This week, on a very special episode of CounterPunch Radio, Eric gets in touch with his feelings. OK, not really…but he does chat with CounterPunch Managing Editor Joshua Frank and Business Manager Becky Grant about the fund drive and the importance of donating to CounterPunch to keep it going strong. Eric, Josh, and Becky talk about the day to day operations of CP, the challenges and the successes, and the necessity of maintaining integrity and independence. Becky regales listeners with tales o...
Oct 27, 2016•54 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show presidential candidate from the Socialist Party USA <a href=”https://www.rev16.us/”>Mimi Soltysik</a> to discuss his campaign, the importance of movement-building, and the state of the Left in 2016. The conversation begins with a discussion of the SPUSA’s campaign, and the central question for every non-establishment party: Why bother running a presidential campaign at all? From there Eric and Mimi discuss how the Left might consider moving forward...
Oct 27, 2016•1 hr 2 min
This week Eric sits down with author and academic Mark Crispin Miller to discuss the controlled corporate media and its grip on discourse in the United States, conspiracy theories versus conspiracy facts, US elections as both farce and illusion, and much more. Eric and Mark begin with a discussion of the history of media propaganda, and how the corporate media we know and loathe came to be the monolithic servant of power it is today. The conversation then turns to the issue of conspiracy theorie...
Oct 11, 2016•1 hr 29 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show activist and presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Gloria La Riva, to discuss social justice movements, her campaign, and the future of the Left. The conversation begins with first-hand analysis of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests and occupation, and the resurgence of indigenous resistance. Eric and Gloria discuss what is happening on the ground, the nature of the movement, and the importance of the convergence of multiple socia...
Sep 26, 2016•1 hr 2 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show writer, activist, and now US Vice Presidential candidate from the Green Party, Ajamu Baraka. The conversation gives some insight into Ajamu’s background, and the experiences that shaped his politics and worldview, making into the renowned human rights leader that he is. Eric does not shy away from the smear campaign being waged by liberal corporate media against Ajamu, instead taking the opportunity to discuss with him the mental illness of contemporary l...
Sep 19, 2016•1 hr 7 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show writer, activist, and now US Vice Presidential candidate from the Green Party, Ajamu Baraka. The conversation gives some insight into Ajamu’s background, and the experiences that shaped his politics and worldview, making into the renowned human rights leader that he is. Eric does not shy away from the smear campaign being waged by liberal corporate media against Ajamu, instead taking the opportunity to discuss with him the mental illness of contemporary l...
Aug 15, 2016•52 min
This week Eric sits down with author Nicholas Schou to discuss his new book <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1510703365/counterpunchmaga”>Spooked: How the CIA Manipulates the Media and Hoodwinks Hollywood</a>. Eric and Nick explore the history of CIA manipulation of the media going back decades, and how it has evolved into the propaganda consensus we see today. The conversation touches on everything from Nicaragua and the Reagan counter-revolution to the sycophantic r...
Aug 08, 2016•1 hr 4 min
This week Eric sits down with economist, and former Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis to discuss the shifts in the political landscape of both Europe and the US, and what they mean for political activism and progressive politics. Eric and Yanis discuss the nature of the EU and whether it can be reformed or democratized, as well as the forces at play within it. The conversation also touches on the US election as Yanis and Eric debate the utility of “lesser evil” politics, while also examin...
Aug 01, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show activist and scholar Dr. Anthony Monteiro to discuss his recent trip to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, and what he learned about the Trump movement. The conversation touches on the class character of the Trumpen Proletariat, and whether or not this represents a transformation of the Republican Party, and potentially US politics as a whole. Eric and Tony examine the nature of fascism, how it has manifested in the US today, and what the future...
Jul 25, 2016•1 hr 33 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show writer and sociologist Andrew Smolski to discuss the latest devevlopments in Mexico, and to place them in the context of neoliberal privatization and the US-backed militarization that goes along with it. Eric and Andy examine the strike actions by Mexico’s teachers, including the recent upsurge in Oaxaca, and connect that to the other issues at play in Mexico. They also discuss the role of the cartels and US drug policy in shaping the current chaos both in Mex...
Jul 18, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week Eric sits down with presumptive presidential nominee of the Green Party, Dr. Jill Stein. Eric and Jill discuss everything from the rot and criminality at the heart of US politics, to the need for grassroots organizing beyond just the election seasons. The conversation opens with an examination of the odious record of Hillary Clinton, and the destruction that Clintonism has wrought on the working class in the US, and on innocents around the world. The conversation also touches on Donald...
Jul 10, 2016•44 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show author and filmmaker John Pilger to discuss the specter haunting Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America: Hillary Clinton. Eric and John discuss how Hillary represents a mortal danger to the world, and why Donald Trump has provided a very convenient bogeyman to hide the Democrat monster under our collective bed. The conversation also touches on the pernicious influence of the corporate media, the danger of liberal delusions and lesser evilism, the disastr...
Jul 05, 2016•42 min
This week Eric welcomes Jason Moore to the program to discuss his fascinating new book Capitalism in the Web of Life. Eric and Jason explore the concepts of nature and society, the interrelation between the two, and why Jason argues that we need to reevaluate how we think about both. The conversation explores some of the central themes of the book including the notion of “world-ecology,” the crisis of capitalism as the era of cheapness comes to an end, as well as the dangers of dualistic thinkin...
Jun 24, 2016•1 hr 11 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show CounterPunch Editor Jeffrey St. Clair to discuss the passion of Bernie Sanders, and the sorrow and/or pity of the Sandernistas. Eric and Jeff begin with an analysis of Sanders’s campaign, the mistakes and shortcomings, and the positive developments to be taken from it. While neither #FeelTheBern, Eric and Jeff examine what this “movement” means for the future of activism and socialism in the US. In the second half of the show, Eric and Jeff discuss how a ...
Jun 13, 2016•1 hr 9 min
This week Eric Draitser chats with journalist and activist Carmelo Ruiz about the situation in Puerto Rico, and why this small US colony is so relevant to contemporary issues. Eric and Carmelo begin with a discussion of Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, and the policies and actions that have made it into Latin America’s Greece, with specific attention paid to the role of Wall Street and neoliberal finance capital in creating the crisis. In the second half of the program, Eric and Carmelo discuss the on...
Jun 06, 2016•1 hr 19 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show UK-based Kurdish activist and organizer Elif Sarican to discuss the situation of the Kurds in the midst of the war in Syria, as well as the onslaught by the Turkish government. Eric and Elif begin by discussing the current military and political situation with particular attention to the brutal actions of the Turkish military, in addition to the changing reality on the ground on the Syrian side of the border. The conversation also touches on the geopolitical c...
May 30, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the program Laura Carlsen, director of the Americas Program at the Center for International Policy, to discuss the ongoing disappearances of activists in Mexico, the reassertion of US hegemony in Latin America, and how militarization and free trade are the cornerstones of US imperial power in the region. Eric and Laura begin with an analysis of the recent kidnappings of Mexican activists and the frightening similarities with the infamous Ayotzinapa disappearances ...
May 23, 2016•49 min
This week Eric chats with political scientist Immanuel Ness about his new book “Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class,” and the implications of the shift in industrial production to the Global South. Eric and Immanuel explore the themes of the book which include the changing nature of labor struggle, in depth analyses of working class resistance in the “Third World,” and how these struggles must shape and inform the discussion of solidarity on the Left, particulalry in the ...
May 17, 2016•1 hr 8 min
This week Eric sits down with economist Richard Wolff to discuss capitalism, its inefficiencies, and its discontents. They examine how the US and European economies have evolved in the era of neoliberalism, how financialization has pervaded every aspect of our economic lives, and how debt has become the central pillar of modern capitalism’s house of cards. Eric and Richard also focus on solutions to the crisis of capitalism including the need for cooperative, worker self-directed enterprises and...
May 09, 2016•1 hr 14 min
This week Eric Draitser welcomes to the program Vice Presidential candidate from the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) Eugene Puryear to discuss the future of socialism in the US, the role of leftist activism at the grassroots level, and the importance of connecting issues of capitalism, imperialism, and identity. While millions still #FeelTheBern, there are many like Eugene Puryear on the streets trying to unite young people, workers, and marginalized communities for the long-term strugg...
May 02, 2016•1 hr 5 min
This week Eric welcomes investigative journalist Steve Horn to the show to discuss a little known energy lobbying organization, the connections between the Clinton and Trump campaigns and Big Energy, and some of the geopolitical issues surrounding Israel-Palestine and energy extraction. Steve outlines his investigation of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) and how it operates as both a lobbying group and a shaper of energy policy at the state and federal levels while it works ...
Apr 18, 2016•1 hr 3 min
This week Eric welcomes author and columnist Paul Street, and radical envrionmentalist and political activist Kevin Hester to CounterPunch Radio. First, Eric chats with America’s leading ultra-sectarian ideological criminal Paul Street about why he’s having second thoughts about Bernie Sanders, and why the ruling elites might be as well. Eric and Paul discuss the Sanders campaign, what it means for grassroots activism, and whether or not it’s a dead end for those seeking radical change. They als...
Apr 11, 2016•1 hr 52 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show author and activist Alexander Reid Ross to discuss the history and contemporary landscape of fascism in Europe and the US. Eric and Alexander discuss his latest book “Against the Fascist Creep,” going into detail about the long and sordid history of fascism from its earliest manifestations in pre-WWI Europe, to its modern form after Mussolini, to the current trends in fascism today. And then, of course, the obligatory “Is Trump a Fascist?” portion of the conve...
Apr 01, 2016•1 hr 24 min
This week Eric chats with lawyer, social media strategist, and podcaster Alice Backer about the political situation in Haiti today, the insidious role of the Clintons, and the historical importance of the island nation as the leading edge of anti-colonial resistance. Eric and Alice explore the electoral drama unfolding in Haiti, and what it means for the future of the country. Of course, no discussion of the issue would be complete without an accounting of Hillary and Bill’s criminal exploitatio...
Mar 21, 2016•1 hr 16 min
This week Eric sits down with author Douglas Lain to discuss his new book <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/After-Saucers-Landed-Douglas-Lain/dp/1597808237″>After the Saucers Landed</a>, and a veritable menagerie of mostly related topics including identity and subjectivity, authenticity, the overlap between politics and art, and so much more. Science fiction nerds and avant-garde art geeks rejoice! There’s much to salivate over in this wide-ranging discussion where Philip K. Dick is el...
Mar 14, 2016•55 min
This week Eric discusses threats to the planet and human civilization with regular CounterPunch contributors Robert Hunziker and John LaForge. First, Eric welcomes back to the show environmental journalist Robert Hunziker to discuss climate change, the latest research from the Arctic, and ways of reorienting our thinking to tackle these immense problems. The discussion touches on the record warmth of January and February, the melting Arctic and Antarctic ice, and the interconnected nature of the...
Mar 10, 2016•1 hr 41 min
This week Eric welcomes two great guests to the program. First, Eric sits down with the inimitable George Galloway to talk war, betrayal, and the Empire’s ceaseless adventures in regime change. They discuss the culpability of the US, UK, and Europe in the death and destruction in the Middle East, the use of terrorism as a potent weapon of war, as well as the refugee crisis and the rise of racist and fascist sentiment in Europe. George also briefly touches on his campaign for mayor of London agai...
Feb 29, 2016•1 hr 17 min
This week Eric sits down with philosopher, filmmaker, and author of the new book “Exposing Lies of the Empire,” Andre Vltchek, for a colorful discussion on culture and politics, imperialism, and the reality of the Global South. The conversation opens with an exploration of the role of art and literature in shaping politics and ideology, and how that has increasingly become lost in an ever more commodified and compartmentalized political culture. Eric and Andre then discuss the nature of contempo...
Feb 17, 2016•1 hr 16 min
This week Eric sits down with journalist Diana Johnstone, author of the new book <a href=”https://www.counterpunch.org/product/queen-of-chaos/”>Queen of Chaos: The Misadventures of Hillary Clinton</a> available from CounterPunch Books. Eric and Diana discuss the myriad ways in which Hiillary Clinton has made herself into the embodiment of the military-industrial complex and the Empire, including her unabashed warmongering, shameless love affairs with Saudi Arabia and Israel, and cont...
Feb 09, 2016•1 hr 11 min
This week Eric sits down with political analyst and writer Pascal Robert to discuss author Ta-Nehisi Coates’ recent attacks on Bernie Sanders and what they tell us both about Coates and the presidential election. Eric and Pascal discuss the issues of race and class, and why interrogating those issues is critical to examining Coates’ recent writings, as well his individual social position in relation to the power structure. The second half of the show is an in depth dialogue about a variety of is...
Jan 28, 2016•1 hr 15 min
