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

In the view of its proponents, free trade as promoted by the United States and other leading industrial powers is the swiftest and surest route to global economic development. But in from the perspective of many in the developing world, it is the most effective means of extracting natural resources, exploiting low-wage labor, and producing goods from the world’s poor at the lowest cost while keeping the value added for those who already have more than enough. In response to these critiques, a market-based fair trade movement has sprung up in recent years from international development aid, social, religious and environmental organizations seeking to establish a more level playing field for international commerce. Focusing initially on such products as handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate and flowers, certified fair trade accounted for $4 billion in 2008. Though still a tiny fraction of global trade, in some commodities it represents 20-50% of the total volume. Criticized from the right as a subsidy that constrains free trade and from the left as too timid a response to the inherent inequities of the global trading system, fair trade is still in its infancy but growing by more than 20% a year. In this program we hear about the challenges of growing the movement from the founder of a leading fair trade certification organization and a farmer whose products are fair trade-certified.
This program was funded by listeners like you.

To listen to this podcast click here.

On this weekly radio address to the nation, President Obama discussed the vital role advanced manufacturing will have in strengthening our economy and creating good, middle-class jobs. The President believes that realizing our nation’s potential requires more than simply cutting spending; we have to foster development at home, so that the United States will continue to grow and attract the world’s best talent, ideas and job-creating technologies. This week, the President announced the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which will link the federal government with our nation’s finest minds to insure that our best ideas quickly become our best technologies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLKuNd4RmTU

“Hello, everybody. Earlier this week, I spoke about our way forward in Afghanistan, and I said that because of the extraordinary work of our men and women in uniform, civilians, and our coalition partners, we will soon begin bringing our troops home, just as we’ve begun doing in Iraq. After a decade of conflict, we’re finally bringing these wars to a responsible end.

That’s in the best interests of America’s security. And it’s also in the best interests of America’s economy. Even though we’ve turned our economy in the right direction over the past couple of years, many Americans are still hurting, and now is the time to focus on nation building here at home.

Of course, there’s been a real debate about where to invest and where to cut, and I’m committed to working with members of both parties to cut our deficits and debt. But we can’t simply cut our way to prosperity. We need to do what’s necessary to grow our economy; create good, middle-class jobs; and make it possible for all Americans to pursue their dreams.

(more…)

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Representative Renee Ellmers of North Carolina. She highlighted Republicans’ Plan for America’s Job Creators, which is designed to remove government barriers to private sector job growth – the kind of growth the ‘stimulus’ promised but failed to deliver. Speaking from the House Small Business Committee hearing room, Rep. Ellmers – a small business owner herself – talked about how Republicans are committed to getting government out of the way so our economy can get back to creating jobs

“I’m speaking to you today from the House Small Business Committee, where just about every week we hear from America’s job creators. These are leaders and entrepreneurs who take time out and come to Washington to explain how tough things are right now. Their stories are different, but their message is the same: uncertainty, burdensome regulations, and the fear of higher taxes are making it harder to create jobs and stay afloat.

“You know, if I weren’t in Congress, I’d be sitting right next to them. My husband and I own a small medical practice in Dunn, a small town 40 miles south of Raleigh. We’ve seen how government overreach can hurt a family-owned small business. We’ve worked to overcome it by relying on the same values that helped get our practice off the ground: freedom, opportunity, and responsibility.

“The job creators we hear from… they don’t have their hand out. They don’t want a bailout. All they ask us to do is get government out of the way.

(more…)

White House Week in Review

This week, President Obama addressed the nation on his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, delivering on a promise he made to the American people in December of 2009. He also traveled to Fort Drum in New York to meet with soldiers and their families, welcomed young elected officials to the White House, and talked to mayors from across the country about job creation and economic growth.

Mark Levine’s Inside Scoop on Washington

Mark Levine hosts the Raucous Caucus with Terry Kester and Garland Nixon from Washington DC.

The panel has an interesting discussion about President Obama.  They begin by saying that after reading many newspapers they are wondering, “Where is the bully pulpit?”

Levine explains that the term, “bully pulpit,” dates back to President Teddy Roosevelt who discovered that by virtue of being President that he had more power than was outlined in the Constitution.

Levine asserts that recently President Reagan used the bully pulpit well but that it is not being used well now by President Obama.  The town hall format has been used instead of press conferences, but they are not well covered by the press.  They are too much like campaigning.

The panel agrees that Senator Obama had a good voice and used it effectively, but President Obama has lost his effectiveness.

The panel talks about the jobs bill as one key area where they wish to hear strongly from the President.

The panel talks about several other interesting issues and takes some interesting phone calls from listeners.

Click here to listen to this podcast.

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The Inside Scoop is nationally syndicated on the Head-On Radio Network and iTunes. The show can be heard on radio weekdays, 5-6 pm Eastern, and can be seen on television Monday 7-8 pm Eastern.

Since June 2003, Mark Levine has given listeners The Inside Scoop from political players inside the Beltway – news that the Media almost never reports and those in power in the Government do not want you to know about. Mark welcomes all during his talk radio hour, and he particularly values calls from folks who disagree with him.

Visit Radio Inside Scoop.com to access more information and additional podcast shows.

This week on American Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with Stephen DeMaura, President of Americans for Job Security about the impact of lawsuit abuse on job creation and the need for tort reform; Andy Roth of the Club for Growth has the Real Story on growing support for the Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge; And, Col. Frank Ryan, USMC (Retired) has an American Radio Journal commentary on why supporting government social spending is not a personal act of charity.

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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.

Each day, billions of shares flash through stock markets worldwide.  Fortunes are made and lost at the flick of a keystroke, wreaking havoc on millions of people far from the trading floor.  Meanwhile, both value and values are wantonly destroyed.  Today we’ll hear from two pioneering economists, one of them a Nobel Prize winner, who seek to slow the pace of business in order to reclaim value and values.

This program was funded by listeners like you. Please contribute.

Host: Mark Sommer
Senior Producer: Gregg McVicar
Associate Producers: Naihma Deady, Matt Fidler
Production Engineer: Michael Schwartz
Field Engineer: Jim Williams
Music in this program: “Buzz” – Experimental Audio Research – Space Age Recordings; “String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima): Blood Oath – Kronos Quartet – Nonesuch Records; “A United Earth I” – Alan Stivell and Youssou N’Dour – Putumayo World Music; “Slow Down” – The Beatles – EMI; “Slow Down Fast” – Bruce Cockburn – New Rounder Records; “Modern Man” – Arcade Fire – Merge Records.

Duration: 55 minutes

Click here to listen to the podcast.

On this weekly radio address to the nation, President Obama reflected on Father’s Day and his experience as a parent and discussed the challenges and necessity of being a good father. The President knows that many Americans who want to be better fathers lack the resources to spend quality time with their children, so the White House has fostered new partnerships with businesses in an effort to support bonding opportunities for fathers and their families.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=736bOQTEKAU

“Hi, everybody.  This Father’s Day weekend, I’d like to spend a couple minutes talking about what’s sometimes my hardest, but always my most rewarding job – being a dad.

I grew up without my father around. He left when I was two years old, and even though my sister and I were lucky enough to have a wonderful mother and caring grandparents to raise us, I felt his absence.  And I wonder what my life would have been like had he been a greater presence.

That’s why I’ve tried so hard to be a good dad for my own children.  I haven’t always succeeded, of course – in the past, my job has kept me away from home more often than I liked, and the burden of raising two young girls would sometimes fall too heavily on Michelle.

(more…)

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota. He talked about how pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia can help us grow jobs in America.

“Hi, I’m Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota, and I’d like to talk to you today about our nation’s fiscal challenges – in particular, about the vital role that international trade can play to help us create jobs and reduce our deficit.

Almost exactly one hundred years ago, at the start of another century, President Theodore Roosevelt launched a U.S. Navy mission known as the Great White Fleet on a voyage around the world.

It was a show of American strength, but it was also a show of American goodwill and prosperity. That voyage would open the doors of trade with the vast, untapped markets of Asia, and help usher in what became known as the ‘American Century’.

President Roosevelt’s leadership put the world on notice that the United States of America – with the freest, most dynamic economy the world had ever seen – was open for business.

(more…)

White House Week in Review

This week, President Obama met with his Jobs Council in North Carolina to discuss ideas that will accelerate job growth and improve America’s competitiveness, toured a manufacturer of energy efficient lighting, travelled to Puerto Rico, and more.

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

Is your best friend a bot or a Facebook pal? How much time do you spend in online interaction with digital beings and how much face-to-face with real ones? MIT professor Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together, poses penetrating questions about the dangers of embracing our human inventions as if they were themselves human. Why do we turn to the simulation of intimacy in place of the stimulation of real contact? Are we afraid of the complications of real relationships, the melodramas of misunderstanding, the heartbreaks and infidelities? In this program we probe the migration of human affections from people to machines and the trade-offs that entails.

Guests:

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Mark Levine’s Inside Scoop on Washington

Mark Levine hosts the Raucous Caucus with Terry Kester and Garland Nixon from Washington DC.

The panel spends most of the evening talking about various sex scandals of the past, including the current issues surrounding Representative Weiner of New York.

They also mention aspects of the scandals that involved Senator John Edwards of Massachusetts, Representative Vitter of Louisiana, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and former President Bill Clinton.  The question on the table about these various sex scandals is where do they cross the line?

They talk to several callers and discuss the caller’s point of view.

Click here to listen to this podcast.

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The Inside Scoop is nationally syndicated on the Head-On Radio Network and iTunes. The show can be heard on radio weekdays, 5-6 pm Eastern, and can be seen on television Monday 7-8 pm Eastern.

Since June 2003, Mark Levine has given listeners The Inside Scoop from political players inside the Beltway – news that the Media almost never reports and those in power in the Government do not want you to know about. Mark welcomes all during his talk radio hour, and he particularly values calls from folks who disagree with him.

Visit Radio Inside Scoop.com to access more information and additional podcast shows.

On this weekly radio address to the nation, President Obama spoke to the American people about how the government is partnering with the private sector to make sure workers have the skills and training they need in this economy.  This past Wednesday, he announced commitments by the private sector, colleges, and the National Association of Manufacturers that will make it possible for half a million community college students to get a manufacturing credential that has the industry’s stamp of approval.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixe6ldw7aHA

“Hello, everyone. I want to spend a couple minutes talking with you about our economy. We’ve just come through the worst recession since the Great Depression, and while our economy as a whole has been growing and adding private sector jobs, too many folks are still struggling to get back on their feet. I wish I could tell you there was a quick fix to our economic problems. But the truth is, we didn’t get into this mess overnight, and we won’t get out of it overnight. It’s going to take time. The good news is, when it comes to job-creation and economic growth, there are certain things we know we can do. Now, government is not – and should not be – the main engine of job-creation in this country. That’s the role of the private sector. But one thing government can do is partner with the private sector to make sure that every worker has the necessary skills for the jobs they’re applying for. (more…)

The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.  He highlights “A Plan for America’s Job Creators,” which builds on the Pledge to America with measures designed to remove government obstacles to private-sector job growth – the kind of growth the ‘stimulus’ promised but failed to deliver.

“Hi, I’m Congressman Adam Kinzinger. I’m humbled by the opportunity to speak to you today as the representative of Illinois’ 11th Congressional District.

“There’s been a lot of talk this week about how our economy isn’t creating enough jobs. I can tell you that here in the president’s home state, every day, we hear about a company that’s looking at leaving or is already on its way out the door. And why? Because taxes are too high, regulations are too burdensome, and the government won’t stop spending money it doesn’t have.

“My constituents have the same questions many Americans do: where are the jobs? What happened to the ‘stimulus’ we heard so much about?

(more…)

White House Week in Review

This week, President Obama traveled to a Chrysler plant in Toledo, Ohio, to congratulate workers on the turnaround they helped bring about at Chrysler and the impact that saving the company had on the community. The President also announced new initiatives that will improve our manufacturing workforce, and welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House for an Official Visit.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse#p/u/1/sEBXz8zI-i0[/youtube]

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

On this show the panelists begin by talking about Afghanistan war issues.  They discuss to timetable for withdrawal of troops and how it may be affected by Leon Panetta becoming the new Defense Secretary.

Then the group talks about the events surrounding the walkout of Newt Gingrich’s election campaign staff.

The panel also talks about the sex scandal surrounding Representative Weiner.  Lastly, they talk about the lack of discussion and action about jobs creation in America.

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.  Chrystia Freeland is sitting in for Arianna Huffington and E.J. Dionne is sitting in for Robert Scheer

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 Adam Tragone, Managing Editor of Human Events about the U.S. Department of the Interior over-stepping its regulatory bounds; Andy Roth of the Club for Growth has the Real Story behind the retirement of Congressman Dan Boren of Oklahoma; And, Col. Frank Ryan, USMC (Ret.) has an American Radio Journal commentary on surviving the coming economic downturn.

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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.

Nature and Humanity are running off the rails and governments stand seemingly helpless before the juggernaut. Into the breach are stepping new players, inventing strategies to transform the way we do things, and they are forging surprising alliances in the process. Two initiatives are seeking to move the needle on urgent issues: one on climate change, the other on the global tea industry.

This program was funded by listeners like you.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

On this weekly radio address to the nation, President Obama commended the work of America’s dedicated autoworkers, who have helped reinvigorate the domestic auto industry. Each of The Big Three automakers is now turning a profit, and the domestic auto industry continues to add shifts and create new jobs across the country. When President Obama decided to lend a hand to the American automotive industry shortly after taking office, it was with the understanding that these great manufacturers would have to restructure, modernize and position themselves to thrive in a competitive global marketplace. Now, just a few years after the American auto industry teetered on the brink of collapse, America’s great manufacturers of yesterday have emerged as some of the great manufacturers of today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV1Nzv_46UQ

“Hello, everyone. I’m speaking to you today from a Chrysler plant in Toledo, Ohio, where I just met with workers, including Jill. Jill was born and raised here. Her mother and step-father retired from this plant.  And she met her husband here, and now they have two children of their own. This plant has not only been central to the economy of this town. It’s been a part of the lifeblood of this community.

The reason I came to Toledo was to congratulate Jill and her co-workers on the turnaround they helped bring about at Chrysler and throughout the auto industry.  Today, each of the Big Three automakers – Chrysler, GM, and Ford – is turning a profit for the first time since 2004.  Chrysler has repaid every dime and more of what it owes American taxpayers for their support during my presidency – and it repaid that money six years ahead of schedule.  And this week, we reached a deal to sell our remaining stake. That means soon, Chrysler will be 100% in private hands.

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The Republican Weekly Address was delivered by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. He talked about the need for the Federal government to make it easier and cheaper to make products in America and thereby to produce more jobs in America.  He cited the NLRB as an obstacle to the process.

“I’m Lamar Alexander, United States Senator from Tennessee. I’d like to talk with you for a few minutes about making it easier and cheaper to create private sector jobs here in America.

We can start by helping companies make in the United States what they sell in the United States, but unfortunately recent actions by the Administration are making that hard to accomplish.

Last month the National Labor Relations Board moved to stop America’s largest exporter, the Boeing Company, from building airplanes at a non-union plant in South Carolina, suggesting that a unionized American company can’t expand its operations into one of the 22 states with right-to-work laws, which protect a worker’s right to join or not to join a union. But instead of making a speech, let me tell you a story.

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