On today’s show:
Ari Berman author of Herding Donkeys, talks about the building and squandering of a grassroots movement.
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Sam Seder Joins Ring of Fire Radio!
11:16 am
Good morning! got the blog page up early. Are we getting our ducks in a row?
2:00 pm
Chuckle. Apparently the ducks were a bit scattered, today.
11:21 am
Morning all.
11:22 am
Morning toniD.
11:23 am
And all.
11:27 am
All back at cha!
11:24 am
Morning Glory!
11:25 am
Wow. Almost time. It’s a podcast day for me, so I am off so as not to be (avoidably) irrelevant.
11:30 am
Government yells “Terrorism” to justify TSA procedures – Glenn Greenwald
I guess everybody saw this.
GG and Sam were talking about it on @SamSeder.
Any g’bye. Good show.
11:31 am
Any-HOW
11:32 am
I just posted too. didn’t see yours till I posted. Bummer, huh. Zinn now Johnson. Others too. A generation moves on.
12:36 pm
Correction: The conversation with GG was more specifically about Truman comparisons, then and now. (No telling when you will see since 2 links are unavoidable.)
Glenn Greenwald:
Next to the dictionary phrase “laughable propaganda,” please insert this article by Ari Emanuel: http://is.gd/hBoKu
Sam Seder: didn’t the bush admin try to push this exact same narrative?
Glenn Greenwald: Yes – I believe you’re thinking of this – http://is.gd/hBvvC
11:30 am
Is there sound yet? They should go ahead and turn everything on if they get the blog page up early. We’d love to hear them messing around with preps, wouldn’t we?
I posted this late on yesterday’s blog, but know many missed it. We were just discussing his books too… so sad.
* Chalmers Johnson, 1931-2010, on the Last Days of the American Republic *
The distinguished scholar and best-selling author Chalmers Johnson has died. He passed away in California on Saturday afternoon at the age of 79. During the Cold War, he served as a consultant to the Central Intelligence Agency and was a supporter of the Vietnam War, however, later became a leading critic of U.S. militarism and imperialism. He wrote the book, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire in 2000, which became a bestseller after the 9/11 attacks. He went on to complete what would become a trilogy about American empire. Today we re-air part of our last interview with Chalmers Johnson from 2007. [Includes rush transcript]
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/22/chalmers_johnson_1931_2010_on_the
11:32 am
Even music while waiting would be better than nothing. As it is, you have to keep clicking to start every few seconds to see if it’s on yet.
11:34 am
we try to get music up by three minutes before daily. More than that would make the backend a bit too complicated
11:35 am
3 minutes sounds good. Thank you. I don’t hear anything yet.
11:32 am
Ready & raring to go with Sammy!
Morning everyone!
11:33 am
hey Sandy!
11:35 am
Hey everyone. Trying a new in-line compressor on the feed today. How’s it sound out there? (if it sounds exactly the same as yesterday, all the better)
11:38 am
Sorry, not hearing anything here.
11:38 am
Getting Network Errors and nothing through iTunes either…
11:39 am
No sound. Shouldn’t you guys be “trying” new things “before” showtime/offtime?
11:40 am
We cannot hear anything – ie NO show at all yet.
11:46 am
Looks like it’s compressing to much… all the way to nothing! Growing pains….
12:03 pm
I nearly posted almost that exact observation. Weird…
11:37 am
Morning mates
Coffee and tea are on. Am just starting my first cuppa tea so am slow today.
11:37 am
no sound from the link to my IPhone
11:37 am
Not getting sound – anyone else in that same boat???
11:37 am
This isn’t working on my computer. It worked fine yesterday, whassup?
11:38 am
Thanks Neffer …… got a cup!
11:39 am
Are we late with the stream?
11:39 am
no sound in itunes and widget on the page gets a network error.
11:39 am
I’m not getting anything either…
11:40 am
no sound yet. keeps saying network error everytime i press play
11:41 am
Yeah, not getting anything here, either. America wants to hear Sammy!
11:42 am
Good – it’s just not me, I hate being alone in these type’s of situations.
11:42 am
Chalmers Johnson died over the weekend…
11:42 am
I wonder if Sammy knows??
11:47 am
yes he does I talked to him and he is working on it with the boys.
11:42 am
Am I late? Darn. I’m always late!
11:44 am
Has the show not started? Or has it started, and we’re not getting it because of technical difficulties?
11:45 am
I clicked on EVan’s name link and it opened a page which said WE ARE HAVING TECH difficulties we should be up and running shortly
11:48 am
Thanks, Nefferkitti.
Note to Evan: Next time post in the thread. Once we are in here, we don’t check the front page.
12:45 pm
I’ll do the best I can. unfortunately, if there are technical difficulties, I’m usually the guy running around with the wires and fire extinguishers trying to resolve the situation before anyone notices it. All is fixed now, though, so we’ll be off the backup-system and onto the main one for tomorrow’s broadcast.
12:48 pm
Thanks, Evan. Sorry to pick on you.
I know how crazy it must have been around there this morning.
12:59 pm
oh, no worries!
We’re just glad to have people who care so much about the show!
11:45 am
Everyone who digs terrorism
Terrorists
Government contractors
Military
Law enforcement
News Media
Politicians who benefit from a compliant populace
Odds of dying from a terrorist incident ~ 1 in 6,000,000,000 (fivethirtyeight.com)
Odds of dying from cancer 1 in 6
Estimated number of terrorists in the world 5,000-10,000 (CIA)
Odds a Muslim is a terrorist 1 in 150,000
Odds any given priest has molested at least one child 1 in 20
11:48 am
Correction… 1 in 6,000,000 not 6 billion.
I got carried away with my zero making.
11:53 am
Well first off, you can’t trust the CIA’s numbers. Unless you count CIA agents…
Independent reports put the number of al Quida(sp?), not terrorists at around 300. But even if you count 10,ooo out of the entire world and we’ve already spent over a trillion just in the mid east since 2003. How much all over we cannot know as the Pentagon doesn’t allow audits. But in any case seems mighty expensive forthat kind of ratio…
A couple of us keep mentioning that Chalmers Johnson died Saturday, but no one seems to care…
2:04 pm
great stats..!
11:45 am
here’s the post
We should be up and streaming live very soon. (fingers crossed)
Love,
dorseybot
11:46 am
Oops, that should be 1 in 6,000,000 not billion. Sorry
11:47 am
Just tried and getting the network error notice as well. Looking forward to hearing the show soon. Good luck Majority Report.
11:47 am
so i guess we are still waiting.
11:49 am
They are going through their pre-show pat down.
11:49 am
Not getting it on my pc either. Hope to hear something soon.
11:49 am
por queeeeeeee
11:50 am
Nice if they’d send out IMs when the show starts.
11:51 am
For I am a very busy man. Ahem.
11:51 am
I could be washing my car right now.
11:51 am
Thanks for everyone’s help & 411 – you all r great!
11:52 am
Haha. What Kevin K said. It’s for their own good!
11:52 am
Help yourselves to coffee and tea and snacks at the bar peoples while we wait, I don’t open the bar for nothing each morning here.
11:52 am
[re: pre-show pat-down]
11:53 am
Okay, we’re on!
11:54 am
No more network errors?! Now we’re just waiting for sound…?
11:54 am
Stream is running I just do not hear anything yet.
11:54 am
OK, it’s on now!
Please turn up the volume. I have everything on my computer maxed out, and can barely hear.
11:55 am
Intro Music!! There it is!! Thank you!!
If this is what I get when there are tech troubles, it was worth it!!
11:58 am
We have Sammy …..
11:58 am
Yay!!! Sound!!! You must hit play to hear the show.
12:02 pm
Hi Y’all! Late start today, no? More technical difficulties? The stream just crapped out on me!
12:06 pm
How did he fake it? You never heard The Who song?
Ask PT Barnum…
12:06 pm
It’s back now… just buffering I guess…
12:08 pm
Look at Obama’s Harvard Law Review run. The man in the White House is the same man.
As long as we make excuses for bad behavior, bad behavior doesn’t change.
12:10 pm
I can’t get the sound up. Needs just a bit more volume.
12:10 pm
This “independent” voter has not voted the 2-party but once since 1972, and that was Jimmy Carter.
12:12 pm
* Chalmers Johnson, 1931-2010, on the Last Days of the American Republic *
The distinguished scholar and best-selling author Chalmers Johnson has died. He passed away in California on Saturday afternoon at the age of 79. During the Cold War, he served as a consultant to the Central Intelligence Agency and was a supporter of the Vietnam War, however, later became a leading critic of U.S. militarism and imperialism. He wrote the book, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire in 2000, which became a bestseller after the 9/11 attacks. He went on to complete what would become a trilogy about American empire. Today we re-air part of our last interview with Chalmers Johnson from 2007. [Includes rush transcript]
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/22/chalmers_johnson_1931_2010_on_the
12:13 pm
Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.
The post-election survey showed that 51 percent of registered voters want to keep the law or change it to do more, while 44 percent want to change it to do less or repeal it altogether.
Driving support for the law: Voters by margins of 2-1 or greater want to keep some of its best-known benefits, such as barring insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. One thing they don’t like: the mandate that everyone must buy insurance.
12:18 pm
unless you have a universal pool that everyone contributes into to spread / share the cost, there is no resolution to mandates vs. denying pre-existing conditions unless you accept that in the presence of pre-existing conditions you are essentially paying the full cost of the treatment.
2:16 pm
Ah, dan, you seem to be of the mindset that we can’t keep cutting taxes while maintaining the same level of public services.
Supporting the abolition of pre-existing condition denials while decrying the mandate would be par for the course for the “keep your gov’t hands off my Medicare” crowd.
12:33 pm
Scheuer, Kilmeade push for military action against North Korea http://bit.ly/hUNEv5 http://bit.ly/i7EjJY #p2
12:15 pm
Sammy has it. Both parties are bought.
12:16 pm
C’mon guys, the technical difficulties were cute and understandable during Maron v Seder, Break Room Live, soft launch, etc.
But it’s time to get professional with it. Highest priority with resources and waking hours should be on nailing this!
Oh, and BTW, welcome back Sam, great to hear you again!
2:22 pm
And the tech difficulties are still understandable. The situation has been laid-out several times, and they’re doing pretty darn well on a shoestring budget and minimal staff (at least one of which has another job).
12:18 pm
Guest is incorrect imho. Obama is not preparing to say, “Look, I tried.” He would have said it by now.
12:21 pm
Aren’t we to a point yet, with all the evidence of action, reaction, no action from this administration, that it is beginning to be counter-productive to keep analyzing Obama as though we think he has been “taken over”, and if we can just figure out how…
I think just about any psychologist would say at this point it is time we admit we were duped and voted for the wrong man. Again (unless you ever voted for Ralph Nader like me!)
12:23 pm
Ever had a roach problem? Did you sit there scratching your head, wondering how they got in, or did you do something about them?
Best example I could come up with on the spur. But this conversation is beginning to get tired.
12:49 pm
Yes to all but roach analogy. (But understand spur of the moment…
)
1:03 pm
Hey, you and I seem to be the only ones who either know Chalmers has died and/or care?
The show had sound problems right off the get-go and the entire blog between a chat room with hardly any substantive conversation. I hope that is not how it will always be…
1:25 pm
Unsolicited advice: “Be the change you want to see in the blog.” :-} Folks have different ways (and on different days).
I know you know this…
I do like your style though.
Yes it is definitely a shame about Chalmers, and Howard (who I knew better).
And I am glad there are good people coming up, and it will take them time to get to that level but mainly they are off to a good start (It seems to me. What do I know? Most are my age or even younger…).
1:36 pm
Not sure if I am reading your comment correctly. But, most people are listening to the show so it is sometimes difficult to get into more thoughtful comments. You miss the show if you are thinking about involved comments, and typing a lot.
2:23 pm
(sigh)
12:21 pm
Re the stimulus. Obama was afraid to use the T word. Trillion.
12:28 pm
He also quit using the words “poor” and “poverty” as soon as he won the Primary. I thought that would have sent off red flags with dems. But guess not.
12:23 pm
We need more sound – it’s NOT l0ud en0ugh on my puter ….
12:25 pm
Sammy, why don’t you find a progressive who “didn’t” vote for Obama to come in, phone in, whatever and talk to him about how we got “fooled again”?
12:29 pm
Warren Buffet did interview on ABC (?) and balked about the spoiled rich and how he thinks they should pay more in taxes. Duh…
12:32 pm
The sound is so much louder when Sam does the I.M.’s @ the end of the BIG Show >>>>
12:34 pm
I will NOT be flying anymore ….. (for now)
12:35 pm
I would LOVE to fondle Sammy – is it wrong??
12:39 pm
WWWT?
12:37 pm
I’m having problems posting anything with a link. I guess it goes to admin for an okay or something. It’s just one link, not a bunch.
This blog needs to be updated also.
12:40 pm
He said something about it getting less “soft” soon yesterday on the show.
Anyhowbai.
12:51 pm
Bye!
12:49 pm
Seeing as how I want a medical professional to work on me and not an insurance broker, and as an American citizen I expect all medical treatment to be as equal as possible, with exceptions being inclusive to the medical facility and not the insurance company, then why do we need the insurance component in the first place.
Of the 20% administrative costs allowed, how much of that is paying for the un-needed insurance component??? whatever the answer it is too much.
12:50 pm
HuffPostMedia HuffPost Media
Sarah Palin’s Alaska ratings DROP 40%! Also, bad news re: viewer age
Sorry can’t seem to post links here so you’ll just have to go to Huff Post to read the article.
2:28 pm
Palin Show Ratings PLUMMET
12:52 pm
* Chalmers Johnson, 1931-2010*
DemcoracyNOW yesterday with a great interview on his last book “Nemesis”:
Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/22/chalmers_johnson_1931_2010_on_the
12:53 pm
IMF is EVIL
12:55 pm
what a surprise that timmeh geithner used to work for the imf (given his current performance, maybe he still does)
12:54 pm
Shut the FUCK up McChangemymindeverytwoseconds
12:54 pm
Didn’t Dell close their factory in Ireland to move to Poland because Irish workers cost too much? Hmmmmm….
I’m reading FREE LUNCH by David Kay Johnston. Wow.
12:57 pm
What Obama 2010 Can Learn From Obama 2008
Ari Berman
In the wake of his party’s midterm elections rout, a profusion of political commentators — including many prominent Democrats — are urging President Obama to move to the right and focus on wooing Independent voters and Republicans. Obama appears eager to try to appease Republicans in the new Congress and chart a more centrist, Clintonian course. But, if only for reasons of political self-interest, he shouldn’t discount the growing uneasiness toward his presidency among his party’s base.
Back in 2008, Obama was the avatar of an unprecedented grassroots political movement and a new era in American politics. His campaign represented the culmination of an ambitious effort by Democrats to reshape their party by empowering local activists and organizers. After the 2004 election, when Karl Rove eagerly anticipated the dawn of a permanent Republican majority, Joe Trippi, Howard Dean’s mad genius presidential campaign manager, wrote an influential op-ed in The Wall Street Journal entitled, “Only the Grassroots Can Save the Democratic Party.” Later that year, Dean embraced that grassroots mantle when he unexpectedly became chair of the Democratic National Committee, vowing to revitalize the party at the local level in red and blue states alike. “The way to rebuild the Democratic Party is not from the consultants down, it is from the ground up,” Dean said. His fifty-state strategy decentralized authority and elevated rank-and-file activists, which helped elect Democrats across the map in 2006 and 2008. The Obama campaign drastically expanded the political mobilization Dean sparked, on a scale nobody could predict. Yet the momentum didn’t last — and Democrats suffered the consequences in 2010.
Read More
2:31 pm
Thanks for the link. Will read.
1:01 pm
Love Matt – will have to read his article in Rolling Stone
1:02 pm
Will have to subscribe just because of that reason …..
1:10 pm
Sammy Cam
1:12 pm
“I would risk getting hot… to low volume.” What a tactful boss. LOL.
1:15 pm
But,we get Skating With The Stars now too..
Puke ! !
1:19 pm
Agreed Michael
1:46 pm
Hi,Sandy..
Keep missing ya,though..
1:34 pm
Way to go Plouger..
1:49 pm
ploo-JZAIR
2:32 pm
chuckle.
1:37 pm
Oops,typing with my feet again..
Sorry,Plooger..
1:39 pm
I follow skating the way people follow football but will not watch skating with the stars…just like I have not watched dancing with the stars. I honestly do not know if there is anything on network tv that I watch anymore.
Have a good peoples.
Happy Thanksgiving to those who will be traveling tomorrow!
2:34 pm
Happy Thanksgiving, Neffer.
As for TV, it’s on the loathed ABC, but ‘Modern Family’ is a feel good sitcom. Funny as heck, great writing, a bit of gratuitous sexuality; but it always ends on a positive note.
1:43 pm
Have a good one,Neffer..
1:44 pm
Don’t forget to donate to your local food bank. There’s a great need and a growing need this year:
* Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. This is an increase of 46 percent over 2006, when we were feeding 25 million Americans, including 9 million children, each year.
From Feeding America: Hunger Report 2010
Hunger in America 2010 is the largest study of domestic hunger, providing comprehensive and statistically-valid data on our emergency food distribution system and the people Feeding America serves. Hunger in America 2010 is extremely detailed, drawing on data from more than 61,000 interviews with clients and surveys of 37,000 feeding agencies.
1:50 pm
A great way to help folks,Toni..
Keep up the good work !
1:45 pm
Does Sam know the Sammy Cam is still on ten minutes after the show is over and the sound is off? I don’t want to be watching him if he doesn’t know.
1:59 pm
Yep,he knows Betty..
So keep on a peeping if you want..
*Just checked..42 folks still there..
Now if this was the WTF site,
those 42 could be possible future dates for Maron..
Sorry..Just kidding Marc..
2:03 pm
Well, in that case, I wish I could read lips. I could get a scoop from his phone conversations.
Michael, are you with the show, or are you just assuming? Sorry, I don’t know everyone’s name on the show yet.
2:13 pm
Whoever brings him his lunch should also bring him a napkin.
He’s made me hungry now.
See you all later or Monday.
Sorry no live show for a few days, but I guess Sam and the gang deserve a holiday too!
Happy holiday to Sam, crew and all.
2:21 pm
No,not with the show..
But,been watching or listen to Sam & Marc for years..
Like alot of folks here..
**
assuming?
**
Nope..
I just heard someone IM Sam about just that,yesterday or the day before..
He said he didn’t care..
No biggie..He’s been dong this kind of gig for years..
2:55 pm
Thanks, Michael. I listened to Sam on Air America, but skipped the Maron-Seder show.
IIRC, when the show was over, watching on the old Sammy Cam, Sam would get up and leave.
Glad to not be spying.
1:55 pm
White House survey:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vote2010survey/?source=20101123_MS_actives
2:19 pm
I just gave ‘em my 2 cents worth, then I gave ‘em a dollar’s worth, then I shot the whole wad!!!
2:27 pm
Good for you,James !
2:37 pm
And finally made it through all the comments. Phew!
Happy Thanksgiving, all. And safe travels/consumption.
2:38 pm
James “Rolin” Stone says:
November 23, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I nearly posted almost that exact observation. Weird…
Reply
Pingback: About that tech problem… We fixed it! | The Majority Report with Sam Seder
3:38 pm
Jessica Valenti: Leaked book pages reveal Palin’s “new feminism”
By Jessica | Published: November 23, 2010 at 12:21 pm
The leaked pages of Sarah Palin’s new book don’t just demonstrate how important it is for feminists to get behind young activists in the movement – it also reveals the odd (or absent) logic behind Palin’s anti-choice “new feminism.” (The pages are no longer available online, but I pulled this quote before the cache disappeared.)
The new feminism is telling women they are capable and strong. And if keeping a child isn’t possible, adoption is beautiful choice. It’s about empowering women to make real choices, not forcing them to accept false ones. It’s about compassion and letting these scared young women know that there will be some help there for them to raise their children in those less-than-ideal circumstances.
So let’s take this apart a bit, shall we?…
http://jessicavalenti.com/?p=713
3:40 pm
What means this…”pingback?”