As part of the “culture war,” Bill O’Reilly must be a commissioned officer in the anti-choice storm trooper division. In “looking out for us,’ he knows what’s best for women and as such, is very concerned about their reproductive organs.
His dismay about the demise of the white, Christian, male power structure indicates that he would love to go back to those halcyon days when big daddy knew best, and submissive mommy stayed home, baked cookies, and had nice, white babies; the good old days when uppity women, who denied their mission as mothers, bled to death or were maimed for life as a result of back alley abortions and “homemade” remedies for unwanted pregnancy (served em right, eh, Bill?); those happy days when women accepted the “shame” of an unintended pregnancy, dropped out of school, and gave their babies up for either adoption in a nice white home, or not so nice orphanages where abuse ran rampant.
Because the late Dr. Tiller (and the women who accessed his service) defied Bill’s 50’s world view, Bills continues his justification of his jihad against Tiller and those stupid, silly women who have late term abortions.
Fascist socialism isn’t a real threat in our country, but right-wing fearmongering about Obama’s domestic agenda is. Check out the excellent compilation Free Press and Matthew Thompson have put together, which shows how FOX News (once again) leads the fearmongering charge. It’s part of Free Press’ Stop Big Media campaign.
As we look toward the new year, our economy is in crisis and our environment is in distress. What we need from our next president is a plan of action that simultaneously saves our planet from pollution and puts our economy back on track. What we need is a “green” solution.
Our guest on the next Meet the Bloggers is activist and environmental leader Van Jones, author of the best-selling new book, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. Jones is the founder and president of Green For All, a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive, green economy, strong enough to lift millions of people out of poverty. Jones proposes the creation of green collar jobs that do not require extensive degrees, but will allow our working population to be employed and have a more meaningful purpose in the workplace.
Tune in as Van Jones joins host Cenk Uygur, Chris Rabb (Afro-Netizen), and Simran Sethi (Huffington Post). This episode will be online with a live blog Friday, December 19, at 1pm ET/10am PT, and is available anytime after on MeetTheBloggers.org. In the meantime, here’s what you can do to learn more about creating green collar jobs and saving the environment:
In this progressive era, isn't it time for the U.S. to abolish the death penalty? Doesn't everyone know by now the death penalty doesn't work as a deterrent and costs taxpayers more to prosecute than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole? It's uncivilized, ineffective, and inhumane.
This week on Meet the Bloggers, we're discussing the death penalty with actor Mike Farrell — television's B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H* — who has worked for social justice and human rights for more than 40 years. A lifelong opponent of the death penalty, Farrell is president of Death Penalty Focus. He joins show host Cenk Uygur and Liliana Segura, the Rights and Liberties blogger for Alternet.
Together, they will dismantle the many myths about the death penalty:
Myth: Death by lethal injection is painless and humane.
Myth: The death penalty provides "closure" to families of victims.
Myth: The death penalty is enforced only after all efforts for appeal have been exhausted.
Myth: The death penalty is faithful to the Constitution.
We'll also talk to blogger Bryna Subherwal about Amnesty International's Global Write-a-Thon, now in progress. Plus, we'll learn about the state of the death penalty in Mexico from special correspondent Axel Woolfolk, as well as the hypocrisy of using the Bible to justify the death penalty from Brave New Films blogger Jonathan Kim.
A consumer consumes — but if we call the act of consuming consumption, shouldn't the person who does the consuming be a consumptive? Consumption is a disease. Nicole Kidman's character was consumptive in Moulin Rouge. She died. Think about that next time you are stricken with consumptive urges.
Watch the Meet the Bloggers episode from last Friday and help us take on unchecked consumerism. We can have a happy holiday with out making an unhappy life for other parts of the world.
Some of my fellow Kossacks got their knickers in a twist the other day over the news that David Gregory's set to become the new host of NBC's Meet the Press. Why the outrage? Well for one thing, they can never forgive Gregory for dancing with the devil, aka "MC" Rove. Plus, as one unkind Kossack noted, "I think he looks like he's from Planet Of The Apes" (admittedly, the photos offered as evidence made a compelling case).
Why not Chuck Todd? Better still, Rachel Maddow, patron saint of progressive wonks?
Look, I worship the luminous Rachel just as much as the next lefty blogger, but when are you guys gonna wake up and start sleeping in on Sunday? Why waste another precious hour of your life watching all those inside-the-Beltway bozos compete to see who can offer the most ossified observations, the stalest sound bites? (I make an exception for Donna Brazile, for whom God created the DVR.)
Get with the program — Friday is the new Sunday. You've got Left, Right, & Center on KCRW, and now there's Meet The Bloggers, live every Friday at 1 pm Eastern. Meet The Bloggers is an online video show from Robert Greenwald's Brave New Foundation, dedicated to providing a forum for "unconventional political opinion and analysis." It's got the talking heads you actually want to hear from, the folks just beyond the scope of our myopic old media.
The recent Black Friday tragedies at Wal-Mart in New York and Toys "R" Us in California may finally help break the spell of mindless consumerism and rampant commercialism. We're taking up that cause this week on Meet the Bloggers with Rev. Billy and Savitra D of the Church of Stop Shopping and the documentary What Would Jesus Buy? They will join host Cenk Uygur and blogger Latoya Peterson (NewDream.org) to discuss ways of avoiding sweatshop purchases, staying out of the malls and the big box stores, and how to put more meaning into the holidays without putting more stuff under the tree.
Alarmingly, 90% of what's purchased this holiday will end up in a landfill within six months. And with Americans carrying more than $2.59 trillion in consumer debt, it's time we started celebrating a happy, cruelty-free, sustainable holiday. Check out the material below and join us this Friday on Meet the Bloggers to let the celebration begin.
Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have found a fantastic resource for getting the information you need to live a sustainable life. We at Brave New Foundation are out to find resources that can help people to do something to effect positive social change. Meet the Bloggers is a new online show that, issue by issue, helps its viewers to make the unconscious conscious, and choose sustainable living.
On our last show, we hosted Dr. Marion Nestle and got real about the impacts of industrial food production. We presented as an alternative shopping organic, shopping local, and learning how by visiting www.sustainabletable.org.
You can see the whole show at www.meetthebloggers.org. Come on by and spread the word. Let’s make this holiday season a record one for sustainably produced foods.
As a nutrition professor, I am constantly asked why nutrition advice changes so much and why experts so often disagree. Whose information, people ask me, can we trust? I’m always tempted to say, “Mine, of course,” but I understand the problem. Yes, nutrition advice is complicated by scientific arguments, the vested interests of food companies, and compromised government regulations. But basic dietary advice has been the same for 50 years and is not in dispute. I summarize it as “eat less; move more; eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and avoid too much junk food.” Michael Pollan says the same thing more succinctly: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
If dietary advice seems more complicated than that, it is surely because of the effects of rising rates of obesity on food companies. Food companies must sell products to stay in business; they must promote “eat more.” But obesity is the most important public health nutrition problem these days, and the solution to obesity is to “eat less.” This puts public health in conflict with food company business needs.
Obesity is on the rise and Type 2 diabetes cases nearly doubled in the last 10 years. For the first time in decades, the life expectancy of children born in this century is actually lower than their parents. What's the number one culprit in this crisis? Food. Meanwhile, food safety is spotty. The U.S. lacks a comprehensive "farm to table" food inspection process. That's why the Centers for Disease Control estimates there are 76 million cases of food borne illness each year!
What we eat is making us sick! To find out why — and what we can do about it — join food scientist Marion Nestle this Friday on Meet the Bloggers. Nestle is the author of What to Eat and a professor in the Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health Department at New York University. We'll also chat with filmmaker Catherine Gund, director of the upcoming documentary What's On Your Plate?, along with the two young subjects of her film, 7th graders Sadie Hope-Gund and Safiyahi Riddle. Then blogger Kerry Trueman (Huffington Post, Eating Liberally) shares some not-particularly-appetizing information about the traditional holiday turkey, and we'll visit our local farmers' market to learn why we should eat locally and seasonally.
The next episode of Meet the Bloggers will be available beginning Friday, November 21. Check out some of the articles below and fight the food policies that have failed us with your knife and fork!
