Good Politics Radio

Left, Right and Center is a weekly half-hour radio broadcast and podcast produced by KCRW in Santa Monica.

The budget report is the first topic for the panel.  There is agreement from all fronts that the budget news is gloomy.  The deficit is deep and there is little optimism that it will improve acceptably.  The panel searches for optimistic signals.  They talk about the problems in Greece and its meaning for us all.  It seems that taxes will have to rise while expenses are reduced.

The panel talks briefly about bonuses that certain executives will be receiving.  They talk about the upcoming budget freeze.  They also talk about needed regulations and the insurance industry.

Next, the panel talks about China flexing its muscle, criticizing President Obama for his planned meeting with the Dalai Lama and military support for Taiwan.  Is it possible for the Chinese economy to overtake ours?  Bob remembers the condition of China when he was a China expert at Berkeley in the 1960’s, and he is impressed how wrong opinion was back then.

Lastly, they talk about a number of apologies that have been given lately.

The participants on the show are Robert Scheer who represents the left, Tony Blankley who represents the right,  Matt Miller, the moderator, who represents the center, and  Arianna Huffington, who represents the progressive blogosphere is away.

At the end of this entertaining show the participants each have a 30 second rant to summarize the issue that each sees as most significant.

Click here to be taken to the Left, Right and Center home page where you can download or listen to the podcast.

Click here to read the Wall Street Journal article on the worsening debt situation.

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas. He said that President Obama’s latest job-killing budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much from our kids and grandkids.

“Hi, I’m Congressman Jeb Hensarling of Texas; I serve as the number two Republican on the House Budget Committee.

Some of you may have seen me on television last week when I had the opportunity to ask the President if his new budget would once again triple the national debt and dramatically increase the cost of government to 25 percent of the economy – up from its traditional 20 percent.You may recall that the President declined to answer the question last week. But he has certainly answered it this week by submitting a new budget that does exactly what I feared.

The numbers in his budget are simply breathtaking: a record $3.8 trillion in spending, more than $2 trillion in new job crushing taxes, not to mention a tripling of the national debt – on top of the largest deficit in our nation’s history. Interest payments alone on this debt will set us back roughly $6 trillion over the next decade – that’s about $50,000 per household.

Now, you’re probably like me and believe, in America, you ought to work hard today, so your children can have a better, more prosperous tomorrow. But with this budget, it is like Washington has said, ‘let’s let government live easier today, so our children have to work harder tomorrow.’

You know, it was about this same time last year, President Obama and Democrats in Congress promised that if we passed their trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ bill – and grew big government even more – that jobs would be created ‘immediately,’ they said unemployment would remain below eight percent. (more…)

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama said that America’s small businesses are key to rebuilding the economy on a new, stronger foundation and creating jobs. He called on Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass – without delay – a series of proposals that will help American small businesses thrive.

“Even though our economy is growing again, these are still tough times for America.  Too many businesses are still shuttered.  Too many families can’t make ends meet.  And while yesterday, we learned that the unemployment rate has dropped below ten percent for the first time since summer, it is still unacceptably high – and too many Americans still can’t find work.

But what we must remember at a time like this is that we are not helpless in the face of our difficulties.  As Americans, we make our own destiny.  We forge our own path.  And I am confident that if we come together and put aside the politics that keeps holding us back, we can do that again.  We can rebuild this economy on a new, stronger foundation that leads to more jobs and greater prosperity.

I believe a key part of that foundation is America’s small businesses – the places where most new jobs begin.

These companies represent the essence of the American spirit – the promise that anyone can succeed in this country if you have a good idea and the determination to see it through.  And every once in awhile, these ideas don’t just lead to a new business and new jobs, but a new American product that forever changes the world.  After all, Hewlett Packard began in a garage.  Google began as a simple research project.

Government can’t create these businesses, but it can give entrepreneurs the support they need to open their doors, expand, or hire more workers.  And that’s what we’ve always done in this country.  The folks at Southwest Windpower in Flagstaff, Arizona started their company in a small home.  Since getting a loan from the Small Business Administration, they’ve sold 160,000 wind turbines to about 90 different countries, and are hiring even more workers today.  When Sam Ko walked into one of the SBA’s small business development centers in Illinois, he didn’t have any business experience at all – just a patent for a new metal manufacturing technology.  He was given a loan and a business plan, and today his company is still growing, with offices all over the Midwest. (more…)

This week on American Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with John Berlau of the Competitive Enterprise Institute about the proposed stimulus II, the federal budget freeze and proposed new taxes on the banking industry; Andy Roth of the Club of Growth has analysis of results in the Illinois Primary; And, Col. Frank Ryan, USMC (ret.) says the federal government, as well as the finance industry, needs to be reformed.

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American Radio Journal is produced and distributed by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. The Lincoln Institute is a 501c3 non-profit educational foundation based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1993, the mission of the Lincoln Institute is: “To promote the ideals of free market economics, individual liberty, and limited government through the conduct of public opinion research and related educational programs.”

The Lincoln Institute accepts no government money and is completely funded by philanthropic grant making foundations, corporations, and individuals.

To listen to the broadcast click here.

The following podcast is brought to you courtesy of A World of Possibilities and The Mainstream Media Project.

 In this special edition of A World of Possibilities, two lives spent breaking the mold of both traditional and feminist perspectives are recounted in candid conversation, each with a focused sense of purpose - to use their unique sensibilities and life experiences to help heal a species and planet grievously wounded by fear, greed and ignorance of its own positive potential.

Guests:
Frances Moore Lappe, social activist, author of sixteen books, including the landmark Diet for a Small Planet (1971)
Wangari Maathai , Winner, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize; founder, Greenbelt Movement, Kenya
(Please click on a guest’s name to listen to their full unedited interview.)
Credits:
Host: Mark Sommer
Senior Producer: Gregg McVicar
Associate Producers: Naihma Deady, Matt Fidler
Production Engineer: Michael Schwartz
Music in this program: open- “Bida Mariadu” by Lura - Putamayo World Music; “Surfin” by William Orbit - Sanctuary Records; “A United Earth I” by Alan Stivell and Yousou N’Dour - Putamayo World Music; “M’envoyer Des Fleurs” by Sandrine Kiberlain - Putamayo World Music; “Nao Se Apavare” by Luca Mundaca - Putamayo World Music; “Pata Pata” by Miriam Makeba - Putamayo World Music;

Funding: Listeners Like You

Duration: 55:00 minutes

Click here to listen to this podcast.

David Rudder is one of the top calypsonians of all time. In 1977, he joined Charlie’s Roots, one of the top bands in Trinidad and Tobago. He spent many years as one of the vocalists with the band. In 1986 he burst into prominence with his album The Hammer which produced two big hits, The Hammer (a tribute to the late pannist Rudolph Charles) and Bahia Girl. This was followed in 1987 with Calypso Music, a brilliant encapsulation of the history of calypso. In 1988 Rudder released Haiti which included the title track, ( Mr. Rudder thanks for giving us permission to play “Haiti” at the end of the podcast) a tribute to the glory and suffering of Haiti; Engine Room, which captured the energy of the steel band; and “Rally ‘Round the West Indies,” which became the anthem of West Indies cricket.

In 2008, David Rudder did a Soca collaboration with fellow Trinidadian Machel Montano, Oil and Music on Machel’s 2008 album Flame on. (source Wikipedia)

Mr. Rudder served as UNDP goodwill ambassador for the caribbean and has also done music for a Major Hollywood movie (Wild 0rchid) and released over 24 albums. He continues to tour extensively and record.
His music can be downloaded from here or click the album picture.
He has a face book and my space page; Read more about David Rudder on his My Space Page here.

We would like to thank our podcast sponsors who make this free podcast possible:

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In his weekly address, President Barack Obama pledged to rein the deficit, citing three specific steps to this end. He praised the Senate for restoring the pay-as-you-go law, discussed his proposal for a freeze in discretionary spending, and called for a bipartisan Fiscal Commission to hammer out further concrete deficit reduction proposals.

“At this time last year, amidst headlines about banks on the verge of collapse and job losses of 700,000 a month, we received another troubling piece of news about our economy.  Our economy was shrinking at an alarming rate – the largest six-month decline in 50 years.  Our factories and farms were producing less; our businesses were selling less; and more job losses were on the horizon.

One year later, according to numbers released this past week, this trend has reversed itself.  For the past six months, our economy has been growing again.  And last quarter, it grew more quickly than at any time in the past six years.

This is a sign of progress.  And it’s an affirmation of the difficult decisions we made last year to pull our financial system back from the brink and get our economy moving again.

But when so many people are still struggling – when one in ten Americans still can’t find work, and millions more are working harder and longer for less – our mission isn’t just to grow the economy.  It’s to grow jobs for folks who want them, and ensure wages are rising for those who have them.  It’s not just about improvements we see in quarterly statistics, but ones people feel in their daily lives – a bigger paycheck; more security; the ability to give your kids a decent shot in life and still have enough to retire one day yourself.

That’s why job creation will be our number one focus in 2010.  We’ll put more Americans back to work rebuilding our infrastructure all across the country.  And since the true engines of job creation are America’s businesses, I’ve proposed tax credits to help them hire new workers, raise wages, and invest in new plants and equipment.  I also want to eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and help small businesses get the loans they need to open their doors and expand their operations.     (more…)

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Senator Susan Collins of Maine.  She talked about errors that were made with Abdulmutallab, the Christmas day bomber.

“Less than one hour. That’s right, less than one hour.

In fact, just fifty minutes.

That’s the amount of time that the FBI spent questioning Abdulmutallab, the foreign terrorist who tried to blow up a plane on Christmas Day.

Then, he was given a Miranda warning and a lawyer, and, not surprisingly, he stopped talking.

How did we get to this point? How did the Obama administration decide to treat a foreign terrorist, who had tried to murder hundreds of people, as if he were a common criminal?On Christmas Day, the skies above Detroit became a battleground in the War on Terrorism.

That day the bomb being carried by Abdulmutallab failed to detonate. Thanks to the courageous action of the passengers and crew, nearly 300 lives were saved on the plane and more lives were spared on the ground.

The government’s security system, a front line in the war against terrorists, failed long before Abdulmutallab boarded his flight to the United States. (more…)

Left, Right and Center is a weekly half-hour radio broadcast and podcast produced by KCRW in Santa Monica.

The panel has a lively discussion of President Obama’s State of the Union speech.  There are questions about the tax cuts coming from the domestic part of the budget and no other.  There was an obvious pivot toward creating jobs.

The panel also touches on the state of bipartisanship and the state of the Health Care Reform.  Is there still going to be movement on health care?

The participants on the show are Robert Scheer who represents the left, Tony Blankley who represents the right,  Matt Miller, the moderator, who represents the center, and  Arianna Huffington, who represents the progressive blogosphere is away.

At the end of this entertaining show the participants each have a 30 second rant to summarize the issue that each sees as most significant.

Click here to be taken to the Left, Right and Center home page where you can download or listen to the podcast.

This week on American Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with Dr. Bryon Allen of Wilson Research Strategies about the political mood of the nation; Andy Roth of the Club for Growth has the Real Story behind President Obama’s proposed federal budget freeze; And, Dr. Paul Kengor of the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College has an American Radio Journal commentary on abortion and school choice.

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American Radio Journal is produced and distributed by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. The Lincoln Institute is a 501c3 non-profit educational foundation based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1993, the mission of the Lincoln Institute is: “To promote the ideals of free market economics, individual liberty, and limited government through the conduct of public opinion research and related educational programs.”

The Lincoln Institute accepts no government money and is completely funded by philanthropic grant making foundations, corporations, and individuals.

To listen to the broadcast click here.

The following podcast is brought to you courtesy of A World of Possibilities and The Mainstream Media Project.

It’s one of the darkest secrets of modern warfare: not a killing machine nor a space weapon but the abduction and enslavement of children as soldiers. This barbaric practice is revealed in the stories of these children but you’ll also hear in their voices the strength of the human spirit as many emerge from the dehumanizing world of war committed to banishing this practice from the earth.

Guests:
Angelina Atyam, co-founder, Concerned Parents Association, dedicated to freeing child soldiers from captivity; winner, UN human rights prize, mother of Charlotte Atyam
Charlotte Atyam, abducted by Lord’s Resistance Army in Northern Uganda in 1998 and kept in captivity for eight years in Sudan before freeing herself in 2006
Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate, Human Rights Watch
Emilia Taylor, former child soldier; youth journalist, Talking Drum Studio, Sierra Leone
Mike Wessels, professor of psychology, Randolph-Macon College; president, peace psychology section, American Psychological Association

Credits: Music in this program: open- “I’m a Soldier” by K. M. Williams, K. M. Williams Records; welcome- “A United Earth I” by Alan Stivell with Youssou N’Dour; Putumayo World Music; break 1- “Poor Soldier” by Dirk Powell, Rounder Records; insert 1- “I’m a Soldier” by K. M. Williams, K. M. Williams Records; break 2- “Children of War” by Inner City Soul, Inner City Soul Records; bottom of the hour billboard- “A United Earth I” by Alan Stivell with Youssou N’Dour, Putumayo World Music; break 3- “I Didn’t Raise A Soldier” by Fur Dixon and Steve Werner, Fur Dixon and Steve Werner Records; close and credits- “I’m A Soldier” by K. M. Williams, K. M. Williams Records.

Funding: The Ford Foundation “Knowledge, Creativity and Freedom Program”

Duration: 55:00 minutes

To listen to this podcast click here.

Berny Dohrmann chairman of CEOspace.net inventor of a new classroom technology for public schools SuperTeaching.uah.edu. Licensee partner with the University Alabama Huntsville in developing the world’s first and leading Entrepreneur Degree program for higher education worldwide.  Bestselling author. Radio show host. Movie writer, producer. Berny Dohrmann is entering a third decade of offering education and training systems to private
industry and government.

Presently Mr. Dohrmann is working with leading celebrity trainers including Anthony Robbins, Dr. Jeff Magee publisher of THE PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE, Ed Bogle, contract adviser to Conoco Oil, and many more, on CEO Space’s 2009 SOVEREIGN NATION PROGRAM.
The SOVEREIGN NATION PROGRAM complements the five WORLD TRADE SHOWS Mr. Dohrmann produces each year for industrial CEOs and their management, with “in nation” training for economic development of participating host countries. Mr. Dohrmann’s next book the COOPERATION REVOLUTION – REDEMPTION defines the death of the first generation of competitive capitalism with all of its abuses and the birth of the future of cooperative, collaborative capitalism, the next generation of capitalism.

Mr. Dohrmann is a world change agent, advising CEOs of the largest industries, as well as heads of state. Mr. Dohrmann is known as the coach of the coaches, advising celebrity thought leaders with past relationships that include Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup, Bob Proctor and Lisa Nichols stars of THE SECRET, John Gray of MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS fame, Jill Lublin bestselling author of NETWORKING MAGIC and many other celebrities and adviser coaches. Mr. Dohrmann also works with William Shatner and his Entrepreneur television series www.heartbeatofamerica, frequently appearing as a guest on the show.

Mr. Dohrmann makes his home in Florida with his September and their children Daniel and Preston, complementing Mr. Dohrmann’s raised kids Tony, Jennifer, Jason, Lora, Ryan, Justin and Dylan. One of nine himself, Mr. Dohrmann remains puzzled how he “became his father” with the same nine in his family that he himself was raised in, Berny states “I love my career as Dad more than any other.” Berny’s father, Alan Dohrmann, was a leader in corporate training coaching such figures as Napoleon Hill, Bucky Fuller, Walt Disney, Earl Nightingale, President Jack Kennedy, and many others creating the world stage Berny Dohrmann grew up within.

With Super Teaching rapidly reforming public education (now Title I qualified technology in the USA), Mr. Dohrmann is expanding his family legacy with the 2009 release of the CEO SPACE Sovereign Nation Program for rapid Entrepreneurial Development helping nations to prosper during the developing recession. Jack Canfield writes “if you ever get the chance to see Berny Dohrmann live, cancel every other plan and reset your compass to do so.” Many of the most important world change thought leaders in both industry and government seek out Berny Dohrmann’s counsel for their new plans.

Prior to forming www.ceospace.net Mr. Dohrmann operated for many years as Chairman of publically traded investment banking firms conducting billions of dollars of business in over fourteen countries. Mr. Dohrmann’s financial-forecasting newsletters provide GPS direction to apply when making forward fiscal plans for a growing list of the world elite. Mr. Dohrmann recent publication releases include LIVING LIFE AS A SUPER ACHIEVER and PERFECT “CAN” BE HAD.
200 Lime Quarry Road * Madison * AL * 35758* 256.850.4710

(more…)

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama addressed the Supreme Court decision to further empower corporations to use their financial clout to directly influence elections and vowed that “as long as I’m your President, I’ll never stop fighting to make sure that the most powerful voice in Washington belongs to you.”

“One of the reasons I ran for President was because I believed so strongly that the voices of everyday Americans, hardworking folks doing everything they can to stay afloat, just weren’t being heard over the powerful voices of the special interests in Washington.  And the result was a national agenda too often skewed in favor of those with the power to tilt the tables.

In my first year in office, we pushed back on that power by implementing historic reforms to get rid of the influence of those special interests. On my first day in office, we closed the revolving door between lobbying firms and the government so that no one in my administration would make decisions based on the interests of former or future employers.  We barred gifts from federal lobbyists to executive branch officials.  We imposed tough restrictions to prevent funds for our recovery from lining the pockets of the well-connected, instead of creating jobs for Americans. And for the first time in history, we have publicly disclosed the names of lobbyists and non-lobbyists alike who visit the White House every day, so that you know what’s going on in the White House – the people’s house.

We’ve been making steady progress. But this week, the United States Supreme Court handed a huge victory to the special interests and their lobbyists – and a powerful blow to our efforts to rein in corporate influence. This ruling strikes at our democracy itself. By a 5-4 vote, the Court overturned more than a century of law – including a bipartisan campaign finance law written by Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold that had barred corporations from using their financial clout to directly interfere with elections by running advertisements for or against candidates in the crucial closing weeks.

This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way – or to punish those who don’t. That means that any public servant who has the courage to stand up to the special interests and stand up for the American people can find himself or herself under assault come election time.  Even foreign corporations may now get into the act. (more…)

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. He provides a rebuttal to President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union Address.  Senator Boehner outlines better solutions to address today’s challenges, including a no-cost jobs plan and the only health care bill that would lower premiums up to 10 percent.

“I’m House Republican Leader John Boehner. I’m speaking to you from the Capitol, where next week, President Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address.

This is a fitting time to pause and take stock of where we are.Nearly a year ago, the president signed into law a trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ with promises that jobs would be created ‘immediately’ and that unemployment would stay below 8%. Since then, roughly 3 million Americans have lost their jobs while red ink and bailouts have piled up as far as the eye can see.

My home state of Ohio has endured nine straight months of double-digit unemployment. And for the better part of those nine months, Democrats in Washington have been focused on this government takeover of healthcare that working families just can’t afford and want nothing to do with.

This is what happens when government overreaches and stops listening to the people.

Washington Democrats believe government knows best how to spend your hard-earned money. Democrats believe we’re just one new tax, one more czar and one giant bureaucracy away from solving all of your problems.

That’s not the America that I know growing up with 11 brothers and sisters as the son of a bar owner. And as I travel the country, I meet a lot of people who feel the same way.

For months now, a political rebellion has been brewing – one born from the American people’s opposition to greater government control over our economy and their lives. That rebellion propelled Republican Scott Brown to victory in this week’s Massachusetts special election.

Scott’s win in the bluest of blue states gives us new hope that common sense will prevail. That maybe now, the hard work and entrepreneurship of the American people will no longer be stifled by Washington Democrats’ costly, job-killing agenda, an agenda Republicans have stood on principle and fought tooth and nail against. (more…)

Berny Dohrmann chairman of CEOspace.net inventor of a new classroom technology for public
schools SuperTeaching.uah.edu. Licensee partner with the University of Alabama Huntsville in developing the world’s first and leading Entrepreneur Degree program for higher education worldwide.

Bestselling author. Radio show host. Movie writer producer. Berny Dohrmann is entering a third decade of offering education and training systems to private industry and government. Presently Mr. Dohrmann is working with leading celebrity trainers including Anthony Robbins, Dr. Jeff Magee publisher of THE PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE, Ed Bogle, contract adviser to Conoco Oil, and many more, on CEO Space’s 2009 SOVEREIGN NATION PROGRAM.

The SOVEREIGN NATION PROGRAM complements the five WORLD TRADE SHOWS Mr. Dohrmann produces each year for industrial CEOs and their management, with “in nation” training for economic development of participating host countries. Mr. Dohrmann’s next book the COOPERATION REVOLUTION – REDEMPTION defines the death of the first generation of competitive capitalism with all of its abuses and the birth of the future of cooperative, collaborative capitalism, the next generation of capitalism.

Mr. Dohrmann is a world change agent, advising CEOs of the largest industries, as well as heads of state. Mr. Dohrmann is known as the coach of the coaches, advising celebrity thought leaders with past relationships that include Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup, Bob Proctor and Lisa Nichols stars of THE SECRET, John Gray of MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS fame, Jill Lublin bestselling author of NETWORKING MAGIC and many other celebrities and adviser coaches. Mr. Dohrmann also works with William Shatner and his Entrepreneur television series www.heartbeatofamerica, frequently appearing as a guest on the show.
Mr. Dohrmann makes his home in Florida with his September and their children Daniel and Preston, complementing Mr. Dohrmann’s raised kids Tony, Jennifer, Jason, Lora, Ryan, Justin and Dylan. One of nine himself, Mr. Dohrmann remains puzzled how he “became his father” with the same nine in his family that he himself was raised in, Berny states “I love my career as Dad more than any other.” Berny’s father, Alan Dohrmann, was a leader in corporate training coaching such figures as Napoleon Hill, Bucky Fuller, Walt Disney, Earl Nightingale, President Jack Kennedy, and many others creating the world stage Berny Dohrmann grew up within. (more…)

This week on American Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with radio talk show host and best-selling author Michael Medved about his new book The 5 Big Lies About American Business: Combating Smears Against the Free Market Economy; Andy Roth of the Club for Growth has the Real Story behind the Scott Brown win in Massachusetts and its affect on health care reform; And, Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, USA has an American Radio Journal commentary on how arrogance in Washington is why Scott Brown won.

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American Radio Journal is produced and distributed by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. The Lincoln Institute is a 501c3 non-profit educational foundation based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1993, the mission of the Lincoln Institute is: “To promote the ideals of free market economics, individual liberty, and limited government through the conduct of public opinion research and related educational programs.”

The Lincoln Institute accepts no government money and is completely funded by philanthropic grant making foundations, corporations, and individuals.

To listen to the broadcast click here.

The following podcast is brought to you courtesy of A World of Possibilities and The Mainstream Media Project.

Switchgrass? Corn cobs? Logging slash? These apparent throwaways may just be prime sources for the next great energy boom. It’s renewable energy that could help wean us away from fossil fuels and foreign wars while also breathing new economic life into our rural areas.

Duration: 55:00 minutes

Click here to listen to this podcast.

Dr. Swaminathan is sending this Special Message of Hope and Encouragement for the New Year and the new decade to farmers everywhere. Given the challenges they are facing with climate change, the fuel and energy crisis, shaky economies, globalization and its effects on trade and agriculture, as well as their entry into the digital age, the impact of the internet and technology on productivity, all the while grappling with other social entanglements regarding their children and families. Given this sea of challenges, Dr. Swaminathan brings words of hope and encouragement to this group on whom our food security rests and whose role in assuring this food security is threatened. To read the full text of Dr. Swaminathan’s message to the farmers CLICK HERE.

Professor M. S. Swaminathan has been acclaimed by TIME magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century and one of the only three from India, the other two being Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. He has been described by the United Nations Environment Program as “the Father of Economic Ecology” and by Javier Perez de Cuellar, past Secretary General of the United Nations, as “a living legend who will go into the annals of history as a world scientist of rare distinction”.
A plant geneticist by training, Professor Swaminathan’s contributions to the agricultural renaissance of India have led to his being widely referred to as the scientific leader of the green revolution movement. His advocacy of sustainable agriculture leading to an ever-green revolution makes him an acknowledged world leader in the field of sustainable food security. The International Association of Women and Development conferred on him the first international award for significant contributions to promoting the knowledge, skill, and technological empowerment of women in agriculture and for his pioneering role in mainstreaming gender considerations in agriculture and rural development. Professor Swaminathan was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1971, the Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986, and the first World Food Prize in 1987.
Professor Swaminathan is a Fellow of many of the leading scientific academies of India and the world, including the Royal Society of London and the U S National Academy of Sciences. He has received 58 honorary doctorate degrees from universities around the world. He currently holds the UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai (Madras), India. (more…)

The following podcast is brought to you courtesy of A World of Possibilities and The Mainstream Media Project.

The Middle East is the ground zero of human conflict. Here the competing claims of three of the world’s great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam –collide in an unforgiving landscape, a triple junction of tragedy and trouble. Yet it hasn’t always been so – and need not be so forever. Against all odds, peace came to Northern Ireland and apartheid was dismantled in South Africa. Nirvana didn’t follow, but these were still impressive accomplishments. What would it take to unravel this Gordian knot? Can Barack Obama succeed in re-starting a process that has defeated so many other peacemakers? This program features candid conversations with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, independent analysts and professional mediators, all intent on finding ways to make the Holy Land whole again.

Host: Mark Sommer
Senior Producer: Gregg McVicar
Associate Producers: Naihma Deady, Matt Fidler
Production Engineer: Michael Schwartz
Remote Engineers: Sam Greenspan, Dave Goodman

Music in this program: Open - “Forever Unanswered” - Eccodek - White Swan; “A United Earth I” -
Alan Stivell and Youssou N’Dour - Putumayo World Music; “Black Beauty” - Eccodek - White Swan;
“Iran” - Shohreh - Taraneh; “Kereshme, Kutsh-Bagh, Hosseini, Hazin” - Hassan Kassai - Sunset-France; “Ibn el Balad” - Ensemble musical de Palestine - AV Records.

This program was funded by The Ford Foundation

Duration: 55:00 minutes

Click here to listen to this podcast.

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama proposed a fee on major financial firms to recoup – on behalf of American taxpayers - the $700 billion paid out in TARP, saying “we want the taxpayers’ money back, and we’re going to collect every dime.”

“Over the past two years, more than seven million Americans have lost their jobs. Countless businesses have been forced to shut their doors.  Few families have escaped the pain of this terrible recession.  Rarely does a day go by that I do not hear from folks who are hurting.  That is why we have pushed so hard to rebuild this economy.

But even as we work tirelessly to dig our way out of this hole, it is important that we address what led us into such a deep mess in the first place.  Much of the turmoil of this recession was caused by the irresponsibility of banks and financial institutions on Wall Street.  These financial firms took huge, reckless risks in pursuit of short-term profits and soaring bonuses.  They gambled with borrowed money, without enough oversight or regard for the consequences.  And when they lost, they lost big.  Little more than a year ago, many of the largest and oldest financial firms in the world teetered on the brink of collapse, overwhelmed by the consequences of their irresponsible decisions.  This financial crisis nearly pulled the entire economy into a second Great Depression.

As a result, the American people – struggling in their own right – were placed in a deeply unfair and unsatisfying position.  Even though these financial firms were largely facing a crisis of their own creation, their failure could have led to an even greater calamity for the country.  That is why the previous administration started a program – the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP – to provide these financial institutions with funds to survive the turmoil they helped unleash.  It was a distasteful but necessary thing to do.

Many originally feared that most of the $700 billion in TARP money would be lost.  But when my administration came into office, we put in place rigorous rules for accountability and transparency, which cut the cost of the bailout dramatically.  We have now recovered most of the money we provided to the banks.  That’s good news, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not good enough.  We want the taxpayers’ money back, and we’re going to collect every dime.

That is why, this week, I proposed a new fee on major financial firms to compensate the American people for the extraordinary assistance they provided to the financial industry.  And the fee would be in place until the American taxpayer is made whole. Only the largest financial firms with more than $50 billion in assets will be affected, not community banks.  And the bigger the firm – and the more debt it holds – the larger the fee.  Because we are not only going to recover our money and help close our deficits; we are going to attack some of the banking practices that led to the crisis. (more…)