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GRITtv: Aug. 11 2010
The favorite bogeyman of the Right, Social Security insolvency, is rearing its ugly head once again. Obama's deficit commission has been told that no solution is off the table, and Dean Baker notes it wouldn't be the first time that a Democratic administration went forward with plans that a Republican couldn't sell to the American people. Baker joins us via Skype to remind us once again that Social Security is solvent for many years, and that there are simple fixes for it if there are problems. He also notes that austerity is a lousy prescription for an economy suffering from a lack of spending. Yesterday we spoke about the problems with charitable giving by billionaires at the expense of paying their taxes. For many charitable givers in the United States, a bigger problem looms; laws about providing "material support" for terrorism have placed a stranglehold on where donors can send their money. Ghassan Elashi, co-founder of the Holy Land Foundation, faces a 65 year sentence for providing material support through his foundation, which was the largest Muslim charity in the U.S. before it was shut down by the Bush administration in 2001. Elashi's daughter Noor, a writer and activist, joins us in studio along with Medea Benjamin of Code Pink to discuss what these cases mean for other organizations trying to help civilians in war-torn areas like Gaza. The United Nations has declared the flooding in Pakistan one of the worst disasters in the organization's history, calling for its largest disaster response effort, but it's gone largely unreported here. 14 million people have been affected, and at least 1600 killed. Funds have been slower to come in than in many recent disasters, and agencies are calling for donations to help the victims--you can find links below to donate. Finally, Laura has some thoughts on Verizon and Google's plan to disrupt Net Neutrality--and what it means for shows like GRITtv.
Email this pageGRITtv: The F Word: Evil Inequality In the Works for the Web
Google's corporate motto, it's been noted, is “Don't Be Evil.” They're going to be sorry they ever said it. By siding with Verizon vs. those fighting for a free and equal Internet -- that may be exactly what they're doing. The Internet and telecom giants Verizon and Google have reportedly reached an agreement that sells out net neutrality. They make it sound like a victory for fairness -- they'll stand by equal access for everyone on the wired web. But the arrangement, not yet public and arrived at in closed door meetings between the behemoths, would enable Verizon to impose tiers and charge for quicker access over wireless devices. That's the future they're talking about.
GRITtv: Apr. 7 2010
On Tuesday, the Obama White House released its Nuclear Posture Review, a policy statement that sets guidelines for nuclear weapons policy for the next five to ten years. Mother Jones' David Corn notes that arms control advocates were "mildly impressed" with the policy, which is being characterized as a middle course. Corn joins Laura to talk about Obama and nukes, and also to break down the latest court decision on Net Neutrality--a three-judge panel tossed out an FCC order against Comcast, preventing it from offering different content at different speeds. Monday's revelation of a videotape of U.S. soldiers shooting unarmed Iraqi civilians is still reverberating around the country. The Wikileaks video is raising questions about procedure, the rules of engagement, and even freedom of speech and of the press. Most importantly, though, people seem to be asking whether this is an aberration in behavior, a few soldiers overreacting or misbehaving, or the normal procedure for action in Iraq. Joining us to discuss are Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films, who was in Iraq and visited the scene of the shootings just the day after they happened, and senior fellow at Peace Action, Raed Jarrar. We learned all too late about the disaster brewing in domestic real estate that helped destroy our economy the first time around. Now, the city is dotted with new commercial buildings standing empty, no one can afford to rent them. GRITtv took a trip around the city to look into the reasons why we're building huge towers--and how we can get better at matching the allocation of resources with need. Finally, Laura has some words for politicians who get money from anti-union, anti-safety mine companies.
GRITtv: David Corn: Nuclear Weapons and Net Neutrality
On Tuesday, the Obama White House released its Nuclear Posture Review, a policy statement that sets guidelines for nuclear weapons policy for the next five to ten years. Mother Jones' David Corn notes that arms control advocates were "mildly impressed" with the policy, which is being characterized as a middle course. Corn joins Laura to talk about Obama and nukes, and also to break down the latest court decision on Net Neutrality. A three-judge panel tossed out an FCC order against Comcast, preventing it from offering different content at different speeds. GRITtv with Laura Flanders brings participatory democracy onto your computer screen and into your living room, bridging the gap between audience and advocates. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Democracy Now!: Thur., Jan. 7, 2010
Members of the Viva Palestina humanitarian aid convoy began passing through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing into Gaza on Wednesday. They are expected to spend the next forty-eight hours distributing the aid supplies. We go to Gaza to speak with British MP George Galloway, describes a "desperate situation", Sen. Chris Dodd retires -- questions about a successor; Jeff Chester on what the future holds for the digital media landscape with Comcast’s deal to acquire a controlling interest in NBC Universal under review, and the dispute resolved between Time Warner Cable and News Corp. "Democracy Now!" a daily independent newshour.
GRITtv: The F Word: Media Monsters Threaten Net Freedom
Comcast, the nation's biggest cable and broadband Internet company, has plans to take over NBC Universal. The result would be a new kind of media monster that would not only produce some of America's most popular entertainment but also control viewers' access to it. Comcast would control the joint venture's day-to-day operations but Pentagon contractor GE would retain a 49 percent stake. The likely impact on consumer choices? Well you tell me: the Washington Post reports that all in all, the joint venture would control more than one out of every five television-viewing hours. With almost one in four cable subscribers in the U.S. a Comcast customer and NBC Universal owning not only NBC but also dozens of cable channels, including Telemundo, MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo as well as theme parks, TV stations such as Washington's WRC (Channel 4), and Universal movie studios, the NBC Comcast deal is a biggie. In the meantime, it's time to cherish ever more all that remains in the way of independent media. And yes, that's our self interest speaking. -- Laura Flanders
