Bacevich Interview – Podcast April 18, 2022

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine. The History And Unseen Consequences. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Andrew Bacevich to the show. Bacevich is a Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University as well as co-founder and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He argues that to understand the invasion of Ukraine, you must consider the historical context in which the U.S. exploited Russia economically following the collapse of the Soviet Union. And, despite telling Russia that we would not expand NATO eastward, successive American administrations did it anyway. He believes that led to bitterness and a sense of betrayal.

Now Ukraine, as an innocent party, is suffering the consequences.

In addition, the Russian people are suffering under the most horrific sanctions imposed on any nation in memory, he says. When asked how we end those sanctions and deal with Russia once the war ends, Bacevich explains, “The primary question is who’s going to be in charge. If it’s Putin, then it’s going to become ten times more difficult to figure out a way to bring Russia in from the cold. If it’s not Putin, if it’s somebody who we can deal with, then I think that makes the problem orders of magnitude easier.”

“To me, the biggest concern is that this war is going to lead to a new Cold War centered on a frankly exaggerated Russian threat and therefore distract our attention from concerns that ought to be…that are more important. And I’m in the camp that says the climate crisis probably ranks as number one,” says Bacevich. “We increasingly hear warnings issued by authoritative sources that say that the planet…that nations of the world are not meeting their targets in order to limit the rise in temperatures and suggesting dire consequences that are now just 20, 30 to 40 years into the future. I think that danger is much more serious than any danger posed by Vladimir Putin.”

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Baker, Segner Interview – Podcast April 11, 2022

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

No, Inflation Isn’t The Biggest Story Of The Biden Economy. Steve and Karen welcome Dean Baker, one of the nation’s leading economists, and friend of the show Steve Segner to discuss the economy and inflation. When asked whether inflation is permanent or transitory, Baker says though it has lasted longer than expected, in his mind it’s still very much transitory. He says that re-opening from the pandemic has created increased demand and big backlogs in supply throughout a number of sectors. That pushed up prices, not just in the U.S., but in Germany, France and the U.K.

“Is there evidence that it’s coming to an end? To my view, there’s a lot,” says Baker. “…we’ve seen big increases in inventory at both the retail and wholesale level. On average [the stores] are pretty well stocked right now. That should put downward pressure on prices.” He also notes that indices show the cost of shipping is trending downwards and used car prices have been falling sharply in the last couple of months.

As for fuel prices, Baker says that the price of oil is a world price. It’s not something that the U.S. can impact alone. He goes on to mention that blaming inflation on Biden is like blaming a governor for people being homeless following a hurricane. Biden is not responsible for the once-in-a-century pandemic. He can only try to deal with its aftermath.

Baker explains that the media has played a really big role in the issue, saying they have been incredibly negative when talking about the economy under Biden. “I’ve been struck that whenever they talk about economic issues, it’s always about inflation. We got the jobs report just last Friday and all the stories were, ‘Oh, good jobs report. But what about inflation?’ We had a really extraordinary jobs report – the unemployment rate down to 3.6 percent…it barely got mentioned. They turned over and immediately began talking about inflation.” Baker adds that part of the public’s confusion about the economy is partly the result of lies told by Republicans.

Baker points to a recent poll, saying, “I saw one poll where they asked…whether we created more jobs than we lost last year or we lost more jobs than we created. And a clear majority thought we lost more jobs than we created. Well, guess what? 2021 was the best year for job growth ever!”  

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Post Interview – Podcast April 4, 2022

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

A Modern-Day Form Of Slavery. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome international human rights attorney Dianne Post to discuss the abuses and disproportionate cost of for-profit private prisons.

Post was first on our show in 2013 to discuss the same issue. She says a lot has happened since then. But, sadly, not enough. “On the national level Obama made an executive order to stop using for-profit prisons for federal prisoners. But then we had a change of administrations. And that order went in the toilet. Now Biden has made a similar order to stop using for-profit prisons for federal prisoners. But what he did was to start using them for INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] detentions.

Post is now pursuing a lawsuit involving six plaintiffs against private prisons claiming they’re a violation of the 13th Amendment because for-profit prisons represent the ownership of people – trading people as a commodity in the market for money. “That’s called slavery,” she explains.

Thirty states now have private prisons. Yet, according to Post, private prisons have added to our problem of mass incarceration, because they have motivated states to incarcerate more people and give longer sentences.

For those who would like to learn more, Post recommends the following organizations: Abolish Private Prisons, Arizona Justice Alliance, and Just Communities.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, Capitalism, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Constitutional Issues, Corporate Welfare, Corporations, Corrections Policy, Corruption, Criminal Justice Reform, Ethics, Government, Human Rights, Immigration, Interviews, Mass Incarceration, Morality, National Politics, Penology, Private Prisons, Privatization, Public Accountability, Public Policy, Public Private Collaboration, Refugees, Slavery | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Post Interview – Podcast April 4, 2022

McClelland, Hermen, Isom Interview – Podcast March 28, 2022

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Critical Race Theory As A Political Weapon. Our guest host, Holli Ploog, welcomes Heather Hermen, Heather Isom, and our own Karen McClelland to discuss their views of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and public education in general.

To begin, let’s be clear that CRT is NOT taught in public high schools or elementary schools and never has been. Yet, thanks to certain media and individuals, it has become an overwrought issue for public schools across the country. Sedona is no exception.

Hermen explains that she was a school board member when the issue first came up and was contacted by a few people in the community who were asking about it. She says, “I responded to them and one of them was very challenging to me. And then I found out that they didn’t even live in our area.”

When asked her opinion of what all the fuss is about, Isom who teaches social studies and history says, “Well I just don’t see that there is the fuss at the high school level and teaching Critical Race Theory. It’s very complex and, as a master’s student, you were introduced to concepts like this where you’re looking at social conditions through a lens, if you will. We are teaching in high school, certain social circumstances and outcomes…statistics. But we’re not looking at things through a racial-oriented lens of who’s responsible and who is subject to it. In my classes specifically, topics come up that are discussion-based topics of poverty. We look at statistics, which can point to different racial groups. There’s no blame involved. We discuss events throughout history that are racially oriented and that certainly evokes feelings and new perspectives. But it’s not being taught from a lens of how did race factor in here.”

McClelland, who is a current member of the Sedona-Oak Creek Governing Board, adds that the idea is to help understand the past. Not to assign blame. She further explains that parents can opt their children out of any subject matter. And all three guests note that parents have access to the subject matter and materials, which are posted electronically.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, Bigotry, Civil Society, Community, Conspiracy Theories, Cultural Diversity, Disinformation, Domestic Extremism, Education, Education Policy, Food Insecurity, Income Inequality, Interviews, Local Politics, National Politics, Political Lies, Privatization, Public Education, Race and Class, Racism, Regulation, Scandal Mongering | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on McClelland, Hermen, Isom Interview – Podcast March 28, 2022

Ruby, Fogel, Ransom, Sinclair Interview – Podcast March 21, 2022

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Bridging The Political Divide In Arizona. Co-hosts Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome to the show three well-qualified Democratic candidates for the Arizona State Legislature along with their campaign manager, Jay Ruby. The candidates include Mike Fogel, a school board member and retired teacher, who is running for Senate, Cathy Ransom, a single mom and small business owner, who is running for a House seat, and Neil Sinclair, a solar system designer and electric transportation executive, who is also running for a House seat.

Calling themselves the Clean Slate for Democracy, the three candidates point out that by flipping just one Republican seat in the House and one in the Senate would force the two political parties to negotiate with one another for the benefit of all Arizonans. Not just the ideological whims of the Republican Party and its partisan interest groups.

To discover more about the candidates’ views on various issues and to learn how you can help improve Arizona, visit their website at The Clean Slate for Democracy Campaign.

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Lenze Interview – Podcast March 14, 2022

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Assessing Putin’s War. Steve Williamson welcomes Paul Lenze, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics & International Affairs at Northern Arizona University, to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Asked about the news coverage of the invasion, Lenze responds, “They’ve done a good job of showing what is happening in various cities. But it’s a war zone, so there are a lot of areas where they cannot go, and so I think there’s a lot that we’re not seeing in western news coverage. But, he says, “it’s more than is being shown in Russia,” noting that Putin’s government is blocking a lot of what’s happening and using propaganda to try to win over Russian support for his efforts. “But right now, it seems that the Russian people are not supporting him. There are thousands that are going out into the streets protesting what Putin has done,” says Lenze. But he adds, “they just announced that if you speak out against the war and what the Russian military is doing, that you could face 15 years in jail.”

Lenze says he would not have predicted the Russian invasion. But he believes that the limited response by numerous American presidents over the last twelve years led Putin to say, “Hmm…let’s see how far I can escalate this.”

Nevertheless, Lenze thinks it was a miscalculation on Putin’s part. “I don’t think Russia will win at all because the United States has led the coalition of NATO forces to supply military aid to the Ukrainian government. There are reports coming out of Ukraine that the Russian troops are demoralized. Many are trying to flee.” Lenze also believes the economic sanctions could have a huge influence. And even though Russia has $630 billion in reserves, they can’t spend that money because the West is going to make it difficult to spend the money in the global market.

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Posted in Afghanistan, Civil Liberties, Democratic Governance, European Union, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Immigration, International Relations, International Terrorism, Interviews, Mass Migration, Middle East, Military, Military Policy, Nuclear Weapons, Political History, Refugees, U.S. Armed Forces | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Lenze Interview – Podcast March 14, 2022

Fultz, Furman, Thompson Interview – Podcast March 7, 2022

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Identifying And Addressing The Issues Facing Sedona. Steve Williamson welcomes three candidates for Sedona City Council: Brian Fultz, Pete Furman, and incumbent John (JT) Thompson. Steve leads the candidates in a wide-ranging discussion that addresses many of the most important issues facing the city. All three offer their takes on the need for workforce housing, traffic, off-road vehicles, short-term rentals, water supply, fire risks, the area’s fragile environment, and more – almost all of the issues created by the city’s status as one of the world’s premier tourist destinations.

The candidates agree that there is little the city can do, or would want to do, to curtail tourism. As Furman says, “Sedona will always have people coming. Every photo ever taken of Sedona is an advertisement for people to come to Sedona.”

Indeed, Thompson explains, “It’s in our official statement of our vision for the community that we’re welcoming to visitors and future residents alike.” But, he says, “There are always lots of things we can do to manage it.”

Fultz notes that, with 3.4 million visitors annually, Sedona would rank as the eighth-busiest national park. He suggests that the city could look at the type of access programs that the national parks have put in place. “I think there’s a misnomer that, in the desert, you can’t really cause any damage. But this is a sensitive, ecological environment.” He says that Sedona needs to educate tourists and continue to ramp up messaging as part of its sustainable tourism plan.

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Posted in Arizona Politics, Climate Change, Community, Development, Elections, Environment, Government, Growth, Health Care, Housing, Infrastructure, Interviews, Local Politics, Political Candidacy, Public Lands, Public Private Collaboration, Public Service, Small Business, Sustainable Development, Tourism, U.S. Forest Service, Water Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fultz, Furman, Thompson Interview – Podcast March 7, 2022

Reimer, Castagno, Ononuju Interview – Podcast February 28, 2022

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

Critical Race Theory According To The People Who Teach It. Steve Williamson and Sedona City Councilor Holli Ploog welcome Dr. Francis Reimer, Prof. Angelina Elizabeth Castagno, and Dr. Ijeoma Ononuju, all of Northern Arizona University to discuss the now controversial topic of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

For those unfamiliar with CRT, Ploog notes that it emerged from a book published in 1973. To be clear, it has never been taught in K-12 schools. It is only taught in law schools and in graduate level education. But, as Reimer points out, “It’s a very loud manufactured concern that has gained traction. But just because it’s manufactured, doesn’t mean it’s not a concern,” she warns. “We have to remember that it has stirred up a lot of parents.”

That is only because a rightwing activist searching for a political wedge issue used it to get the attention of a Fox News host and, eventually, the former president. “It’s all, I think we can argue, part of a campaign to erode the public schools,” says Reimer.

Castagno notes that it is one of multiple explanations for why inequality exists. “Critical Race Theory says that racism is everywhere. And that makes people uncomfortable. When we’re faced with a set of ideas that say, maybe your success is not just because of your hard work, maybe it’s also because laws, policies, systems have also made the starting line not even. That makes us uncomfortable. Because then I start to think maybe it was not just my hard work.”

Ononuju cuts to the heart of the controversy. “It’s the same thing we saw in Tucson ten years ago. Right? We don’t want our minority students to learn more about themselves and their relationship that is not in line with the Disney everything-is-rosy-and-beautiful understanding of our relationship with America. And that’s where a lot of this sentiment is coming from.”

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Posted in Bigotry, Civil Rights, Civil Society, Community, Conservative Paranoia, Conspiracy Theories, Continuing Education, Cultural Change, Cultural Diversity, Disinformation, Education, Education Policy, Ethics, Genocide, Human Rights, Interviews, National Politics, Political History, Political Lies, Political Theory, Public Education, Race and Class, Racial Discrimination, Racism, Slavery | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Reimer, Castagno, Ononuju Interview – Podcast February 28, 2022

Kinsella Interview – Podcast February 21, 2022

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

On Becoming A Candidate For Public Office. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Sedona City Councilor Kathy Kinsella to discuss how to become a candidate for public office and run a successful campaign. Before moving to Arizona, Kinsella was elected to five two-year terms as highway superintendent in Reinbeck, New York. And, since arriving in Sedona, she served on the Planning and Zoning Commission before running for City Council.

Kinsella says the biggest obstacle in running for office is the decision-making process: Which office do I want to run for? What qualifies me to run? What skills are needed? What can I bring to the office? How much time will it require? She recommends that you make a list and really find your fit. “There should be a dating app – I want to run for office. Here’s my profile,” she wryly suggests.

As for the frustrations of serving in a public office, she lists misinformation as the biggest one. “For all the people who are out there posting on Facebook or Next Door or have lots of opinions, well, opinions are great. But you need to sort of step up and put your money where your mouth is and run for office because that’s where decisions are made.”

Perhaps one of Kinsella’s best bits of advice is to remember the distinction between running a political campaign and serving in office. “Campaigns are competitive,” she says. “Governing should not be.”

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Babaa, Jordahl Interview – Podcast February 14, 2022

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Gary LaMaster

GOP Assault On Free Speech. “You must pledge allegiance to Israel and to the corporations for which we stand.” That’s the message given to state contractors by Republican legislatures in the more than 30 states that have passed draconian laws in reaction to the BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) movement, a movement designed to pressure Israel into ending human rights violations against Palestinians.

To discuss the issue, Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Mik Jordahl and Suhad Babaa. Jordahl is an attorney who has pursued lawsuits against states that have passed such laws. Babaa is the executive director of Just Vision and the producer of Boycott, a 2021 documentary film that chronicles the experiences of people who have refused to sign away their rights.

“We are in the midst of one of the most consequential First Amendment battles this country has seen in decades,” says Babaa in explaining what led her to create the film. “When we saw that there were laws being passed in states across the United States that were aiming to suppress the ability of Americans to express their political dissatisfaction with Israeli policies toward Palestinians, and that Americans like Mik were being asked to sign a pledge that they would not engage in boycotts of Israel if they wanted to maintain public contracts with their state, we knew it was a really important story to follow.”

Jordahl expresses his attitude toward the laws this way: “They’re talking about my own money. If I want to boycott Walmart or Chicken McNuggets that’s up to me. But I am sure as hell not going to give away my constitutional rights to a foreign government.”

According to Babaa, Republicans are using similar laws to prevent Americans from expressing their views against other entities. “This isn’t just about Israel/Palestine. In recent months, in the last year in particular, several states including Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Indiana and beyond, have introduced or passed bills that punish companies for boycotting the fossil fuels industry as well as the weapons and ammunitions industries. You’ve already seen these bills pass in Texas and they went into effect, actually, on September 1 of 2021 in Texas,” she warns.

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Posted in Bigotry, Business, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Constitutional Issues, Domestic Extremism, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, International Relations, Interviews, Justice System, Legal Issues, Middle East, Middle East Policy, Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, Political Polarization, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Babaa, Jordahl Interview – Podcast February 14, 2022