Indefinite Detention of US Citizens

Guest: Raymond Lotta, Marxist writer and scholar who is the author of the 1984 book, America in Decline, talks about our government's new censorship of leftist ideas.

The National Defense Authorization Act may be the last curtain call of our democratic form of government. The law places domestic terror investigations and interrogations into the hands of the military, leading to indefinite detention of anyone, including American citizens, as long as the government calls them terrorists.

Most empires eventually cannibalize their country's form of democracy, as did Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. As did Athens and Rome. Why would our empire be different?

All this ends, of course, when the "War on Terror" end. But for empires, the wars never end, and the terror becomes an integral part of invading and occupying other sovereign nations. 

All we can do is resist this destruction of our basic rights, not really knowing when our time will come to be swept up by some overzealous storm trooper. Even having the Revolutionary Communist Party as a radio guest talking about the loss of free speech in America makes us vulnerable to some FBI agent deciding that we are part of some ill defined "problem." Yes, we all have the same common problem, the loss of our Constitutional rights under a military state.

Women's Rights and the Cancer of Empire

Guest: Donna Goodman, local peace activist and member of Peace & Social Progress Now!, talks about the "War on Women" in our current ultra conservative political climate.

Like free speech, no victory lasts forever. The gains women have made in the last half century now appear to be in jeopardy. Of course, the Democrats will make the "War on Women" a campaign issue, as if one party were solely responsible for this rollback of women's rights. The truth is that women and their allies must fight this battle again, and against the intrenched interests of both parties. 

Perhaps the cancer of empire affects all human relations within the United States. Routinely denying human rights abroad comes home in the form of racism, sexism, and violence. The militarization of our society is itself an assault against woman's values. We must make common cause against the forces of war for profit in America.

Cultures of Resistance Network

GUEST: Iara Lee, activist, filmmaker, and founder of the Cultures of Resistance Network, talks about her recent film entitled "The Suffering Grasses," which explores the Syrian conflict.

Iara is a forceful personality. Her take on Syria will please few people. Of course, she discounts US human rights posturing as blatant propaganda. But she also refuses to endorse the views of some on the left who describe the current regime in Syria as acceptable. How refreshing not to be lied to. 

Iara has an interesting history of putting her life on the line to get the real story. Here is a photo she took in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan. 

We hope to have her back on the show at some time.

Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign

GUEST: Evan Pritchard, descendant of the Micmac people, founder of The Center for Algonquin Culture, and Professor of Native American history at Marist College, talks about the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign: Honoring Native Treaties/Protecting the Earth.

We actually had two guests on today. Evan was there in the studio and Andy Mager, project coordinator for the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, called in.

So much Native American history that I didn't know. Some of the ideas from these cultures may prove to be essential for our very survival on earth. We must come to accept the sacredness of our environment if we expect our grandchildren to live long and fruitful lives.

The Onondaga's early role in resisting fracking in New York State is a testament to their wisdom, and to our need to reorder our basic values.