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GRITtv: Oct. 28, 2010
Barack Obama hit the Daily Show on Wednesday night, and made the unfortunate comment that Larry Summers had done a "heckuva job" running the economy. Robert Scheer of Truthdig notes that Summers was the chief architect of Clinton-era policies that created the economic crisis in the first place, and that Obama's appointment of him to get us out of it was never going to result in anything but more money being thrown at Wall Street.Scheer visited the GRITtv studios to talk about Summers, Bill Clinton, Obama, and why there are a few Tea Party candidates he wouldn't mind seeing win this election cycle."It's a bizarre idea to fix a global capitalist crisis by breaking a long-term promise," notes Richard Wolff, economist and author of Capitalism Hits the Fan of the "austerity" measures rocking Europe's social democracies at the moment. Governments across Europe are implementing drastic cuts to social safety nets, raising retirement ages, all in the name of fiscal responsibility, and people have taken to the streets--in France, between 1.3 and 2.9 million people have come out in protest, a percentage that Wolff notes would be equivalent to between 6.5 and 14.4 million.So what's going on in Europe, and what are the lessons we can learn from the European left? Wolff joins us along with Inez McCormack, Chair of the Participation and the Practice of Rights Project in Ireland, to talk us through the crisis, the lessons, and the ongoing struggle.Finally, Laura remembers former president Nestor Kirchner of Argentina, who fought banks, the IMF, and the remains of the military dictatorship to return his country to prosperity.
Email this pageGRITtv: The F Word: Kirchner Fought Banks and Won
In the run up to this country's looming elections, a lot of people of feeling wistful for progressive leaders who will fight for their voters and better than that -- win. While Barack Obama was on Comedy Central, uttering the cringe-worthy phrase "Yes we can, but...", in Argentina and around the world, people were mourning a man whose epitaph could well read "He did. No ifs, ands or buts about it." Distributed by Tubemogul.
Global Report: Sept. 22-28 2010: Iraqi Citizens Killed in US Operations; Obama Administration Being Sued; Genetically-Modified Salmon Won't Be Labeled
This week: Two weeks after President Obama announced combat operations over in Iraq, US soldiers engaged in combat in which civilians were killed; the Obama administration is being sued over a claim that it is withholding key data on the BP oil disaster in the Gulf; the US Food and Drug Administration is not going to require genetically-modified salmon to be labeled in stores; and the legitimacy of Afghanistan's elections are once again in doubt over questions of violence and voter disenfranchisement. These stories and more on The Global Report.
GRITtv: May 10 2010
The big economic news this morning was that 16 countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to create a nearly $1 trillion rescue fund to support the euro and keep the problems in Greece from spreading. Here in the U.S., the Dow might be climbing, but people are still struggling to find employment and recovery. Meanwhile, the people who created the crisis are trying to use the deficits they caused to force cuts in social spending--here and around the world. Dean Baker joins us via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the situation in Europe, the U.S.'s involvement, Fannie Mae, and whether there's any hope for real change in the economy. Immigration reform is on everyone's mind after the recent passage of SB 1070 in Arizona recently, but one of the bills being considered in Congress has its own downside. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act--the DREAM Act--is a bipartisan bill offering a road to citizenship for undocumented minors who attend college or join the military. But our guests today found out that more and more what seems like an opportunity winds up pushing youth into military service--and not guaranteeing their reward on the other end. Kouross Esmaeli of Big Noise Films and Marco Amador of Producciones Cimarron and Center for Community Communications collaborated on a film, "Yo Soy El Army: America's New Military Caste," that explores the effects of the militarization of immigrant communities. Finally, Laura has some thoughts on the sale of Newsweek--and the state of the news media.
GRITtv: Dean Baker: Deficits, Loans, and Losses
The big economic news this morning was that 16 countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to create a nearly $1 trillion rescue fund to support the euro and keep the problems in Greece from spreading. Here in the U.S., the Dow might be climbing, but people are still struggling to find employment and recovery. Meanwhile, the people who created the crisis are trying to use the deficits they caused to force cuts in social spending--here and around the world. Dean Baker joins us via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the situation in Europe, the U.S.'s involvement, Fannie Mae, and whether there's any hope for real change in the economy. GRITtv with Laura Flanders brings participatory democracy onto your computer screen and into your living room, bridging the gap between audience and advocates. Watch any show, at any time: http://grittv.org Distributed by Tubemogul.
"Democracy Now!": Tues. May 4 2010
Investigative journalist and Democracy Now! correspondent Jeremy Scahill obtains a rare audio recording of a recent, private speech delivered by Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater, to a friendly audience in January. The speech, which Prince attempted to keep from public consumption, provides a stunning glimpse into his views and future plans and reveals details of previously undisclosed activities of Blackwater. In a Democracy Now! exclusive broadcast we play excerpts of the recording and speak with Scahill about the revelations. Protests in Greece mount in response to severe austerity measures required in the European Union, International Monetary Fund bailout. On the 40th anniversary of the Kent State shootings, a Truth Tribunal still seeks answers. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
GRITtv: Rodney Leon: Mourning and Moving Forward in Haiti
Nearly a month ago, Haitian-American architect Rodney Leon was part of our panel discussion on a possible future for Haiti. The devastation from January's earthquake is beginning to be cleared, but the country still faces nearly unimaginable challenges in rebuilding. Rodney Leon joined Laura again in studio to tell us what's happened since the quake, which plans are moving forward, and what it will take to rebuild the country better and safer than before.
The Fourth World War
The airwaves are crowded with talk of a new world war, narrated by generals and filmed from the noses of bombs. "The Fourth World War" tells the human story of this global conflict, bringing together the images and voices of the war on the ground in Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Palestine and Korea, from Seattle to Genova, and the war on terror in New York, Afghanistan and Iraq. "The Fourth World War" is the story of men and women around the world who resist being annihilated in this war. Directed by the makers of "This Is What Democracy Looks Like" and "Zapatista," "The Fourth World War" was produced through a global network of independent media and activist groups.
GRITtv: The F Word: Could the GOP and Progressive Democrats Join Forces to Oppose the Supplemental War Funding Bill?
Well, on Tuesday a strange configuration of allies and mixed motives could actually lead to the first time a supplemental war funding bill fails to pass in Congress. What's on the floor is $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. What's different this time round is that included in this funding legislation - at the request of the Treasury Department - is $5 billion to bailout European banks through the International Monetary Fund (the IMF), an international version of the Wall Street bailout if you like. Banks in trouble due to losses in Eastern Europe would receive taxpayer loans with no strings attached. It is that section which puts us at this unique juncture because House Republicans have pledged to vote 'no' on war funding with the IMF money attached. Thanks to the GOP opposition, it will take just 39 progressive Democrats to defeat the supplemental. Down goes the strings-free continuation of war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and down goes the conditions-free bailing out of banks. A coalition of anti-poverty organizations - including the AFL-CIO, the anti-poverty advocacy group RESULTS, the AIDS treatment advocacy group Health GAP, and the debt-forgiveness group Jubilee USA Network - have demanded that Congress attach conditions to the IMF funding.
GRITtv: Evo Morales
Last week, Bolivia's president Evo Morales was in New York to commemorate Earth Day at the United Nations. GRITtv sat down with Morales and talked about his equality agenda, socialism, and the Bolivian banking system.
