Education

It was a fairy tale premise: Once upon a time a charismatic prince appeared magically and gave an inspiring, instantly famous speech. Four years later he was leading the most powerful kingdom in the world from the brink of disaster. 

Believable, isn’t it? But, as Ken Silverstein revealed in Harpers long before the 2008 presidential election, by the time Barack Obama gave his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention he “had already undergone an equally successful but much quieter audition with Democratic Party leaders and fund-raisers, without whose support he would surely...

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As published in Voice of America by Julie Taboh, April 29, 2013:  

Aluminum is everywhere. From airplanes to cooking pans, this versatile, light-weight metal has been around for generations.

And its many benefits have made life easier and more convenient for millions of people. But a new documentary portrays what the filmmaker describes as the "dark side" of aluminum.

It’s in the cans we drink out of...

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Confucius said that the health of a nation could be determined by the integrity of its homes. If we apply that standard, we’re in trouble.

Culturally, most Americans don’t even have homes anymore. They have houses, not homes. Homes are something that are made, not bought. And, homes, thus, require homemakers. That’s right, plural: homemakers. I’m not talking about just women. And, I’m not talking about Ozzie and Harriet stereotypical housewives.

I am talking about what Dr....

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Our MOST LIKELY TO SECEDE book tour kicked off in fine fashion @ Shiretown Books (LINK) in Woodstock, Vermont on Saturday, April 13 with a celebration to honor of Thomas Jefferson's 270th birthday and our new book. 
2VR cake and candles included!


Thanks to everyone who came out for a provocative discussion about the nature of Vermont independence.

Special thanks to Shiretown Books for hosting our event.

...

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Derivatives turn the financial system into a casino. And the House always wins.

Cyprus-style confiscation of depositor funds has been called the “new normal.”  Bail-in policies are appearing in multiple countries directing failing TBTF banks to convert the funds of “unsecured creditors” into capital; and those creditors, it turns out, include ordinary depositors. Even “secured” creditors, including state and local governments, may be at risk.  Derivatives have “super-priority” status in bankruptcy, and Dodd Frank precludes further taxpayer bailouts. In a big derivatives bust, there may be no...
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"We in America are the best entertained and least informed society in the world." - Neil Postman

Two radical questions for you, dear reader. Are U.S.-based corporate media deliberately dividing the nation? What will it take to end the reign of corporate media's "junk food news"?

These two radical, " root cause" questions animate a compelling new documentary about Sonoma State University's award-winning Project Censored media research program. "Project Censored - The Movie," is an independently produced 1 hour film by "...

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I am kicking off the second day of the National Conference on Media Reform in Denver, Colorado by sitting in on a provocative panel discussion devoted to "exploring our post-industrial landscape and discussing the risks and opportunities it brings with it."

Arizona State University's Dan Gillmor began by briefly referencing a number of instances of social media censorship and content policing by Facebook (and other big new media companies like Apple), and pointing out that Facebook is an emerging monopoly that...

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"Corporate media is no longer meeting the needs of our democracy. We have a Truth Emergency on our hands." -Peter Philips
 
Project Censored is in the house! With these introductory words, former Project Censored (PC) director Peter Phillips, sociology prof at Sonoma State University, kicked off the PC road show at "Tattered Cover" Bookstore here in Denver, Colorado on the eve of the 5th National Conference on Media Reform.
 
PC has a thirty year track record of crowd sourcing the most important under-reported news stories of our...
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Obama’s Secret Trade Deal
 
Out of public view the Obama administration is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, a US-led free trade deal with several Pacific Rim countries. Six hundred US corporate advisers have had input, but so far the text hasn’t been shared with the public or media.
 
The level of secrecy is unprecedented. During discussions paramilitary teams guard the premises, helicopters loom overhead, and there’s a near-total media blackout on the subject. US Senator Ron Wyden, who chairs the congressional committee with...
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Good to hear fellow Vermonter Bill McKibben speak at the "Journalism That Matters" conference in Denver, Colorado tonight.

Over hors d'oeuvres and libations prior to his talk, Bill and I had a chance to catch up about the Red Sox, our families, Vermont independence, and the state of the world. As always, he is self-deprecating and funny and intense all at once - we joked about how the airline industry has now refused to feed its passengers while flying across the country. Salted peanuts, anyone?

In his talk, Bill addressed...

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