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GRITtv: Dec. 14, 2010
This weekend, the Personal Democracy Forum convened a symposium on WikiLeaks and the Internet. GRITtv was there as well, and today we bring you excerpts from that event, with journalists, academics, activists, and others talking about the impact of the leaks site on our political and technological systems."The sources are voting with their leaks," notes Jay Rosen of New York University's school of journalism. If the watchdog press was doing its job, wouldn't leakers be going to mainstream news outlets like the New York Times and the Guardian directly, instead of to WikiLeaks first? Meanwhile, Emily Bell, formerly of the Guardian and now at Columbia University's journalism school, says that whether we like it or not, WikiLeaks is the new face of journalism."We do not have the Internet we think we have," says Douglas Rushkoff, author of Program or Be Programmed. What we think of as a free and open Web is actually highly controlled by corporations and cash flow. We saw one example of this when WikiLeaks found itself without server space or fundraising ability when Internet service providers, including Amazon.com, cancelled their services and PayPal and MasterCard and Visa refused to process their transactions.And what can we do about that Internet? CUNY professor Jeff Jarvis proposes one solution: an Internet bill of rights.While we talk about the consequences for journalism and the Internet from the WikiLeaks releases, it's important not to forget what's actually in the cables that are causing a stir. Former British diplomat Carne Ross discusses the contents of the cables and what they mean for those watching--and those mentioned therein.Then, documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson discusses government secrecy and why it's become a problem, reminding us all of the national security letters enabled by the PATRIOT Act and still being used under the Obama administration."The breakdown of trust in all institutions--political, financial, media--is at the center of what we're all dealing with," Arianna Huffington notes the connection between the failures of all of our major institutions and the rise of WikiLeaks as an alternative to traditional news. When the traditional media is too close to the political and financial elites they are supposed to cover, who do we turn to for the truth?Finally, Laura wraps up the conversation--while we focus on DDoS attacks and the Internet, let's not forget the people being hurt by the events disclosed by WikiLeaks.
Email this pageGRITtv: Personal Democracy Forum: Failures of Trust
"The breakdown of trust in all institutions--political, financial, media--is at the center of what we're all dealing with," Arianna Huffington notes the connection between the failures of all of our major institutions and the rise of WikiLeaks as an alternative to traditional news. When the traditional media is too close to the political and financial elites they are supposed to cover, who do we turn to for the truth? Huffington talks trust in the media, the financial collapse, and WikiLeaks' fulfillment of the "Emperor Has No Clothes" function in this selection from GRITtv's coverage of the Personal Democracy Forum's symposium this weekend on WikiLeaks and Internet freedom. Distributed by Tubemogul.
GRITtv: Economic Recovery For All or a Few?
"America is coming back stronger, better, and faster than nearly anyone expected—and faster than most of its international rivals," says Daniel Gross in Newsweek recently, declaring that all the doom and gloom about the economy was just exaggeration. But is that really the case? Or is the economy still failing far too many people?
GRITtv: Apr. 26 2010
Last Friday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law the country's most repressive immigration bill, SB 1070, which criminalizes undocumented immigrants and gives police the authority to demand papers from anyone they suspect of being undocumented. Though Brewer, a Republican who took over from Janet Napolitano when she left to become Obama's Homeland Security secretary, claims that there are protections in the bill to prevent racial profiling, it's hard to imagine a way that officers will decide from whom to demand papers that won't involve the color of their skin or the language that they speak. Rinku Sen of ColorLines and the Applied Research Center joins us to discuss the bill, the criminalization of immigrants, and what to do to fight back. "America is coming back stronger, better, and faster than nearly anyone expected, and faster than most of its international rivals," says Daniel Gross in Newsweek recently, declaring that all the doom and gloom about the economy was just exaggeration. But is that really the case? Or is the economy still failing far too many people? David DeGraw, author of "The Economic Elite vs. The People of the United States of America," says that the story of recovery is just a bit premature. Both men join Laura in studio to debate the state of the economy. New York City braced last week for a strike by the doormen of the Service Employees International Union's local 32BJ. Late negotiations might have prevented the strike for now, but GRITtv was on the scene as the mobilization grew and we're happy to bring you this report on their struggle. A special thanks to Anna Gold and Zuhal Danyildiz for this report. And speaking of New York's doormen, Laura has some thoughts about workers and the jobs they do--and how they get compensated for all that hard work.
GRITtv: Thomas Frank: Confront the Wrecking Crew
Author Thomas Frank has spent a lot of time thinking about why people are Republicans or Democrats. His study of conservatives has left him convinced that having anti-government people in charge of government leads only to destruction. With a Democrat in charge in Washington, is there a way to fix the wreckage left behind? Frank sits down with Laura to discuss.
GRITtv: Dec. 8, 2009
Maya Wiley, Tim Casey and Heather Boushey discuss the problems with unemployment and underemployment in this country and that they will not be fixed by returning to where we were. Author Thomas Frank's study of conservatives has left him convinced that having anti-government people in charge of government leads only to destruction. In the second part of yesterday's video from the Real News Network on the ongoing crisis in Honduras, we look at what happens next. After claiming victory in the heavily-boycotted election, what will the new government do to consolidate its power? And a report on 29 protesters who were arrested outside the gates of Chevron's San Ramon, California facility Sunday, holding a banner that said "Our Climate is Not Your Business."
GRITtv: The Secret Global Empire(s): Russ Baker & John Perkins
U.S. history has seen many presidents elected on a wave of progressive promises, only to see them compromise again and again once in office, caving to the very interests, military and corporate, that they railed against so effectively. Barack Obama is only the latest to get elected on a promise to end a war and take care of working people, only to preside over an administration stacked with Wall Street types and wind up continuing a war he wanted to wind down. John Perkins is the author of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." Russ Baker wrote "Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America." They argue the only weapon we have is public opinion and public pressure -- and we need to bring it to bear not just on the government, but on the corporations.
GRITtv: Collapse: Portrait of a Loner
Michael Ruppert is a former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter who predicted the financial meltdown that most politicians claimed no one had seen coming. Ruppert has plenty of other apocalyptic theories, from peak oil to drugs to, yes, 9/11. In the new film "Collapse," filmmaker Chris Smith follows Ruppert and looks into his theories. Is he a genius, or just paranoid? The film allows you to make your own judgments, while showing the risks and rewards of having -- and publishing -- unpopular opinions. Smith joined Laura in the studio to discuss his film and whether or not he believes Ruppert.
GRITtv: Nov. 11, 2009
John Perkins and Russ Baker talk about shady global conspiracies, corporate overlords, and the military-industrial complex, and what we can do about it. In the new film "Collapse," filmmaker Chris Smith follows Michael Ruppert, a former Los Angeles police officer who predicted the economic crisis. But his theories often range into the apocalyptic. Is he a genius, or just paranoid? A video from New America Media takes a look at the struggles of veterans to readjust to civilian life, and asks what more we could be doing to truly honor them. And a report on the Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Awards.
