Progressive Commentary Hour - The phenomena of conspiracy thinking and theories - 01/28/13

Prof. James Tracy is a professor in the Department of Communications at Florida Atlantic University where he specializes in media history and analysis, the politics of communications, and the sociology behind commercial and alternative news media on current events. His writings are frequently published on Global Research in Canada and alternative, progressive news and analysis sites. Prof. Tracy is also the editor of Democratic Communique, and is affiliated with the Project Censored group at Sonoma State University.  He received his doctorate from University of Iowa. Recently, Prof. Tracy drew national attention for challenging the official story of about the Sandy Hook shootings last month. Dr. Ralph Metzner is a psychologist, psychedelic researcher and author who has been on of the leading pioneers of the modern exploration school of consciousness studies.  He was one of the original psychedelic researchers working with Timothy Leary and Richard Albert (eg Ram Das) at Harvard University, where he later received his doctorate. Dr. Metzner is a professor emeritus of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies where he was also the former academic dean. He is the co-founder and president of the Green Earth Foundation, non-profit organization devoted to harmonizing the relationship between humans and the earth, and a signatory to the 911 Truth Statement.  He has published numerous articles and many books on the psychology of consciousness, mysticism and spirituality, psychedelics.  His latest book is “Six Pathways of Destiny” in the Ecology of Consciousness series, and he writes at GreenEarthFound.org BOOK:  “Six Pathways of Destiny” WEBSITE:  www.GreenEarthFound.org Jon Rappoport has worked as a free-lance investigative reporter for over 30 years, writing about politics and the corportacracy, alternative health and the medical cartel, the media, and culture LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, Village Voice, Nexus, CBS Healthwatch, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. His reporting on the military in El Salvador earned him a submission for the Pulitzer prize. He has hosted, produced, and written radio programs and has appeared as a guest on over 200 radio and television programs, including ABC's Nightline, Tony Brown's Journal (PBS), and Hard Copy. For the last ten years, Jon has operated largely away from the mainstream because, as he puts it, "My research was not friendly to the conventional media."  He runs a website with many years of research and articles called No More Fake News. Com WEBSITE:  www.NoMoreFakeNews.com Phil Rockstroh is a poet, lyricist, essayist and philosopher who has been published extensively numerous publications and anthologies. His socio-political analyses and commentaries are widely distributed on progressive newsites such as Common Dreams, Robert Parry’s Consortium News, Truth Out, Counterpunch, and many others.  His writings focus on the angst and alienation in post-modern society and the excesses of the hyper capitalist-consumer paradigm. Phil also frequently appears on RT Russian television for his analysis on current trends, and he will be hosting a new program on Progressive Radio Network in the near future. WEBSITE:  PhiRockstroh.com