:: The Rational Radical Blog ::

Thursday, June 12, 2008

NOTICE: NO MORE UPDATES HERE OR ON THIS FEED

To get the latest podcasts, please go to the podcast home page.

You can re-subscribe there, through Feedblitz, iTunes, or your choice of other podcatching software.

You can also simply download any show of your choice.

And for the newest episodes, transcripts are now available!

Thanks!!

Jack

Jack Clark 8:43 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #841071536510050432

Podcast #117 - Desperate Haitians Eat Dirt: A Legacy Of Right-Wing Greed / Neil Boortz Makes O'Reilly Seem Statesmanlike / '08 Strategies

Today you'll hear three segments, touching on:

--Haitian women and children so hungry and desperate they eat cookies made of dirt. What's that got to do with you and me? If we're largely to blame, what can we do to remedy the situation? (Here are the two links promised in the podcast:
Bipartisan Letter on Haiti     House/Senate Jubilee Act)

--Right-wingers so callous and vicious they blame victims of natural disasters for their own fate. Listen to Neil Boortz make Bill O'Reilly seem statesmanlike by comparison!

--And, in a change of pace, some campaign '08 strategy suggestions from yours truly, including the necessity to re-define John McCain. You'll also hear how George Bush has been like a man throwing a lit cigarette into a tinder dry woods, and how that analogy can help defeat Republicans in November.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until March, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 8:38 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #6079687753714429562

Podcast #116 - Federal Home Loan Racism/Bush, Hannity Tax Lies/American Revolutionary War...Commie?/Good News On Electronic Voting /Listener Email

Today I've definitely got a full smorgasbord for you, with five tasty dishes, the kind you like best:

How federal government discriminatory home loan practices worsened the Black-White wealth gap

Audio clips of Bush and Hannity lying about taxes, plus Hannity lying about Ronald Reagan's record

A physician listener corrects a mistake I made on health care, and a Canadian listener can't understand what's wrong with us in the U.S.

American Revolutionary War...Commies? Bet you didn't know this about Thomas Paine

And,

Good news on the electronic voting fraud front -- touch screen machines are on the way out nationwide. And how you can help achieve that goal.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until March, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 10:50 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #3307841769756692867

Podcast #115 - Blasting The Right Basics: Countering Five Pervasive Right-Wing Falsehoods

Today, a really big change of pace. You'll be treated not to one subject in depth, or even two topics with extended segments.

No, today I have 5 QuickBlasts for you, in the areas of foreign policy, taxation, regulation of business and health care.

Let's get right into it.

Sometimes you don't need long permutations and combinations of an issue, you just need a solid fact or two to whack a right-winger upside the head -- intellectually, not physically of course -- so as to get their attention, and maybe knock some sense into them, penetrate that thick wall of denial and unreality that so many right-wingers have surrounding their brains.

Sometimes less is more.

This will be like a short, intense 5 round fight.

In one corner, progressive truth. In the other corner, right-wing distortions, half-truths and outright lies you currently hear bandied about on the corporate media.

Are you ready to rumble?

The fight card:

Round 1: Right-wing lies about why we went to war in Iraq

Round 2: The Republican claim that Democrats don't support the troops, and that the military community is behind President Bush

Round 3: Another campaign lie: Democrats want to raise your taxes

Round 4: Nonsensical right-wing policy position: there's too much government regulation of business

Round 5: Another nonsensical right-wing policy claim: we already have the best health care system in the world

If you want to see the right-wing get knocked silly, if not knocked out completely, just listen to the podcast.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until February, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 9:01 PM [+]  1 comments
Post #6498745797220874442

Podcast #114 - Economic Mobility: A Reality-Based Part Of The American Dream, Or A Myth Now Used By The Right-Wing To Justify Economic Injustice?

Today you'll hear exposed as a falsehood the pervasive myth -- pushed hardest by the right-wing -- that there is great economic mobility in the United States. You'll see that the real picture is not so pretty.

The conventional political wisdom has always been, the public doesn't care much about income and wealth inequality, because of the widely shared belief that everyone has a shot at becoming rich, that there is great economic mobility in the United States.

The right-wing, by its own admission, needs the mobility myth to justify and allow the perpetuation of rampant inequality.

Here's the reality: a report released as a joint effort by four major think tanks, including two ultra-conservative ones, the American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation, concludes

[N]ew data...raises provocative questions about the continuing ability of all Americans to move up the economic ladder and calls into question whether the American economic meritocracy is still alive and well.

Recent studies suggest that there is less economic mobility in the United States than has long been presumed. The last thirty years has seen a considerable drop-off in median household income growth compared to earlier generations. And, by some measurements, we are actually a less mobile society than many other nations, including Canada, France, Germany and most Scandinavian countries. This challenges the notion of America as the land of opportunity.

You'll find much more in the podcast you can use when conversing with your friendly local right-winger.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until February, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 10:22 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #1905792046440756248

Podcast #113 - Year End Review: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of 2007

Today we'll review what the right-wing was up to in 2007, as you heard it on Blast The Right. Plus, I'll have some updates for you.

Usually this podcast covers one or two topics in depth. Today you'll hear a summation of over 40 podcasts, so the pace will be brisk.

In order to get a handle on this year's subjects, I grouped the podcasts by subject matter, and that's how I'll go through them. You can see that document organizing the podcasts by subject matter here.

When going through this year's podcasts, the standout theme just leaped out at me, best exemplified by the Biblical passage where it says that by their fruits shall you know them, and that "the bad tree bears evil fruit." The bad Bushian right wing tree had indeed borne evil fruit -- increased human misery, suffering, pain and death. This was obvious for all to see this year

The Bushian fruit was probably no more evident than in the ever-increasing cascade of stories in 2007 about unhealthy, dangerous products and practices afflicting Americans, which were the results of the Bush mania for hollowing out and crippling the regulatory agencies. This they did through budget cuts, draconian staff reductions and woefully misguided policies.

The next major subject we covered was economic justice. I devoted more podcasts to this than just about any other issue.

You know my mantra: Everything the right-wing does is designed to accomplish one of two things: either (a) transfer wealth from everyone else to the rich, or (b) distract everyone else from the fact that (a) is occurring.

There was a growing stream of information all year showing just how amazingly earnest and successful the right-wing has been with this wealth transfer.

The other major area discussed this year was foreign policy and Western economic exploitation of the Third World. The Blast The Right theme here is, as at home, so abroad.

Did you know the US tried to steal Iraq's oil in 2007?

For the details of the above three areas, and much more, please listen to the podcast!

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until January, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 9:04 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #8345466000490986680

Podcast #112 - As At Home, So Abroad: Right-Wing Policies Increase Human Misery, Suffering, Pain And Death In The Third World

Today you'll hear how extreme right-wing policies of the United States literally cause starvation and death in the Third World.

And, I'll show you the link between this unfortunate situation, and two hot button front page issues in the US, health care, and the occupation of Iraq.

The microcosm will be Malawi, where right-wingers in the US and international financial institutions insisted that the government cut back if not eliminate its fertilizer subsidies to small farmers. The result: famine and death.

The marcrocosm will be the entire Third World: how Western economic policies are designed to, and all too well do, transfer wealth from poor nations to the rich.

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Programming note: Until January, there will most likely not be live shows on alternate weeks.


For those who aren't familiar with podcasts, podcasts are a series of mp3 audio files that you download to your computer or portable music device (iPod or other) and then can listen to whenever you want.

You don't need an iPod to listen to podcasts.

Podcast software like iTunes will automatically check a podcast at intervals you specify, and download any new installments.

iTunes is free and very easy to use. http://www.apple.com/itunes/

In iTunes, if you want to subscribe to my podcast, just click on Advanced at the top right, then choose Subscribe to Podcast, and paste in the URL http://feeds.feedburner.com/blasttheright

That's the URL to use for other podcast-friendly software programs as well.

Alternatively, you can just manually download new episodes from my podcast home page as they become available. Here is a link to my podcast's home page: http://www.therationalradical.com/podcast.html

Jack Clark 8:58 PM [+]  0 comments
Post #8574825734337886557