All Episodes 2014

"These days, the word sustainable has become practically meaningless, with most “sustainable” products just a step less bad than conventional alternatives. And because of the power of such “sustainababble,” the world largely has ignored the rich spectrum of political, cultural, and technological changes that would set us on the path to a truly sustainable future. The new State of the World 2013—which features contributions from experts at the Worldwatch Institute, such as Senior Fellow Erik Assadourian, as well as from environmental thought leaders such as The Story of Stuff author Annie Leonard—argues that while the science of sustainability is clearer than ever, we still face the question of whether transforming our society into one guided by sustainability is even possible. Assadourian and Leonard are joined in conversation by Chip Giller, founder and president of Grist. Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and the Worldwatch Institute"

"Austin photographer Peggy Kelsey traveled to Afghanistan in 2003 and 2010 to photograph and interview women about their lives. She chronicled these stories in her book: Gathering Strength: Conversations with Afghan Women. Join us as she shares some of these stories and pictures of remarkable women who struggle for liberation and to rebuild a country ravaged by war. Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Book Store"

"Keith McHenry talks about the history of Food Not Bombs! This event was hosted by the UW Student Food Cooperative and funded by the Associated Students of the University Washington (ASUW). Introduction by Carl Chatzky For more information, visit uwsfc.com. Video by Todd Boyle"

"Across the country low-wage workers are rising up, protesting, and striking for a $15/hour minimum wage. Here in Seattle the movement is poised in 2014 to be the first major U.S. city to win $15. Already we have seen the impact of the fast food workers' movement and the electrifying victory of Kshama Sawant with the new Seattle mayor signing an executive order lifting the wages of all city workers to $15. This victory is a taste of what's possible when working people rise up and make themselves heard. But big business will not let this pass without a fight. They will mobilize their resources to derail, delay, and dilute efforts to end the poverty wages that are the source of their profits. The only way we can counter the power of Corporate America is by building a massive grassroots campaign with local neighborhood and campus groups, town hall meetings, mass rallies, and strikes. Newly elected Seattle Council-member Kshama Sawant, along with a growing list of workers, unions, and activists, have come together to form the 15 Now! campaign. Sunday Jan. 12th, the kick off rally for this historic campaign was held at the jam packed King County Labor Council hall. This program contains highlights from this electrifying event. Speakers include: Katie Wilson (MC), Transit Riders Union Dave Freiboth, Executive Secretary, King Co. Labor Council Adbi Mohamed - Somali American Public Advocacy Committee who played a key role in the struggle for $15/hr in Seatac Joe Higgins, Socialist Party Ireland, Member of Irish Parliament, Committee for a Workers International Kshama Sawant, City Councilwoman -Socialist, Seattle Cameras by Ed Mays and Todd Boyle"

"In the last presidential campaign we saw attack ads from both parties, but most prominent were the ones indirectly targeting Obama’s race. Described as a “food stamp president,” President Obama still faces racism. According to Ian Haney Lopez, Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, this isn’t the first time racial language has been used in politics. Terms like “welfare queen” have indirectly mentioned race by playing off of modern stereotypes associated with minorities and welfare. But what effect has this had on the general public? Tying together some of the most prominent themes in politics, Haney Lopez’s new book, Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class, explores the connection between “dog whistle” appeals and the destruction of the Middle Class. He explores the history of race in politics and how “dog whistle” tactics undermine liberalism and add to growing economic insecurity of the Middle Class. Given this trend, what will the 2016 election hold? Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books"

"What matters most--policy change or personal change? What word better explains what we all want--happiness or well-being? How do we measure our success? The answers may surprise you. As we celebrate Take Back Your Time Day on October 24, TBYT's Executive Director will lead a discussion of the connections between time balance, happiness and ecological sustainability, suggesting that a reduction in American working hours could increase jobs, improve happiness and well-being and reduce our ecological footprint. John will talk about the New Development Paradigm model he and others developed this past winter with the government of Bhutan for the United Nations, and explain Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness. Thanks to the Common Good Café Camera by Todd Boyle"

"Child Prostitution is not a victimless crime. The average age for youth being recruited for protestation is 13-14 years old. 90% of sexually exploited and trafficked youth have a history of abuse, neglect or trauma. 50-60% of them are in the foster care system. Child prostitutes routinely experience physical, verbal, emotional, sexual abuse and most display symptoms of severe PTSD. Sexual exploitation is driven by the demand for commercial sex. According to Justice Dept. statistics, Seattle ranks 3rd world-wide in child prostitution. But Seattle is also a very progressive city and has also become a world leader in developing innovative responses to the crisis with an emphasis on harm reduction. Over the past 2 years leaders in King County have collaborated and developed innovative programs to respond to victims and prevent future victims. Learn how leaders in criminal justice, social services, government, business, philanthropy, and survivors of prostitution have joined forces to implement effective programs that declare: Not on Our Watch!"

"Two Whistleblowers Discuss Speaking Truth to Power and the Snowden Effect’s Impact on Our Society. Former NSA Senior Executive turned NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, along with former ethics advisor to the Justice Department Jesselyn Radack, also a whistleblower, spoke at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Both Drake and Radack are featured in the Robert Greenwald film ""War on Whistleblowers."" JESSEYLN RADACK, 42, is a former ethics adviser to the U.S. Dept. of Justice who turned whistleblower when she disclosed the FBI’s ethics violations in the investigation of John Walker Lindh, denied an attorney in the aftermath of his capture during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. An honors graduate of Brown University and Yale Law School, Radack is the director of National Security & Human Rights at the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower support organization. A few days after this talk, Radack who represents Edward Snowden was detained while going through customs at London’s Heathrow Airport. She says she was subjected to ""very hostile questioning"" about Snowden and her trips to Russia. Radack also learned she might be on an ""inhibited persons list,"" a designation reportedly used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to require further vetting of certain passengers. Radack is just one of a growing number of people who are being stopped, harassed and interrogated for their work around Snowden, WikiLeaks and National Security Agency documents. THOMAS DRAKE, 56, is a former senior executive of the National Security Agency as well as a decorated veteran of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. When Drake turned whistleblower, the U.S. government threw the Espionage Act at him and threatened him with 30 years in prison. Drake rejected several deals because he refused to “plea bargain with the truth,” and the U.S. Dept. of Justice eventually dropped all ten of its original charges. Sponsored by People

"Global environmental activist Lester Brown, praised by the Washington Post as “one of the world’s most influential thinkers,” built his understanding of food and scarcity issues from the ground up. His father moved from farmhand to owner of a small farm, and as a teenager, Brown created a successful tomato business. Living in India while working for the USDA, he pieced together the clues that would lead him to sound the alarm on an impending famine, and his urgent warning to the U.S. and Indian governments helped save millions of lives. Now, Brown, founder of the Earth Policy and Worldwatch institutes, explains how the global food system is endangered by the unfolding ecological crises, rising affluence, population growth, and shrinking water supplies. Cameras by Todd Boyle Thanks to Seattle Town Hall, Sustainable Path Foundation, and University Book Store"

"Climate change has contributed to melting glaciers, drought and other growing environmental problems–it’s also made a lot of money for a lot of people. In Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming, McKenzie Funk explores how big businesses are manipulating environmental trends to make a quick buck. Following the growing artificial snow industry in Israel, innovative engineering designs and investment schemes around water control, Funk expertly unveils the hidden, money-making side to this environmental crisis. A veteran journalist whose writing appears in Outside, National Geographic, Harper’s and Rolling Stone, Funk tracked earth’s “melt, drought and deluge” cycles for the past six years, and discovered that instead of solving the problem, we’re taking advantage of the warming. While some may profit, others may be collateral damage in this “windfall.” Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Bookstore"

"When Fox News emerged in 1996, the media, politics and the public were forever divided. In a painstakingly researched new biography, New York Magazine’s Gabriel Sherman has chronicled the rise of Roger Ailes, the man behind it all. Called the “conservative kingmaker” for his uncanny ability to court, popularize and help elect Republican candidates to office, Ailes has built up his empire and become the single most influential member of conservative media. In The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News — and Divided a Country, Sherman pulls back the curtain on this mysterious figure, his humble beginnings, his unparalleled gift for influence, “legendary paranoia” and tumultuous relationship with boss Rupert Murdoch. Sherman will appeared in conversation with best selling writer and New York Times “Opinionator” columnist Timothy Egan. As Sherman assembles the many pieces of Ailes and Fox, what will the puzzle reveal? Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and University Book Store"

"The basis of war is myth since governments can't tell the real reasons for war or it's actual consequences. Rob Crawford talks about these myths as well as the justifications for war. Dr. Rob Crawford is a professor in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington-Tacoma. He is the Executive Director of the Washington State Religious Campaign Against Torture Video by Todd Boyle"

"Nearly 30 percent of soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Of these veterans, some will continue to suffer lifelong symptoms, some receive treatment, and others return to the battlefield. By embedding with U.S. troops in the Middle East, journalist Ann Jones saw firsthand the psychological effects of war. Her latest book They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s Wars: The Untold Story examines the “untold story” of collateral damage — the physical and mental state of returning soldiers. She expertly weaves a picture of the unseen scars, psychological torment, and the internal wars veterans continue to face daily. Drug addiction, suicide, violence against women, and other negative impacts of serving in war are often forgotten, but Jones’ book is a critical look at the direct toll war takes on not only veterans, but the field doctors, parents, children, and neighbors of our troops, analyzing just how far America’s promise to support our troops really goes. Extra Bonus: Music by Jim Page Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books Camera by Todd Boyle"

"Seattle has a socialist on its city council for the first time in 100 years. Kshama Sawant’s recent election raised a lot of questions around the values of the Socialist Alternative Party and her platform of raising the minimum wage to $15. She’ll join Charles Mudede, Associate Editor at The Stranger, for an exploration of socialism’s impact on the city council and why, after seeing previous socialist candidates, the city is ready for socialism now. What circumstances made the election of a socialist not only possible, but timely? Thanks to Seattle Town Hall Camera by Todd Boyle"

"Join us for a talk by Nick Turse, author of the controversial and acclaimed Kill Anything That Moves (2013) about US war crimes during the war in Viet Nam, and The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives. The event recorded at the University of Washington in January 2014 also featured a rare showing of the 1972 documentary ""Winter Soldier"" recorded at the historic Winter Soldier hearings conducted by the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War and featured testimony from veterans about the war crimes they had committed. The program opens with clips from the movie to set the context. After his talk, Nick was joined by Bill Turley (noted scholar of the war in Viet Nam), Mike Dedrick (Veterans For Peace), and Judith Henchy, a South East Asia historian from the UW. The documentary ""Winter Soldier"" can be found online: Pt 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi79cTk7HP0 Pt 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaCFhn5v0gU Pt 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Waa_o1-qBGg Pt 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp0u9jdwIgM Pt 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BmGj6mXdwM Pt 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4OmPmvK_g Pt 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asIyzNaNMmg About the Participants: Nick Turse is a historian, author, journalist, essayist and the associate editor and research director of the Nation Institute's Tomdispatch.com and the winner of a 2009 Ridenhour Prize for Reportorial Distinction as well as a James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, In These Times, and regularly at TomDispatch. Turse is currently a fellow at New York University's Center for the United States and the Cold War. A paperback edition of his book The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives (Metropolitan Books) was published earlier this year. William S. Turley, (PhD, University of Washington) was born in Wallace, Idaho, and grew up in Washington state. During his gradua