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Archive 8: 2015

Shows Available from Pirate Television

Pirate Television is a weekly 58 min Public Access Television program broadcast in Seattle Washington USA.  Pirate TV challenges the Media Blockade by bringing you alternative information and independent programming that is unavailable on the Corporate Sponsor-Ship.  The show features talks, interviews and documentaries.

Some of the material seen on Pirate TV is obtained from other sources but most of it is locally produced and owned by us.  We are offering to sell copies of this material to support the operation.  If you would like to support the Pirate Television project you can obtain a copy of any of these tapes for a $20 donation (includes postage) in advance.  To obtain videotapes or DVDs, contact us first by email:

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Shows are listed in reverse cronological order:

Dave Goulson: What's Happening to the Bees? Mon. 12/21, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

British naturalist Dave Goulson (A Sting in the Tale) turned his love of nature into a permanent field study when he purchased a rural French farm in 2003–creating a haven for bees, butterflies, and other creatures. In A Buzz in the Meadow, he gives a window into the complex ecosystem he watched thrive. Goulson’s fascination with insects, plants, and small animals is contagious–and enlightening. More than just an ecological study, his well-documented book also explores the far-reaching impacts climate change has on the environment–including the pesticides of today that will prove problematic far into the future. He’ll share anecdotes from his time researching the farm’s flora and fauna, give a warning about mankind’s impact on this intricate world, and offer a deeper appreciation for the planet’s smallest creatures.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Book Company

Ari Berman: Give Us the Ballot, Mon. 12/14, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

In light of controversial practices in Yakima and other parts of the state, the Washington Voting Rights Act aims to abolish unfair election systems–50 years after America’s landmark Voting Rights Act was passed for the same purpose. According to The Nation’s Ari Berman this is a prime example for why the fight for full voting equality isn’t over. Voting is an important part of the democratic process and for many Americans, one that’s hard to obtain–even President Obama says the system needs work. In conversation with Washington State Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez, Berman will explore the history of voting rights and the landmark court decisions that have altered their course. He’ll explain the back and forth that voting rights have undergone throughout the past 50 years, and offer a glimpse at the future–one where, with support from Congress and the Supreme Court, representational voting rights can be achieved.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Book Store

Kima Cargill: The Psychology of Overeating, Mon. 12/7, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Americans are obsessed with having it all — cars, homes, fun, alcohol, and food. In The Psychology of Overeating, researcher Kima Cargill lays bare this “culture of consumerism” and how it’s led to extreme rates of overeating (and subsequent health problems). She’ll explain the ways depression and loneliness lead to the need to consume things, how lack of accurate nutritional facts drives inadvisable food choices, and the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and the food industry. By explaining the psychology behind overeating, she’ll also offer solutions to counter what Marion Nestle calls “the many moral, political, economic, and social imperatives to consume.”

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Book Store

Roy Scranton: Learning to Die in the Anthropocene- Reflections on the End of Civilization, Mon. 11/30, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

War veteran, journalist, author and Princeton Ph.D. candidate Roy Scranton writes of the dangers of climate change and of a warmer, wetter and more chaotic world which demands a radical new vision of human life. His book, Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of Civilization (City Lights) expands upon a New York Times essay in which he argues that in order to survive, we must come to terms with our own mortality. “In Learning to Die in the Anthropocene, Roy Scranton draws on his experiences in Iraq to confront the grim realities of climate change. The result is a fierce and provocative book.”-Elizabeth Kolbert. “Roy Scranton lucidly articulates the depth of the climate crisis with an honesty that is all too rare, then calls for a reimagined humanism that will help us meet our stormy future with as much decency as we can muster.”-Naomi Klein.

Thanks to Elliott Bay Books

Tim Flannery: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis, Mon. 11/23, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Australian scientist Tim Flannery (The Weather Makers, Now or Never) has repeatedly called for action on climate change–what he calls one of the greatest threats present today. His latest work Atmosphere of Hope–conveniently timed as a lead-up to the Climate Change Conference in Paris next month–is a solutions-based approach to the catastrophe we currently face. He’ll discuss the ramifications of our changed environment–from large-scale storms, to increased wildfires (including the streak seen last summer here in Washington)–and offer a call to action for anyone interested in protecting Earth (and humanity’s) future.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Elliott Bay Books

Philip Warburg: Harness the Sun, Mon. 11/16, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Solar power is on the rise thanks to public opinion, a federal incentive program, and, in some states–including Washington–a sales tax exemption. According to energy expert Philip Warburg (Harvest the Wind) solar power is key to ending fossil fuel consumption. In Harness the Sun, Warburg, whose own home is powered with solar panels, offers an overview of the individuals, businesses, and communities (from Native American groups to campus professors) who are utilizing the benefits of the sun’s rays. He’ll appear in conversation with Denis Hayes, President of the Bullitt Foundation, for a discussion of the incredible strides solar power is making, why renewable energy is essential to the future of the planet, and the status of solar power in the Puget Sound.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore

Eric Holt-Giménez: Climate, Food and Race, Mon. 11/9, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Global warming has become the largest single threat to health, community well-being and the environment, worldwide. Mass migrations, famine, and conflict over food and water access and the concomitant spread of chronic and communicable disease are already underway. The disastrous effects of climate change fall hardest on low-income communities and people of color, in the US and around the world. “Climate victims” are linked by the critically high levels of vulnerability; the result of historical (and recent) processes of dispossession, exploitation and oppression. Our modern food system is at the center of both the causes and effects of climate change. Pathways to community climate resilience and the reversal of global warming pass through the multiple challenges of capitalism, racism—and food.

Thanks to Community Alliance for Global Justice and the University of Washington

Larissa MacFarquhar: The Price of Idealism, Mon. 11/2, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

New Yorker staff writer Larissa MacFarquhar has written a lot about people committed to what she terms "extreme morality." Among the long list of people she has profiled are Noam Chomsky and Aaron Swartz. Why do certain people feel compelled to devote their lives to activism, whistle blowing, the general good, or helping people they are not personally connected to? This list can include those who devote their lives to saving the environment and other species, many times at what many would consider to be great risk and sacrifice while most people are content to stay focused on their own personal gain and well being of their immediate families. These "do-gooders" are relatively rare and are not always looked upon favorably. An excellent example is Edward Snowden. As Ted Rall recently pointed out in his talk, Snowden was literally one in a million of the people who had access to the same information. Why was he seemingly the only one who had an attack of conscience? As MacFarquhar points out, many people make extreme sacrifices in times of war or national emergency and that is considered normal. Most people would readily put themselves at risk if they saw a drowning child. In fact it would be considered immoral not to. So why then are people like Edward Snowden or say Julian Assange considered remarkable? MacFarquhar addresses this when she points out that these people don't consider themselves to be out of the ordinary at all. They wonder what is wrong with everyone else.

Others have explored this territory as well such as local writer Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen. The answers may be as varied as the individuals themselves. Larissa MacFarquhar's study of some of these personalities may help shed some light on the subject. Her latest book is, Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books

Winona LaDuke, Kshama Sawant & Naomi Klein: Transcending Amnesia, Mon. 10/26, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

This episode features three women that the imperialists & corporatists love to hate. Recorded as Seattle celebrated the 1st anniversary of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a rousing introduction was given for Winona LaDuke by Seattle’s socialist City Councilmember Kshama Sawant. Winona LaDuke, a member of the Anishinaabe nation from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota is renowned for her activism on behalf of indigenous people and the environment and she was twice a vice presidential candidate on the Green Party ticket. This is followed by at talk from famed writer Naomi Klein, author of “This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs. The Climate”, recorded in Seattle two days later at the People’s Climate March.

Ted Rall: Snowden’s Courageous Betrayal of Big Brother, Mon. 10/19, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

When NSA contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the U.S. government two years ago, he changed the state of privacy, technology, and security. What motivated him to leak top-secret documents and be labeled as a traitor? Political cartoonist (and cultural commentator extraordinaire) Ted Rall’s Snowden attempts to answer that question. The illustrator of Billionaires & Ballot Bandits, Rall’s latest work chronicles Snowden’s early life and career in what Noam Chomsky calls a “dramatic, thoughtful and very accessible account.” In addition to discussing these underlying motivations, Rall will explore the meaning of courage–and what it takes to act when all eyes are watching. He’ll appear in conversation with Paul Constant, The Seattle Review of Books co-founder.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore

Lift the Blockade on Cuba NOW!, Mon. 10/12, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

While President Obama has opened diplomatic relations with Cuba and exchanged prisoners, many people may not realize that the US unilateral economic blockade is still in effect. Saturday, June 27, 2015, a van full of humanitarian aid for Cuba crossed the Canada/U.S. border, breaking the 50 year U.S. blockade against Cuba for the 26th time! This victory was accompanied by a loud, colorful and energetic rally at the Peace Arch border crossing, which had supporters of Cuba from both British Columbia and Washington State chanting, “Lift the Blockade on Cuba NOW! Abajo el Bloqueo!”

These voices ensured that all of the humanitarian aid, including wheelchairs, walkers, canes, sewing machines, hand tools and sports equipment continued on the road to Cuba as part of the 26th Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba. 

In the last few years activists bringing aid through the border have been told that no aid would be allowed to pass. Initially, this year was no different, with the border officials declaring “You know we will not let you through here, why did you bother coming?” But Caravan supporters stood their ground and in the end all of the humanitarian aid was allowed to cross.

The van joined up with other trucks & buses from 8 different routes all over the US and successfully crossed into Reynosa, Mexico on July 16th. The Caravanistas arrived in Cuba the next day.

This program features two author / activists who will discuss the political machinations behind the current events- Tamera Hansen, coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity With Cuba, and author of “Five Decades of the Cuban Revolution- The Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership”. And radical intellectual, Nino Pagliccia, editor of the new book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada: 5 Decades of People-to-People Foreign Relations”.

The program switches to a fundraiser for Dr. Xochitl Garcia who is a U.S. doctor trained in Cuba for free who recently graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba (ELAM). ELAM trains doctors from all over the hemisphere and sends them back to their home countries to practice medicine in under-served communities. ELAM has trained over 200 US doctors. 

Xochitl tells the story of what motivated her to study Medicine: her dad’s early death because he couldn’t get the paperwork back from the Veteran’s Adm. in time to get treatment. Xochitl is joined in conversation with Dr. Valentina Warner a family medicine practitioner who has been practicing here in Seattle for 17 years. They discuss what Tina calls the “Gangsterism” of the for-profit medical system in the US and compare it to Cuba where medicine is a human right.

Renee Lertzman: The Myth of Climate Change Apathy, Mon. 9/28, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Do personal anxieties and emotional responses to ecological problems hinder our ability to act effectively? According to Royal Roads University’s Renee Lertzman, tackling climate change takes more than behavioral changes–it also requires an underlying shift in human emotions. She argues that rather than being apathetic to global environmental issues, people care deeply–they just don’t know how to reframe their thinking. She’ll discuss the psychology of climate change, outline strategies for fixing our so-called apathy, and explain why it’s important to mobilize for change now, before it’s too late.

See Also: http://reneelertzman.com/

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and the Sustainable Path Foundation

Paul Chappell: Why War is Not Inevitable, Mon. 9/21, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

If human beings are naturally violent and war is inevitable, then why have military organizations throughout history had to expend such vast resources to brainwash soldiers in order to get them to kill and why does killing make humans mentally ill? As a thirty-one year old West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran, Paul K. Chappell has some first hand knowledge on this. But he also knows a thing or two about how to "wage peace". He is the Peace Leadership Director at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Thanks to The Nuclear Age Foundation and East Side Unitarian Church
See Also: www.wagingpeace.org

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, Mon. 9/14, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Today, in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized indigenous communities and nations comprising nearly three million people. These individuals are the descendants of the millions of people who inhabited this land and are the subject of the latest book by noted historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. In An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, Dunbar-Ortiz challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how policy against the indigenous peoples was genocidal and imperialist--designed to crush the original inhabitants. Spanning more than three hundred years, this classic bottom-up history significantly re-frames how we view our past. Told from the viewpoint of the indigenous, it reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the U.S. empire.

Thanks to Timberland Library and Evergreen State Collage

Boots Riley: We are the Bomb, Mon. 9/7, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Boots Riley, lead vocalist of “The Coup” and the super group, “Street Sweeper Social Club” started out as an activist and community organizer. Only later did he come to realize the utility of rap music as a powerful tool for consciousness raising and organizing for social change. So he set about learning his craft. But, as he put it, he “wasn’t very good.” Recognizing that you are not very good is obviously a good first step. No one could say that now. He is highly acclaimed and his art spans poetry, rap, songwriting, production, screenwriting, humor, and now writing books. But what’s even more interesting is that he is still a political organizer, and community activist and we can also add- lecturer, and public speaker. Watching this, it becomes clear that the substance that binds this all together is that he is a bonafide radical intellectual. His insight into the current predicament and his in depth historical analysis on why the left failed in the United States is as clear and percipient as you are going to get anywhere. This guy is dangerous. No wonder he is the only known musical artist whose surveillance by intelligence agents has been exposed by Wikileaks.

Brian Willson: Empire As A Way Of Life, Mon. 8/31, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Empire As A Way Of Life – Economic Exploitation/Expansion, Ecological Destruction, Oligarchic Governance, Built on Genocides With Impunity. The primary meme of US culture is: Profits for a few (mostly men/patriarchy) through expansion at ANY cost = empire.

Our national origins derive from forceful dispossession of others with total impunity (genocide #1) justified through a myth of exceptionalism, setting in motion a pattern of a Pretend society, built on lie after lie, from Manifest Destiny to Full Spectrum Dominance. The past is never in the past, as its features always remain present in the psyche.

Long patterns of plundering without accountability lead to delusions of grandeur and obsessive narcissism. As a species we are now on the eve of a very painful era of accountability (correction) after millenniums of grotesque entitlement. The question is whether we can access our deeper ancient archetypes of cooperation, mutual respect, local community, and fairness and experience an evolutionary, radical shift (healing) from an epistemology rooted in separation from and domination over nature, to one of integration with and embracing nature. Our survival is dependent upon practicing a turn toward a local, bioregional cooperative food and simple tool economy. Thus, we become part of our own and the earth’s healing even while the inevitable correction mechanisms of the Gaia become evermore apparent as inevitable collapse of industrial civilization speeds up.

S. Brian Willson is a Viet Nam veteran, trained lawyer and long time activist advocating for domestic and global justice. He has been a tax refuser since 1984. He is the author of “On Third World Legs” (Chicago: Charles Kerr, 1992); “Blood On The Tracks: The Life and Times of S. Brian Willson” (Oakland: PM Press, 2011). His essays can be found at brianwillson.com

This talk was given at the Fellowship of Reconciliation annual conference at Seabeck, WA, July 3, 2015

David Cobb: End Corporate Rule, Legalize Democracy, Mon. 8/24, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

www.piratetvseattle.com

Founding member of Move to Amend and former Green Party Presidential Candidate David Cobb visited Washington State to reveal the origins of corporate power in America and inspire activism for I-735. David’s presentation will help us understand how we can work together to abolish corporate personhood and establish a government of, by, and for the people.

David is a lawyer and political activist. David has sued corporate polluters, lobbied elected officials, run for political office himself, and has been arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. He truly believes we must use ALL the tools in the toolbox to effect the systemic social change we so desperately need.

David was speaking on behalf of the Washington Coalition to Amend the Constitution (WAmend) which is sponsoring Initiative 735. This initiative calls for a Constitutional amendment clarifying that corporations are not people, money is not speech, and that all political donations should be regulated and made public. Hear an outstanding speaker and be inspired to take action for the future!

This talk was given at the IBEW Local 46 Headquarters in Kent, WA 8/13/15

Bernie Sanders: Towards a Political Revolution, Mon. 8/17, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Bernie Sanders gave this speech in Seattle 8/8/15 where he packed the Hec Edmundson pavilion with 12,000 people.  3000 didn't get in!

Per Espen Stoknes: How To Build Support for Climate Policy, Mon. 8/10, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

A recent paper written by former NASA scientist James Hansen and 16 other prominent climate researchers warns of glacial melting this century that could cause as much as a ten foot sea-level rise in as little as fifty years. This timetable is much faster than previously thought possible and if proven accurate, the international target of limiting global temperatures to a 2°C rise this century will not be nearly enough to prevent most major coastal cities from being rendered uninhabitable. 

Much recent evidence suggests that the acceleration of climate change is much more severe than current estimates contained in reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  But it seems that the worse the news gets, the less humans seem motivated to take action. Norwegian psychologist Per Espen Stoknes poses the question: “Are Humans inevitably short term?” Could it be as noted cognitive linguist George Lakoff suggests, that the long cherished notion that Human beings are rational is not what it is cracked up to be? If so, what does motivate humans? 

Stoknes, author of "What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming", says he has the answer.  Stoknes explores why we think the way we think–focusing on the climate change deniers among us–and highlights key factors that contribute to people’s disbelief of the subject. He offers advice on how to change people’s minds (by sharing stories of economic, environmental, and personal growth that come from reversing global warming) and outline his plan to turn optimism into action for a better future.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore

Rev. Osagyefo Sekou: Ferguson, Faith and the Future of Democracy, Mon. 7/20, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

This keynote talk was given at Fellowship of Reconciliation of Oregon and Washington's annual conference at Seabeck, WA July 4th 2015, just a few days before Rev. Sekou was arrested for a third time for acts of civil disobedience protesting police brutality. This time over the most recent police shooting in St. Louis of 16-year-old Brandon Claxton.

Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou is an author, documentary filmmaker, public intellectual, organizer, pastor and theologian who grew up in St. Louis. He has been on the ground in Ferguson for several months on behalf of the Fellowship of Reconciliation — the country’s oldest interfaith peace organization. Rev. Sekou participated in the daily protest and has co-led trainings for over 800 people in nonviolent civil disobedience.

He is co-author with Cornel West of the recent book, And the Young Ones Shall Lead Them: The Ferguson Rebellion and the Crisis in Black Leadership and is also the author of the forthcoming book, Riot Music: British Hip Hop, Race, and the Politics of Meaning. His writing and reflections on Ferguson include: A Letter from Ferguson and The Gospel is not a Neutral Term.

Thanks to the Fellowship of Reconciliation of Oregon and Washington

Stephen Witt with Sean Nelson: How Music Got Free, Mon. 7/13, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

This April, digital music sales overtook worldwide CD sales “for the first time ever,” but what does this mean for the industry as a whole? Journalist Stephen Witt has an answer. In How Music Got Free, he chronicles the rise of digital music as we know it, the widespread pirating that took over the internet, and music executive Doug Morris’ overwhelming influence. In conversation with The Stranger‘s Sean Nelson, he’ll share how, for better or worse, the rise of pirating changed music and why the technology so intertwined with music is here to stay.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Bookstore

Max Blumenthal: The 51 Day War, Mon. 7/6, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Investigative journalist Max Blumenthal (Goliath, Republican Gomorrah) once again focuses his trademark insight on the history of violence in Gaza–violence which continues to this day. The 51 Day War is the “definitive account” (author Andrew Cockburn) of the July 8, 2014 Israeli air strikes on Gaza, the chaotic war that followed, and the massive toll it left on Palestinian people. Blumenthal, who was on the ground during this period, will discuss the details overlooked by mainstream media outlets–including regional political motives, war crimes, and US involvement in the eventual ceasefire agreement. He’ll argue that, despite what some politicians and journalists have claimed, this short, violent period wasn’t a one-time event, but telling of the future of regional tensions and Israeli politics.

Thanks to Town Hall Seattle, Jewish Voices for Peace, and University Book Store

Steve Shapiro: The State of Civil Liberties at the Supreme Court, Mon. 6/29, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

The Supreme Court’s hearings on gay marriage made national headlines in April, and the verdict they give this month could change the state of civil liberties. Steve Shapiro, national ACLU legal director, discusses this and other ongoing, vital cases moving through the higher courts. In addition to tackling the topic of extending the right for lesbians and gays to marry, he’ll discuss reining in government surveillance, countering the Hobby Lobby decision, protecting voting rights, and tackling injustice in the criminal system. Drawing on his experience as counsel on more than 200 briefs submitted to the United States Supreme Court, Shapiro offers his insight into these ongoing struggles in the courtroom and how they affect the nation.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & ACLU-WA

Lawrence Lessig and Marianne Williamson: The New Hampshire Rebellion Comes to Seattle, Mon. 6/22, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, recently on Pirate TV talking about his book, Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress—And A Plan To Stop It, was back at Town Hall Seattle for this event taking the New Hampshire Rebellion which he instigated on the road. The New Hampshire Rebellion is "a cross-partisan movement of citizens who are Walking the Talk to get big money out of politics" and is patterned after the cross country walk of Granny D. The event presented by Occupy.com also featured best selling author, activist Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love, Healing the Soul of America) and the Seattle premiere of “Killswitch: The Battle to Control the Internet,” a new documentary which prominently features Lessig who was a close collaborator and mentor to Aaron Swartz. We have included the trailer for this film which is going to be a must-see for everyone who watches this show.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Occupy.com

Rally for Kshama, Mon. 6/15, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

After her first two year term, Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant is the most popular council member. She also has the highest disapproval ratings. Not surprising for someone who is the first Socialist to be elected to office in a major US city in decades. Her successful campaign to pass the city’s $15 minimum wage sparked a national movement and catapulted her into the national spotlight. Corporate interests are mobilizing to stop her re-election by recruiting corporatist stealth candidates and poring in mass amounts of out of state cash. But progressives are also mobilizing to stop the corporate agenda. They packed the Seattle Town Hall with an overflow crowd of 900 screaming people who came to see prominent progressive writers, activists and politicians that flew in from all over the world to voice their support. This program is an edited 58 minute version of the two hour event that features, journalist Chris Hedges, Jill Stein (2012 Green Party presidential nominee), Greek Solidarity for All Movement organizer Christos Giovanopoulos, Irish Parliamentarian Ruth Coppinger, and a rousing speech by Kshama Sawant.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall

Ben Stewart: Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg, Mon. 6/8, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

As a prominent port city, Seattle often sees clashes between offshore drilling rigs and environmental activists–including the recent Royal Dutch Shell protests by Greenpeace members. In his new book, Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg: The Arctic Thirty: A Hundred Days In A Russian Jail, Greenpeace’s Ben Stewart shares the “gripping story” (Naomi Klein) of one of the most famous examples of the organization’s activism. Stewart chronicles the 2013 voyage of the Arctic Sunrise, the crew’s protest of Russian drilling in the Arctic, imprisonment, and subsequent fight to free the “Arctic 30” from jail. Stewart will give insight into the mind of environmental advocates, the treatment they received in prison, and explain why, despite overwhelming odds and potential sanctions, the fight for the environment must continue. He appears in conversation with Sydney Brownstone, a reporter covering environmental issues at The Stranger.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Third Place Books

Mark Stein: American Panic- A History of Who Scares Us and Why, Mon. 6/1, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

History has always been about more than just a narrative structured around laws, wars and presidents. In his new book, he delivers yet another unique look at United States history—this time through recurring political panics ranging from the Salem witch trials to present day unease over immigration, gay marriage and Wall Street power. Curious to learn more about our nation's history of panic, what causes such widespread societal overreactions, and how they have shaped and continue to shape our country? Join us for a rousing discussion with Stein himself.

Mark Stein is the author of How the States Got Their Shapes, a New York Times bestseller that became the basis of the History Channel series of the same name, in which he frequently appears. He is also the author of How the States Got Their Shapes Too: The People Behind the Borderlines. He lives in Washington, DC, where he has taught at the Catholic University of America and American University.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Bookstore

Joseph Stiglitz: Income Inequality and American Democracy, Mon. 5/18, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz is known for his incisive, often controversial, diagnoses of global economic problems. His latest work, The Great Divide, argues that inequality is the greatest threat facing America today, undermining all systems in our country, including our democracy itself. In this talk given to a sold-out crowd, Stiglitz explained how, by casting aside failed policies and principles, we can build a healthier, fairer economy–and strengthen our democracy.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Bookstore

David Korten: From Serving Money to Serving Life: A Sacred Story for Our Time, Mon. 5/11, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

When we get our story wrong, we get our future wrong. Much like the Trans-Pacific Partnership "trade deal", everything we are told about capitalism and our economy is a pack of lies. Time for a new story, says preeminent scholar and critic of corporate globalization, David Korten, the best-selling author of When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning. David has a brand new book, Change the Story, Change the Future - a Living Economy for a Living Earth. He is the co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, co-chair of the New Economy Working Group, founder and president of the Living Economies Forum (formerly the People-Centered Development Forum), a member of the Club of Rome, and a former board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and associate of the International Forum on Globalization.

This Earth Day address was recorded April 22, 2015 at Seattle University Pigott Auditorium.

Chris Soghoian: Reining in Our Surveillance Society, Mon. 5/4, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Government spying and surveillance — fueled in part by America’s over reliance on technology — has reached an all-time high in recent years, and according to the American Civil Liberties Union, this infringes on rights like freedom of speech. Chris Soghoian, with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, describes the dark world of Big Brother’s technological spying, including aerial drones, license plate scanners, and Stingrays, and explains how these new technologies have given the government more control than ever before. He also discusses measures to limit this power, protecting basic freedoms in the process.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and ACLU-WA

Gary Wenk: Your Brain On Food, Mon. 4/27, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

Is chocolate or exercise better for your brain? What happens when you eat cinnamon? How many cups of coffee per day is too much–or enough? Part psychologic study, part dietary guideline, Gary Wenk’s popular “Your Brain on Food” blog answers these and other food-related questions about what the things we eat do to our bodies. In his new book of the same name (Your Brain on Food) Wenk revisits some of the most important of these questions–with expanded answers. He discusses some of these, and offers insight into the positive–and negative– consequences of what we eat. Wenk also offers a roadmap for using food to turn off and on different neurotransmitters in the body, and explain why “eating your feelings” isn’t just an expression.

Gary L Wenk Ph. D., a Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience & Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics at the Ohio State University and Medical Center, is a leading authority on the consequences of chronic brain inflammation and animal models of Alzheimer's disease. He is also a member of the OSU Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Ada's Technical Books

Robert Scheer: They Know Everything About You, Mon. 4/20, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. 12am on SCM

After 9/11, increased funding for the NSA and other government programs dramatically increased the capacities of our surveillance state. Now, Robert Scheer (editor of Truthdig, and author of The Great American Stickup) pinpoints the government programs–and private corporations–that are snooping on people’s private lives. They Know Everything About You details Facebook’s manipulations of people’s emotions, government use of data for defense purposes, and other technology-enabled spying. He’ll outline how some of these methods-enabled under the guise of safeguarding America–are actually destroying our democracy, one gigabyte at a time. Scheer’s vision for the future, one where the surveillance model is resisted and the public fights back, might change the way we look at technology.

The Columbia River Treaty, Climate Change, Tribal Rights and Water Scarcity

The High Stakes Testing Scam and How You Can "Opt-Out", 

Sponsored by parents from Dearborn Park, Hawthorne, Orca, Leschi, John Muir, Graham Hill and Beacon Hill Elementary Schools; Families of Color Seattle and Seattle Opt Out Group.

Featuring:
Wayne Au: Wayne is a graduate of Garfield High School, a former Garfield social studies teacher, and future Seattle Public Schools parent. Currently Associate Professor at the School of Education Studies and Chair of the Campus Diversity Council at the UW Bothell, his research focuses on educational equity, high-stakes testing, curriculum theory, educational policy studies and social studies education.

Jesse Hagopian: Jesse is a graduate of Seattle Public Schools and current parent at Dearborn Park International School, teacher and Black Student Union co-advisor at Garfield High School, and editor of “More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High Stakes Testing”

An open discussion with:
Information on new tests required by the state and district this year
Effects of testing on our students, teachers and school
Reasons why growing numbers of parents are opting their children out of standardized testing, and how to opt out.

Chris Hedges: Wages of Rebellion Parts 1 & 2,

Revolutions come in waves and cycles. We are again riding the crest of a revolutionary epic, much like 1848 or 1917, from the Arab Spring to movements against austerity in Greece to the Occupy movement. In Wages of Rebellion, Chris Hedges—who has chronicled the malaise and sickness of a society in terminal moral decline in his books Empire of Illusion and Death of the Liberal Class—investigates what social and psychological factors cause revolution, rebellion, and resistance. Drawing on an ambitious overview of prominent philosophers, historians, and literary figures he shows not only the harbingers of a coming crisis but also the nascent seeds of rebellion. Hedges’ message is clear: popular uprisings in the United States and around the world are inevitable in the face of environmental destruction and wealth polarization.

Focusing on the stories of rebels from around the world and throughout history, Hedges investigates what it takes to be a rebel in modern times. Utilizing the work of Reinhold Niebuhr, Hedges describes the motivation that guides the actions of rebels as “sublime madness” — the state of passion that causes the rebel to engage in an unavailing fight against overwhelmingly powerful and oppressive forces. For Hedges, resistance is carried out not for its success, but as a moral imperative that affirms life. Those who rise up against the odds will be those endowed with this “sublime madness.”

Chris Hedges is a columnist for Truthdig. A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, he spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans, with fifteen years at the New York Times. He is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Empire of Illusion; Death of the Liberal Class; War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning; and Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Thanks to the BRICK [Building Revolution by Increasing Community Knowledge] club at S.P.S.C.C.

Omar Barghouti: The BDS Movement Explained,

Omar Barghouti gave this keynote talk to the 2015 Peace Works Conference sponsored by the The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. Omar Barghouti is an independent Palestinian researcher and human rights activist. He is a co-founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Palestinian Civil Society-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli occupation. Omar is a Research Fellow at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Columbia University and a master’s in philosophy (ethics) from Tel Aviv University. He is the author of, BDS: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights. His commentaries and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, and on Bloomberg, CNN, and BBC, among others.

Thanks to The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice and Evergreen State Collage

Michael Shermer: The Scientific Approach to Morality,

Known for his analytic approach to the complex plight of humanity, New York Times bestselling author Michael Shermer (Skeptic Magazine) brings his characteristic insight to the nuanced relationship between science and morality in his latest book, The Moral Arc. From paying ransom to Somali pirates and the dilemmas of being a Nazi, to an analysis of the Bible’s basic principles, Shermer unpacks the philosophies behind some of today’s greatest moral questions. He’ll explain how beginning with The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment, scientific ways of thinking have made society more moral and in turn, created a freer, more just world.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Book Store

Decades later, the Vietnam war’s effects are still being felt by civilians and veterans alike. In American Reckoning, historian Christian Appy argues that, perhaps the most important legacy left by Vietnam is how the war “shattered the central tenet of American national identity.” As the Vietnam war showed, Americans are vulnerable to defeat and, according to Appy this haunting lesson has influenced everything from popular culture to foreign policy in the Middle East. He’ll examine this and other effects of the war, and offer advice on how to move forward from its shadow.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books

Thanks to the League of Women Voters

As ISIS continues its trail of kidnappings, beheadings, and general reign of terror, understanding its history and political aspirations is more important than ever. In The Islamist Phoenix, terrorism expert Loretta Napoleoni traces the origins of the Islamic State and offers insight into where it might be headed. She’ll examine their current economic resources, and explain why, despite assertions from the media, the Islamic State has a keen comprehension of regional politics. According to her, the only way to combat this organization (which functions as a traditional government might) is to understand their nation-building goals for a new Middle East. Napoleoni is the author of several books, including Maonomics and Terrorism and the Economy.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books

Filmed at the 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. rally and march in Seattle, this program features keynote speaker Jelani Brown and Attorney Lem Howell. Jelani Brown is a young man from Ferguson, Missouri, who was involved in the organizing in response to the police killing of an unarmed black teenager Mike Brown. He spoke about his experiences growing up in the St. Louis area, organizing his community since Mike Brown's death, and gave a vision of this movement going forward.

The 4th and 14th Amendments provide for people to be secure in their persons and also due process of law. When someone is killed out of the barrel of a gun without a jury trial, which is a police officer acting as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner, it is a legal lynching. Attorney Lem Howell, long time fighter for civil rights in Seattle gives us some historic perspective. A historic figure with a career spanning over 50 years, he tells the stories of many famous cases of police murder that he worked on.

Exiled Iranian journalist Nazila Fathi offers an insider’s look at unrest and inequality in Iran, beginning with the country’s 1979 revolution. Her book, The Lonely War chronicles regional history, political tensions, and the dramatic shift that occurred–and is still occurring–in her home country. Weaving together interviews with officials, ordinary citizens, and her personal story, she gives insight into the current political landscape, issues faced by women in the Islamic Republic, and offer her opinion on how its continually-evolving citizens are forging a path toward the future. Both political and personal, her probing inquiries into modern Iran offer a glimpse at how the most drastic changes in Iran are starting in the domestic sphere, and rippling outward.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Bookstore

Kathleen Dean Moore and Rachelle McCabe: Variations on a Theme of Extinction: Rage, Rage, Against the Dying

The truths of our time are deeply challenging – the on-rushing extinctions, the coming storms, and the moral necessity of safeguarding Earth’s beautiful lives. Words alone cannot express the urgency of action. And so we turn to music. 

University Unitarian Church is delighted to announce the inaugural Robert and Marianne Fleagle Lecture for outstanding leaders and thinkers in liberal religion and social action. The inaugural lecture: Rage, Rage, Against the Dying: Global Warming, Extinction, and the Call to Life, focuses on climate change and features Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Rachelle McCabe, Professor of Music, both at Oregon State University. 

In this duet of music and words, concert pianist Rachelle McCabe plays Rachmaninoff’s “Variations on a Theme from Corelli,” whose outpouring of descending chords gives voice to both the grief and the ferocious hope in the human heart. Writer Kathleen Dean Moore will speak of the call to save Earth’s astonishing lives – a sacred trust, a great and glorious gift, to be honored and protected for all time. 

Kathleen Dean Moore is a philosopher, environmental advocate, and award-winning writer who speaks across the country about the moral urgency of stopping a global carbon catastrophe.

Rachelle McCabe enjoys an international career as an artist-teacher and as a solo recitalist and highly respected chamber musician. 

This program was filmed in Seattle, at the University Unitarian Church, January 25, 2015

Michael Nagler, PhD gave this talk at the Fellowship of Reconciliation annual conference at Seabeck, WA July 4, 2014.  He talked about the power of nonviolence and new science that shows that nonviolence is at the core of what makes us human.  

Michael Nagler is Professor emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at UC, Berkeley, where he co-founded the Peace and Conflict Studies Program in which he taught the immensely popular nonviolence course.

See also: Metta Center for Nonviolence

Dahr Jamail: Resource Wars & Resistance, Mon. 1/19 8-9 pm, Thurs. 1pm, Sun. 1am on SCM

This talk was taped at Coffee Strong the GI Coffee House / Military and Veterans Rights Center outside McCord AFB in Lakewood WA and features journalist and author Dahr Jamail. Dahr talked about GI resistance and climate change. In late 2003, weary of the overall failure of the US media to accurately report on the realities of the war in Iraq for the Iraqi people, Dahr Jamail went to the Middle East to report on the war himself, where he has spent more than one year in Iraq as one of only a few independent US journalists in the country. Dahr has also has reported from Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. He has also reported extensively on veterans’ resistance against US foreign policy, and is now focusing on anthropogenic climate disruption and the environment.

Dahr’s stories have been published with Truthout, Inter Press Service, Tom Dispatch, The Sunday Herald in Scotland, The Guardian, Foreign Policy in Focus, Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, The Huffington Post, The Nation, The Independent, and Al Jazeera, among others. Dahr’s writing has been translated into French, Polish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Turkish. On radio as well as television, Dahr has reported for Democracy Now! and Al-Jazeera, and has appeared on the BBC, NPR, and numerous other stations around the globe.

Dahr’s reporting has earned him numerous awards, including the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Award for Journalism, The Lannan Foundation Writing Residency Fellowship, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, and four Project Censored awards.

Thanks to Coffee Strong
Support Coffee Strong: https://coffeestrong.org

Public Meeting: From Ferguson to Staten Island, the Whole System is Guilty!, Mon. 1/12 8-9 pm, Thurs. 1pm, Sun. 1am on SCM

Outrage over the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson and the choking to death by police of Eric Garner both of whom were unarmed and the stunning but not surprising grand jury decisions not to indict the killers illuminate the need for a broader discussion of the institutional purposes of racism in our society.

With ongoing rebellions throughout the country including in Seattle, a public meeting was organized to discuss the bigger picture. Is racism endemic to capitalism? Is demonstrating enough? What are the structural changes that we should be fighting for? What will it take to get them? These are some of the questions addressed by a panel of community leaders that included:

Ramy Khahl- Moderator
Malachi Kaine and Julia Ismael- Africatown Center
Sheley Seacrest- Attorney, President, NAACP Seattle King County Chapter
Devan Rogers and Celia Burk- Youth Undoing Institutional Racism & Ending the Prison Industrial Complex
William J. Washington, MD
and Kshama Sawant- Seattle City Council Member, Socialist Alternative Party

Recorded at the Africatown Center, Seattle WA 12/17/14

Cameras by Ed Mays and Todd Boyle