GRITtv: Feb. 10 2010
Not long ago on GRITtv, Hamid Dabashi told us that the Iranian protests are turning into a civil rights movement with long-term potential for change. Wel talk to Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran, Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, and Kelly Golnoush Niknejad of Tehran Bureau about the protests, the regime, and what happens next. On Jan. 29, Barack Obama took questions from House Republicans at their "issues retreat," televised on CSPAN. David Corn of Mother Jones joins Laura via Skype to explain why he thinks more events like this can make the political debate in Washington and around the country better. The Winter Olympics are headed to Vancouver, British Columbia, but activists are pointing out the way international sporting events lead to police crackdowns and displacement of locals. Thanks to our friends at the Vancouver Media Cooperative for the video. The 2010 census is starting up, and as New America Media shares, for Southeast Asian community, organizers are making sure that they get the proper representation, and not undercounted. Did you know that in Utah, you're more likely to get chlamydia than the chicken pox or the flu? Well, a Republican State Senator, who says he's from the most conservative part of the state, is leading the fight to allow teachers to teach contraception. Health care reform isn't dead yet, and a coalition of progressive groups, including Bold Progressives and Democracy for America, are increasing the pressure in Washington for Democrats to pass reform--by any means necessary. Finally, in this new documentary, filmmakers David Ridgen and Nicholas Rossier follow Norman Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors called a self-hating Jew for his response to Israeli and US policy over Palestine, around the world in pursuit of his principles.
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Elitism
I consider myself a fairly openminded northern Calif 'liberal'. I try to read and pay attention to events past and present that have and are shaping our world. I voted for President Obama and still support him, although I am unhappy about the health care fiasco. Now my problems with liberals is the elitism. I find liberal elites talk a good game but do very little. They have become great monday morning quarterback but offer no real and substantial options. If you close your eyes they, unfortunately, they sound like the right wing media. By this I mean they complain a lot, want everything to go their way and are not willing to get out their and put their asses on the line. When the nutjob teabag 'group' was out there bombarding the Whitehouse and the Dems meeting with their nonsense about healthcare. We should have been out there to balance out that extreme noise coming out their camp. It's easy to sit back on TV and complain about what the Obama administration should have done...but what about us? To this day I do not see a real movement coming from the elite liberal, other than lip service, to grab the attention and eye of the media. As the saying goes the squeeky wheel does get the grease and the attention. I believe we are a much bigger wheel so let's see if the Amy Goodman's, Laura Flanders, etc will mobilize the troops and have our own loud, factual demonstrations and protest. Thank you.
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