Description
Blue Pills & Green Bills - Common Sense 175
Description: Dan is in a mood to rant and it definitely comes out in this show. Illegal immigration,Wall Street reform,terrorism and U.S. foreign policy are touched upon. It’s loud, ugly and repetitive.
Show Notes:
1. “The Roman Revolution” by Ronald Syme.
2. “Faisal Shazad Arrest: Beck versus McCain on Miranda Rights for Times Square Suspect” by Sam Stein for The Huffington Post, May 4, 2010.
The Reform Mirage - Common Sense 176
Description: Why do potential solutions that might actually help reform the U.S. political system seem so far-fetched? Dan tries to deal with the subject in a realistic way. Also, a riffin’ on the News segment.
Show Notes:
1.”Financial regulation bill gets last-minute amendment from Sen. Chris Dodd” by Brady Dennis for The Washington Post, May 19, 2010.
2.”Congress Refuses to Outlaw Insider Trading For Lawmakers” by Peter Gorenstein in Investing, Banking, Politics, May 5, 2010.
3.”Premiums may undermine coverage guarantee for kids” by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, for the Associated Press, May 9, 2010.
4.”Texas ready for textbook showdown” by MSNBC staff writers, May 19, 2010.
5.”Gates says urgent need to cut defense bureaucracy” by Robert Burns for the Associated Press, May 8, 2010.
6.”Pentagon asking Congress to hold back on generous increases in troop pay” By Craig Whitlock for the Washington Post, May 8, 2010.
Waterlogged Thoughts - Common Sense 177
Description: Everything discussed in this show is likely to get a lot of people angry. From Israeli naval raids to U.N. control of U.S. foreign policy, Dan probably won’t be able to avoid making you mad. Sorry.
Show Notes:
1.”Next time we’ll use more force” by Yaakov Katz for The Jerusalem Post, June 1, 2010.
2.”Israeli aid boat attack ‘has opened the world’s eyes to Gaza’s plight’ ” by Sheera Frenkel for The Times (UK), June 1, 2010.
3.”Egypt opens Gaza border after Israel ship clash” by Nidal al-Mughrabi for Reuters News Service, June 1, 2010.
4.”Mossad chief: Israel gradually becoming burden on U.S.” by Jonathan Lis for Haaretz, June 1, 2010.
5.”U.S. says state aggression issues could undermine ICC” by Aaron Gray-Block for Reuters News Service, June 1, 2010.
Indecent Disclosure- Common Sense 178
Description: Despite weird voodoo that tried to prevent this episode from being released, Dan comes out in support of whistleblowers who leak secrets and full financial disclosure in politics. Surprising, eh?
Show Notes:
1. Prejudices by H.L. Mencken
2.”Inside the Company” by Phillip Agee
3.”The Praetorian Guard” by John Stockwell
4.”Wikileaks and National Security” by L. Gordon Crovitz for The Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2010.
5.”Disclose Act in jeopardy after interest groups balk at NRA deal” by Dan Eggan for The Washington Post, June 18, 2010.
6.”How the Dems NRA loophole backfired” by Kenneth P. Vogel, Jonathan Allen and John Bresnahan for Politico.com, June 18, 2010.
7.”San Francisco Passes Cellphone Radiation Law” by Jesse McKinley for The New York Times, June 15, 2010.
GenX Journalism - Common Sense 179
Description: Dan has nothing but praise for the likes of Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi as they assault the stale complacence of the traditional media outlets. Also: The latest Supreme Court ruling on guns.
Show Notes:
1.”The Culture of Exposure” by David Brooks for The New York Times, June 26, 2010
2.”Lara Logan, You Suck” by Matt Taibbi for Rolling Stone magazine, June 28, 2010
3. “New Study Documents Media Servitude To Government” by Glenn Greenwald for Salon magazine, June 30, 2010
4. “How many Americans are targeted for assassination?” by Glenn Greenwald for Salon magazine, June 25, 2010
The Inflexible Mind - Common Sense 180
Description: Description: Does partisan ideology inhibit the ability to learn from political mistakes? This episode deals with some of the recurring core issues of the show, including secrecy, corruption and partisanship..
Show Notes:
1. “New documents from Vietnam era resonate even now” by Nancy Benac and Tom Raum for The Associated Press, July 15, 2010.
2. “Ex-diplomat says UK exaggerated Iraq WMD” by The Associated Press, July 13, 2010.
3. “Historian warns of sudden collapse of American ’empire'” by Brent Gardner-Smith for the Aspen Daily News, July 6, 2010.
4. “Fund-Raising Before House Vote Draws Scrutiny” by Eric Lipton and Eric Lichtblau for The New York Times, July 15, 2010.
The Instrument of Destruction - Common Sense 181
Description: A listener wants Dan to predict the future, which leads to him adopting an almost Vonnegut-esqe “so it goes” resignation to the inevitable. Also incoherent rambling and random musings on the jobs front.
Show Notes:
1. “Top Secret America: A hidden world growing beyond control” a special investigation for The Washington Post by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin, July 19, 2010.
2. “American-Bred Terrorists Causing Alarm For Law Enforcement” by Jason Ryan, Pierre Thomas and Xorje Olivares for ABC News, July 22, 2010.
Flirting with the Berserk Line - Common Sense 182
Description: How can you tell if the government has gone insane? Dan has strong opinions on where the line-in-the-sand between crazy and sane should be drawn. Also: Expert dictatorship or ignorant democracy?
Show Notes:
1. “See You Next Tyranny Day!” by Jonah Goldberg for The National Review, July 9, 2010.
I Spy (on you) - Common Sense 183
Description: Dan has a case of “Hardcore History Hangover”, but still manages to to get out a show about your dwindling rights to privacy and what happens when political Hyperbole becomes the Truth.
Show Notes:
1. “The Government can use GPS to Track Your Moves” by Adam Cohen for TIME magazine, August 25, 2010
2. “The “nobody-could-have-known” excuse and Iraq” by Glenn Greenwald for Salon Magazine, August 31, 2010.
3. “Lawsuit challenges Obama’s power to kill citizens without due process” by Glenn Greenwald for Salon Magazine, August 30, 2010.
Grading Evil on a Curve - Common Sense 184
Description: Is the treatment of women in some traditional societies “evil”? Dan looks at the issue of “honor killings” and tries to determine what the world community’s response should be. Also: Fareed Zakaria wakes up.
Show Notes:
1. “The crimewave that shames the world” by Robert Fisk for The (U.K.) Independent, September 7, 2010.
2. “Relatives with blood on their hands” by Robert Fisk for The (U.K.) Independent, September 8, 2010.
3. “What America Has Lost” by Fareed Zakaria for Newsweek Magazine, September 4, 2010.
False Advertising - Common Sense 185
Description: The only way Americans can change federal government policy is by voting for new political candidates. But what if those candidates ignore the positions they ran on once elected? Also: the implementation Gordian knot.
Show Notes:
1. “Obama argues his assassination program is a ‘state secret’ ” by Glenn Greenwald for Salon Magazine, September 25, 2010.
2. “Illinois Anti-War Activists Accuse FBI Of Intimidation” by Karen Hawkins for The Huffington Post, September 25, 2010.
3. “FBI Spied on PETA, Greenpeace, Anti-War Activists” by Jack Cloherty and Jason Ryan for ABC News, September 20, 2010.
4. “Defense goes all-in for incumbents” by Jen Dimascio, for Politico.com, September 27, 2010.
5. “The Responsibility Deficit” by David Brooks for The New York Times, September 23, 2010.
The Cynicism Defense - Common Sense 186
Description: What if campaign advertising stopped being effective? Dan theorizes that the cynical nature of younger voters may end up reducing the power of money in politics. Also: Dan uses Thomas Friedman to pat himself on the back.
Show Notes:
1. “Some Dems uneasy with attack on Chamber” by Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger for the Tribune Washington Bureau, October 11, 2010.
2. “Third Party Rising” by Thomas Friedman for The New York Times, October 2, 2010
3. Albion Swords www.albion-swords.com
Misunderstanding the Results - Common Sense 187
Description: The political class is completely misunderstanding why President Obama is being rebuked at the polls. Dan will explain why. Also: Some want the founder of Wikileaks dead. Dan doesn’t.
Show Notes:
1. “65% Favor Getting Rid of Entire Congress and Starting Over” by Rasmussen Reports, October 28, 2010.
2. “Johann Hari: The real reason Obama has let us all down” by Johann Hari for the (U.K.) Independent, October 26, 2010.
3. “All Quiet on the Black-Ops Front” by Jonah Goldberg for The National Review Online, October 29, 2010.
4. “Why Do We Keep Ignoring the Wikileaks Threat?” by Christian Whiton for FoxNews.com, October 25, 2010.
5. “Kucinich on Wikileaks: ‘American people have a right to know’ ” by Muriel Kane, October 22, 2010
6. Supreme Court Ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971)
Dodging the Guillotine - Common Sense 188
Description: Another news story highlighting the growing “wealth gap” between the rich and poor in the USA has Dan discussing countermeasures. What if the rich and powerful made fixing that imbalance a priority?
Show Notes:
1. “Spreading the wealth” by Michael Norton and Dan Ariely for The Los Angeles Times, November 8, 2010.
2. “The Plot to Seize the White House: The Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR” by Jules Archer
It's All Bismarck - Common Sense 189
Description: How much unvarnished, behind-the-scenes reality should people have a right to see? Dan muses on secrecy, media, airport searches and the potential fiduciary responsibility of CEOs to avoid solving problems.
Show Notes:
1. “A Superpower’s View of the World” by the Staff of Der Spiegel, November 28, 2010.
2. “Body scanner makers doubled lobbying cash over 5 years” by Fredreka Schouten for USA Today, November 25, 2010.
3. “Welcome to NATOstan” by Pepe Escobar for the Asia Times, November 20, 2010.
4. “Oceans of blood and profits for the mongers of war” by Robert Fisk for The (UK) Independent, November 27, 2010.
Viva La Tantrum!- Common Sense 190
Description: Should governments be afraid of their people? Dan talks about this while discussing recent protests in Europe. Also: Will the Internet undermine the global system, or will the system tame the Internet?
Show Notes:
1. “Your right to protest is under threat” by Johann Hari: for the (UK) Independent, December 17, 2010
2. “UN mulls internet regulation options” by John Hilvert for ITNews, December 17, 2010
Divine Divides - Common Sense 191
Description: Dan addresses the religious component in the War on Terror and the different ways it divides the involved parties. Also: The congressional investment double-standard.
Show Notes:
1. Clark Clifford quote:
2. “From Beirut to Bosnia”by Robert Fisk
3. “Congress should divest from defense stocks Bush appointee says” by By Nathan Diebenow for The Raw Story, December 19, 2010.
4. “Senate panel ban seen as double-standard” by Scott Higham, Kimberly Kindy and Dan Keating for The Washington Post, December 19, 2010.
Cyber-Lynching the Troublemakers - Common Sense 192
Description: Dan expresses a concern about reform-minded political troublemakers being digitally “framed” by governments around the world. “Ben” thinks that’s nutty conspiracy talk. What do you think?
Show Notes:
1. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech “Why I am opposed to the war in Vietnam”
2. “Analysis: A warning to Arab dictators” by Khaled Abu Toameh, January 15, 2011.
3. “Arab League chief says Tunisia is dire warning” by Maggie Michael for the Associated Press, January 19, 2011.
4. “Egyptian, Algerian, Mauritanian set selves alight” by Hamza Hendawi for the Associated press, January 17, 2011.
5. “Trends analyst predicts global youth uprising, ‘progressive libertarians’ in 2011” by Stephen C. Webster for The Raw Story, January 11th, 2011
The Obama Doctrine - Common Sense 193
Description: Dan wants President Obama to “seize the moment” in Egypt and proclaim a new American policy of supporting democracy over stability. Is it hopelessly idealistic or common sense?
Show Notes:
1. “Hope amid the chaos in Cairo” by Jonah Goldberg for The Los Angeles Times, January 31, 2011
2. “US can blame itself for anger in the Middle East, and start making peace” by Graham E. Fuller for The Christian Science Monitor, February 4, 2011
3. George W. Bush speech to the World Economic Forum 2008
4. “Hosni Mubarak splits Israel from neocon supporters” by Ben Smith and John Gerstein for Politico.com, Februsry 3, 2011.
5. “CNBC anchor implies US must support dictators to keep cheap oil flowing” by David Edwards and Stephen Webster for The Raw Story, January 28th, 2011.
State of the Union - Common Sense 194
Description: What’s going on in Wisconsin? Dan breaks down and analyzes the issue of public employees and busted state budgets. Also: what does 007 James Bond’s car have to do with the U.S. Defense budget?
Show Notes:
1. “The Republican Strategy” by Robert Reich
Arming the Independents - Common Sense 195
Description: How much should public opinion drive government policy? Dan has some tie-ins between this idea and the 2012 elections. Also: Rose-colored visions of a Churchillian U.N.
Show Notes:
1. Balancing the Budget exercise:
2. “America’s secret plan to arm Libya’s rebels” by Robert Fisk for The Independent, March 7, 2011.
3. “U.S. Wavers on Regime Change” by Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes for The Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2011.
The Intervention Blues - Common Sense 196
Description: Dan corrects misconceptions about his views on Libyan intervention from the last show and blames himself for the confusion. He also finds some positives amid the post-earthquake pain and suffering in Japan.
Show Notes:
none
Tweaking The Beast - Common Sense 197
Description: As the U.S. Government faces a fiscal impasse, Dan offers suggestions that might make the current standoff less of a political farce. Also: Dan promises to “fix” the CNN news network if listeners will buy it for him.
Show Notes:
1. “Let the images of war speak for themselves” by Robert Fisk for the (UK) Independent, April 02 , 2011.
Iceberg at 12 o'clock - Common Sense 198
Description: The federal budget fight is forcing Americans to confront the magnitude of the nation’s financial problems. Dan sees it as a case of chickens coming home to roost. Also: Purchasing legislators for the public.
Show Notes:
1. “Big Government on the Brink” by Robert Samuelson for The Washington Post, April 10, 2011
2. “Poll shows Americans oppose entitlement cuts to deal with the debt problem” by Jon Cohen and Dan Balz, April 20, 2011.
3. “Why not defund the FEC?” by Melanie Sloan for Politico.com, April 15, 2010
Pyrrhic Schadenfreude- Common Sense 199
Description: As expected, Dan’s take on the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed by U.S. forces is a bit unusual. He finds it hard to celebrate amongst the damage wrought by the actions of the terrorists.
Show Notes:
1. “Treasury: Terrorist list explanations too tedious”by Nigel Duara for the Associated Press, March 9, 2011.
2. “Swiped: Banks, Merchants And Why Washington Doesn’t Work For You” by Ryan Grim for The Huffington Post, April 28, 2011.
3. “A National Strategic Narrative”by “Mr. Y.”
4. “Democrats Make It Official: They’ll Take Undisclosed Donations Too” by Reid Wilson for The National Journal, April 29, 2011.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.