored with Jeffrey St. Clair, is titled, “Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion.” In it, Frank and St. Clair make the case that the Obama revolution was over before it started – having (as Joshua Frank puts it) been gutted by the president’s “overweening desire to prove himself to the grandees of the establishment.” Joshua Frank’s investigative reports and columns appear in some of the country’s leading progressive publications, including CounterPunch, www.AlterNet.org, www.Truthout.org, www.Commondreams.org and www.solartimes.org. 

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 01/24/12

Tonight, Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) talks to activist, writer and policy analyst Emira Woods and Nigerian human rights activist Omoyele Sowore about the occupation of Nigeria by Big Oil, and the ongoing ecocide and genocide in that country, at the hands of multinational oil companies and the Nigerian government. They discuss the Nigerian government's recent removal of fuel subsidies, which resulted in tens of thousands of Nigerians taking to the streets this month to protest their governments' corruption and the occupation of their country.

Emira Woods is co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies and an expert on US foreign policy with emphasis on Africa and the developing world. She has written on a wide range of issues from debt, trade and development to US military policy. 

Omoyele Sowore is a human rights activist who has been imprisoned, beaten and tortured by the Nigerian government on numerous occasions, but continues to fight for the rights of Nigerians -- and all oppressed people across the world.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 1/17/11

Karyn Strickler of Climate Challenge Media guest hosts this episode, featuring: Alec Loorz and Jordan Howard, two of the kids suing the federal and all 50 state governments to force them to curb greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change. These visionary young people and their attorney, Julia Olson tell us why they have turned to our judicial branch to take on the: U.S. EPA and the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy and Interior, to fight climate change. We'll also hear from Kelly Matheson, whose videos are helping to tell the story of how young people's lives are being adversely impacted by climate change, now and in the future.  DON'T MISS IT!!  Founder Alec Loorz and Jordan Howard are with iMatter and Kids vs. Global Warming campaigns.  Julia Olson is the executive director of Our Children's Trust.  Kelly Matheson is the program director for the Americas at WITNESS.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 01/10/11

Guests: Adrienne Esposito and Jeff Biggers

Tonight on the first half hour of Political Analysis: EARTHQUAKES AND HYDROFRACKING

Tonight's first guest on Political Analysis has become one of the nation’s leading voices against hydraulic fracturing. Adrienne Esposito is the executive director of the NewYork-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, an organization that works with legislators, scientists and public health agencies to protect land and water resources. Adrienne (whom I learned on tonight's show has a degree in geology) talks about the alarming increase in seismic activity in hydrofracking zones -- and what New York is doing to put an end to it. 

Second half of Political Analysis: PEABODY ENERGY'S "LAND SWAP" 

The second half of the show features activist, author, award-winning journalist and cultural historian, Jeff Biggers talking about the US Forest Service's pending "land swap," that allows Peabody Energy ( the largest private coal company in the world) access to some 384 acres of the Shawnee National Forest along the Saline River in Illinois, so it can build yet another coal-fired power plant. Jeff Biggers also talks about "earthquake denial," and the massive coal-fired plant being built by Peabody right now in southern Illinois -- in what's known as the New Madrid Seismic zone. His article on the subject can be found at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/earthquake-denial-why-is_b_835401.html

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 01/03/11

Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest presents "Partying with Phil" -- a New Years soiree with poet, philosopher and political sniper, Phil Rockstroh.

SLV rings in the New Year with poet and political philosopher Phil Rockstroh, in a celebration of hopelessness, as they occupy the unbearable rightness of their own beings. If you're tired of fighting with facebook "friends," ready to tell your critics to just back off already with their personal insults and psychotic projections or maybe just feeling like celebrating your own self-serving bad-assness, then you're sure to appreciate this very public, private celebration on the Progressive Radio Network. 

Strictly BYOB (Bring your own bad ass).

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 12/27/11

REPEAT PROGRAM 10/25/11

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 12/13/11

Guest: Mike Ewall, founder and director of Energy Justice Network

This week on Political Analysis, host Sandy LeonVest tackles the issue of people and power in the context of what has come to be known as "energy democracy." During the first half of the program, she looks at the issue of carbon trading through the lens of environmentaism and social justice, with audio segments from policy analysts and climate justice advocates. She asks whether such "market-based" schemes (carbon offsets, credits, cap and trade) actually "green the planet" or merely serve to enrich polluters, while keeping power out of the hands of the people.

Continuing that theme during the second half of the show, SLV talks to climate justice advocate Mike Ewall about how corporate polluters and financial elites (like those who attended COP 17) utilize complicated carbon schemes and market-based climate solutions in order to continue to pollute, while reaping huge profits and keeping the status quo in place.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 12/6/11

Guest: Eric Brooks --San Francisco Green Party organizer and local clean energy activist

As the COP 17 climate talks in Durban, South Africa enter their second week, Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest features "clips and coverage" of the climate talks -- along with protests by Greenpeace, African Womens' groups, indigenous rights activists, rural farmers and others, currently taking place outside the conference. The groups are speaking out against corporate "occupiers," including Big Oil multinationals Shell, Chevron and Exxon.

During the second half of the show, SLV talks to San Francisco Green Party organizer and energy democracy advocate Eric Brooks about how "disaster capitalism" and the City's contract with Shell for "clean energy" stands to impact San Francisco's Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), known as CleanPowerSF. They also talk about Shell's contract with Marin County's CCA, the company's plans to "occupy" California's clean energy future -- and how Big Oil, left unchecked, could potentially subvert "community choice" across the Golden State -- and the country.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 11/29/11

This week Sandy LeonVest talks about the UN climate conference in Durban, South Africa, which most human rights and climate activists believe is destined for failure. The show features audio segments from Samson Malesi, human rights activist and coordinator of South Africa’s "Caravan of Hope" and Bongani Mthembu, campaigner with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance. Bongani Mthembu is among those who believe the UN climate talks may have outgrown their usefulness, and that a new protocol needs to be established. He argues for closer examination of corporate influence and institutions like the World Bank in undermining meaningful efforts to mitigate climate change.

During the second half of the program, author and activist Harvey Wasserman talks to Sandy about decentralized energy, distributed generation of renewables and community ownership of clean energy sources or "energy democracy." In an odd twist of events, Harvey ends up interviewing Sandy about the takeover in Marin and San Francisco of those counties' clean energy programs (aka "Community Choice Aggregation" or CCA), which theoretically allows consumers to get out from under the thumb of corporate-controlled energy and choose their own sources of energy. Sandy explains to Harvey how, in Marin and San Francisco, the CCA movement -- and even "energy democracy" terminology has been all but co-opted by Shell Energy North America.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 11/22/11

This week, two days before Thanksgiving, Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest waxes thankful for the Occupy Wall Street movement. She includes in her Thanksgiving tribute, audio clips from the brilliant Occupy teach-in that took place this November in Los Angeles, former labor secretary and economist Robert Reich's magnificent speech there, and the organic emergence from the occupy movement of mature and courageous leadership, even as efforts by corporate lobbyists to marginalize and de-humanize the movement become evermore virulent. Sandy follows this "Thanksgiving segment" with an un-thankful segment, which includes audio of disparaging remarks about the occupiers made this last week by Republican presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich (who thinks protesters don't bathe, pay taxes or work) and a not entirely convincing apology by UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi for her part in the campus tear-gassing "incident."

During the second half of the program, Aimee Allison updates listeners on current actions to hold UC Davis police and campus officials accountable for their criminal assault on peacefully protesting students with military-grade pepper spray. Amy also discusses recent shocking revelations of a coordinated national effort on the part of city officials, aided and abetted by the US Department of Homeland Security, to end the Occupy encampments.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 11/15/11

Guests: Dr. Margaret Flowers, Aimee Allison

Political Analysis host Sandy LeonVest talks with Dr. Margaret Flowers at the top of the hour. Dr. Flowers updates listeners on Occupy Washington DC, and talks about (among other things) the so-called congressional super-committee, charged with proposing at least $1.5 trillion dollars in deficit reduction over ten years through spending cuts and/or revenue increases. Doctor Flowers is an organizer of Occupy Washington DC, and a longtime advocate of single-payer healthcare or Medicare for All. She has emerged in recent years as one of healthcare’s most inspiring advocates.

During the second half of the program, radio journalist, organizer and director of RootsAction.org, Aimee Allison updates listeners on the West coast Occupy movement. Aimee recently wrote an article about the murder of a young black man near the Occupy encampment in Oakland. She talks with Sandy LeonVest about the significance of that murder, in the context of the occupy movement, as well as the direction the movement is taking, as encampments are increasingly shut down by city officials across the nation. RootsAction is an online initiative dedicated to galvanizing Americans seeking economic justice, equal rights, civil liberties, environmental protection and de-funding war.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 11/8/11

Guest: Dr. Costas Panayotakis 

This week's "Political Analysis" features host Sandy LeonVest reading and ruminating during the first half of the show about the so-called "debt crisis," drawing parallels between Greece's fiscal catastrophe and current political and economic developments here in the US. The second half of the show features an interview with Dr. Costas Panayotakis, author of the new book “Remaking Scarcity: From Capitalist Inefficiency to Economic Democracy,” wherein he makes the case that economic democracy needs to replace the current financial system, which profits financial elites at the expense of ordinary citizens -- and that this "economic democracy" should be the new guiding principle for humanity. Dr. Panayotakis was formerly a Robert Gillece Fellow at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 11/1/11

Guests:  Ian Angus, Dave Finnigan

Political Analysis - 10/25/11

 

SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest hosts the first in a series of "progressive conversations" on strategies for the upcoming 2012 presidential elections. Her guests, David Swanson and Joshua Frank, are two of the country's leading progressive thinkers. While they agree that "politics as usual" needs to be challenged in the interest of maintaining (what remains of) democracy, their ideas as to the most effective strategies for pushing a truly progressive agenda differ. Tonight's show, "Can Progressives Organize a Viable Alternative to President Obama in 2012?" features a first-of-a-kind conversation on progressive electoral strategies for 2012. This conversation involves not whether progressives need to challenge the dominant two-party paradigm, but how to do it in the most effective way.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 10/18/11

Sandy LeonVest interviews visionary, teacher and author (of ten books), Richard Heinberg. They talk about his newly released book, "The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality," and why an economy based on "the growth imperative" and fossil fuel consumption is no longer sustainable. They also discuss the current global economic meltdown, the Ocuppy Wall Street protests and how the chaos brought about by IMF-imposed austerity measures in Greece, Poland, Spain Italy and other European countries could end up impacting the US in the very near future. They wrap up the program on a more hopeful note, as Richard Heinberg offers pro-active and positive ways that people and communities can make the transition to a sustainable future.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Political Analysis - 10/11/11

SolarTimes editor Sandy LeonVest (www.solartimes.org) engages in a profoundly trivial conversation with poet, lyricist, philosopher and political observer Phil Rockstroh about the Occupy Wall Street protests; (what Naomi Klein calls) the "capitalization of hope;" the ways in which we internalize corporate values, and how shame keeps us from embracing our rage at having been sucked in by the corporate PR machine. They also toy with the concepts of never having found "the swans," disaster capitalism, the nature of dissent and the importance of creativity in an increasingly dogmatic political climate.

Download this episode (right click and save)