Irresistible Fiction

Economic Update: Poverty and the US Economy by Richard Wolff. On this week's episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff provides updates on slow US economy, money drives Yale, Chobani workers get profits, more car corps scandal, and Christian/Marxist dialogue. Interview with anti-poverty activist Rob Robinson. Visit Professor Wolff's social movement project, democracyatwork.info. Permission to reprint Professor Wolff's writing and videos is granted on an individual basis. Please contact profwolff@rdwolff.com to request permission. We reserve the right to refuse or rescind permission at any time.

Building Power for Worker Rights by MFlowers On the day after May Day, we focus on the current situation for workers and how they are building power to lift up wages and worker rights. We speak with Professor Richard Wolff of Democracy at Work and Mike Somers, President of CWA Local 2100. Nearly 40,000 CWA members have been on strike against Verizon since April 13. They are calling for a national day of action on May 5. Relevant articles and websites: Economic Update: Poverty and the US Economy by Richard Wolff Democracy at Work Stand Up To Verizon – Join the National Day of Action on May 5 and sign the petition. Verizon Greed CWA Local 2100   Guests: Richard D. Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work. He is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City. He also teaches classes regularly at the Brecht Forum in Manhattan. Earlier he taught economics at Yale University (1967-1969) and at the City College of the City University of New York (1969-1973). In 1994, he was a visiting professor of economics at the University of Paris (France), I (Sorbonne). His work is available atrdwolff.com and at democracyatwork.info. A lifelong professor of economics, Prof. Wolff is a well-known critic of contemporary capitalism and the leading proponent of an alternative economic system based on WSDEs. He has been interviewed on several popular television programs that include: Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill Moyers’ Moyers & Company, The Charlie Rose Show, and Up with Chris Hayes, among others. Prof. Wolff’s publications include articles in Truthout.org, The Guardian, Common Dreams, as well as his recent books: Capitalism Hits the Fan and Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism.     Mike Somers is the president of Communications Workers of America Local 2100 in Chase, MD.

Building Power for Worker Rights by MFlowers On the day after May Day, we focus on the current situation for workers and how they are building power to lift up wages and worker rights. We speak with Professor Richard Wolff of Democracy at Work and Mike Somers, President of CWA Local 2100. Nearly 40,000 CWA members have been on strike against Verizon since April 13. They are calling for a national day of action on May 5. Relevant articles and websites: Economic Update: Poverty and the US Economy by Richard Wolff Democracy at Work Stand Up To Verizon – Join the National Day of Action on May 5 and sign the petition. Verizon Greed CWA Local 2100   Guests: Richard D. Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work. He is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City. He also teaches classes regularly at the Brecht Forum in Manhattan. Earlier he taught economics at Yale University (1967-1969) and at the City College of the City University of New York (1969-1973). In 1994, he was a visiting professor of economics at the University of Paris (France), I (Sorbonne). His work is available atrdwolff.com and at democracyatwork.info. A lifelong professor of economics, Prof. Wolff is a well-known critic of contemporary capitalism and the leading proponent of an alternative economic system based on WSDEs. He has been interviewed on several popular television programs that include: Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill Moyers’ Moyers & Company, The Charlie Rose Show, and Up with Chris Hayes, among others. Prof. Wolff’s publications include articles in Truthout.org, The Guardian, Common Dreams, as well as his recent books: Capitalism Hits the Fan and Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism.     Mike Somers is the president of Communications Workers of America Local 2100 in Chase, MD.

Talk Nation Radio: Peter Enns on How Public Punitiveness Led to Mass Incarceration   Peter Enns is Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Executive Director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. He is also team leader of the Institute for Social Science theme project on the Causes, Consequences, and Future of Mass Incarceration in the United States. His research focuses on public opinion, representation, mass incarceration, and inequality. Peter also teaches courses on quantitative research methods. Peter’s new book, Incarceration Nation, (Cambridge University Press) explains why the public became more punitive in the 1960s, 70s, 80, and 90s, and how this increasing punitiveness led to the rise of mass incarceration in the United States. Peter received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007) and his undergraduate degree from Colorado College (1998). Prior to graduate school, he taught high school Spanish for three years in Baltimore, MD, through Teach For America. Additional information on his research and teaching is available on his personal website. Total run time: 29:00 Host: David Swanson.Producer: David Swanson.Music by Duke Ellington. Syndicated by Pacifica Network. Please encourage your local radio stations to carry this program every week!

Talk Nation Radio: Peter Enns on How Public Punitiveness Led to Mass Incarceration   Peter Enns is Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Executive Director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University. He is also team leader of the Institute for Social Science theme project on the Causes, Consequences, and Future of Mass Incarceration in the United States. His research focuses on public opinion, representation, mass incarceration, and inequality. Peter also teaches courses on quantitative research methods. Peter’s new book, Incarceration Nation, (Cambridge University Press) explains why the public became more punitive in the 1960s, 70s, 80, and 90s, and how this increasing punitiveness led to the rise of mass incarceration in the United States. Peter received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007) and his undergraduate degree from Colorado College (1998). Prior to graduate school, he taught high school Spanish for three years in Baltimore, MD, through Teach For America. Additional information on his research and teaching is available on his personal website. Total run time: 29:00 Host: David Swanson.Producer: David Swanson.Music by Duke Ellington. Syndicated by Pacifica Network. Please encourage your local radio stations to carry this program every week!

This week on Love (and Revolution) Radio, Ken Butigan shares the exciting news about the Nonviolence and Just Peace conference at the Vatican . . . and what throwing out 1700 years of just war theory might mean for the Catholic Church, and the world. Sign up for our weekly email: http://www.riverasun.com/love-and-revolution-radio/ About Our Guest: Ken Butigan is the Executive Director of Pace e Bene and Campaign Nonviolence. He is a peace and conflict studies professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Ken was part of the planning committee for the "Nonviolence and Just Peace Conference: Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of, and Commitment to Nonviolence", and he also coordinated the writing committee for the final draft of the text that was sent to Pope Francis following the conference. Related Links: About the "Nonviolence and Just Peace" Conference http://wagingnonviolence.org/2016/04/vatican-conference-calls-for-nonviolence-just-peace-pope-francis/ The Church's Turn Toward Nonviolence by Rev. John Dear http://www.paceebene.org/2016/04/21/the-churchs-turn-toward-nonviolence/ Laudato Si, Encyclical on Ecological Restorative Justice by Pope Francis http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html Cardinal Turkson's interview in April 24th Edition of Sunday Times, London http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Europe/article1689497.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2016_04_23 Pax Christi http://www.paxchristi.net/ Junipero Serra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun%C3%ADpero_Serra Why Civil Resistance Works by Maria J. Stephan and Erica Chenoweth http://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-civil-resistance-works/9780231156820 Nonviolent Peaceforce http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/ The Two Hands of Nonviolence http://www.paceebene.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Two-Hands-of-Nonviolence.pdf Dorothy Day & Catholic Worker Movement http://www.catholicworker.org/ Franz Jägerstätter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_J%C3%A4gerst%C3%A4tter Thomas Merton http://merton.org/ Oscar Romero in El Salvador https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93scar_Romero Cardinal Sin in the Philippines, People-Power Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Sin Pace e Bene Nonviolence Trainings w/ Ken Butigan and Staff http://www.paceebene.org/programs/nonviolence-workshops/ Campaign Nonviolence http://www.paceebene.org/programs/campaign-nonviolence/ Nonviolent Cities Project http://www.paceebene.org/programs/campaign-nonviolence/the-nonviolent-cities-project/ Music by: "Love and Revolution" by Diane Patterson and Spirit Radiowww.dianepatterson.org Our featured music this week is called Song of Time from Diane Patterson's new album, Teach, Inspire, Be Real. We are particularly excited about this new album, since it is the first time a recording of our theme song, Love and Revolution, has ever been available! In two weeks, we'll have Diane with us here on the show to discuss art, music, and making change. You can find her music at www.dianepatterson.org About Your Co-hosts: Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot) is an Indigenous rights attorney, writer and activist who melds traditional life-way teachings into spirit-based movements. Follow her at Sherri Mitchell – Wena’gamu’gwasit:https://www.facebook.com/sacredinstructions/timeline Rivera Sun is a novelist and nonviolent mischief-maker. She is the author of The Dandelion Insurrection, Billionaire Buddha, and Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars. She is also the social media coordinator and nonviolence trainer for Campaign Nonviolence and Pace e Bene. Her essays on social justice movements are syndicated on by PeaceVoice, and appear in Truthout and Popular Resistance.http://www.riverasun.com/

This week on Love (and Revolution) Radio, Ken Butigan shares the exciting news about the Nonviolence and Just Peace conference at the Vatican . . . and what throwing out 1700 years of just war theory might mean for the Catholic Church, and the world. Sign up for our weekly email: http://www.riverasun.com/love-and-revolution-radio/ About Our Guest: Ken Butigan is the Executive Director of Pace e Bene and Campaign Nonviolence. He is a peace and conflict studies professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Ken was part of the planning committee for the "Nonviolence and Just Peace Conference: Contributing to the Catholic Understanding of, and Commitment to Nonviolence", and he also coordinated the writing committee for the final draft of the text that was sent to Pope Francis following the conference. Related Links: About the "Nonviolence and Just Peace" Conference http://wagingnonviolence.org/2016/04/vatican-conference-calls-for-nonviolence-just-peace-pope-francis/ The Church's Turn Toward Nonviolence by Rev. John Dear http://www.paceebene.org/2016/04/21/the-churchs-turn-toward-nonviolence/ Laudato Si, Encyclical on Ecological Restorative Justice by Pope Francis http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html Cardinal Turkson's interview in April 24th Edition of Sunday Times, London http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Europe/article1689497.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2016_04_23 Pax Christi http://www.paxchristi.net/ Junipero Serra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun%C3%ADpero_Serra Why Civil Resistance Works by Maria J. Stephan and Erica Chenoweth http://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-civil-resistance-works/9780231156820 Nonviolent Peaceforce http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/ The Two Hands of Nonviolence http://www.paceebene.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Two-Hands-of-Nonviolence.pdf Dorothy Day & Catholic Worker Movement http://www.catholicworker.org/ Franz Jägerstätter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_J%C3%A4gerst%C3%A4tter Thomas Merton http://merton.org/ Oscar Romero in El Salvador https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%93scar_Romero Cardinal Sin in the Philippines, People-Power Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Sin Pace e Bene Nonviolence Trainings w/ Ken Butigan and Staff http://www.paceebene.org/programs/nonviolence-workshops/ Campaign Nonviolence http://www.paceebene.org/programs/campaign-nonviolence/ Nonviolent Cities Project http://www.paceebene.org/programs/campaign-nonviolence/the-nonviolent-cities-project/ Music by: "Love and Revolution" by Diane Patterson and Spirit Radiowww.dianepatterson.org Our featured music this week is called Song of Time from Diane Patterson's new album, Teach, Inspire, Be Real. We are particularly excited about this new album, since it is the first time a recording of our theme song, Love and Revolution, has ever been available! In two weeks, we'll have Diane with us here on the show to discuss art, music, and making change. You can find her music at www.dianepatterson.org About Your Co-hosts: Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot) is an Indigenous rights attorney, writer and activist who melds traditional life-way teachings into spirit-based movements. Follow her at Sherri Mitchell – Wena’gamu’gwasit:https://www.facebook.com/sacredinstructions/timeline Rivera Sun is a novelist and nonviolent mischief-maker. She is the author of The Dandelion Insurrection, Billionaire Buddha, and Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars. She is also the social media coordinator and nonviolence trainer for Campaign Nonviolence and Pace e Bene. Her essays on social justice movements are syndicated on by PeaceVoice, and appear in Truthout and Popular Resistance.http://www.riverasun.com/

It’s Our Money with Ellen Brown – The Cancer Stage of Capitalism  Economies are life forces – interdependent systems built upon the facts of life and living. “Life capital” as Ellen’s noted guest Dr. John McMurtry says, is at the heart of true economic reckoning, and money is merely one derivative. McMurtry describes Capitalism as being in a cancerous stage in which it’s being devoured from within by metastasizing greed and self-interest, devouring all living materials in its path. Similarly, we look at the new What Wall Street Costs America project and get specific about how that cancer reality looks in Jefferson County, AL, which declared bankruptcy after buying into toxic interest rates swaps from Wall Street salesmen. One thing though – we also talk about the antidote for that cancer: public banks!

It’s Our Money with Ellen Brown – The Cancer Stage of Capitalism  Economies are life forces – interdependent systems built upon the facts of life and living. “Life capital” as Ellen’s noted guest Dr. John McMurtry says, is at the heart of true economic reckoning, and money is merely one derivative. McMurtry describes Capitalism as being in a cancerous stage in which it’s being devoured from within by metastasizing greed and self-interest, devouring all living materials in its path. Similarly, we look at the new What Wall Street Costs America project and get specific about how that cancer reality looks in Jefferson County, AL, which declared bankruptcy after buying into toxic interest rates swaps from Wall Street salesmen. One thing though – we also talk about the antidote for that cancer: public banks!

This week: Regulation is the name of the game if you want to hold corporations accountable and keep them in line with the interests of people and planet. Sadly, there's one serious hurdle standing between us and regulation – and it has to do with how much your life is worth. Next up, find a May Day action near you - and while you're at it, paint and spray your message of change in super villain coup de art. But first, here's my 2 cents – on 20 dollars.    If you enjoy the show, please consider helping us create it! A coffee a month, an anonymous mask a month - help us keep acting out!  Site List: citizen.org ssosva.com Read more at http://actout.libsyn.com/#C8awH1meSikceCZQ.99

Economic Update: Gentrification: The Market Rules by Richard Wolff. On this week's episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff provides updates on pay of CEO's that fight $15/ he for workers, workers who get public assistance, facts on taxes paid and evaded, Mitsubishi like VW. Major discussion on economics of gentrification. Visit Professor Wolff's social movement project, democracyatwork.info. Permission to reprint Professor Wolff's writing and videos is granted on an individual basis. Please contact profwolff@rdwolff.com to request permission. We reserve the right to refuse or rescind permission at any time.  

Economic Update: Gentrification: The Market Rules by Richard Wolff. On this week's episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff provides updates on pay of CEO's that fight $15/ he for workers, workers who get public assistance, facts on taxes paid and evaded, Mitsubishi like VW. Major discussion on economics of gentrification. Visit Professor Wolff's social movement project, democracyatwork.info. Permission to reprint Professor Wolff's writing and videos is granted on an individual basis. Please contact profwolff@rdwolff.com to request permission. We reserve the right to refuse or rescind permission at any time.  

Ending Israeli Apartheid, Protecting Palestinian Rights by MFlowers We speak with two Refusers from Israel, Yasmin Yablonko and Khaled Farrag, who are on tour in the United States to raise awareness about the conditions that youth face in Israel. Yasmin and Khaled are part of a coalition of organizations called the Refuser Solidarity Network that supports teenagers who decide not to serve in the Israeli Defense Force. Then we speak with Ramah Kudaimi of End the Occupation and Chip Gibbons of Freedom to Boycott – Maryland about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to end Israeli Apartheid and the push back against it in the United States. Relevant articles and websites: No One Would Serve in the Israeli Army if They Knew; Israel Should Let Conscientious Objector Serve Both Society and Her Conscience by Tair Kaminer Refuser Solidarity Network Facebook Page Congress Under Pressure to Defund University Middle East Programs by Chip Gibbons The BDS Movement and the Return of McCarthyism by Chip Gibbons Palestinian-American Teen Brutalized by Israeli Police Testifies on Capitol Hill by Chip Gibbons End the Occupation BDS Movement   Guests: Yasmin Yablonko is a 23 year-old Israeli conscientious Objector from Jaffa. Today she is the coordinator of Mesarvot, a newly established network of Israeli organizations supporting refusal and opposing the occupation. The network helps elevate the voices of young people refusing military service, offering them capacity building, assisting with media work and helping them organize.Yasmin currently studies Humanities and Arts in the Tel Aviv University.       Khaled Farrag is a 34 year old Palestinian Druze conscientious objector from Rama village in the Upper Galilee. In 1999, after moving to Jerusalem, Khaled refused to serve in the army and was sentenced to two months in military prison. Khaled was of the founders of Urfod, a movement that calls for ending compulsory military service imposed on Druze men at the age of 18, and reconnecting Druze with their Palestinian and Arab identity as it was throughout the history. Khaled law at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, established and run a preparatory school for university admission in East Jerusalem and co-found Grassroots Jerusalem, a Palestinian NGO working on empowering communities in East Jerusalem.     Ramah Kudaimi is the membership and outreach coordinator for End the Occupation. She serves on the board of the Washington Peace Center. She has been an activist with other grassroots organizations including CODEPINK: Women for Peace and the Arab American Action Network. She has a Master of Arts degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University. Her writing has been published by Al Jazeera English, The Progressive, Truthout, and more.       Chip Gibbons is a long time supporter of the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement. In 2014, he helped form Keep Free Speech in the Free State to battle an anti-BDS bill in Maryland and more recently served as legislative Chair of Freedom to Boycott-Maryland. As a freelance journalist, his work has frequently covered the struggle for Palestinian human rights, as well as attempts to suppress the it. Gibbons is a Legal Fellow at the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Defending Dissent Foundation, where he heads the Activism is Not Terrorism Campaign, which focuses on protecting the rights of activists with an emphasis on the increased use of anti-terrorism legislation against non-violent activists and terrorism as a pretext for the surveillance of First Amendment protected activities. Additionally, he is a freelance writer and journalist whose work has appeared at Truthout, Counterpunch, and the Dissent NewsWire.

Ending Israeli Apartheid, Protecting Palestinian Rights by MFlowers We speak with two Refusers from Israel, Yasmin Yablonko and Khaled Farrag, who are on tour in the United States to raise awareness about the conditions that youth face in Israel. Yasmin and Khaled are part of a coalition of organizations called the Refuser Solidarity Network that supports teenagers who decide not to serve in the Israeli Defense Force. Then we speak with Ramah Kudaimi of End the Occupation and Chip Gibbons of Freedom to Boycott – Maryland about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to end Israeli Apartheid and the push back against it in the United States. Relevant articles and websites: No One Would Serve in the Israeli Army if They Knew; Israel Should Let Conscientious Objector Serve Both Society and Her Conscience by Tair Kaminer Refuser Solidarity Network Facebook Page Congress Under Pressure to Defund University Middle East Programs by Chip Gibbons The BDS Movement and the Return of McCarthyism by Chip Gibbons Palestinian-American Teen Brutalized by Israeli Police Testifies on Capitol Hill by Chip Gibbons End the Occupation BDS Movement   Guests: Yasmin Yablonko is a 23 year-old Israeli conscientious Objector from Jaffa. Today she is the coordinator of Mesarvot, a newly established network of Israeli organizations supporting refusal and opposing the occupation. The network helps elevate the voices of young people refusing military service, offering them capacity building, assisting with media work and helping them organize.Yasmin currently studies Humanities and Arts in the Tel Aviv University.       Khaled Farrag is a 34 year old Palestinian Druze conscientious objector from Rama village in the Upper Galilee. In 1999, after moving to Jerusalem, Khaled refused to serve in the army and was sentenced to two months in military prison. Khaled was of the founders of Urfod, a movement that calls for ending compulsory military service imposed on Druze men at the age of 18, and reconnecting Druze with their Palestinian and Arab identity as it was throughout the history. Khaled law at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, established and run a preparatory school for university admission in East Jerusalem and co-found Grassroots Jerusalem, a Palestinian NGO working on empowering communities in East Jerusalem.     Ramah Kudaimi is the membership and outreach coordinator for End the Occupation. She serves on the board of the Washington Peace Center. She has been an activist with other grassroots organizations including CODEPINK: Women for Peace and the Arab American Action Network. She has a Master of Arts degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University. Her writing has been published by Al Jazeera English, The Progressive, Truthout, and more.       Chip Gibbons is a long time supporter of the Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement. In 2014, he helped form Keep Free Speech in the Free State to battle an anti-BDS bill in Maryland and more recently served as legislative Chair of Freedom to Boycott-Maryland. As a freelance journalist, his work has frequently covered the struggle for Palestinian human rights, as well as attempts to suppress the it. Gibbons is a Legal Fellow at the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and Defending Dissent Foundation, where he heads the Activism is Not Terrorism Campaign, which focuses on protecting the rights of activists with an emphasis on the increased use of anti-terrorism legislation against non-violent activists and terrorism as a pretext for the surveillance of First Amendment protected activities. Additionally, he is a freelance writer and journalist whose work has appeared at Truthout, Counterpunch, and the Dissent NewsWire.

Talk Nation Radio: John Dear on Catholic Church Rejecting "Just War" Theory After 1700 years, the Catholic Church is turning against the idea that there can be a "just war." We speak with John Dear.John Dear is an internationally recognized voice for peace and nonviolence. A priest, pastor, retreat leader, and author, he served for years as the director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the largest interfaith peace organization in the U.S. After September 11, 2001, he was a Red Cross coordinator of chaplains at the Family Assistance Center in New York, and counseled thousands of relatives and rescue workers. John has traveled the war zones of the world, been arrested some 75 times for peace, led Nobel Peace prize winners to Iraq, recently visited Afghanistan, given thousands of lectures on peace across the U.S., and served as a pastor of several churches in New Mexico. His many books include: The Nonviolent Life; Walking the Way; Thomas Merton Peacemaker; A Persistent Peace; Transfiguration;  You Will Be My Witnesses;   Living Peace;  The Questions of Jesus;   The God of Peace;  Jesus the Rebel;   Peace Behind Bars;  and Disarming the Heart.  He has been nominated many times for the Nobel Peace Prize, including by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sen Barbara Mikulski. He works forwww.campaignnonviolence.org, is a priest of the Diocese of Monterey, Cal., and lives in New Mexico. See: www.johndear.org Statement from April 11-13 Vatican Meeting:http://www.paxchristi.net/news/appeal-catholic-church-recommit-centrality-gospel-nonviolence/5855#sthash.gBLNmWLZ.Ko153230.dpbs Total run time: 29:00 Host: David Swanson.Producer: David Swanson.Music by Duke Ellington. Syndicated by Pacifica Network. Please encourage your local radio stations to carry this program every week!