Progressive Commentary Hour

Progressive Commentary Hour - 04.11.17

The syrian crisis and the growing tensions between the US and Russia

 

Ray McGovern served as an Army intelligence officer and a CIA analyst for 27 years under 7 presidential administrations, from John F. Kennedy to George H. W. Bush. Among his duties was preparing the President’s Daily Brief, which was a one-on-one to President Ronald Reagan’s most senior national security advisers.  He was responsible for the analysis of Soviet intelligence regarding Vietnam and served as the Assistant National Intelligence Officer for Western Europe. Since retiring, Ray has been a vocal peace activist and journalist and helped create Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) to expose the way intelligence was falsified to “justify” war on Iraq and the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence. He also works with Tell the Word, an ecumenical Catholic publishing house.   Ray’s opinion pieces appear in many leading news sources here and abroad.  He holds degrees in theology and philosophy from Fordham University, an MA in Russian History, is a graduate from Harvard Business School and has a certificate in theology from Georgetown University.   His website is RayMcGovern.com  and more of his writings can be found on ConsortiumNews.com

Progressive Commentary Hour - 04.04.17

A look at the role of the private financial regime within the Deep State

James Corbett is the founder and editor of the Corbett Report, a website he started in 2007 to provide critical analysis on politics, society, economics and history.  He has written, recorded and hosted 1000s of hours of audio and video which has brought him to the attention of major independent media such as RT. James is also a host of Eyeopenner on Boilingfrogs.com, produces video reports for GRTV – run by Global Research in Canada, and is the lead editorial writer of the International Forecaster.  He has directed several important documentaries including “How Big Oil Conquered the World” and his “Century of Enslavement” is perhaps the best film exposing the dark history and corruption of the Federal Reserve system.  His website, with his numerous podcasts, audio and video programs is CorbettReport.com

 

Progressive Commentary Hour - 03.28.17

The Unauthorized Biography of David Rockefeller - David Rockefeller is dead. But what does it mean? How do we measure the life of someone who has shaped the modern world to such an extent? Join us for this week's edition of  The Progressive Commentary  Hour as Gary plays The Corbett Report where we examine David Rockefeller's life, his works and the world that he left in his wake.

Progressive Commentary Hour - 03.21.17

ALWAYS A REMARKABLE MIND

Conversation about the state of American consciousness

Chris Hedges is one of our nation’s most insightful cultural critics, social and political activists and investigative journalists. For almost 20 years he was a foreign correspondent in war zones and conflicts in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans, having reported for The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and other news outlets.  While at the Times, Chris received the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on global terrorism. That same year he received Amnesty International’s Global Award for Human Rights Journalism.   Chris has authored many bestselling books. His most recent  is “Unspeakable: Talks with David Talbot About the Most Forbidden Topics in America”, a candid conversation on some of the most important issues and themes of our times that mainstream media refuses to discuss. Chris’ weekly talk show “On Contact,” interviews prominent dissidents ignored by the media and airs every Saturday on Russian TV at RT.com

Progressive Commentary Hour - 03.14.17

SERIES ON THE HIDDEN HAND

A look at the shadow government from the perspective of a former senior CIA official, the Wikileaks dump of CIA documents, and Trump’s battle against the CIA and the intelligence agencies

Kevin Shipp is a former CIA officer who for 17 years specialized in counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism overseas and espionage investigator searching for moles within the CIA. During the Iran Contra scandal, Kevin was a protective agent of the CIA Director. He received outstanding meritorious citations, three exceptional performance awards and a medal for his services in high risk operations. Kevin left the agency after his family was exposed to toxic substances during an assignment that led to serious illness, threats by the agency and harassment.  He holds a masters degree in forensic psychophysiology and is the author of “From the Company of Shadows” which is a firsthand account of how the CIA conducts operations, the agency’s abuse of secrecy and its privileges of operating outside the rule of Constitutional and international law.

 

Progressive Commentary Hour - 03.07.17

The humanitarian crisis in the US-UK-Saudi led war in Yemen and Trumps escalation of  the conflict with US special forces on the ground

Vanessa Beeley is a British investigative journalist who has focused on the conflicts in the middle east – particularly in Gaza and Syria. She is a associate editor of 21^st Century Wire and was member of a peace finding mission to Syria and organized by the US Peace Council.  Vanessa was in Aleppo during and after its liberation after the city being captured for almost 5 years by western backed Salafist terror organizations last year. She is credited with having exposed the fraud behind the faux charitable, volunteer organization the Syrian Civil Defense or better known as the White Helmets, which was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize and was featured in the documentary that recently received an Oscar award.   She is also a contributing writer for the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine, the Dissident Voice and manages the website The Wall Will Fall in London, where she blogs about her travels and reports from the Middle East.  Her websites are TheWallWillFall.org   and   21stCenturyWire.com

Progressive Commentary Hour - 02.28.17

CONVERSATIONS WITH REMARKABLE MINDS

The Hidden Hand – Threats to our Constitutional and Civil Rights Under Trump

 Danny Sheehan is one of our nation’s most important and influential Constitutional and public interest lawyers.  During the past 45 years he has handled such public interest cases as the Pentagon Papers, the Watergate Break In, Iran Contra and the Silkwood murder case.  He has represented victims of he Three Mile Island nuclear disaster and fought against the American Nazi Party on hate crimes. Recently Danny was a leading attorney on behalf of the Native nations at Standing Rock. He is the founder of the Christic Institute and the Romero Institute, the latter being a nonprofit public policy center in Santa Cruz California. Danny has his law degree from Harvard University and later returned to study at the Harvard Divinity School.. He is the author of “The People’s Advocate: The Life and Legal History of America’s Most Fearless Public Defence Lawyer,”   And his websites are DanielPSheehan.com   AND   RomeroInstitute.org

 John Whitehead is an attorney and author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law and human rights fo the the persecuted and oppressed. In 1982 he founded The Rutherford Institute, a non-profit civil liberties and human rights organization headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Institute provides legal services to defend civil liberties and programs to educate the public on issues affecting their Constitutional freedoms. John gained international renown for his role as co-counsel in Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton. He has filed numerous amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court and has been co-counsel in several landmark Supreme Court cases as well.  John has been the subject of many newspaper, magazine and television profiles, ranging from Gentleman's Quarterly to CBS' 60 Minutes.  His most recent book is “Battlefield America: The War on the American People”.  And his website is Rutherford.org

Progressive Commentary Hour - 02.21.17

Hidden Hand… The silent CIA activities and their consequences.

Prof. Melvin Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington DC and an adjunct professor in international relations at Johns Hopkins University.  For 24 years—through the administrations of Johnson to Bush Sr—he had served in the CIA and the Department of State as a Soviet analyst. He was also a professor of international relations at the National War College for 18 years.  Prof Goodman writes frequently for Counterpunch and has written for the NY Times, Harpers, Foreign Policy, Washington Post and other publications.  His seven books have dealt with Soviet studies, Star Wars, the Neoconservative agenda and the CIA.  His last book “National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism” validated Eisenhower’s warnings concerning the dangers of the military industrial complex to the American economy, security and culture. And is forthcoming “Whistleblower at the CIA: The Path of Dissent” has been delayed and obstructed for almost a year by the CIA itself.  Mel’s website is MelvinGoodman.com

 

Progressive Commentary Hour - 02.14.17

Gary chats with PRN host Beatty Cohan on the top of LOVE, They duo go over the topics of Why are relationships so challenging? A Valentine's day look at the state of love in the world, and in American culture in particular. How is the lack of love contributing to our culture of fear, resentment and hate, intolerance and social divisions?  And how does the our culture climate politicize relationships and stifle social empathy, kindness and compassion.Our guest is Beatty Cohan -- a psychotherapist for 35 years and  a nationally recognized expert in marriage and relationship therapy and sexual dysfunction counseling. Her work also includes treating early child abuse, sexual assault and substance abuse. Beatty has been a columnist, a public speaker having given hundreds of presentations to national organizations, colleges and universities, a radio talk host, and a resident psychotherapeutic expert for major television networks. 

Progressive Commentary Hour - 02.07.17

CONVERSATIONS WITH REMARKABLE MINDS

How the US is at war with itself and why this is contributing to the growing authoritarianism in the Trump era

Professor Henry Giroux (Jeer-oh) holds the Global Television Network Chair of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University in Ontario Canada. He was previously the Waterbury Chair Professor at Penn State University and Director of the Forum in Education and Cultural Studies.  Professor Giroux is a leader in the field of critical and public pedagogy which describes the nature of spectacle in our new media, body politic and corporate education.  He is a prominent advocate of radical democracy, which opposes the powers of neoliberalism, corporatism, and religious fundamentalism that diminishes our sense of civic virtue, free-thought and well being. He has also been named among the top fifty educational thinkers of the modern Period.  Henry has authored many books and the most recently is “America at War with Itself”.  His website is HenryAGiroux.com