This week Eric welcomes back to the show CounterPunch managing editor Joshua Frank to discuss the recent dangerous developments at the Hanford nuclear facility in Eastern Washington, the Left and the war in Syria, Le Pen and the rise of far right fascist politics, and more. The conversation begins with a detailed discussion of the collapse at Hanford, and what this tells us about the larger issues at play in what has become the most expensive cleanup operation in the history of the US. Josh and ...
May 11, 2017•1 hr 11 min
This week Eric sits down with Venezuela-based journalists Rachael Boothroyd-Rojas and Lucas Koerner to discuss the latest developments in that country, and the broader political, economic, and geopoltical implications. The conversation begins with a detailed analysis of the opposition protests, responsibility for the violence, and the role of the domestic private media, and international corporate media in stoking tensions. From there, Rachael and Lucas explain some of the methods and tactics em...
May 02, 2017•1 hr 32 min
This week Eric sits down with author and peace activist David Swanson to discuss war and peace in the Age of Trump. Eric and David examine whether Trump’s early days in office represent an escalation of the war machine, and how Trump is both continuing Bush-Obama policies while also taking them in dangerous new directions. The conversation explores how issues of war and imperialism are intimately connected to economic and environmental justice, and the importance of linking them in movement-buil...
Apr 26, 2017•1 hr 3 min
This week Eric sits down with author and peace activist David Swanson to discuss war and peace in the Age of Trump. Eric and David examine whether Trump’s early days in office represent an escalation of the war machine, and how Trump is both continuing Bush-Obama policies while also taking them in dangerous new directions. The conversation explores how issues of war and imperialism are intimately connected to economic and environmental justice, and the importance of linking them in movement-buil...
Apr 24, 2017•36 min
This week, Eric welcomes back to the show veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly to discuss the increasingly deafening drumbeat of war, and the reality of life in the war zones which she has witnessed with her own eyes. The conversation begins with a discussion of the Trump Administration’s ratcheting up of hostilities, and what this tells us about both Trump and US foreign policy in 2017. Eric and Kathy examine a number of global hot spots, with Kathy giving her first-hand account of the tragic rea...
Apr 20, 2017•1 hr 3 min
This week in a special edition of CounterPunch Radio, environmental activist and CounterPunch contributor Louisa Willcox welcomes two unsung environmental heroes, Jim and Heidi Barrett, who were leaders in a campaign that took on – and won – one of the biggest environmental victories in the history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Against all odds, this modest couple and their small grassroots group in the hamlet of Cooke City, MT, along with allies, took on Noranda, one of the largest mini...
Apr 13, 2017•44 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show environmental journalist and CounterPunch contributor Robert Hunziker to talk about how the earth’s climate is going bonkers, and what this means for human civilization. The conversation begins with a discussion of many of the most dangerous indicators of climate instability, and what these signs tell us about the near-, medium-, and long-term future of the planet. Eric and Robert examine the role of humans in exacerbating ecological crises, and how the o...
Apr 04, 2017•1 hr 8 min
This week Eric sits down with journalist Dustin Beilke to discuss the continued privatization of public education, and the forces behind it. The conversation begins by examining the latest push for school vouchers by President Trump and his Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and what this means for the future of public schools. Eric and Dustin touch on the inefficacy of school vouchers in improving educaitonal outcomes, as well as the backdoor assault on teachers’ unions using everything from v...
Mar 28, 2017•1 hr 10 min
This week Eric sits down with author and academic Rebecca Gordon to discuss the evolution of war in Imperial America, torture in the Age of Trump, war criminals-in-chief, and so much more. The conversation begins with a discussion of Gordon’s latest book, American Nuremberg: The U.S. Officials Who Should Stand Trial for Post-9/11 War Crimes, and how the criminality of the US regime is not dependent on a given administration. From there, Eric and Rebecca examine the changing nature of war in Amer...
Mar 22, 2017•1 hr 25 min
This week Eric sits down with author and journalist Chris Hedges to discuss Trump, the Democrats, resistance, and more. The conversation begins with an assessment of the political and psychological impact of Trump on America in the early days of his administration. Eric and Chris touch on the nature of Trump’s regime, the fascist ideological and historical framework from which the politics emerges, and the seamless transition of Empire from one administration and party to the other. The second h...
Mar 13, 2017•1 hr 9 min
This week Eric chats with Emery Wright, community organizer and Co-Director of Project South. Eric and Emery discuss the development of people’s assemblies across the US, and what that sort of organizing work means in the current political context. The conversation touches on structures, organization, and decision-making in grassroots movements, and how those movements are addressing both political and economic questions in oppressed communities. The second half of the conversation focuses on th...
Mar 09, 2017•1 hr 15 min
This week Eric sits down with Mickey Huff, Director of Project Censored, to discuss fake news, the narrative surrounding Trump and the “Deep State,” and the rightward trajectory of US politics. The conversation begins with a discussion about fake news: how it was popularized by Clinton and the DNC and is now a potent weapon in the hands of Trump. From there, Eric and Mickey discuss the danger Trump represents both now and into the future as the far right grows its power. The mainstreaming of the...
Feb 20, 2017•1 hr 14 min
This week Eric sits down with journalist Arun Gupta to discuss Trump and the rise of the trumpen proletariat, the open wounds of liberal trauma, and the role of violence in opposing the fascist upsurge. The conversation begins with an in-depth examination of the forces that propelled Trump into the White House, with Arun relaying his experiences talking with white workers in Indiana and around the country. From there the discussion shifts to Trump as the liberal trauma and whether or not it coul...
Feb 13, 2017•1 hr 43 min
This week Eric sits down with journalist Ben Norton to discuss the early days of the Trump Administration: what’s happened, what it means, and where it’s going. Eric and Ben explore the nature of the new administration, the forces that propelled it into power, and the political and economic circumstances that allowed it to emerge. From there, the conversation probes some uncomofortable questions about the current state of anti-war and anti-imperialist causes, and what that tells us about the pol...
Feb 06, 2017•1 hr 26 min
After a couple weeks MIA, CounterPunch Radio is back! This week, Eric sits down with journalist and author Karl Grossman to discuss the exciting news that Indian Point, one of the oldest and most dangerous nuclear plants in the US, will be closed in the next few years. Eric and Karl examine the background and implications of the agreement between Entergy (the operator of the plant) and the state of New York, as well as some of the history of the nuclear industry, from weaponization to corporate-...
Jan 30, 2017•1 hr 40 min
This week Eric sits down with scholar and activist Dr. Hawzhin Azeez speaking from Kobani, Syria about Aleppo, competing narratives in the Syria war, the development of Rojava and Kurdish self-determination, and much more. The conversation begins with a discussion about media coverage of Aleppo and the future of Syria, as well as the role of the international left in the Syria conflict. From there, Eric and Hawzhin examine the outside actors involved in the war, and the prospects for peace in th...
Jan 09, 2017•1 hr 40 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show peace activist Sabia Rigby to discuss her experiences working with refugees both in Europe and in the Global South. The conversation begins with a discussion of Sabia’s time working in the refugee camp known as “The Jungle” in Calais, France where she interacted with many refugees, each telling their unique story. Eric and Sabia discuss some of the critical aspects of the refugee issue including the politics behind the crisis, the nature of the racist narrativ...
Jan 03, 2017•1 hr
This week Eric welcomes back to the show Yvette Carnell and Pascal Robert for a retrospective look at Barack Obama’s presidency: the lies and the crimes, the sell-job and the sell-out. Eric, Yvette, and Pascal discuss how Obama will be remembered by Americans, and especially Black Americans, as well as his image and legacy around the world. The conversation touches on everything from Obama as Wall Street’s creature to his committment to conservative politics to Obama as precursor to Trump. Yvett...
Dec 28, 2016•1 hr 23 min
This week Eric welcomes human rights attorney and lecturer Dan Kovalik onto the program to discuss recent developments in Colombia, and how that strategic US ally fits into the broader politics and geopolitics of Latin America. Dan provides his analysis of the recent referendum on a peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, and how this latest news impacts the politics of the country. The conversation also highlights the ongoing genocide in Colombia and the systematic opp...
Dec 19, 2016•1 hr 3 min
David Hearst, Editor-in-Chief of Middle East Eye, joins Eric this week to discuss the latest developments in Syria and the global geopolitical scene. Eric and David begin with a discussion of the retaking of Aleppo by Syrian governmnet forces, and what this means for the future course of the war. The conversation also focuses on the role of western and non-western media in shaping the narratives and language around this conflict, as well as Russian involvement and what it means both now and in t...
Dec 14, 2016•1 hr 30 min
This week Eric welcomes to the show journalist and activist Shane Burley to discuss the rise of the alt-right, and the trajectory of contemporary fascism. Eric and Shane begin with a discussion of the alt-right, its relation to 20th Century fascist movements, and its ideological features. The conversation then touches on everything from the fascist infiltration of anti-imperialism and radical environmentalism to the importance of reconigizing entryism in defending Left spaces. While things may s...
Dec 12, 2016•1 hr 22 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show CounterPunch Editor Jeffrey St. Clair to discuss his new book <a href=”https://www.counterpunch.org/product/bernie-the-sandernistas/”>Bernie and the Sandernistas: Field Notes From a Failed Revolution</a>, and provide a retrospective view of the movement and its adherents. Eric and Jeff touch on Bernie’s failings as a leader and his slavish devotion to the Democratic Party despite its being moribund and utterly worthless. The conversation also ...
Dec 06, 2016•1 hr 18 min
In this final post-election episode of CounterPunch Radio, Eric welcomes back to the show scholar and activist Anthony Monteiro to discuss the results of the election and what it means for the future of the US and the world. Eric and Tony discuss a wide range of topics from the media narrative in the post-election days to divisions within the ruling class, from election fraud to the fraud of Hillary Clinton and neoliberalism itself. The conversation got a bit testy at times with some important d...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 18 min
Eric welcomes to the show <a href=”https://averyheavyagenda.blogspot.com/?_sm_au_=iHHtFN8fStPT0fJn”>filmmaker</a> and podcaster Robbie Martin to discuss the incoming Trump Administration’s deep ties with neoconservatives, the mainstreaming of far right conspiracism and its transformation into a media force and major constituency, the competing narratives about the anti-Trump protests, and much more. Did you ever wonder why Trump was so adamant about the border wall and his ability to...
Nov 23, 2016•1 hr 11 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show author and professor of media studies Mark Crispin Miller to discuss the possibility that the US election was once again stolen, and why this issue is so important. Eric and Mark discuss the exit poll numbers versus the final vote counts, the mechanics of election tampering, and the dangerous complacency of much of the Left when it comes to election theft. The discussion touches on the stealing of the nomination from Bernie Sanders, the role of activists ...
Nov 21, 2016•1 hr 30 min
Eric sits down with photographer and publisher Yoav Litvin to discuss his latest project <a href=”https://www.schifferbooks.com/2create-art-collaborations-in-new-york-city-6169.html”>2Create – Art Collaborations</a> in New York City and the launch on November 18, 2016 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Eric and Yoav discuss the history of graffiti and its origins in New York City as a background to the concept of collaboration and street art. The conversation touches on the dialectical...
Nov 18, 2016•45 min
In the second in a series of special election episodes of CounterPunch Radio, Eric is joined by attorney, professor of political science, and author Bob Fitrakis to discuss the results of the US election and why they should worry anyone interested in election integrity. Eric and Bob examine the exit poll and final vote data, and discuss the possibility that the election was stolen for Donald Trump. They explore the recent history of voter fraud, how election tampering works in the age of electro...
Nov 14, 2016•1 hr
It happened! Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States of America. And so, get your bourbon, medical-grade purple haze, and/or bottle of valium, and listen to Eric chat with ideological criminal extraordinaire Paul Street as they try to make sense of what just happened in America. Eric and Paul examine the stunning implosion of the Clinton political machine, the surprising demographic data on Trump voters, the capitulation of Bernie Sanders, the power/weakness of the ruling el...
Nov 10, 2016•58 min
Election news making you ill? CounterPunch Radio has your antidote to the Clinton-Trump poison as Eric sits down with activist and organizer Kali Akuno to discuss the exciting movement to create people power in Jackson, Mississippi. Akuno, an organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, discusses the ongoing Cooperation Jackson, a community-led initiative to transform Jackson, Mississippi and, ultimately, the entire country. Kali explains the origins of Cooperation Jackson and how the movem...
Nov 08, 2016•1 hr 22 min
This week Eric welcomes back to the show activist and filmmaker Sukant Chandan to discuss his recent projects, the legacy of the war on Libya, as well as the rise of racism and fascism in the UK and Europe. The conversation opens with a discussion of Sukant’s new documentary film “NATO War on Libya” and collection of writings about Libya, the legacy of Muammar Gaddafi, and the US-NATO war of 2011. Eric and Sukant examine the relationship between the war in Libya and everything happening in North...
Nov 01, 2016•1 hr 18 min
