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Democratic Boundaries: Corporate Cash vs. the 99%

…ad the related article. For more related stories on Citizen’s United, politics, and money go to http://campaigncash.org. Special thanks to KGNU radio in Boulder, CO. PART FIVE: Special interview with Truthout reporter Mike Ludwig https://www.radioproject.org/sound/2011/MakingCon_111026_ludwig.mp3   Featuring: Noam Chomsky, MIT professor; Mike Gillis, Ohio AFL-CIO communications director; Melissa Fezekas, We Are Ohio spokesperson; Tim Burga, O…

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Dollarocracy: Corporate Cash in Politics

…he most expensive in the world. In the 2012 elections billions of dollars were spent on political campaigns. But there’s a growing consensus that big business and wealthy individuals are buying power. Authors John Nichols and Robert McChesney have a name for the state we’re in: Dollarocracy. Thanks to Pirate TV for use of their recording. Featuring: John Nichols, Washington, DC correspondent, Nation magazine Robert W. McChesney Gutgsell Endowed Pr…

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Grassroots Movement to Eliminate Corporate Personhood hits Boulder

…Yes on 2 H! Conran: Along with Boulder, Missoula Montana will have an anti corporate personhood measure on this year’s ballot and citizens in Eugene, Oregon and Marina, California are in the early stages of a similar campaign. This comes on top of the 30 municipalities that have already passed resolutions and ordinances abolishing corporate personhood since the Citizens United decision. For Making Contact, I’m Maeve Conran, in Boulder, Colora…

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Taxes are for Suckers

…could get worse, but it actually could. I propose to eliminate all federal corporate income tax. I think we do need a reduction permanently in the corporate tax rate. If you want people to obey the tax system, and you want freedom, and you want economic growth, lowering tax rates is the way to go. The problem here is this that Britain just did this. The British said, oh my goodness, companies are running out the door. We must lower our corporate r…

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Kimberlé Crenshaw: Intersectionality
Jun24

Kimberlé Crenshaw: Intersectionality

…is the moment that shows that all, quote unquote, “identity oriented politics” that are not human identity politics are yesterday’s news and they don’t do us any good. And so I was pretty much clear that this was just going to be another moment where human crises would not create the moment of recognition of our common humanity, and that that crisis was actually going to reinforce the preexisting structured and historical vulnerabilitie…

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ElectionWatch ’04 The Texas Two-Step: Bush, Corporate Cash, and Environmental Rollbacks

…soft money contributions may affect the 2004 presidential race. Featuring: Rueben Solis, Southwest Workers Union; Hilton Kelley, Community In-Power and Development Association; Joan Mulhern, EarthJustice; Steve Weiss, Center for Responsive Politics; Mark Pfiefle, U.S. Department of the Interior. For more information: Southwest Workers Union Community In-Power and Development Association 409-498-1088 EarthJustice Center for Responsive Politics U.S….

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Data Boom! Rana Foroohar on Surveillance Capitalism
May27

Data Boom! Rana Foroohar on Surveillance Capitalism

…stock. The fact that share buybacks have become the biggest single use of corporate cash for over a decade now has buoyed markets. But it’s also increased the wealth divide, which many economists believe is not only the single biggest factor in slower than historic trend growth, but is also driving political populism, which threatens the market system itself. That phenomenon has been put on steroids by the rise of yet another trend epitomized by…

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Globalization Desk

…he 99%. In a post-Citizens United world, is it[…] Democratic Boundaries: Corporate Cash vs. the 99% The people of the U.S. have seemingly awakened, and are out in the streets, demanding changes to a system in which money controls politics. On this edition, corporations, elections and the 99%. In a post-Citizens United world, is it[…] Bees: The Threatened Link in Food Security Honey bees help pollinate 1 in every 3 bites we eat. But they’r…

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Wolves at the Well: The Corporate Grab of Public Water
Sep09

Wolves at the Well: The Corporate Grab of Public Water

…killed, at least for now.   Craig Jasmer: It was disheartening to see the corporate lobbyists come in and explain why they should vote against it. Really no reason other than for corporate profits.   Aurora Del Val: We need to have a much more widespread policy to protect public water because it’s battle fatigue for small town people to have to do this over and over again.   Barbara Bernstein: Aurora del Val Cascade Locks Local Water Alliance.  …

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The Deep: Rising Sea Levels and Corporate Control of Water
Jul22

The Deep: Rising Sea Levels and Corporate Control of Water

…igeria.   Anita/Break: You’re listening to The Deep: Rising Sea Levels and Corporate Control of Water on Making Contact. This show is distributed for free to radio stations in the U.S. To find out how to support us, download shows or get our podcast, go to radio project dot org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Our handle is making underscore contact. Now back to part one of “ The Deep: Rising Sea Levels and Corpora…

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Buying Power: Corporate Money in Politics

It began with an on-air rant by CNBC commentator Rick Santelli. It became a major political movement, with elected representatives on Capitol Hill. The Tea Party has come a long way, but who’s really behind it? On this edition: how some of America’s largest corporations are using grassroots movements to influence law makers. We hear excerpts from Taki Oldham’s documentary “The Billionaires’ Tea Party” and learn more about the American Legislative…

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The X Factor in the Midterms
Oct30

The X Factor in the Midterms

…chance of catching everybody off guard because everybody asleep. If Black politics, you know again this is Monday morning quarterbacking, but ideally you know Black politics of the last 50 years would have been, hey we do off year elections because they’re not paying attention and that’s when we can win our issues locally that the county level, where we can win Sheriff seats,  we can win you know all kinds of county positions, and in fact county…

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Environment Desk
Sep17

Environment Desk

…d economic globalization.[…] ElectionWatch ’04 The Texas Two-Step: Bush, Corporate Cash, and Environmental Rollbacks On this edition of Making Contact – the second of our monthly ElectionWatch ’04 series- we take a look at how the oil, gas, mining and electric utilities industries have influenced the Bush Administration’s environmental policies and the impact on[…] The Intimate Ecology of Motherhood On this Women’s Desk edition of Making Conta…

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We Are the Bomb: Boots Riley and Dave Zirin Talk Activism and Politics
Feb10

We Are the Bomb: Boots Riley and Dave Zirin Talk Activism and Politics

…er #blacklivesmatter…

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70 Million: How Bail Shackles Women of Color
Oct15

70 Million: How Bail Shackles Women of Color

…of offenders were eligible for release on a signature bond. The amount of cash bail paid to the city’s Department of Corrections dropped drastically, too. (Records from the City of Atlanta reviewed by 70 Million show that the amount of cash bail collected decreased 68% between 2017 and 2018, from $1.5 million in 2017 to just under $500,000 in 2018.) While criminal justice activists thought the bail ordinance was a step in the right direction…

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70 Million: How New Orleans Could Set a New Course for Bail Reform
Feb27

70 Million: How New Orleans Could Set a New Course for Bail Reform

…d all of them make money together. So who wants to give up their big money cash flow? Nobody, even if it’s wrong or right. Money’s the root of all evil, and money ruins everything around you, so, at the end of the day, politics and money. Sound of the parade. Sonia: There’s one other aspect of New Orleans history that you can’t divorce from the modern history of its criminal justice system: Hurricane Katrina. Meg: So, yeah, I a…

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Reckonings: From Health Insurance Spin Doctor to Truth Teller
Nov19

Reckonings: From Health Insurance Spin Doctor to Truth Teller

…alth care reform advocate.   Today, his advocacy points at the root of our corporate health insurance machine. Tackling the influence of corporate interests on health care and on all other aspects of our democracy.   In his shift from spin doctor to truth teller, Wendell is returning to his roots as a reporter with the launch of Tarbell, an independent news organization exposing juicy stories of corporate influence, which means he’s actually going…

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Who Bombed Judi Bari?
Mar03

Who Bombed Judi Bari?

…plores Judi Bari’s bold activism to save the Redwood Forest in the face of corporate greed, and the violent measures taken to silence the environmental movement. As threats to the environment persist across the world, laws and police practices continue to protect corporate interests – taking aim at front line activists who defend the land and natural resources. This strategy of criminalizing dissent took an ugly turn in 1990, in Oakland, Californi…

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Another World is Possible: Visionary Politics

…m INCITE: Women of Color Against Violence. The panelists discuss visionary politics for our movements based in the work of their organizations. Visionary politics are political frames that invite us to imagine and create a world organized and operated by values of justice, cooperation, and liberation. This panel focuses on ways that social justice organizations balance addressing the urgency of organizing against oppressive forces and their immedi…

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Remixing Revolution: Art, Music and Politics

…ution: Music and Social Change in America by Dick Weissman, Culture Before Politics: In freeing creativity, progressives can once again capture and carry forward our national imagination, by Jeff Chang and Brian Komar | December 9, 2010 Artists in a Time Of War, By Howard Zinn Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop by Jeff Chang Arrest the Music!: Fela and His Rebel Art and Politics (African Expressive Cultures) by Tejumola Olaniyan Music:…

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