video-movies-podcasts

economy

“How Structural Racism Works” – Tricia Rose and Samuel Rosen – recently noted

June 7, 2020 Comments Off on “How Structural Racism Works” – Tricia Rose and Samuel Rosen – recently noted
If you are struggling to get your head around how racism works you will probably find it helpful to have a general framework as a guide. This one hour lecture from 2017 features an overview by Brown University Professor Tricia Rose of the structure of racism and how it works --->> read more -->>
No Picture
environment

Recently Noted – the chemical industry, government, and personal connections to TCE

March 1, 2020 Comments Off on Recently Noted – the chemical industry, government, and personal connections to TCE
Back in the early and mid ‘70s both Karen and I worked in various machine shops and other industrial locations. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was used on a daily basis to clean metals parts and other materials. I remember a large tank of slowly roiling hot TCE at Stevens Arnold, Inc. in --->> read more -->>
No Picture
environment

The Great Recycling Con video story – recently noted

December 9, 2019 Comments Off on The Great Recycling Con video story – recently noted
The New York Times published this video 12/8/2019. Over 90% of “recycleable” plastic materials in the consumer marketplace end up in landfill dumps. A fraud fomented by the plastics and retail marketing industry. Note: There is a ten second ad before the story begins.
No Picture
empire

Recently Noted – Overthrow: 100 Years of US Meddling & Regime Change, from Iran to Nicaragua to Hawaii to Cuba

August 22, 2019 Comments Off on Recently Noted – Overthrow: 100 Years of US Meddling & Regime Change, from Iran to Nicaragua to Hawaii to Cuba
We’ve written quite a bit about the US Empire. A key component of this US foreign policy is regime change. Here is a list of the posts here on this topic. Recently Democracy Now! ran a 22 minute discussion of the history of US regime change actions over the last --->> read more -->>
No Picture
justice/jails

Recently Noted – more John Oliver on American justice – or not

April 13, 2019 Comments Off on Recently Noted – more John Oliver on American justice – or not
Once again we return to our comedians for information about what is going on in the world. This time more on the fraud that is our judicial system. Turns out that one of our regular sources, John Oliver, has really made a demi-career out of just this topic.  
evicted press photo
family

Evicted – the book and the exhibition

April 3, 2019 Comments Off on Evicted – the book and the exhibition
We read Evicted – poverty and profit in the American city by Matthew Desmond last year in our local library book group. Recently on a visit to Washington DC to the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW – Judiciary Square Metro stop) we came on an exhibit based on --->> read more -->>
Boss Tweed on controlling nominating process
political system

Political Inequality – the other inequality

January 15, 2019 Comments Off on Political Inequality – the other inequality
There has been focus on wealth and income inequality for years. It is a pressing problem for more than 80% of the US population. But there is an other inequality, political inequality, that is at the heart of the more talked about inequality. In 2013 Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig provided --->> read more -->>
logo for the podcast Serial
justice/jails

Recently Noted – Serial the Podcast – More Evidence of the Delusion of Justice –

November 4, 2018 Comments Off on Recently Noted – Serial the Podcast – More Evidence of the Delusion of Justice –
We have written earlier about the fact that effective legal representation and trial by jury is a rarity making one of our cultural icons a complete sham. As Jed Rakoff has noted: In actuality, our criminal justice system is almost exclusively a system of plea bargaining, negotiated behind closed doors --->> read more -->>
No Picture
empire

President Authorizes Coup in Iran

August 19, 2018 Comments Off on President Authorizes Coup in Iran
Intervention in Iran – 65th Anniversary On August 19, 1953 President Eisenhower authorized the CIA to support British efforts to launch a coup against the popularly elected government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in favor of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. At immediate issue were plans by Mossadegh to nationalize --->> read more -->>
F.C. Howe quote about business rules
economy

John Oliver and Monopoly Capitalism

February 21, 2018 Comments Off on John Oliver and Monopoly Capitalism
Corporate concentration of income and wealth are core features of capitalism. From its earliest chroniclers and cheerleaders like Adam Smith, the drive for corporations to get ever larger and in the doing drive their competitors out of the market was noted and warned against. In the US, the late 19th --->> read more -->>