Every year hundreds of books are removed from school reading lists and public libraries across the United States. Since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, books dealing with racism are increasingly the target of conservative parents and lobbying groups. Even more insidious are efforts to ban freedom of thought on issues such as Palestine. Author Golbarg Bashi faced death threats, cancelled speaking engagements, and financial and social pressures after writing a children’s book, P...
Dec 09, 2021•24 min
The White House is hosting leaders from more than 100 countries in a virtual conference to discuss human dignity, accountability, fair elections and the political leadership of women. But around the world, the governments supported by the United States's national security establishment are some of the worst human rights abusers and kleptocracies. And domestically, US democracy continues to suffer from the outsized influence of money in politics, runaway polarisation among Americans, and even the...
Dec 02, 2021•24 min
US President Joe Biden had been in office for a few days when he announced that he would hold a virtual “Summit for Democracy” to “push back authoritarianism’s advance” worldwide. But after the world watched the disregard for rule of law, expansion of executive power and mistrust of elections spread throughout the United States, the question is: What moral authority does Washington have to lecture the rest of the world about democracy? Host Steve Clemons speaks with former US diplomat Daniel Fri...
Nov 25, 2021•24 min
Straddling the Syria-Iraq border, Baghuz was one of the last holdouts of the ISIL (ISIS) group. Thousands of family members, refugees and prisoners were there when fighting erupted between ISIL fighters and American forces in March 2019; the United States called in an enormous air attack. Recently, US Central Command acknowledged that 80 people, including civilians, were killed. But all internal procedures to investigate the potential war crime have been quashed, according to a report by The New...
Nov 18, 2021•24 min
When President Joe Biden unseated Donald Trump and received the most votes of any US leader in history, liberals believed America was ready for real change towards more socialism. But in reality, the Democrats have razor-thin margins in Congress, and the internal tug of war between progressives and conservatives has paralysed the party's agenda. The schism became apparent as Biden tried to push his plans for US society and the environment through Congress, where they remain stuck. Host Steve Cle...
Nov 11, 2021•24 min
Americans have been debating the role of the police for decades, but the debate was energised last year during nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. For many in the white majority, the police must be defended at all costs. If there are proven cases of abuse, they can be resolved on a case-by-case basis. For the rest, the police are seen as the main mechanism that enforces the status quo on society, including racial inequality. Brooklyn College professor Alex Vitale tells host Steve Clemons tha...
Nov 05, 2021•24 min
For centuries, there was no significant challenge to the supremacy of white people in the United States. White nationalists speak of “saving America” - but who are they saving it for? And who are they saving it from? In the last few years, demographic shifts and changing attitudes have brought a sense of anxiety among whites, who fear they will lose their majority status, become “replaced” by minorities and face all kinds of hostilities. Host Steve Clemons asks Kathleen Belew, author of A Field ...
Oct 28, 2021•24 min
When he retired from the military in the early 1990s, the former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell was one of the most trusted and admired leaders in the country. But by the time he died on October 18, 2021, the role he played in selling the Iraq War to the American public had severely tarnished his reputation. Powell’s biographer Karen DeYoung, a top editor at The Washington Post newspaper, tells host Steve Clemons that Powell regretted his role in the war but never admitted that he...
Oct 22, 2021•24 min
Many world leaders made lofty environment-friendly promises at the United Nations General Assembly last month, and many more promises are expected next month during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. But is the planet getting closer to net-zero emissions? Are governments and huge corporations making the investments and changes needed to slow the trends of global warming, carbon emissions, pollution and extreme weather? Join host Steve Clemons in a wide-ranging conversation on c...
Oct 14, 2021•24 min
President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” plan aims to tax the rich, fight global warming, and make healthcare and education cheaper in the United States. With such a social agenda, it would be expected for the Republican Party to block the plan, but instead, it faces pressure from within the Democratic establishment. The party’s moderates say the plan goes too far, costs too much, and alienates American voters who are scared of the "S" word (socialism). Host Steve Clemons speaks w...
Oct 07, 2021•24 min
Over its short lifespan, the World Bank’s Doing Business annual report was a big hit with investors. But some governments, eager to attract direct investment and worried about their reputation, pressed the World Bank to boost their scores, according to a recent investigation. Other countries found themselves dropping in the rankings due to the personal animus of World Bank officials or politics. Host Steve Clemons asks Judith Kelley, a Duke University professor and author of Scorecard Diplomacy,...
Sep 30, 2021•24 min
After hitting all-time lows, relations between Turkey and the United States have been on the mend since June, when Turkey offered to take up a security role in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal. Now US diplomats are calling Turkey “an invaluable partner in the region”. This, after years of mistrust due to the US refusal to sell its air defence system to Turkey which led to the purchase of a similar system from Moscow and Washington’s support for Kurdish fighters in Syria. Join Steve Clemons as...
Sep 23, 2021•24 min
Canadian-American anthropologist Wade Davis holds a mirror up to the United States and sees a society in decline. Davis argues that the US dominated the world in the post-WWII era because Americans came out of the war with a sense of common purpose. A vibrant, educated middle class dominated. But now America’s social fabric is damaged, according to Wade. The top 1 percent have greater wealth than the bottom 90 percent and the promise of a decent life for a working family is shattered. Join host ...
Sep 17, 2021•24 min
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, US leaders painted the so-called “global war on terror” as an epic battle between civilisation and barbarism. But instead of spreading democracy worldwide, 20 years later the world is sliding more towards illiberal security states and radicalised populations. For many people, xenophobia and paranoia became justified. For many politicians, fear-mongering was an easy way to win votes. And for the rich and powerful, the trillions spent on national sec...
Sep 09, 2021•24 min
While COVID-19 deaths and lockdowns have become less frequent in certain parts of the world, the coronavirus still looms large over humanity.
Sep 03, 2021•24 min
Every year for 20 years, United States officials justified the war in Afghanistan as worthy and winnable. But after the deadline to withdraw was made, the same officials watched in shock and awe as the Taliban retook their country within days. Former national security adviser John Bolton and other conservative critics of the Joe Biden administration argue that the US should have stayed in Afghanistan indefinitely, and warn against making any deals with the Taliban. Host Steve Clemons asks Bolton...
Aug 27, 2021•24 min
Despite scepticism from many people, the appetite for cryptocurrencies has grown to a market valuation of $2 trillion. There is no going back, according to South African internet entrepreneur Vinny Lingham. Lingham tells host Steve Clemons that crypto could “decimate” the traditional banking system if they were on a level playing field. No amount of government crackdown, whether from China or the United States, can stop people from using the internet to innovate and cut out the middlemen, Lingha...
Aug 19, 2021•24 min
The United States leaves Afghanistan as the Taliban seem to be retaking control of the entire country, city by city. So what becomes of the government that Washington propped up and the military that it trained? Andrew Bacevich, president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a retired colonel in the US Army, tells host Steve Clemons that Washington was blinded by its imperialistic notions that Afghanistan was in dire need of American intervention. And Afghanistan analyst Hashim...
Aug 12, 2021•24 min
Dissidents, politicians, journalists, business leaders - all have been targeted by intelligence agencies using Pegasus, Israeli spyware that can extract all data from phones without the users’ knowledge. A global investigation called the Pegasus Project is shedding light on the scope and tactics of the hacking software. Host Steve Clemons speaks with one of the co-authors of the project, Washington Post journalist Dana Priest, along with one of the main sponsors of the project, Amnesty Internati...
Aug 05, 2021•24 min
One nuclear bomb can wipe out almost half a million people, yet the United States and Russia have thousands of these weapons. And seven other countries have created atomic bombs as well. There is no way to reverse time and get rid of these weapons, and countries will spend billions to maintain and upgrade their arsenals, but to what end? Steve Clemons talks about US nuclear strategy with former Congressman John Tierney, the executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation,...
Jul 29, 2021•24 min
For more than 20 years, Chris Matthews made a name for himself on the nightly TV show, Hardball on MSNBC, where he became famous for grilling American politicians and breaking down the country’s politics. Less known is that he was a politician himself once, running for Congress in the mid-1970s, and working for former President Jimmy Carter. From his front-row seat to decades of American history, Matthews tells host Steve Clemons about a different time in US politics. But has politicking changed...
Jul 22, 2021•24 min
"The Conservation Game" dives deep into the trafficking of exotic animals, especially big cats like lions, tigers and leopards, across the United States. For decades, TV personalities have trotted cute “ambassador animals” onto morning and late-night talk shows to talk about conservation and animal protection. But this documentary by Michael Webber shows us what happens afterwards when the animals are sold off at auction or kept in back yard cages on private property. Host Steve Clemons asks abo...
Jul 15, 2021•24 min
This year “meme stocks”, like GameStop and theatre chain AMC, brought attention to market manipulation tactics and financial instruments such as "short selling" in the stock market. Individual investors banded together online, especially on Reddit, and shot up the share price of several companies for a while. Are we witnessing a new era when huge corporations and funds will have to pay attention to retail investors, known as "the little guy"? Host Steve Clemons talks to wealth manager Lee Munson...
Jul 08, 2021•24 min
Former President Donald Trump launched his “revenge tour” against Republican politicians who have not sufficiently supported him, repeating his claims that he won the 2020 elections, and attacking the media and Democrats. Months after leaving office, Trump is still a commanding presence in the Republican Party. But is it a winning strategy for the GOP to indulge Trump and tie its future to him? But also, is it safe for the Democrats to ignore him? Host Steve Clemons speaks with Democratic pollst...
Jul 02, 2021•24 min
Businesses in the United States say they are desperately looking for new employees; there are more than nine million available jobs across the country, and the labour crisis is slowing down economic recovery. So, are people reassessing their lives because of the global pandemic, and deciding that low-paying jobs are simply not worth the cost and effort, especially when child care or elder care is involved? Or are they simply content to stay at home and receive an unemployment cheque and other go...
Jun 24, 2021•24 min
United States President Joe Biden has spent the week meeting with European leaders, including his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. It can be called his “I’m not Trump” tour, in which many European leaders indicated relief that the “America First” agenda of Biden’s predecessor is over - for now. A looming cloud is the fear that all Biden’s talk about a new era of Transatlantic cooperation and alliance could subside again, if the Republican Party makes a comeback in the coming years. Join host ...
Jun 17, 2021•24 min
When former US President Donald Trump talked about the possibility that the pandemic was hatched in a lab in Wuhan, it was generally dismissed as a conspiracy theory tinged with racism. Now President Joe Biden is asking his intelligence agencies to look into it seriously. Johns Hopkins University immunologist Gigi Gronvall says the “lab accident” hypothesis is much weaker than the “natural introduction” theory, which holds that the virus jumped from animals to humans. Technology and healthcare f...
Jun 10, 2021•24 min
Reverend William Barber, president of the Repairers of the Breach social justice movement, tells host Steve Clemons that the US needs a “third Reconstruction” to really break free of its racist past. The debate on how to teach US racial history rages in classrooms across the country. Progressives believe Americans should know more about white supremacy and modern-day discrimination against Black and brown Americans in everything from housing to healthcare. Conservatives believe that “critical ra...
Jun 03, 2021•24 min
Almost 30 years ago, a Norwegian power couple decided to bring together Palestinian and Israeli officials in Oslo with the aim of reaching a peace treaty. This led to a historic deal signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel at the White House in 1993. Host Steve Clemons speaks with Bartlett Sher, the director of Oslo, a new HBO drama telling the story of the secret talks. And former Palestinian negotiations adviser Diana Buttu and former Israeli adviser Daniel Levy explain that...
May 27, 2021•25 min
While unquestioning support for Israel is still the name of the game in Washington, DC, a growing number of Democrats are demanding political rights for Palestinians. University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole is the founder of Informed Comment, a blog on US foreign policy in the Middle East. He tells host Steve Clemons that people are making the connection between Black Lives Matter and Palestine. And while the “Arab street” has become divided and muted by Arab dictatorships, solidarity with Pa...
May 20, 2021•25 min
