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Archive 9: 2016

Shows Available from Pirate Television

Pirate Television is a weekly 58 min television program nationally syndicated on Free Speech TV.  In addition it is broadcast on Seattle Community Media and several  Public Access stations in the US.  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.  The purpose of Pirate TV is to put back what corporate media filter out.

These links are to the online version of these programs which are usually longer than the broadcast versions. 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:

PirateTVSeattle(at)gmail.com

We like to expand Pirate Television to other broadcast venues.  If you would like to get on the Pirate Television schedule notification list-serve, or if you have questions, drop us a line.

Shows are listed in reverse cronological order:

Tars Sands Valve Turners Direct Action,  Monday 12/26, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

October 11th 2016, 5 brave climate organizers turned emergency shut-off valves on the 5 pipelines that carry oil from the Canadian tar sands into the United States. It was an unprecedented act of non-violent direct action that shut down 15% of US crude oil imports for nearly a day. Now, “Valve Turners” face Felony charges with sentences of up to 95 years in prison. Hear Emily, Michael, Annette, Leonard, and Ken discuss why they felt morally compelled to take non-violent direct action.

Recorded 12/12/16 at the Sole Repair Shop event space in Seattle

Sara Goldrick-Rab: Paying The Price,  Monday 12/19, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

The American dream rests upon the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and initiative. According to sociology professor Sara Goldrick-Rab, the foundation for this dream—access to education—is breaking down. A study of 3,000 young adults entering public colleges and universities with the support of federal aid and grants found that half left college without a degree and less than 20 percent finished within five years. The cause of their problems, was lack of money. In many cases, they left school—not with a degree, but with crippling debt. In conversation with Washington state Rep. Drew Hansen, she outlined a range of possible solutions, from technical improvements to the financial aid application process, to a bold, public sector-focused “first degree free” program. Goldrick-Rab makes the case that we can no longer afford to accept this betrayal of our country’s core values.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore
Recorded 10/17/16

Dr. Emeran Mayer: The Mind-Gut Connection,  Monday 12/12, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

We’ve all experienced the connection between our mind and our gut—as in the butterflies in our stomach when we’re nervous or the visceral lurching sensation that associates an upsetting discovery. While ancient healing traditions, like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, have long recognized this relationship, Western medicine has largely failed to acknowledge the mind-gut connection. Dr. Emeran Mayer, professor of medicine and executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, offers an inside look at this developing science, making the case for people to give more attention to their “gut feelings” and heed the signals their bodies are giving them. His talk will outline his recommendations for establishing better health both in body and mind.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore
Recorded 10/11/16

Gary Younge: Another Day in the Death of America,  Monday 12/5, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

On an average day in America, seven young people, aged 19 or under, are shot and killed. In Another Day in the Death of America, award-winning Guardian journalist Gary Younge tells the stories of the 10 young lives lost on a randomly selected day, November 23, 2013. From rural towns to big city streets, Younge’s narrative crisscrosses the country over a period of 24 hours putting a human face—a child’s face—on the “collateral damage” of gun violence at a time when this issue is being hotly debated. Kirkus Reviews describes the book as “important, deeply affecting, and certain to alarm readers who care about the lives of children.” With a focus not on gun control, but what happens in a country where it does not exist, the British journalist offers a unique perspective on youth and family in America today.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books
Recorded 10/5/16

Community Solar,  Monday 11/28, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

A forum on community solar power and other ways faith communities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Presented by: Faith and Climate Action 

Community solar installations, larger than typical rooftop arrays, can be installed by utilities or nonprofit organizations on churches and other places of worship. Individuals or organizations can buy shares in community solar, receiving monthly payments or various kinds. Learn about the WA state policies regarding solar and interesting ways of financing community solar as well as other ways of reducing your faith communities carbon footprint.

Learn about community solar and other options from a panel of experts: 

Patrick Mazza, 350Seattle.org
Jeremy Smithson, Puget Sound Solar
Amy Lee: Community Solar Activist
Debra Morrison, LIONNES (The Local Investing Opportunity Network of Northeast Seattle)
Duane Jonlin, City of Seattle

Moderator: Lynn Fitz-Hugh, Faith and Climate Coordinator
Recorded 11/19/16

Carl Safina: What Animals Think and Feel,  Monday 11/21, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

As a boy, growing up in Brooklyn, Carl Safina raised homing pigeons in his yard. Now, as an ecologist and award-winning science writer, he studies the thoughts and feelings of animals. Weaving decades of field observations with new discoveries about the brain, Safina has produced an intimate view of the lives and behavior of animals. From elephant families in Kenya, struggling to survive poaching and drought, to the astonishingly peaceful society of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, he shares the extraordinary stories of animal joy, grief, jealousy, anger, and love. In a 2015 National Geographic interview, Safina says, “watching animals my whole life I’ve always been struck by how similar to us they are. I’ve always been touched by their bonds and been impressed—occasionally frightened—by their emotions.” Offering a graceful examination of humanity’s place in the world, Safina asserts that we must reevaluate the way we interact with the animal kingdom.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore Recorded 11/1/16

Chuck Collins: Born on Third Base,  Monday 11/14, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

These days, financial inequality seems to be growing in America. The wealthy wield power and advantage, wittingly or not, to keep the system operating in their favor, while retreating into enclaves that separate them from the poor and working class. Resentment toward these exclusive circles is growing. It is time to think differently, says longtime inequality expert and activist Chuck Collins. Born into wealth, Collins gave away his inheritance at age 26 and has spent the last three decades mobilizing against inequality. He uses his perspective from both sides of the divide to deliver a new narrative.

Collins shares stories that explore the roots of advantage, show how taxpayers subsidize the wealthy, and reveal how charity, used incorrectly, can actually reinforce extreme inequality. He offers a variety of national and local solutions designed to challenge inequality, respond to climate change and offer a fresh take on one of our most intransigent problems.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Elliott Bay Books, Recorded 11/9/16

Roy Scranton with Gavin Kovite: War Porn, Monday 11/7, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

There are a cluster of new US authors and books that have arisen from the Iraq and Afghanistan war experience. The focus of these books is almost always from the perspective of the soldiers who either joined the military or got sucked into it because they were in the National Guard. Roy Scranton is one of these talented new authors and this program features Roy in discussion with a fellow author and Iraq war veteran Gavin Kovite. What's different about Scranton's debut novel, War Porn is that it examines how war effects soldiers and civilians alike. Through the looking glass of War Porn, Scranton reveals the fragile humanity that connects Americans and Iraqis, torturers and the tortured, victors and their victims. Join us for a soul searching discussion from two writers who examine how the experience of war changed their lives.

Recorded 9/10/16 at Elliott Bay Bookstore

Greg Palast: Cross Check- Motherlode of Vote Purge Scams,  Monday 10/31, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

When Donald Trump says, "This election is rigged"—he should know. His buddies are rigging it.

Rolling Stone investigative reporter Greg Palast busted Jeb Bush for stealing the 2000 election by purging Black voters from Florida’s electoral rolls. Now Palast is back to take a deep dive into the Republicans’ dark operation, Crosscheck, designed to steal a million votes by November.

Crosscheck is controlled by a Trump henchman, Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State who claims his computer program has identified 7.2 million people in 29 states who may have voted twice in the same election--a felony crime. The catch? Most of these “suspects” are minorities—in other words, mainly Democratic voters. Yet the lists and the evidence remain “confidential.”

Palast and his investigative side-kick Badpenny do what it takes to get their hands on the data, analyze it and go find some of these 7.2 million Americans tagged “suspects” and “potential duplicate voters” whose votes are threatened this November.

They hunt down and confront Kobach with the evidence of his "lynching by laptop." Then they are off to find the billionaires behind this voting scam. 

In this interview, Greg talks about his new film, "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy". Called "The most important investigative journalist of our time", Palast has been working for the BBC for 20 years and writes for the Guardian and the Rolling Stone.

See also: GregPalast.com

No Way To Treat A Child,  Monday 10/24, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Kairos Puget Sound Coalition sponsored this conference focused on the human rights of incarcerated Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. Jennifer Bing from the Friends American Service Committee and Brad Parker from Defense for Children International-Palestine, led the conference. This video features a twenty-minute film: “Detaining Dreams- the stories of four Palestinian children” followed by a panel discussion by four experts and questions from the audience.

The panel includes:

Amal Muammar-Hastings: A clinical social worker who grew up under occupation in Israel and Palestine before relocating to the US in 1980 to pursue her education.

Alice Rothchild: An OB-GYN physician, author, and film maker who has focused her interest in human rights and social justice on the Israeli/Palestine conflict since 1997.
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John McKay: An attorney who teaches Constitutional and National Security Law at Seattle University, was ‘Chief of Team’ of the Rule of Law projects in the West Bank for the US State Dept.

Brad Parker: Staff attorney and international advocacy officer, Defense for Children International- Palestine.

The Kairos Puget Sound Coalition, a congregationally-based network working for justice and peace in Palestine/Israel and is affiliated with Christian churches and organizations located in the greater Seattle area. These organizations are responding to the plea of Palestinian Christians to end their oppression.

In 2009, Palestinian Christians wrote the document Kairos Palestine: “A Moment of Truth”, in faithful resistance to the oppression and dispossession of their people. It expresses faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering.

Recorded at St. Mark's Cathedral-Bloedel Hall 9/17/16

Randy Mandell: Modern Monetary Theory and Climate Change,  Monday 10/17, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

350.org activist Randy Mandell expands on the concept of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and explains how this tool can be used to build a green economy and rapidly transform the world in time to save the planet from catastrophic climate change.

Recorded Oct. 8, 2016 at the Faith and Climate Action Conference, University Christian Church Seattle, WA

Special Web Broadcast: Jay O'Hara: The Moral Necessity of Climate Disobedience

Jay O'Hara gave this keynote talk to the Faith and Climate Action Conference in Seattle two days before ten of his fellow activists from Climate Direct Action were arrested (10/11/16) for attempting to shut down all tar sands oil coming into the United States from Canada by manually turning off pipelines in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Washington state. Jay was featured on Democracy Now!  (10/12/16).

Recorded Oct. 8, 2016 at University Christian Church Seattle, WA

Jay O'Hara: Co-defendant of the Lobster Boat Blockade
Co-founder of the Climate Disobedience Center & Co-leader of the Pipeline Pilgrimage Blockade.

Rob Crawford: The Political Rhetoric of Perpetual War,  Monday 10/10, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Rob Crawford discuss the themes and language of the presidential candidates in relation to the use of military force, especially as applied in the Greater Middle East. He also address the neo-conservative critique of Trump and support of Clinton, along with the national security consensus embraced by both Clinton and the Neocons. Rob invites us to consider arguably the greatest barrier to a politics of peace-making- -the failure of the media and the electorate—with a few crucial exceptions—to challenge this consensus and think critically about the terrible and dangerous consequences of the ongoing wars. 

Rob Crawford was a founding faculty member of UW-Tacoma, and taught there from 1990 until his retirement this year. In recent years, his courses focused on post-9/11 politics, war and culture, and torture and human rights. Rob has also been the key organizer of Washington State Religious Coalition Against Torture and he has given frequent talks about the immorality of torture and the need for accountability for those who authorized its use. Most recently, he organized an inter-faith event in Seattle on drone warfare.

Thanks to the Seattle Fellowship of Reconciliation
Recorded 9/18/16

Norm Stamper: How to Fix America’s Police,  Monday 10/3, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Many Americans view cops as racist, brutal, and trigger-happy. For their part, officers feel they are under siege—misunderstood, unfairly criticized, and scapegoated for society’s ills. Is there a fix? Author and former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper believes there is. In his new book To Protect and Serve, Stamper delivers a revolutionary new model for American law enforcement, calling for fundamental changes to the federal government’s role in local policing as well as citizen participation in all aspects of police operations. Stamper asserts that nothing will ever change until the system is radically restructured and he shares his plan for how it can be done.

Thanks to Elliott Bay Books and Seattle Town Hall
Recorded 9/7/16

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Art Thiel: Writings on the Wall,  Monday 9/26, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

As an NBA star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar often seemed uncomfortable in the spotlight. Since retiring from his record-breaking basketball career in 1989, he has embraced a less visible role as a writer, publishing more than ten books and contributing regularly to periodicals such as The Washington Post, TIME magazine and TIME.com.

In Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, he explores our country’s seemingly irreconcilable racial and political divides. In conversation with journalist and sports writer Art Thiel, Abdul-Jabbar relays observations and experiences from his perspective as an athlete, parent, African-American, and Muslim and proposes solutions to problems such as racism in sports. Whether discussing political issues or sharing personal stories, Abdul-Jabbar serves as a distinct and culturally relevant voice for our times.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books
Recorded 9/8/16

Baz Dreisinger: Incarceration Nations,  Monday 9/19, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

The United States has the highest prison rates in the world and as of this summer, Washington’s 12 prisons were at capacity. This reliance on the prison system set an example for the rest of the world making it “America’s most far-reaching global export.” In Incarceration Nations, Baz Dreisinger documents the prisons, inmates, and civilian communities who are negatively affected by this cyclical imprisonment. She’ll share examples from South Africa, Thailand, and “the world’s most humane” prison in Norway to highlight the hidden impacts of this system. Dreisinger, the founder of the Prison-to-College Pipeline, will also offer advice on reevaluating how we put others behind bars and ways to make the process better for everyone involved.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Book Store
Recorded 2/18/16

Loretta Napoleoni: Merchants of Men,  Monday 9/12, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Prolific author and terrorism expert Loretta Napoleoni (The Islamist Phoenix and Rogue Economics) has published nearly a dozen books about the mechanics, money, and power behind international terrorist networks. She has served as an advisor for many government and counter terrorism organizations and lectures regularly around the world on economics, money laundering, and terrorism.

Her new book, Merchants of Men, provides an inside look at the kidnapping industry, worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually. The destabilization of Syria and Iraq and the rise of ISIS have given kidnappers and smugglers unparalleled opportunity. Napoleoni will discuss the rise of this powerful and sophisticated underground business trafficking thousands of refugees a day along the Mediterranean coasts of Europe and the Middle East—often with deadly results.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Elliott Bay Books Recorded 9/1/16

Miko Peled: Freedom and Justice - The Keys to Peace in Palestine/Israel,  Monday 9/5, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Miko Peled, prominent Israeli peace activist and author of The General's Son talks about his life as an Israeli peace activist fighting the occupation and what he learned about US foreign policy and it's effects on Palestinians living in Palestine/Israel and in the US. Peled was raised in Jerusalem and grew up in a prominent Zionist family; his grandfather, Avraham Katsnelson, signed Israel’s Declaration of Independence. His father, Mattityahu Peled, fought in the 1948 war, and served as a general in the war of 1967; later, after the Israeli cabinet ignored his investigation of a 1967 alleged Israeli war crime, he became a peace activist and leading proponent of an Israeli dialogue with the PLO. He condemned the Israeli military for seizing the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights, calling the war a "cynical campaign of territorial expansion". He was marginalized and shunned for his activism, and call for a two-state solution. Palestinian activist Susan Abulhawa has described Peled's father, who died in 1995, as "a man that many of us Palestinians could not figure out whether to love or hate" and whom "many notable Palestinians" nicknamed "Abu Salam" (Father of Peace).

Thanks to the Mideast Focus Ministry, Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. Recorded 8/23/16.

Michael Waldman: The Fight to Vote,  Monday 8/29, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

In the midst of this year’s presidential election, understanding the right to vote—and why exercising this right is so important—is crucial to the future of the country. According to NYU’s Michael Waldman (The Second Amendment), this “sometimes vicious” fight has been at the center of American politics since the beginning. He dives into the history of voting, from counting slaves as part of the population and restricting votes to property-owners, to granting women the right to vote, while making it hard for them to do so and tackles ongoing issues in the current voting system (including voter ID laws and unfair representation which hits close to home for Washington state) to offer a glimpse at a possible future for voting rights.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall
Recorded 3/30/16

Mariam Fathallah and Amena el Ashkar: The Exiled Palestinians: Stateless Palestinians from the Camps in Lebanon, Monday 8/22, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

On May 14, 1948, as Zionist leader David Ben Gurion was proclaiming a Jewish state in Palestine, his heavily armed troops seized the ancient Palestinian Arab town of al-Zeeb and drove out most of the inhabitants. 18-year-old Mariam Fathallah was one of them. She and her young husband Mohammed Atayah and their families were forced to flee to Lebanon, along with most of the town. By the end of the year, the 4,000 year old community had been leveled to the ground. More than half the Arab Palestinians in Palestine were killed or expelled and more than half of the cities, towns and villages of Palestine were made to disappear, a crime that Palestinians call al-Nakba (the Catastrophe).

Mariam, now 86 years old and respectfully known as Umm Akram (mother of Akram), has spent the last 68 years in crowded, makeshift refugee camps in Lebanon. She has raised three generations in the same camps, all waiting to return to their home in Palestine. She has lived through five Israeli invasions of Lebanon, as well as the 1976 Tel al-Zaatar camp massacre that killed more than 2000 of the refugees there. 

Amena Ashkar, the granddaughter and great granddaughter of other Nakba survivors, has known no other home than refugee camps. Umm Akram and Amena have a different message from other Palestinians. They are among six million Palestinians not living in Palestine – more than those who are. They are citizens of no government at all, not even the Palestinian Authority. They are not living under Israeli occupation. Israel does not allow them to visit their homes, much less live there. Amena has never met an Israeli, and Umm Akram not since 1948. As exiles, they have a different perspective from Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and the part of Palestine that became Israel.

Recorded 5/27/16 at Bloedel Hall - St. Marks Cathedral, Seattle by Todd Boyle

Thanks to Jewish Voice for Peace and the Rachel Corrie Foundation

Wenonah Hauter: Frackopoly, Monday 8/15, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

With opposition to fracking growing, Hauter’s new book Frackopoly is just in time. One of the nation’s leading public interest activists, Hauter (Food and Water Watch) tells the story of the surprising mix of interest groups who paved the way for fracking and the technology that made these “sacrifice zones” possible. She also debunks common misconceptions on the economic benefits of fracking and sheds light on what grassroots organizations are doing to fight back.

This talk took me a lot of hours to edit down to Pirate TV's 58 minute time slot.  But here you get to the "full meal deal"- the complete 70 minute talk plus Q&A. It's well worth it. In order to cover the history of fracking and how fracking technology developed in the US, Wenonah Hauter gives a nutshell history of the oil industry, largely the secret history of corporate rule. This is one of those "open secrets", not taught in school or covered in corporate media.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore
Recorded 6/20/16

Curt Guyette: Racial Justice, Accountability, and the Flint Water Crisis, Monday 8/8, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

The toxic tap water of Flint, Michigan, has turned into a firestorm for officials who appear to have purposefully misled the public about the problem. Veteran investigative reporter, Curt Guyette was hired by the ACLU of Michigan to document the impact of the state’s radical emergency manager law which takes power away from locally elected officials. In the process of reporting on the law, Guyette helped to discover and expose its shocking consequence: the poisoning of Flint water system and the apparent attempts of the state government to deny and disguise the problem. Guyette will share his story of being at the epicenter of the unfolding crisis. He will discuss his observations about the part that racism played in this disaster and the current efforts being made to hold government officials accountable.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and ACLU of Washington
Recorded 6/23/16

David Rolf: Winning the Fight for Fifteen, Monday 8/1, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Seattle’s $15 minimum wage took successful campaigning and public opinion to pass into law in 2014. Now, one of the local movement’s central figures speaks out about the struggle. David Rolf (president of SEIU 775) places the region’s organizing into a national context in The Fight for Fifteen. He also explains “middle out” economics and stresses the need for a national $15/hour rate. He’ll share stories from local activists (both current and farther back in Seattle’s history) and offer concrete tips for anyone interested in raising wages for the working class. Raising wages starts with action and, as Rolf will explain, this action requires basic economic knowledge. In a panel discussion following the presentation, Rolf will be joined on the stage by: moderator, Heidi Groover (The Stranger), Howard Wright (CEO of the Seattle Hospitality Group), Kshama Sawant (Seattle City Council member) and Nick Hanauer (Seattle venture capitalist at Second Avenue Partners).

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Book Store
Recorded 5/10/16

Ari Rabin Havt: Lies, Incorporated, Monday 7/25, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

In today's post-truth political landscape, there is a carefully concealed but ever-growing industry of organized misinformation that exists to create and disseminate lies in the service of political agendas. Ari Rabin-Havt and Media Matters for America present a revelatory history of this industry--which they've dubbed Lies, Incorporated The World Of Post-Truth Politics--and show how it has crippled legislative progress on issues including tobacco regulation, public health care, climate change, gun control, immigration, abortion, and same-sex marriage. Eye-opening and indispensable, Lies, Incorporated takes an unflinching look at the powerful network of politicians and special interest groups that have launched coordinated assaults on the truth to shape American politics.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Book Store
Recorded 6/10/16

Jill Stein & Kshama Sawant: Beyond Bernie- Building the Party of the 99%, Monday 7/18, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

David Daley: Rat F**ked, Monday 7/11, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

With Barack Obama’s historic election in 2008, pundits proclaimed the Republicans as dead as the Whigs of yesteryear. Yet even as Democrats swooned, a small cadre of Republican operatives began mobilizing for their recovery. David Daley (editor-in-chief of Salon) describes the actions of these men, including Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie, and Chris Jankowski. Their “simple, yet ingenious plan” took a tradition of dirty tricks―known to political insiders as “ratf**king”―to an unprecedented level. Daley will discuss the details of what he describes as “one of the greatest heists in American political history” and the far-reaching effects of the process, which radically altered America’s electoral map, exacerbated gridlock, and fostered the kind of political climate that has given rise to Donald Trump. Despite their short-term success, Daley asserts that the GOP may have caused themselves some big problems.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & Elliott Bay Books
Recorded 6/24/16

Michael Foster: Kids Seek Climate Justice, Monday 6/20, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

This talk identifies the rapid onset of climate impacts, Plant-for-the-Planet children's initiative, the prescription for Climate Recovery, the flawed draft Clean Air Rule, and What You Can Do to make history today.

Michael Foster is an organizer, Plant-for-the-Planet in Washington State which filed the lawsuit for the children who won in court 3 times to get the Washington State Dept of Ecology to regulate emissions under a Clean Air Rule, which is now open for public comment.

See also: ClimateChangeforFamilies.com
Recorded June 12, 2016 at Seattle First Baptist Church

Pamela Haag: Advertising and The Gunning of America, Monday 6/13, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Gun control is one of the most hotly-debated topics in America. Many of the arguments focus on the early days of the nation and our fundamental “right to bear arms.” According to historian Pamela Haag (The Gunning of America), the U.S. obsession with guns isn’t inherent. Instead, she’ll argue that this craving for weapons was created by ingenious marketing campaigns by the gun industry and, in particular, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. She’ll share what she’s learned (including how Oliver Winchester’s daughter Sarah disagreed with her father’s need to sell so many weapons) and what reframing our understanding of gun culture means for the future of America.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore
Recorded 5/2/16

Randy Mandell: Finance Vs. Green Economy, Monday 6/6, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

What is financialization? Keeping fossil fuels in the ground depends, in no small part, on rapidly developing a Green Economy that transitions us to renewable energy sources and provides clean green jobs. But this crucial endeavor is directly thwarted by our Wall Street-generated financialized economy - one where profits are made not by building new economic structures and improving living standards but by destructively siphoning wealth from current assets and loading us down with debt.

To get to a Green Economy in time to stop global warming we need to reverse financialization and make finance serve the public not the other way around. Because financialization harms everyone's lives - students and schools, healers and healthcare, workers and pensions - addressing it is a powerful tool for alliance building and growing the movement to address climate change. Learn about the hidden forces that are the biggest obstical to a better world.

Thanks to 350.org lecture series
Recorded 4/26/16 at Keystone Church, Seattle

Steven Hill: Raw Deal, Monday 5/30, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Uber, TaskRabbit, Airbnb, and other companies are putting capitalist ventures in the hands of the consumer–but how much do these companies really benefit American workers? According to veteran journalist Steven Hill (Europe’s Promise), the answer is not at all. Hill argues that, more than anything, these new tech-based, easy-money, sharing enterprises are doing great harm. Raw Deal outlines the “runaway capitalism” behind these programs and the disastrous results that could occur if they’re allowed to continue unchecked. He’ll share his solutions–both for public policy and our broken economic structure–and what it will take to shift away from the sharing economy.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books
Recorded 12/7/15 Camera by Todd Boyle

Peter Willcox: The Life of a Greenpeace Captain, Monday 5/23, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Last year’s Kayaktivists protested Shell oil’s presence in the Puget Sound and took a firm stand for the environment. Many of these kayakers were Greenpeace members and, for 30-year Greenpeace veteran and captain Peter Willcox, events like this are simply business as usual. Willcox, who has spent his entire career working to save the planet, will share anecdotes from his long history, including the imprisonment of his crew the “Arctic 30.” He’ll prove that the life of a Greenpeace captain is anything but boring, from months at sea and his friendship with Pete Seeger, to fighting illegal smuggling and gun-trading.

The Program also includes a short talk by Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate recorded at the recent Break Free civil disobedience action in Anacortes, WA courtesy of Todd Boyle

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books
Recorded 5/6/16

Peggy Orenstein: Girls & Sex, Monday 5/16, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

For many parents, talking to children about sex is hard and, according to Peggy Orenstein (Girls & Sex, Cinderella Ate My Daughter), it’s even harder to discuss the subject with growing girls. Because of sexual assault rates on college campuses, the emphasis placed on virginity, and female-focused words like slut, young women have a harder time navigating the murky waters of sexual activity. She’ll explain the extra pressures placed on girls (from teens through college) and explore the gamut of sex-related topics: views on STIs, LGBTQ-specific concerns, porn, purity pacts, hook-up culture, proper sex ed, and rape. This event is not just for parents and teachers. Orenstein’s advice will speak to anyone who knows—or is—a young woman. This event will be moderated by Town Hall program director Katy Sewall.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall, Women’s Funding Alliance, and Elliott Bay Books. Recorded 4/20/16

Chris Hedges: The Algebra of Revolution, Monday 5/9, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

What are the social, political, and economic ingredients for a revolution? Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges has a few ideas. He’ll examine the looming collapse of our civil society, the frightening rise of demagogues, the transformation of political discourse into hate speech, and the political awakening of the Christian Right, the neo-Confederates, the Tea Party, right-to-life groups, nativists, and militias. According to Hedges, the inability of the liberal elite to respond to the growing disenfranchisement of the American working class is slowly leading to the final disintegration of what remains of this capitalist democracy. He’ll explore this idea and its far-reaching negative effects: a rise in hate crimes against Muslims, African Americans, undocumented workers, homosexuals, feminists, artists, and intellectuals, and increased acts of domestic and state terrorism.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall, Seattle University, and University Book Store

Recorded 4/25/16

David Swanson: War is a Lie, Monday 5/2, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

When nations go to war, governments, civilians, and soldiers are negatively affected. According to activist and author David Swanson (War is a Lie, When the World Outlawed War) there is no logical reason for war—the suffering overwhelms any potential good. He’ll offer an overview of America’s most recent wars and the lessons that can be learned from them. Swanson, a 2015 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, will also offer practical ideas about what can be done to end war and give peace a real chance.

Thanks to: Veterans for Peace, Greater Seattle Chapter; Seattle Fellowship of Reconciliation; Green Party of Washington; EarthCare Not Warfare; and Rainier Valley Neighbors for Peace and Justice.

Recorded 4/15/16

Jeff Halper: War Against the People, Monday 4/25, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

If anyone needed an example of the stark difference between reality and propaganda as represented by corporate media news coverage in the US, one would have a hard time finding a better one than how they spin the Israel/Palestine issue. I was abruptly reminded of this watching Hillary Clinton’s endless spewing of propaganda myths in the NY debate. It makes me wonder if inside that beltway bubble they have ever heard of social media. I suspect this might backfire on Hillary.

The credibility of the establishment narrative took a big hit with Israel’s last invasion of Gaza. While they were broadcasting the standard BS, social media was awash with pictures of the horror that was going down as it was happening. But even though I have been following this issue for a long time, and consider myself to be better informed than most, Jeff Halper somehow always manages to change the entire paradigm.

As you watch this, I suspect this might happen to you. This was a long talk and it took many hours to edit down to the 58 min. broadcast window. But I have posted the long version here so that you can see all of it.

A leading figure in the Israeli peace movement, co-founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), noted scholar, educator and prolific author, Halper, starts off by posing the question: “How does Israel get away with it?” He says the standard assumptions- the Israeli lobby, etc. “didn’t do it for him”. What he found exposes a hidden world of military/security relationships. Technology and systems of surveillance and population control that Israel peddles to global ruling elites for their militaries, corporations, security agencies, and police forces in order to make itself essential to the global capitalist security state system as everyday life becomes evermore militarized.

Israel is a world leader in high tech systems of repression for global pacification and they have millions of people to test these weapons on. Far from a burden or a threat, he says Israeli elites view the occupation and their periodic wars as an opportunity- a laboratory. What’s worse, Israeli militarism and its horrors cannot be seen in isolation. As Halper demonstrates, systems like weaponized nanotechnology, database tracking, automated targeting, and unmanned drones don’t just threaten the lives and civil liberties of Palestinians. You might find that some of this technology is already being used on you.

Jeff Halper is the author of Between Redemption and Revival: The Jewish Yishuv in Jerusalem in the Nineteenth Century; An Israeli in Palestine: Resisting Dispossession, Redeeming Israel; Obstacles to Peace: A Reframing of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,and his latest; War Against the People: Israel, The Palestinians and Global Pacification. Halper travels and lectures widely on the Israeli/Palestinian issue. In 2006, the American Friends Service Committee nominated him along with Palestinian Ghassan Andoni for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Thanks to the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice and Jewish Voice for Peace - Tacoma. Recorded 2/24/16

Bill McKibben: Keeping Fossil Fuel Underground, Monday 4/18, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Last year saw the hottest recorded temperatures on the planet and this May, the worldwide Break Free movement is responding. This mobilization will demonstrate opposition to fossil fuels, and express the need to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground. In advance of this event (and because one of the five U.S. actions is taking place in Washington) author and activist Bill McKibben will offer an update from the global frontlines about the fights that’ll determine just how overheated the earth will get. He’ll also touch on the “unparalleled evil” of Exxon, and why lobbying leaders to shut down fossil fuel projects and supporting climate change solutions is crucial for the future of the planet.

Thanks to 350 Seattle & Seattle Town Hall
Recorded 4/4/16

Thomas Frank: What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?, Monday 4/11, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

It is a widespread belief among liberals that if only Democrats can continue to dominate national elections, if only those awful Republicans are beaten into submission, the country will be on the right course.
But this is to fundamentally misunderstand the modern Democratic Party. Drawing on years of research and first-hand reporting, Thomas Frank points out that the Democrats have done little to advance traditional liberal goals: expanding opportunity, fighting for social justice, and ensuring that workers get a fair deal. Indeed, they have scarcely dented the free-market consensus at all. This is not for lack of opportunity: Democrats have occupied the White House for sixteen of the last twenty-four years, and yet the decline of the middle class has only accelerated. Wall Street gets its bailouts, wages keep falling, and the free-trade deals keep coming.

With his trademark sardonic wit and lacerating logic, Frank lays bare the essence of the Democratic Party's philosophy and how it has changed over the years. A form of corporate and cultural elitism has largely eclipsed the party's old working-class commitment, he finds. For certain favored groups, this has meant prosperity. But for the nation as a whole, it is a one-way ticket into the abyss of inequality. In this critical election year, Frank recalls the Democrats to their historic goals-the only way to reverse the ever-deepening rift between the rich and the poor in America.

Thomas Frank is the author of "Pity the Billionaire", "The Wrecking Crew", "What's the Matter with Kansas?", and "One Market Under God". A former opinion columnist for "The Wall Street Journal", Frank is the founding editor of "The Baffler" and a monthly columnist for "Harper's". His new book is- “Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?”

Recorded 3/31/16 Thanks to Elliott Bay Books

Wendell Potter & Nick Penniman: Nation on the Take, Monday 4/4, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Seattle’s recently-passed I-22 was a landmark step toward stricter campaign finance rules for more “honest” elections, but large corporations, interest groups, and individuals like the Koch brothers retain a strong hold on politics. Nation on the Take is an exploration of national campaign finance trends, how they’ll affect the 2016 presidential election, and, perhaps most importantly, how ordinary citizens can put a stop to campaigns fueled by big money. Wendell Potter, senior analyst with the Center for Public Integrity, will appear in conversation with co-author Nick Penniman, executive director of Issue One, to share their ideas for reform and how small, achievable steps can create real change in the next election.

Recorded 3/28/16

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall & University Bookstore

Miguel Fraga: Imagining New Paths for US Cuba Relations, Monday 3/28, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Miguel Fraga, the first secretary of the newly re-established Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C., spoke at Seattle University as part of a 4 day visit to Seattle. The focus of his presentation was US-Cuba relations taking in the last 55 years of conflict, the beginnings of normalization in the last 15 months, and what more needs to be done to achieve truly normal relations between our two countries - emphasizing the need to end the US blockade of Cuba, the travel ban on US citizens, and to return Guantanamo Bay to Cuba.

An important aim of the visit was to establish horizontal, people-to-people and organization-to-organization links. Secretary Fraga visited four colleges: Seattle University, University of Washington, Seattle Central College and Pinchot University. At every college event, students wanted to know how their college can interchange with colleges in Cuba. Secretary Fraga also met with business people, lawyers involved with international law, and an African American Baptist congregation, all of whom were interested in building connections with Cuba.

Miguel met with elected officials from King County council, the Washington State legislature, and with Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott. Also noteworthy throughout the visit was the presence of Cuban Americans - anxious to make contact with Miguel and to explore how they can forge improved relationships with their mother country.

Thanks to the Seattle/Cuba Friendship Committee and the International Action Center

Recorded 3/5/16
At Seattle University School of Law

Special Web Broadcast: Bernie Sanders Rally At Key Arena Seattle 3/20/16

Bernie gave this rousing "A Future to Believe In" talk to 10 Thousand supporters at a jam packed Key Arena. The official count was 10312 inside, 5500 outside, 1500 left after overflow address.Bernie gave this rousing "A Future to Believe In" talk to 10 Thousand supporters at a jam packed Key Arena. The official count was 10312 inside, 5500 outside, 1500 left after overflow address.

Robert McChesney and John Nichols: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy, Monday 3/21, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Humanity is on the verge of its darkest hour or its greatest moment.

The consequences of the technological revolution are about to hit hard: unemployment will spike as new technologies replace labor in the manufacturing, service, and professional sectors of an economy that is already struggling. The end of work as we know it will hit at the worst moment imaginable: as capitalism fosters permanent stagnation, when the labor market is in decrepit shape, with declining wages, expanding poverty, and scorching inequality. Only the dramatic democratization of our economy can address the existential challenges we now face. Yet, the US political process is so dominated by billionaires and corporate special interests, by corruption and monopoly, that it stymies not just democracy but progress. 

The great challenge of these times is to ensure that the tremendous benefits of technological progress are employed to serve the whole of humanity, rather than to enrich the wealthy few. Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols, authors of People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy , argue that the United States needs a new economy in which revolutionary technologies are applied to effectively address environmental and social problems and used to rejuvenate and extend democratic institutions. Based on intense reporting, rich historical analysis, and deep understanding of the technological and social changes that are unfolding, they propose a bold strategy for democratizing our digital destiny before it's too late and unleashing the real power of the Internet, and of humanity.

Recorded 3/9/16

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books

Deepa Kumar: In Search of Monsters to Destroy, Monday 3/14, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and US Imperialism

Deepa Kumar, Associate Professor of Media Studies at Rutgers University is a well-known author and media figure who has spoken at dozens of university and community forums on Islamophobia, Political Islam, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and women and Islam. Kumar has shared her expertise in media outlets that include Free Speech TV, the BBC, The New York Times, NPR and USA Today. 

Kumar's work is driven by an active engagement with the key issues that characterize our era of neoliberalism and imperialism. Her first book, Outside the Box: Corporate Media, Globalization and the UPS Strike (University of Illinois Press, 2007) is about the power of collective struggle in effectively challenging the priorities of neoliberalism. Her latest book, titled Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, examines ways in which the "Muslim enemy" has historically been mobilized to suit the goals of empire. Kumar has been active in various social movements for peace and justice and has written numerous articles in both scholarly journals and alternative media.

Thanks to The Willi Unsoeld Seminar Series and Evergreen State College

Recorded 2/25/16

Derek Cressman: When Money Talks, Monday 3/7, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Big money and special interest groups have become increasingly entangled with local, state, and national elections. Derek Cressman, director of Common Cause’s Amend 2012 campaign, says this is destroying the democratic process. Building on the themes in his book When Money Talks, he’ll explain the ways courts have stopped attempts to limit campaign spending, what a constitutional amendment limiting paid speech should say, and explain how citizens can help pass such an amendment. All proceeds from this event will go to WAmend’s Yes on 735 campaign.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and WAmend -The Washington Coalition to Amend the Constitution
Recorded 2/3/16

Sheldon Solomon: The Worm at the Core, Monday 2/29, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Death has been a prevailing cultural theme throughout history and, according to psychology professor Sheldon Solomon, an inherent fear of death powers every action people take–from the cars we drive and the relationships we choose, to artistic expression and even grand foreign policies. He’ll break down the many ways death is “the worm at the core” which drives daily actions, and explain why it’s necessary to overcome this nagging fear. For Solomon, creativity, courage, and compassion are key factors to tackling the persistent–and often overwhelming–knowledge of death at our backs.

Thanks to- Seattle Town Hall, University Book Store, Ernest Becker Foundation

Recorded 1/11/16 by Todd Boyle

Phyllis Bennis: Understanding ISIS. 2/22, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

The global reign of terror and violence from ISIS continues to intensify, despite significant advances from the United States and other nations. With the increased frequency of these attacks and their public displays of defiance, understanding the somewhat mysterious origins of ISIS is crucial. Phyllis Bennis (fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, author of Understanding ISIS) pulls back the curtain on this organization and its relationship to the war in Iraq. She explained how the United States became so wrapped up in this conflict, and address the underlying question on many minds: “Can you really go to war on terror?”

Recorded 2/2/16

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall, University Bookstore, and and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

Ted Rall: Bernie Sanders, A New Political Era. 2/15, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Bernie Sanders has tied Hillary Clinton in Iowa and trounced her in New Hampshire, making his chances for a Democratic nomination stronger every day. What would a Sanders nomination mean for the future of the Democratic party? Locally, Kshama Sawant has shown that electing a socialist is possible, but is America ready for a democratic socialist president? Political cartoonist and cultural commentator Ted Rall (Snowden, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits), who once called Sanders “the other great liberal hope,” brings his trademark insight to Town Hall for an exploration of Sanders’ history, his liberal platforms, and what left-leaning tendencies he would bring to the White House. Rall will also offer a glimpse at his new graphic novel Bernie and “what his campaign means to you.”

Recorded 2/4/16
Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore

David Shields: War is Beautiful, Mon. 2/8, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

For forty years, internationally bestselling author David Shields subscribed to the New York Times, but recently he realized how “problematic” he found the seductively beautiful and consistently heroic composition of the paper’s front-page photos (especially of the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq). In this discussion of his book War is Beautiful, Shields invites us into his ensuing research and analysis of NYT combat photography, which—according to Shields—aestheticizes war and anesthetizes the viewer. Join us for this engaging and thought-provoking discussion of how war is portrayed in our media today.

Recorded Jan 24, 2016

Thanks to University Bookstore

Tim DeChristopher: The Power of Civil Disobedience, Mon. 2/1, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

In Seattle in support of the historic trial of the Delta 5, Tim DeChristopher gave this extraordinary speech the day after, summarizing the week’s events and expounding on the meaning and moral implications of civil disobedience. The Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a corridor for fossil fuel development against the will of the vast majority of the population and most of their leaders. In September 2014, five citizens placed themselves in the way of that system by blocking a train carrying highly volatile crude oil from the Bakken shale, declaring it necessary to avert climate catastrophe.

What made the trial historic is that the judge allowed the defendants to use the “Necessity Defense”- rarely allowed in civil disobedience cases, arguing and presenting evidence that they had no choice but to break the law. The Jury found them guilty of trespassing but not guilty of blocking the train, raising questions jury nullification, which DeChristopher also thoroughly addressed in this talk.

Tim DeChristopher became world famous December 19, 2008, when he disrupted an illegitimate BLM Oil and Gas lease auction in Utah near Canyonlands and Arches National Parks witch the outgoing Bush administration had tried to slide under the radar. The auction was invalidated two months later but DeChristopher served 21 months in prison. “Bidder 70”, the movie about this action won 20 international film awards. After his release, Tim entered Harvard University Divinity School to become a Unitarian Universalist minister.

This is the web version of the entire event and has not been edited for TV.

Thanks to University Unitarian Church

Dean Baker: Win, Lose, or Draw? The TPP and You, Mon. 1/25, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Christopher T.  Bayley: Seattle Justice, Mon. 1/18, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

In the 1960s, the Seattle Police Department looked a lot different from today’s. An elaborate police payoff system–which traded bribes for illegal gambling and other activities–had infiltrated the entire city. Now, Christopher T. Bayley (then-King County Prosecutor) is sharing the facts behind this chapter of Emerald City history. Seattle Justice describes the city officials, high-ranking police officers, and others who were part of this web of crime–and how Bayley indicted them to bring real justice to the city. He’ll give an account of these harrowing times (one that Town Hall founder David Brewster accurately labeled as “a warning for today”) and explore the connections between this history and how it led to an increased desire for reform politics in the state.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Book Store

Deepa Iyer: Eliminating Hate Crimes in Post-9/11 America, Mon. 1/11, Thurs. 1pm, Sat. Morning 12am on SCM

Black Lives Matter activists have placed racial justice issues at the forefront of many conversations over the past several months and, according to activist Deepa Iyer, it’s a much-needed reform movement. In We Too Sing America, she focuses on the racial injustices and hate crimes that have shaped the years following 9/11–particularly those affecting South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh immigrants. From the 2012 Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting and politicians who make “racist and xenophobic statements that fuel hostility,” to police profiling and surveillance, she’ll point to examples that perpetuate racism and race-based violence. Should hate crimes be considered domestic terrorism? Will the fire from the Black Lives Matter movement spur activism in other racial groups? She’s got a few ideas to share on these and other topics.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Book Company