Aired: 06/16/13

This week’s guest, neuroscientist CARL HART grew up in one of Miami’s toughest neighborhoods and, in his first book, HIGH PRICE, he explores how it is that he avoided becoming one of the crack addicts he now studies.

Columbia University’s first tenured African American professor in the sciences, Hart goes beyond disputing myths, falsehoods, and ignorance about drugs, drug users, and drug policy. He has been engaged in cutting edge research since the late 90s, testing individuals with actual drugs. His controversial work is redefining our understanding of addiction. He examines the relationships between drugs, pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society. Hart’s findings shed new light on issues of race, poverty, and drugs, and help explain perhaps more clearly than ever why current policies are doomed to fail.

 

www.highpricethebook.com

 

 

Aired: 5/26/13

How difficult is it to be a government whistleblower these days? A dozen years after 9/11, with a former constitutional law professor in the White House, the sad news is that to expose government negligence or illegality is to jeopardize one’s career and life savings.

The newest documentary from producer and director ROBERT GREENWALD and Brave New Films, WAR ON WHISTLEBLOWERS: Free Press and the National Security State highlights the stories of four individuals who felt compelled to reveal acts of government illegality and violations to the U.S. constitution in the military industrial complex in the years following 9/11. In the film, whistleblowers, journalist and experts share what happens when the government punishes those who stand up to demand accountability and defend the constitution. Such actions and the atmosphere they engender has a chilling effect on the speech rights of citizens and the free press. This week I speak about all of this with GREENWALD as well as with two of the courageous whistleblowers featured in the film, THOMAS TAMM and FRANZ GAYL.

www.waronwhistleblowers.com

www.bravenewfilms.com

 

Aired 11/11/12

I will reflect on Tuesday’s election with ROB JOHNSON of the INSTITUTE FOR NEW ECONOMIC THOUGHT and SHERLE SCHWENNINGER of NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION.

Asking things like: Who does the campaign and the result say we are as a nation or a culture? Where are we likely to go from here? What does the election mean — in the broadest sense: about money, politics, power, media, culture, parties, movements, as well as in relationship to Europe, China, the Middle East, and the rest of the world?
We’ll talk about the (ideal) (evolving) (actual) role of the United States in the unfolding global story.

http://ineteconomics.org/

http://newamerica.net/

 

Aired 07/29/12

I talk with FREDRIK GERTTEN, whose new film BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS documents the efforts of food giant Dole to keep his previous film BANANAS from ever being seen. We’ll be joined by his attorney, LINCOLN BANDLOW. The first film told the story of Nicaraguan plantation workers successful suit in Los Angeles against Dole for the health effects of its use of a banned and dangerous pesticide.

FREDRIK GERTTEN is an award winning director and journalist based in Malmo Sweden. Before founding his production company WG Film, he worked as a correspondent and columnist for radio, TV and press in Africa, Latin America, Asian and Europe. His films include Belfast Girls; I Bought a Rain Forest; Bananas; and his latest, Big Boys Gone Bananas.

LINCOLN BANDLOW specializes in litigating media, First Amendment, intellectual property and other entertainment related matters in the motion picture, television, publishing, broadcasting, internet and advertising fields. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Bandlow has been a visiting professor at the Annenberg School of Journalism at the University of Southern California since the Spring of 1995. In 2012 he was named one of the Top 100 Entertainment Power Lawyers by the Hollywood Reporter.

 

Aired 07/08/12

My guest will be NORA BATESON, and we’ll talk about AN ECOLOGY OF MIND, the wonderful documentary she’s made about her father, the late anthropologist GREGORY BATESON. He saw reality as made up of relationships and systems and had a big impact on a lot of people’s worldview in the late 60s and early 70s, myself included.

NORA BATESON is a media producer and educator. Her work includes documentaries, multimedia productions, magazine columns, and developing curriculum for elementary and high school students. Central to all her pursuits is the idea of utilizing media and storytelling to encourage cultural understanding, social justice, and environmental awareness.

http://anecologyofmind.com/