Mass Media, Social Media, and the New Civil War

On June 8th, 1967, during the course of the Six-Day War, the Israeli military tried to sink an American ship and kill all the crew -- knowing full well that's exactly what they were doing.  The attack left 34 Americans dead, hundreds maimed, and a ship destroyed.

The Ballad of the USS Liberty

This week on Green Street, Patti & Doug discuss the failure of the FDA to regulate chemicals in food, and how new language in the farm bill will prohibit states from regulating pesticides. Then author and investigative reporter Justin Nobel talks about the extremely high levels of radiation from fracking and how the industry is trying to keep it quiet.

Big Oil's Dirty Little Secret with Justin Nobel

Australian musician Mark Cronin shared with me his rendition of my song about imprisoned Australian journalist, Julian Assange, "Behind These Prison Walls," and I had to share it with you, because it's gorgeous. Looking forward to being in Australia again myself very soon!

Mark Cronin sings "Behind These Prison Walls"

The governor of New York's U-turn on imposing a congestion charge on car traffic in lower Manhattan has been in the news today.  Read certain news sources and you'll even find out what the U-turn was actually about. Here's the rhyming version of the story.

Congestion Charge

In 1834, organizing a union in England was legal on the books, but not in reality.  Farmworkers in Tolpuddle, on the south coast of England, tried to organize a union and were deported to Australia for it.  A massive movement across the country forced the government to pardon the Tolpuddle Martyrs, as the farmworkers became known, and transport them back to England.

This version of the song, from a live show in Crewe, England, was enhanced afterwards by multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer, Chet Gardiner, from his studio in Hawai'i.  It will be part of our next collaborative album, to be titled, I Heard A Rumor, to be released on July 4th, 2024.

Tolpuddle

The Progressive Embrace of the McCarthyite Left

This week on Green Street Patti and Doug talk about why processed foods are so addictive, and how telecoms are getting rid of copper land lines. Then investigative reporters Barbara Laker and David Gambacorta talk about their series in the Philadelphia Inquirer about artificial turf and members of the Phillies baseball team who all developed brain cancer after years of playing on the field.

Toxic Turf with Barbara Laker and David Gambacorta

Oak was able to catch up with Mark Seely, whose work appeared in Oak Issue 2.  Mark is a professor of psychology for over 20 years, most recently at Edmonds College.  Mark has published several books, most recently Civilization Heresies, which explores, in short vignettes, the destruction of wild human nature and delves into foundational corruptions brought about by civilized life and ways of thinking.

Mark Seely in Conversation with Oak (Featuring John Zerzan, interviewer)

Oak Journal

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