- Podcasts re Obama Presidency American society politics

Craig Barnes: The Myth of The Free Market

By Sanjiv on July 29, 2010 3:48 PM | 0 Comments

Today's guest commentary is by Craig Barnes and is brought to you courtesy of KSFR, Santa Fe's Public Radio Station (@101.1FM). It was broadcasted on July 28, 2010. Craig's full bio is available at our Guest Bios page.

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Millions of Americans have lost their homes because the free market did not work for them or for the banks. Before the health care bill passed last January millions could not get health care because the free market worked for them when they were healthy but often did not work at all when they needed care.

For complete entry content click on Craig Barnes: The Myth of The Free Market.

Obama Accomplishments, Political Hypocrisy, & Social Denial

By Sanjiv on July 23, 2010 9:53 PM | 0 Comments

Here's a few recent facts, news clips, and my observations:

On June 21st, President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act into Law which is his 3rd major accomplishment. You can see the WhiteHouse video below and see what this law means for you.
BP Oil spill disaster, and the latest delay in the ongoing cleanup due to a tropical storm, and President Obama securing $20B from BP to pay for the disaster
The costs of Bush/Cheney wars is at over $1Trillion and counting
The "deficit is a real concern" message in the Main Stream Media (MSM)and by the Republicans even though during Bush/Cheney administration it was "deficits do not matter" doctrine by Cheney, which the MSM embraced without question and even promoted it
The continued irresponsibility of MSM re what is highlighted vs what is not
The obscenity of election spending and elections being bought with flood gates of money, e.g., Meg Whitman spending $100M to-date for the CA Governor elections
The ridiculous, unbelievable poll numbers and their undue power over and manipulation of the American Society
Mrs Sherrod Brown debacle, race sensitivity in America, and the AZ Immigration law

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Obama Presidency has indeed created real change not only for the current American society but for future generations to come and the MSM and Republicans still downplay this change. Obama has shown compassion, balance, and resolute leadership despite the continued and unified Republican opposition.

For complete entry content click on Obama Accomplishments, Political Hypocrisy, & Social Denial.

Obama Looks Within

By Sanjiv on June 4, 2010 8:16 AM | 0 Comments

This commentary is by Craig Barnes and is available as a podcast here in the 2nd part of Craig's show with Jonathan Schell (commentary starts approx. at the 54:43 minute mark).

...

When George {W.} Bush issued his new National Security Strategy in June of 2002, he announced that if there were countries that the US considered dangerous we would feel free to attack them. This was a reversal of post-war US policy and was called the strategy of preemption. Any country that looked like a nuclear danger ought to watch out. Beginning with Iraq.

We all know what happened after that. Evidence was concocted to portray Saddam Hussein as in possession of nuclear weapons and we invaded. Seven years later 95,000 troops are still there. It would be hard to say how life in America has been made one iota better. We are more in debt. We lost global credibility. We lost over 4,397 lives. We are stuck there. Preemption was, in a nutshell, a multi-billion dollar windfall for the military industrial complex but a disaster for everybody else.

Obama was elected in part because of his promise to do something other than just bomb people. He would also talk to them. John McCain and Hillary Clinton had been more willing than he to bomb the Iranians. Obama got elected and has initiated a new openness to engagement. Now, a year and a half into the new administration, it is clear that neither of these two approaches has restored American power. In fact, it has now become clear that American power is nothing like it used to be, whether we bomb our enemies or talk to them. Power in these days has turned substantially commercial, not military, and commercially America is not keeping up.

For complete entry content click on Obama Looks Within.

The Corporations are coming!

By Sanjiv on May 20, 2010 11:40 AM | 0 Comments

This was a talk delivered by Craig Barnes at the discussion group "Journey" in Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 16, 2010. Please click here to get an audio podcast of this talk (slightly modified from this text).

...

Let us see this morning if we can stitch together some pattern out of the patchwork of our troubles. We are sometimes so beset with sound bites and trends, polls and policies, instant failures and unexpected successes that we dare not piece together any suggested place for ourselves in history. But, we might ask, is it not the work of people like you and me in every age to seek out and name the connections between things, to take some view of the valleys from--what we hope might be--the mountain top? Is that not what Journey wants to do every Sunday?

For complete entry content click on The Corporations are coming!.

Craig Barnes: Abolish The Filibuster

By Sanjiv on May 11, 2010 10:50 AM | 0 Comments

This commentary from Craig, was the introductory portion of yesterday's show on Our Times with Craig Barnes with Guest Robert Watson.

For complete entry content click on Craig Barnes: Abolish The Filibuster.

Craig Barnes: Surviving Democracy in a Feudal World

By Sanjiv on April 19, 2010 1:59 PM | 0 Comments

Today's show is a guest commentary by Craig Barnes. It was a talk given by Craig at Ghost Ranch on April 14, 2010. Ghost Ranch is an "Education and Retreat Center" with two locations in New Mexico: Abiquiu and Santa Fe.

We think that most of us live in real democracies where rule of law is the guiding principle but is it? It seems like Feudalism is still here and democracy is struggling to survive ... and not just in America but ... on much of the planet.

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Afghanistan provides a

"... modern example of continuing residual presence, on the planet, of Feudalism ... "

Afghanistan in effect lives by the principles of

" ... truth telling is naive in public circumstances ..., ... no tradition of loyalty to the common good or public service on behalf of the common good ... , ... no limitation on use of violence against strangers ... "

For complete entry content click on Craig Barnes: Surviving Democracy in a Feudal World.

Craig Barnes: Inequality and the American Dream

By Sanjiv on April 7, 2010 7:00 AM | 0 Comments

Today's show is a guest commentary by Craig Barnes. It is a talk given by Craig (at a Renesan sponsored event) on April 1st, 2010, in Santa Fe, NM.

Craig speaks regularly on Political Issues in Santa Fe and other parts of the country. He has authored several books and is a regular commentator on Nation Public Radio. His latest book "Democracy at the Crossroads" was published in November, 2009. In October, 2009, Craig started a regular 1/2hour interview program airing on KSFR (101.1FM) every Saturday at 9AM MST. The program is titled "Our Times with Craig Barnes." Please visit the Guest Bios page for his full bio.

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For complete entry content click on Craig Barnes: Inequality and the American Dream.

Health Care Reform: It Is The Law Now!

By Sanjiv on March 23, 2010 3:16 PM | 0 Comments

Today was a historic day... President Obama, signed the Health Care Reform (HCR) into Law today, March 23, 2010.

This eventful day came after a long and gruelling year of HCR debate, which was, unfortunately, full of irresponsible, misrepresentations by the Republicans - who are still not giving up and are ratcheting up the rhetoric and misinformation. The reconciliation bill is being debated in the Senate, as of the writing of this post, and is expected to conclude by the end of the week.

However, the American people have prevailed ... regardless of the polls or any misinformation in the media waves, HCR is now law. Hopefully, the media will, at least, start assisting the President by disseminating factual information about the reform from this point forward.

You can click here to find what is in the bill - an excellent summary provided by the White House, which includes a list of factual/informative resources. This resource list also includes a link to the actual text of the reconcilation bill passed in the house. This reconciliation bill's content is what was proposed by President Obama in February 2010 before the HCR Summit between Democrats and Republicans.

Health Care Reform: Hypocrisy or Real Debate

By Sanjiv on March 20, 2010 3:24 PM | 0 Comments

I have watched our decaying Political Landscape and felt disheartened at the utterly irresponsible behavior of our politicians and the media. And, as I follow, along with millions of others, the final wranglings in Washington re the Health Care Reform (HCR), I can not help but wonder ... what has happened to America in this 21st century? I found myself asking certain questions, ... and I would raise these questions whether I was a Democrat or Republican or Independent or other.

What happened to an honest and civil debate regarding real issues, such as HCR, that are facing America ?... a reasoned debate that is steeped with facts, policy positions, and substantive dialog instead of the current drama with emotions, twisted facts or spin, obsessive polling numbers, misrepresentations, and hollow, highly politicized dialog that is full of hypocrisy. Unfortunately, despite best intentions, the HCR debate, almost from the outset, was minimized by slogans like "death panels" or "socialized medicine" or "Government takeover."

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Citizens United Evaluated

By Sanjiv on February 6, 2010 1:40 PM | 0 Comments

Today's show is a guest commentary by Craig Barnes.

Craig speaks regularly on Political Issues in Santa Fe and other parts of the country. He has authored several books and is a regular commentator on Nation Public Radio. His latest book "Democracy at the Crossroads" was published in November, 2009. In October, 2009, Craig started a regular 1/2hour interview program airing on KSFR (101.1FM) every Saturday at 9AM MST. The program is titled "Our Times with Craig Barnes." Please visit the Guest Bios page for his full bio.

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For complete entry content click on Citizens United Evaluated.

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