Shows
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E10 Russia Against Modernity with Alexander EtkindWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America PodcastThe Anthropocene will be a doozy from what I'm hearing. Even if new technologies and new systems replace the ones currently falling apart, it will be a bumpy ride. It looks as if severe climate-related events will be occurring much more frequently. Monthly events could turn into weekly events, until eventually, those might even become daily events somewhere in the world.Megatrends appear to be rather obvious at first glance. Autocracies are on the rise...2023-08-211h 06
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E9 System Change and the Future of Democracy with Peter Leyden2023-07-2459 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E8 The Constitution Should not be Reclaimed with Samuel MoynWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.In America, "We The People" are the constituent power, "the actor which always remains outside the government" as Seyes defined it. Or, as James Wilson put it, the people are simply "above" their Constitutions of government. The framers were well aware the people were watching. They were very clear the legitimacy of the government came from the consent of the governed. That is what made our framers revolutionaries, and why our Constitution is so remarkable. But, how do the people, if ever...2023-04-261h 01
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E7 Constituent Power and the Future of Constitutional Democracy with Sergio VerdugoIn season one, I spoke with Arend Lijphart about democratic political systems. He had a number of recommendations on how Americans could improve our democracy if they really wanted to do. The question as always remains, how would Americans do that? I also spoke with George Van Cleve on his book, Making a New American Constitution. He had a pretty simple idea. Americans would form a national convention coordinating committee, for the purpose of raising funds for the endeavor, establishing the rules for the election of delegates, and perhaps setting guidelines for the convention i...2023-03-201h 07
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E6 Equality with Frances ChiuIn the last episode, I talked with Juliano Benvindo about the similarities between the January 6th Capitol Insurrection and the more recent attack on all three branches of government in Brasilia. It turns out that Brazil has the greatest level of inequality in Latin America. Inequality in North America has also reached historic highs. It was bad enough that America had imported over 300,000 slaves from Africa. Brazil imported over 5 million. Inequality remains a serious problem for the 2 most populis Democracies in the Western Hemisphere, and that should alarm us all, especially when America is thought to be the...2023-03-021h 01
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E5 Brazil’s Frenetic Pace of Constitutional Change with Juliano BenvindoEvents in America like the 2021 United States Capitol Insurrection are not unique to America. Brazil also suffered from a similar crisis on Jan 8, 2023. The attack there, on all three branches of government in Brasilia, was largely the result of the former president's insistence the election had been rigged. His supporters believed him, and although he lost by almost 2 million votes, the crowds turned out to overturn the election, in much the same way Trump supporters did on Jan 6, 2021.I thought we should have a look at w...2023-01-311h 03
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E4 Trailer, FDR and A New Economic Bill of Rights with Harvey J. Kaye and Alan MinskyWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in American Podcast.In Season 1 Episode 2 last year, I spoke with Professor Emeritus of Democracy & Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Harvey J. Kaye. He is an award-winning author and editor of 18 books on history and politics -including Take Hold of Our History: Make America Radical Again and FDR on Democracy. In S1 E2, we talked about his book Thomas Paine and the Promise of America. He's a really gifted speaker and a real pleasure to talk to. At that time, Harvey suggested he come back for...2023-01-101h 09
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E3 Thomas Paine's Rights of Man with Gary BertonWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast. I couldn't go any further without a discussion about Thomas Paine's Rights of Man. Not because it was historically significant, although it certainly was. But, because it lays the foundation for our nation and our identity as Americans, it is perhaps more relevant today than it was in 1792.I began this season with a discussion about American Sovereigns for a purpose. We need to begin to think of ourselves as the rightful and legal o...2022-12-1559 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E2 We The Elites with Robert OvetzWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.Bernie loves to point his finger at the elites, but who are they and where do they come from? It seems as if Bernie believes they possess a lot more influence than the rest of us. But, what does our preamble mean if not that we the ordinary people in America are the ultimate source of power and law in America? So then, who were the elites? How did they differ from the mass of Americans in 1776 and later in 1787, even today? What about revolutionaries l...2022-10-301h 09
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E1 American Sovereigns with Christian FritzWelcome back to the second season of the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast, a series of conversations with America's top scholars, writers, journalists, and activists, on the topic of our Constitution. Thank you for tuning in to this podcast, and for your time, support, and continued interest in a subject that I personally find to be the most crucial topic of our time. Season one was an amazing journey for me, and I would sum it up like this: Americans, for the first time in human history, established the inalienable right of the people to not only...2022-10-211h 05
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E14 Making a new American Constitution with George William Van CleveWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in American Podcast.So, how do Americans "shore up" their institutions of government? How do we strengthen our democracy and protect it from the anti-democratic forces that are currently on the rise? The recent book by George Van Cleve, "Making a New American Constitution" argues that today the 1787 Constitution is protecting America’s increasingly wealthy oligarchy. The eighteenth-century government structure it created no longer serves most non-elite citizens. Instead, it now seriously obstructs political, economic, and social reforms that are badly needed to combat massive Am...2022-07-201h 09
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E13 Presidents, Populism and the Crisis of Democracy with William HowellWilliam Howell is the Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics at the University of Chicago, where he holds appointments in the Harris School, Department of Political Science, and College. Currently, he is the chair of the Department of Political Science, director of the Center for Effective Government, and co-host of Not Another Politics Podcast. William has written widely on separation-of-powers issues and American political institutions, especially the presidency. He currently is working on research projects on separation of powers issues, the origins of political authority, and t...2022-07-1657 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS2 E12 Our Undemocratic Constitution with Sanford LevinsonAny serious discussion about a peaceful political revolution in America would be incomplete if it did not include a conversation with today's guest. Sandford Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law. Previously a member of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, he is currently Professor of Government at the University of Texas in Austin. Levinson is the author of over 400 articles and book reviews as well as six books, including, Our Undemocratic Constitution; Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance; and co-author of the graphic n...2022-05-171h 03
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E11 The Icelandic Constitutional Assembly with Tom GinsburgWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.When you look around the world at different constitutions, and how political systems are formed, you quickly realize that they are all quite different, even amongst the democratic nations. Every democratic country does democracy a little differently, and the results vary just as much. The conditions which lead to a new constitution can be as unpredictable as the events that follow. Constitution building is risky and complicated, which is why it is so hard to do and so rarely achieved. W...2022-03-2650 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E10 The Icelandic Constitutional Council of 2014 with Jon Olafsson and Eirikur Bergman(See transcript for the entire introduction)Welcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in American Podcast.Iceland has a really interesting history. You may know a bit about its scenic wonders if you ever watched Game of Thrones, but its political history is no less amazing. Iceland used to be part of Denmark, but in 1849, things began to change.In the 19th century, the Icelandic independence movement from Denmark was gaining momentum, while nationalism and demands...2022-03-101h 02
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E9 Death by a Thousand Cuts with Matt QvortrupWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.Democracy is under attack. The rise of Trumpism has created a lot of anxiety amongst those who believe in democracy, and for good reason. We have all witnessed the recent attack on our capital, on our electoral system, on our right to vote, on vaccine mandates, and on immigration. There has been a sharp rise in white nationalist sentiment in America, and it's not only in the South. It has been fueled in part by the exponential increase of disinformation and increasingly difficult economic realities i...2022-02-191h 03
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E9 Trailer: Death by a Thousand Cuts with Matt QvortrupWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.Democracy is under attack. The rise of Trumpism has created a lot of anxiety amongst those who believe in democracy, and for good reason. We have all witnessed the recent attack on our capitol, on our electoral system, on our right to vote, on vaccine mandates, and on immigration. There has been a sharp rise in white nationalist sentiment in America, and it's not only in the South. It has been fueled in part by the exponential increase of disinformation and increasingly difficult economic realities i...2022-02-1402 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E8 The Sickness is the System with Richard WolffWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.It has been pointed out on this podcast by more than a few people, that our Constitution is as much an economic or class document, as it was a political one. For starters, our colonial era Constitution was designed to protect the interests of the slavocracy, to favor the individual accumulation of wealth and property over the collective well-being of society. In short, the framers created a political system to protect their interests. We see the economic impacts of that system a...2022-01-1858 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E7 This Happened Here and They Rule with Paul StreetWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.It looks like we could make some very real improvements to our political system. It is becoming more and more obvious that after 233 years, our Constitution could be significantly upgraded. If we want to have an effective and democratic form of government we should probably be thinking about how to democratize our Constitution. Confronting this reality will not be easy for many. But perhaps we should begin by asking ourselves the following questions:What are the undemocratic fea...2022-01-061h 04
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E7 Trailer: This Happened Here, Amerikaners, Neoliberalism and the Trumping of America and They Rule with Paul Street01/03/22Welcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.It looks like we could make some very real improvements to our political system. It is becoming more and more obvious that after 233 years, our Constitution could be significantly upgraded. If we want to have an effective and democratic form of government, we should probably be thinking about how to democratize our Constitution. Confronting this reality will not be easy for many. But perhaps we should begin by asking ourselves the following questions:W...2022-01-0203 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E6 A Different Democracy with Dean Steven TaylorWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.In the last episode, we talked about our frozen republuc, and how to our detriment, it has not been improved upon in over 230 years. It was designed to be an unbreakable contract between Americans, protecting sectoral rights and the individual accumulation of wealth and property. The slavocracy wanted protection from the intrusion of the north. They did not want their lavish and profitable lifestyles interrupted. Their constitution, the southern planters in particular, was to remain fixed. It was never meant to be c...2021-12-2100 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E6 Trailer: A Different Democracy with Steven TaylorWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.In the last episode, we talked about our frozen Republic, and how to our detriment, it has not been improved upon in over 230 years. It was designed to be an unbreakable contract between Americans, protecting sectoral rights and the individual accumulation of wealth and property. The slavocracy wanted protection from the intrusion of the north. They did not want their lavish and profitable lifestyles interrupted. Their constitution, the southern planters, in particular, was to remain fixed. It was never meant to be...2021-12-2004 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E5 The Frozen Republic with Daniel LazareWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.Thomas Paine believed that Americans must control their constitutions of government, that they should revise and update it every generation. But the Framers, subverting Paine's vision of a democratically controlled government, intentionally left out of their Constitution any process through which the people could do just that. As Jerry Fresia points out in episode 3, that was because their Constitution was designed to prioritize the individual accumulation of wealth and property over the well-being of society as...2021-12-021h 01
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E4 Patterns of Democracy with Arend LijphartWelcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America PodcastI thought I'd jump ahead a little and discuss some of the basic changes we could make to our constitution which would actually make it a more democratic system of government. In this episode, I have the genuine pleasure to interview one of the leading experts on democratic forms of government. His seminal book, Patterns of Democracy is probably the best analysis in comparative democracies available today. We all need to know why.Arend L...2021-11-211h 05
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E3 Toward an American Revolution with Jerry FresiaWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast If Bernie's regular castigation of the elites felt justified to you, you'll find this episode especially interesting. Today, I'm going to be talking about the people who gave us our constitution, the Framers. Who were they? What were their intentions? What kind of political system did they create? Does it explain the vast influence of the elites in our society today? In his book, The Hidden History of American Oligarchy, Thom Hartmann writes, "If you were looking for a dat...2021-11-141h 18
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E2 Thomas Paine and the Promise of America with Harvey J KayeThanks to Bernie Sanders, "political revolution" has become part of today's vernacular. It's been used widely to describe the need for change on the system level and on the policy level. It's a powerful slogan and a very loaded term. Revolutions tend to be messy. Glorious one day, bloody the next. Political revolutions often end with someone's head on a pike or a neck under a guillotine. Fortunately, that was not the case in 1787. Although our War of Independence in 1776 was a bloody battle, it was fought for more than just our independence. It w...2021-10-281h 07
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 E1 Thomas Paine and Political Revolution in America with Gary Berton.I want to begin the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast with a discussion about Thomas Paine. His ideas, more than any other American, shaped the destiny of not only 1 revolution, but 3. You might say Thomas Paine is the father of peaceful political revolution. It's difficult to overstate how important Paine's message was to our nation, and to Americans, today. His legacy may be a bit obscure to most Americans, but my guest Gary Berton will bring you all up to date on the essential Thomas Paine. Gary is the President of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association...2021-10-2559 min
Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaS1 Trailer The Peaceful Political Revolution in AmericaWelcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast. In this podcast, I will explore the origins of peaceful political revolution and connect the dots between the Age of Enlightenment and the American political system. I will explore what political revolution means and decipher why the convention of 1787 was so unique.Our founding as a nation was remarkable, yet we often forget or take for granted just why it is so remarkable and why it is so important to understand our political history. We will take a unique stroll through our past and uncover t...2021-09-2803 min
The Forward Blitz NetworkREVOLUTION NOWAs REAL change becomes more and more of a reality in this country - what IS it that the PEOPLE want? For days the discussion has been ongoing - do we want a Democracy or a Republic? For years the question of what form should "Change We Can Believe In" take? What do YOU think? What do YOU want?
TONIGHT AMERICA IS SPEAKING! If you are part of an Occupy Movement - we want... to hear from you. If you support the Occupy Movement - we want to hear from you. Join us tonight with guest John Mulkins of the...2011-10-3000 min
The Forward Blitz NetworkREVOLUTION NOWMonday 8PM EST we are joined by John Mulkins of the Peoples Congress.
...Peoplescongress.org is calling for a week long action in which We the People pass specific legislation which, when enacted by Congress, will put an immediate end to the corporate take-over of our government, revitalize and re-democratize elections, allow for a more responsible and open media, and end the secrecy in policy making. Until we reform these institutions and the laws governing them, our goals for a just and sustainable world will remain elusive at best. An earnest national dialog about our future cannot happen until we...2011-07-2600 min