UNLOCKED

Robbie & Abby do a deep dive on the only DC foreign policy think tank that has managed to slide its tentacles into the so-called 'anti establishment' world of the 'populist right. They go back to the origins of the think-tank starting with founder Herman Kahn the inventor of the nuclear war MAD strategy all the way to their most effective salesman, Saagar Enjeti of the The Hill Rising who attended an Israeli counter terrorism school and wrote for Kim Kagan's Institute for the Study of War right out of 4-year college.

Note: Saagar Enjeti was no longer officially working for the Hudson Institute by January 2021. This podcast was originally released exclusively to Media Roots Patreon subsribers on May 2021.

Intro/Outro - Lawnmower Man SNES OST - Theme

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UNLOCKED: Neocon Tentacles into Populism, the Hudson Institute, the Doomsday Machine & Kahn !!!

Senator Mike Gravel passed away on June 26, 2021 at the age of 91. Leaving an amazing political career behind him, Robbie and Abby decided to reflect on his *true* legacy, one that has been white washed and cherry picked even in the recent newspaper obituaries. A legacy that includes sticking his neck out on taboo issues like advocating for a new 9/11 investigation and pushing legislation encouraging cooperation with the formerly People’s Republic of China. Gravel has been a huge inspiration to Media Roots since the beginning, leaving a lasting imprint on both Abby and Robbie since they watched him on the presidential debate stage vs Barack Obama in 2008. Because of this admiration, Robbie and Abby felt lucky they got Senator Gravel on Media Roots Radio twice as a guest over the years.

Early internet independent journalists Eric and Mike Jackman, also known as the Jackman brothers, had an opportunity to meet Gravel during the 2008 primary, as they happened to live in New Hampshire, a prime spot for visiting campaigning candidates during the presidential primary season. While Gravel was campaigning there, Eric landed a job working for the Senator as his driver. The Jackman Bros tell many hilarious and fascinating anecdotes from their long car rides with the Senator as well as much more. 

There’s nothing complicated about today’s episode, this is a celebration of the life and career of Senator Mike Gravel featuring Robbie Martin, Abby Martin, Mike Jackman and Eric Jackman.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to Media Roots Radio on Patreon // www.patreon.com/mediarootsradio

Patreon subscribers at the $5 tier get access to an exclusive bonus episode per month.

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Honoring Mike Gravel's True Legacy, 1930 - 2021 w/ Eric & Mike Jackman

Two US veterans, Matthew Hoh and Daniel Sjursen, explain how the war in Afghanistan was lost, Afghans suffered, and military contractors profited -- all while the American public was kept in the dark.

Guests:

Danny Sjursen. Retired US Army officer, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and later taught history at West Point. His latest book is "A True History of the United States." 

Matthew Hoh. Former Marine and State Department official who resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan over U.S. policy in September 2009. Now a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. 

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Anti-war veterans explain how US lost Afghanistan while leaders lied, profited

Today's episode is the first in a multi-part series on Lenin's theory of imperialism and how his ideas apply to the modern day struggle against war and empire. Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek discuss Lenin's landmark work "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism". Far from being a series of mistaken policy choices, Lenin proves that imperialism is a compulsory system under modern capitalism. These concepts are covered in detail in the book "Imperialism in the 21st Century: Updating Lenin's Theory a Century Later" published by Liberation Media.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Lenin on Imperialism (Part 1): A Policy or a System?

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the Pandora Papers -- the massive leak of financial information exposing how the rich and powerful hide their assets in tax havens around the world. How does this institutionalized system of tax evasion function? What does this tell us about how the capitalist system works?

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Secrets of the Ultra-Rich Exposed: Global Network of Tax Havens Cater to the Capitalists

Today's episode is the second in a multi-part series on Lenin's theory of imperialism and how his ideas apply to the modern day struggle  against war and empire. Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek discuss how nearly the entire globe was divided up by the imperialist powers by the end of the 19th century as part of the expand-or-die nature of the capitalist system. The imperialists then turned to catastrophic world war as the only available means to grow their empire. But by the middle of the 20th century, it became clear that  this had led to the rise of a bloc of socialist states that threatened the existence of capitalism itself. Inter-imperialist competition took a backseat as a new era of global class war began.  These concepts are covered in detail in the book "Imperialism in the 21st Century: Updating Lenin's Theory a Century Later" published by  Liberation Media.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram.  We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more  are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Lenin on Imperialism (Part 2): The Era of Global Class War

Abby Martin talks to Alan MacLeod of MintPress News about how the Pentagon has written and edited scripts for hundreds of movies and TV shows over the last 20 years.

Support our ad-free work and get EXCLUSIVE content by supporting us at www.patreon.com/empirefiles or donate at www.paypal.com/paypalme/empirefilesinc

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How The Pentagon Runs Hollywood

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how Biden is giving away more and more in backroom negotiations with right wing Democrats in Congress like Joe Manchin, imperiling the most important measures in the social program budget. They also discuss resistance to the coup in Sudan, the latest on right wing attacks on education, new revelations about human rights abuses against migrants in the custody of the U.S. government, and more.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Congress Decides that Pentagon Spending is #1 Priority -- Above All Else!

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how the Federal Reserve has been forced to announce new ethics rules after a scandal over financial trading conducted by high-ranking officials led to the resignation of two regional bank presidents. But will this really prevent Fed officials from using their positions of power to get rich?

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Why Federal Reserve Bankers Should be Arrested for Corruption

After a month long vacation, Abby Martin is back to catch up with Robbie. They talk about everything from their sadness over the death of their favorite comedian Norm Macdonald to their disdain towards the recently deceased Colin Powell, the man who became a human symbol for bipartisan militarism and was a vehicle for liberal acceptance of neoconservative foreign policy and endless war in the Clinton, Bush and Obama eras. 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast please subscribe to Media Roots Radio on Patreon // www.patreon.com/mediarootsradio

Patreon subscribers at the $5 tier get access to an exclusive bonus episode and per month as well as access to the Florida 2001 Event Attacks Map by Robbie Martin.

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Colin Powell a Symbol for Bipartisan Militarism, RIP Norm Macdonald

(Patreon-only Rose McGowan interview here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rose-mcgowan-57953217)
Labor journalists Alex Press (https://twitter.com/alexnpress) & Jonah Furman (https://twitter.com/JonahFurman) discuss the labor movement, strikes, John Deere and what it has to do with Alec Baldwin's deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Alex Press is a writer and editor at Jacobin Magazine, whose latest article is "Halyna Hutchins’s Death on the Set of Rust Was 'Not a Freak Accident'."Jonah Furman is a labor movement organizer and writer for Labor Notes (https://twitter.com/labornotes), the media and organizing project that since 1979 has amplified the voice of workers and labor militants. He is also a frequent contributor to The Intercept.

Alec Baldwin Shooting 'NOT a Freak Accident' With Alex Press & Jonah Furman

News and views about the world for those who want to change it, with Brian Becker

Lenin on Imperialism (Part 2): The Era of Global Class War

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker