Category Archives: National Politics

2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014 by William Timberman

Looking Back AND Forward: Democratic Perspective’s 2014 in Review. Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson review the most prominent themes of Democratic Perspective’s broadcasts in 2014. From the growing inequality in income and wealth in the U.S. to dark money and phony Republican scandals in national … Continue reading →

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Anti-Federalism, Anti-Gay Discrimination, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Capital Accumulation, Capitalism, Citizens United, Civil Rights, Class Conflict, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Department of Veterans Affairs, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Economic Theory, Government, Immigration, Income Inequality, Jobs and Employment, Journalism, Law Enforcement, LGBT Issues, Localist Movement, Marriage Equality, Mass Incarceration, Middle East, Middle East Policy, National Politics, National Security, Nullification, Paul Gosar, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Political Lies, Political Polarization, Racism, Scandal Mongering, Supreme Court, Unemployment, Veterans' Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2014: Democratic Perspective’s Year in Review — Podcast December 29, 2014

Israel and the Palestinians: the Fulcrum of Conflict in the Middle East — Podcast December 15, 2014

Posted on December 16, 2014 by William Timberman

The U.S. As Honest Broker, the Oslo Accords, the Peace Process, the Two-State Solution: Does ANY of This Still Make Sense Today? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson consider the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and what appear to be the … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Relations, Military Policy, National Politics, Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Israel and the Palestinians: the Fulcrum of Conflict in the Middle East — Podcast December 15, 2014

President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

Posted on December 4, 2014 by William Timberman

American Dream or American Nightmare? It Depends On Who You Ask: Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino reflects on the story of the United States in the Twenty-First Century as told from two very different viewpoints: first, that of Laura Poitras’s film Citizenfour, about the fugitive NSA … Continue reading →

Posted in Bigotry, Capitalism, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Financial Sector, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Government, Homeland Security, Immigration, Income Inequality, Intelligence Agencies, International Relations, Jobs and Employment, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Military Policy, Minimum Wage, National Politics, National Security, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Poverty, Public Education, Racism, Renewable Energy, Surveillance Programs, Unemployment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on President Obama and Edward Snowden: Two Perspectives On the State of the Nation — Podcast December 1, 2014

The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Posted on July 30, 2014 by William Timberman

Lethal Injection: Incompetence In the Service Of Barbarism? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson investigate the roots of the political infighting which led us to the recent spate of botched executions by lethal injection in Ohio, Oklahoma and our own state, Arizona. Why is it now … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Death Penalty, Justice System, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Death Penalty: Our National Debate Intensifies — Podcast July 28, 2014

Michael Austin Interview — Podcast July 21, 2014

Posted on July 22, 2014 by William Timberman

The U.S. Constitution: Holy Writ, Or a Framework for Democratic Governance? Professor Michael Austin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, returns to Democratic Perspective to continue his earlier discussions with Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson on … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Founding Fathers, Government, Interviews, Legal Issues, National Politics, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Michael Austin Interview — Podcast July 21, 2014

Immigration: Political Gridlock and the Latest Crisis At the Border — Podcast July 14, 2014

Posted on July 16, 2014 by William Timberman

The Golden Door: Is It Now Closed for Good? Democratic Perspective co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson discuss the latest immigration crisis: 90,000 unaccompanied children detained at the U.S./Mexico border, with many more apparently to come. Are they refugees with rights to due … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Protection, Department of Homeland Security, Housekeeping, Immigration, Law Enforcement, National Politics, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Immigration: Political Gridlock and the Latest Crisis At the Border — Podcast July 14, 2014

Understanding the Veterans Affairs Scandal — Podcast July 7, 2014

Posted on July 11, 2014 by William Timberman

The Veteran’s Affairs Scandal: Bad Management or a Shortage of Resources? Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino, Gary LaMaster, and Steve Williamson look at the recent scandal involving long wait times for appointments at VA health care facilities. The Department of Veterans Affairs is … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Care, Health Care Delivery, Health Insurance, Medicare, Military, National Politics, Podcasts | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Understanding the Veterans Affairs Scandal — Podcast July 7, 2014

Capital Punishment: Justice or Revenge? — Podcast June 2, 2014

Posted on June 5, 2014 by William Timberman

The Death Penalty: Cruel, Unjust, and Irreversible. There is ample evidence that the U.S. has executed innocent people, and continues to do so. There is also considerable evidence that the death penalty is disproportionately applied to the poor and to minorities, yet many people … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Government, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Capital Punishment: Justice or Revenge? — Podcast June 2, 2014

Mass Incarceration: The Failure of Prisons As a Replacement for Social Services — Podcast May 26, 2014

Posted on May 30, 2014 by William Timberman

Tough On Crime: Mass Incarceration As a Case Study in What Can Happen When You Aren’t Careful What You Wish For. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rates per capita of any country in the world, higher even than countries such as China … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Corrections Policy, Criminology, Housekeeping, Immigration, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, Mass Incarceration, National Politics, Penology, Podcasts, Political Contributions, Private Prisons, U.S. Court System | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mass Incarceration: The Failure of Prisons As a Replacement for Social Services — Podcast May 26, 2014

When Sedition Poses As Patriotism: Cliven Bundy and His Arizona Supporters — Podcast May 12, 2014

Posted on May 13, 2014 by William Timberman

When It’s the Right Wing Pointing Guns at Federal Officials, Does That Make It Okay? Democratic Perspective co-hosts Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson, with producer Gary LaMaster, ask why Arizona State Representative Bob Thorpe and U.S. Representative Paul Gosar are so eager to support Cliven … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Federalism, Bigotry, Conservative Paranoia, Conspiracy Theories, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Terrorism, Environment, Environmental Issues, Federal Lands, Government, Law Enforcement, National Politics, Nullification, Podcasts, Public Lands, Tax Law, Taxation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on When Sedition Poses As Patriotism: Cliven Bundy and His Arizona Supporters — Podcast May 12, 2014