Electric Politics Podcast

A Real World Sanity Test

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0500

It would be stupid for China and Japan to again go to war. Stupid, but not impossible. Both claim a small set of islets in the East China Sea — about seven square kilometers of rock — called the Diaoyu by China and the Senkaku by Japan. Recently Japan, which has possession, fiddled with the islets' unresolved status, thereby angering China. While China wants to negotiate Japan innocently says that there is no dispute and nothing to talk about. Absent any diplomatic partner China is aggressively deploying military assets in local waters. Worse, both Tokyo and Washington (notwithstanding Washington's simultaneous, quite contradictory claim that the U.S. is neutral), say the "Senkaku" are covered by a US-Japan security treaty. That puts the U.S. on the hook if there were a military clash. Last October Secretary Clinton's State Department was sufficiently anxious about the possibilities that it sent a high level group to the region to bring order. With no luck. To get a sense of the stakes involved I turned to a British expert, Rod Wye, a 37 year veteran of government service who in his last assignment was head of the Asia Research Group in the Foreign Office, roughly analogous to the top Asia person in State's INR. An extremely judicious, seasoned professional. Total runtime forty two minutes. Lēx tāliōnis.

(Re) Discovering Democracy

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0500

'The internet is anti-democratic.' 'The computer never should have been invented.' 'The solution is for government to subsidize the news.' No, wait, that's all wrong... The fact is, if you want to learn something about the convergence of the media, the internet, and democracy, you should forget the ivory tower and look to a journalist for working insights. Rory O'Connor is an award winning journalist, author and filmmaker who has thought a lot about the meaning of our relatively new, rapidly evolving internet revolution. He believes the internet disrupts old political practices and makes new democratic ones possible. I'm certain he's right (although I still have some trouble imagining all the details). Thanks, Rory! What a nice guy. Total runtime fifty two minutes. Fēlīx quī potuit rērum cognōscere causās.

Cyprus in Crisis

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Cyprus really didn't have a choice about acceding to the Troika's demands: the costs of a precipitous, unplanned flight from the Eurozone were too great. Now, having signed up for indefinite indentured servitude, the Cypriots should take advantage of a small amount of breathing room to plan for an orderly exit. If they don't their future is guaranteed to be miserable for as far as the eye can see. As for the Germans, they seem to have forgotten that after World War II they were the beneficiaries of substantial debt forgiveness. Next time they may not be so lucky... Total runtime thirty one minutes. Inest clēmentia fortī.

Going To Tehran

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Nobody has been more correct about Iran than Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett. Their latest, Going To Tehran (Metropolitan Books, 2013), lays out the logic of successful U.S. engagement. Also the perils of failure. I may be slightly more neutral than the Leveretts as I think that absent a diplomatic breakthrough Iran could out-wait the U.S., thus avoiding a military confrontation, but I may be wrong. In any case, it was a great pleasure to talk with Flynt and I only wish he could become Secretary of State. Total runtime forty eight minutes. Fās est et ab hoste docērī.

Political Memories

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

What we forget about our political history is perhaps a better indicator of who we are, or what we are, than what we remember. In some cases, moreover, forgetting can be catastrophic. The Congo, for example, cannot address its colonial past and consequently — though I admit this is arguable, being somewhat indirect — cannot function as a modern state. To discuss whether the Congo is, in fact, a state and to speculate about remedies for its ersatz sovereignty, I turned to Dr. Théodore Trefon, a real Congo expert, who was very kind to indulge my skeptical point of view. Total runtime fifty one minutes. Dē asinī umbrā disceptāre.

The Bargain With Hell

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Delegates from the Northern and Southern States didn't do any simple deal over slavery in order to devise a Constitution. No: they consciously created a complex, interlocking system of iron-clad guarantees so that within the Union the institution of slavery would exist forever. These men truly intended for slavery to endure beyond the scope of their imaginations. Taking a giant step, they put both North and South on the wrong side of history. To be honest, as Dr. Paul Finkelman suggested recently in the New York Times, the deal wasn't worth having. The North, Dr. Finkelman says, could have been better off on its own. I agree but, be that as it may, there's no doubt the trauma of slavery always has been, and still is, inordinately difficult to overcome. And our trauma is especially troublesome when one wants an accurate assessment of slavery's noxious effects. Why, for instance, does Article Five make amending the Constitution such a quixotic enterprise? Astonishingly, only in the last few decades have historians begun to piece together the real — that is, slave-based — cornerstones of our system of government. We would, I believe, be wise to remain mindful of the Constitution's permanent deficiencies if we wish to heal ourselves. Total runtime forty two minutes. Tantaene animīs caelestibus īrae?

A Question of Rights

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Every American has a basic human right to live without the threat of gun violence. And that right exists prior to all the legal or political barriers that get thrown at sane gun control measures. Paradoxically, perhaps, if the gun culture wants to deny us our human right to live in safety their only chance is by working with undemocratic methods. But strong-arm politics is losing its hold on the modern world. To talk about America's problem with guns I turned to the German-American sociologist Dr. Joachim Savelsberg, not a gun expert, per se, but a thoughtful observer of the American condition. Total runtime thirty eight minutes. Cēdant arma togae.

Slavery and the Second Amendment

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0500

High School civics does not provide a sufficient basis for understanding the Constitution. "Exhibit A" being the Second Amendment. Whereas modern American myth treats the Second Amendment as if it were written to guarantee the right of freedom loving men to defend their homes and sacred honor, in reality it was meant to guarantee slave-holders their use of "slave patrols," e.g., the "militia," to keep down those debased by servitude so as to be divested of two fifths of their humanity. Carl T. Bogus explores the contradiction in a must-read, seminal article, "The Hidden History of the Second Amendment" (U.C. Davis Law Review, 1998), which, like so much else to do with convergences between slavery and the founding, has not gotten quite the attention it deserves. Here, Carl graciously revisited his article with me in light of our current debates over gun control. Total runtime thirty two minutes. Ālea iacta est.

A Hermeneutic and an Erotic Philology (of Brigitte Bardot)

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0500

It's not that Brigitte Bardot brings life to the meaning of the word pulchritude, although of course she does, it's that somehow she forces us to cherish our ignorance of her. A truly rare (and great) gift. And if in the superposition of a spacetime vortex she fundamentally altered the history of the civilized world... well, probably that's best left unproved. To consider Le Phénomène Bardot I turned to British academic and author Andy Martin. Many thanks, Andy! Total runtime one hour and one minute. Amāre et sapēre vix deō concēditur. ♥

Wrangling the Facts

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0500

From the earliest times diplomacy has been a balance between honest interlocution and soothing ephemera. The art, some say, of allowing another person to have things your way. And always — always — with an iron requirement for accurate factual appraisal. Ambassador Dan Simpson is one of the few who have transferred that skill set to the art of editorial writing and of being a columnist, for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Here, we talk about the Congo, about gun control in America, about our feckless political leaders, and a few other subjects. Total runtime forty eight minutes. Dabit deus hīs quoque fīnem.

Congo Nocturne

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0500

The Europeans required over a thousand years to come up with the European Union (and the EU still doesn't work right). The Congo, approximately the same size as Europe, has never had any history of legitimate, national self-governance. When Europeans started exploring the region in the late 1800s they found countless tribes of naked, cannibalistic savages: No wonder European consciences remained unperturbed when they claimed that land for their own. But the lines drawn on a map by King Leopold of Belgium no more represent a coherent political entity today than then. So what's the right thing to do with, for, or to the Congo? Should it be accorded consideration as if it were a real country, or what? I ask because I don't know the answer. And I'm pretty sure most people don't even think this is an important question, but they're mistaken. To get one perspective from a well informed practitioner I turned to former UN Under Secretary General Alan Doss, who from 2007 to 2010 headed MONUC (now called MONUSCO), the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo. It was very kind of Alan to talk with me and whatever errors of interpretation I may make in understanding his remarks are my fault alone. Total runtime forty three minutes. Quālis rēx, tālis grex.

On Magical War

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Secure in the ignorance of our traditions we treat war as if it were a game, as if we should try to win when we play. Oorah! But if we think like a human being war assumes a great deal more complexity, indeed, a necessary ambiguity. Dr. David Keen challenges conventional wisdom in a great book, Useful Enemies: When Waging Wars Is More Important Than Winning Them (Yale University Press, 2012). Unless and until we recognize the realities that David describes we'll continue to be our own worst enemy. Total runtime forty two minutes. Audē Sapēre.

Wampum Wranglers

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

So Mr. O won't mint the magic coin. He says. Well, good luck to him, then, getting the Southern secessionists to grovel. More's the pity, though, that neither side have a clue what they're talking about. Essentially, they're disputing the finer points of a primitive theory of value: call it wampum economics. To get past that, and to take a couple guesses where the economy may be headed, I turned again to Marshall Auerback. The only thing about Marshall that scares me is, I always agree with him. That can't be right?! Total runtime thirty eight minutes. Imperat aut servit collecta pecunia cuique.

Speaking Truth

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

These days, the only reasonable thing to say to Power is, "Here's the arrest warrant, please come quietly." But Speaking Truth, that's a different story. We speak truth to affirm and reaffirm who and what we are, what the reality of the world is, and why it is the way it is. Not an easy task — like breathing — but just as necessary. To talk about Speaking Truth I turned to the poet and radio journalist Dennis Bernstein, author most recently of Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom (NYQ Books, 2012), and host of KPFA's Flashpoints. Thanks, Dennis, for nattering on with me and for reading a couple of your poems! Total runtime fifty eight minutes. Brevis esse labōrō, obscūrus fiō.

Counting Electors

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

If the Republican Party were to adopt a scorched earth policy — counting electors one way in certain swing states and another way in solid red states — they could conceivably lock in a Republican presidential win for the next several election cycles. As a practical matter it would not, in fact, be difficult to do; politically, it would be the functional equivalent of secession. The only effective Democratic counter, the National Popular Vote plan (which would be a good thing anyway under any circumstances), might not be as easy to implement. Scorched earth, or compromise? Over the next few months we'll learn which direction the Republicans take. To explain what's happening I turned to Rob Richie, of FairVote. Thanks, Rob, for paying attention where others don't! Total runtime forty seven minutes. Adscrīptus glēbae.

Constitutional Wrinkles

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Americans have been brainwashed into thinking we have the greatest system of government in the world. Arguably, however, much the opposite is true. In practical terms our system is neither democratic nor representative, when, that is, it works at all. But the Constitution has become America's civic religion: to condemn it is heretical, to seek to alter it, revolutionary. Just to discuss the problems it poses takes a brave heart. Eric Black, a journalist, has thus performed a tremendously useful service by outlining the situation in a series of learned, thoughtful essays. Such critical inquiry represents a minority viewpoint at the moment but I fervently hope that self-aware constitutional unrest becomes the norm. Thanks, Eric! Total runtime thirty eight minutes. Tū nē cēde malīs sed contrā audentior ītō.

Three Truths and a Lie

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:00:00 -0500

'Tis the season for... reflections on life. And death. Yet death often feels ominously dark, especially when a young person dies before their time. It's difficult, in such circumstances, to remember that darkness isn't all bad — indeed, there's reason to believe it may be a source of enlightenment. Or so certain mystics have preached. Looked at another way darkness may be a source of rebirth. Graham E. Fuller, a former senior CIA officer, has written a heart-wrenching and also unusually inspirational book about his adopted Korean son, Luke, who fails to sort out his troubles and at age 21 dies from an accidental overdose of crack cocaine. I guess one lesson is that people often occupy a much larger space than they may realize. Thanks, Graham, for writing about this. Total runtime forty four minutes. Multīs ille bonīs flēbilis occidit.

Running Against the Grain (Part II)

george@electricpolitics.com — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Amen, Brother Rick. Thinking about it, we can deduce a few things about successful mass actions. First, they require a high level of consciousness regarding the problems to be solved. Ignorance ain't in the recipe for success. Second, they take a lot of work. If it were easy, logically we'd be seeing more of them. And third, for me if not for Rick, they require charismatic leaders who are tough as nails. But as much as sometimes I want to, I don't blame people for not creating movements, or leaders for not leading them, or circumstances for not being conducive. Successful mass action, rather, may be a thin moment of shared epiphany, a confluence of many factors not all of which remain under our control or are even predictable. So while I wholeheartedly agree that mass action is the answer I remain skeptical that any mass action is an answer. These things work in mysterious ways... Nonetheless, we must start somewhere and to start locally (with those whom you know) makes perfect sense. Here's the conclusion to last Friday's show. Total runtime twenty eight minutes. Arma virumque canō.

Running Against the Grain (Part I)

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Former New York Times Washington Bureau Chief, two time Pulitzer and Emmy winning reporter Hedrick Smith has written a wonderful book, Who Stole the American Dream? (Random House, 2012). I must say, if a seventy nine year old pillar of the journalistic establishment can find his way to a nearly 100% correct policy assessment of many of our biggest problems then others in the mainstream media may yet also see the light. There's more. Hedrick believes, passionately, that our solution is not elections but mass action: millions of people resisting, demanding solutions. We have some different views about what tools are needed for successful mass action but that's immaterial. Hedrick's gotten to the heart of the problem and he's right. Total runtime forty three minutes. (Part II of our conversation, a further twenty five minutes, will be broadcast next Monday morning.) Decet patriam nobis cariorem esse quam nosmetipsos.

A National Disgrace

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 06:00:00 -0500

If you want proof of the fundamentally unserious nature of American politics look no further than our conduct of national elections. The modern twist, paperless electronic voting machines, makes it possible — even before taking account of Byzantine rules for the Electoral College — not only to "elect" the candidate who receives fewer votes but in close and perhaps questionable elections to be unable to conduct a recount. Instead of optimizing democracy the system optimizes fraud or, to be precise, potential fraud... since a lack of forensic evidence makes electronic vote theft an almost perfect crime. To talk about all this I turned to Dr. Barbara Simons, co-author with Dr. Douglas W. Jones of Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count? (Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford, 2012). Barbara expects serious problems in our forthcoming election. I hope she's wrong but I fear she may well be right. I also think it makes sense to consider electronic vote theft a national security issue and I'm pleased to find that Barbara agrees. When will the serious set grasp the larger implications? Total runtime forty eight minutes. Volentī nōn fit iniūria.

Your Vote Matters

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Quite apart from the banality of our two political parties it would be so much less stressful if America could hold reasonably accurate, fair and open elections. Why don't we? Tova Wang tackles part of this problem in The Politics of Voter Suppression: Defending and Expanding Americans' Right To Vote (Cornell University Press/The Century Foundation, 2012). Her arguments are not unreasonable but in several areas I question her logic. On electronic voting, for example, I think she's missed the point that precisely because there's no evidence it's such a serious potential crime. Nevertheless, we share important common ground... and, indeed, I suspect there is greater scope for bipartisan agreement on voting processes than she may realize. Total runtime fifty four minutes. Pacta sunt servanda.

For the Love of Music

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 06:00:00 -0500

In our day and age great wealth ruins most of what it touches. Culture — even highbrow culture — being no exception. Why, I specifically want to know, do performances of classical music no longer move me the way they used to do? Hoping for some answers I turned to Blair Tindall, author of Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005). It's a memoir cum policy assessment, perhaps even a guide for the symphonically perplexed. A good read, tragic and heroic. Thanks, Blair, for explaining things to me! Total runtime fifty one minutes. Res severa est verum gaudium.

The End of the Age of Oil

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Coal, because strikes could cut off its supply, made modern social democracy possible. Oil, because its supply has been pretty much guaranteed, compromised democratic gains. Now that we're running out of cheap carbon fuel what happens next? Dr. Timothy Mitchell, author of Carbon Democracy, brings the problem into focus and explains how serious it is. Reason, to be honest, won't get the establishment's attention. A full nelson will. Total runtime fifty three minutes. Cōnsummātum est.

Assessing Bradley Manning

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:00:00 -0500

According to Chase Madar, "Bradley Manning deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom." Many venerable anti-war activists agree. Yet, to be fair, we should ask ourselves whether there could be a meaningful distinction between being a whistleblower and being an anonymous leaker. Whether, indeed, all anonymous leaks are a good thing. Not to split hairs, such distinctions matter because secrecy in government, normally, is a necessary evil. Chase and I agree to disagree about that but share a sense of outrage regarding Manning's treatment. Total runtime forty seven minutes. Ponderanda sunt testimonia, non numeranda.

Inner Worlds

george@electricpolitics.com — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) wrote prolifically about his inner life. His wild visions influenced, among many others, William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, and W.B. Yeats. Yet Swedenborg remains difficult to access directly, difficult to assess objectively. Paradoxically, what was crystal clear to him needs a sprinkling of ambiguity to become clear to others. Using his comparative knowledge of esoteric history Gary Lachman provides a necessary sense of the incomplete in his latest book, Swedenborg: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (Tarcher/Penguin, 2012). Wonderfully written and thoughtful throughout it's a worthy addition to any collection on spiritual subjects. Total runtime fifty three minutes. Anima nātūrāliter Christiāna.