Bridges a Liberal/Conservative Dialogue with Larry Josephson
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Program Number 213 2/15/99
THURGOOD MARSHALL. Guest: Juan Williams, author of a new
biography of Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall. The program
includes audio clips of Marshall before, and later on, the
Supreme Court, plus a segment with a former Marshall law clear,
Eben Moglen.
Program Number 212 2/8/99
WHAT IS A JEW? Guest: Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the
Jewish Theological Seminary (the locus of Conservative Judaism in
America). Larry Josephson talks with Rabbi Schorsch about the
so-called Jewish Continuity Program, the decline in the non-
orthodox Jewish population due to the combination of a high rate
of intermarriage (50%) and low birth rates.
Larry traces the history of his own Los Angeles Jewish family,
from a religious grandfather to a resolutely secular father and
mother, and to their son who longs for some sort of spiritual
life and community, but can't quite return to the fold. A
personal exploration with a wise and warm, but intellectually
rigorous Rabbi.
Program Number 211 12/11/98
FRANK RICH. When Frank Rich was Drama Critic of the New York Times, he earned the sobriquet, "The Butcher of Broadway" for his slash and burn reviews. Frank Rich talks about theater, politics and political
theater, including the Clinton/Lewinski melodrama.
Program Number 210 12/04/98
NANCY RAINE: THE STORY OF A RAPE. Nancy Raine was brutally raped and almost murdered thirteen years ago. Nancy's book, AFTER SILENCE: RAPE AND MY JOURNEY BACK, tells the story of her roller coaster ride back to sanity. Nancy is a poet and essayist; she tells her story with a writer's eye for telling detail, and a poet's ear for language. Nancy's husband, Steve, who played an important part in her recovery, also appears in the program. The program includes readings from the book.
Program Number 208 06/26/98
What Does The Middle Class Really Think? After a lengthy survey of middle class attitudes and beliefs, sociologist Alan Wolfe makes observations about what middle class Americans really think about politics, race, welfare, homosexuality and public morality. Most surprisingly, Wolfe does not believe that America has been entrenched in a culture war. He says that the middle class people he interviewed were remarkably tolerant of different values and ways of life, with the sole exception of homosexuality.
Program Number 205 06/5/98 Conspiracy Theories. Daniel Pipes, editor of the Middle East Quarterly, talks about his book on the prevalence of conspiracy theories. A majority of Americans believe that John F. Kennedy was killed as a result of a conspiracy, and since 1963 countless other conspiracy theories have acquired widespread support. Pipes explains the peculiar logic of conspiracism, and traces its roots to two main sources from the time of the crusades--anti-Semitism and the fear of secret societies.
Program Number 204 05/29/98 Pat Buchanan. The conservative commentator and sometime presidential candidate discusses his opposition to free trade and his call for a return to economic nationalism, i.e., protectionism. He also addresses the current state of conservatism and responds to the charges of anti-Semitism that have dogged him since the time of the Gulf War.
Program Number 203 05/22/98 Christopher Buckley/John Tierney. A conversation with the authors of God is My Broker, the first self-help business novel. The plot of the novel is too Byzantine to summarize here, but it describes the adventures of Brother Ty, a failed Wall Street trader who joins a monastery and learns the secrets of spiritual--and financial--growth. A very funny hour.
Program Number 200 05/01/98 LAWRENCE KUDLOW. The conservative economist talks about the stock market, social security, the Reagan Revolution, the global economy, and his own personal struggle with drugs that nearly cost him his life. Kudlow is a regular panelist on CNBC's "Strictly Business" and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal and National Review. In contrast to some economists who predict that the domestic economy is headed for trouble, Kudlow feels that the U.S. economy is the strongest in the world, and that there is no end in sight to the current boom.
Program Number 199 04/24/98 STANLEY CROUCH. The author, jazz critic and columnist talks about race in America, Bill Clinton, Duke Ellington and the enduring power of the blues. Crouch is sometimes identified as a black conservative, but he doesn't subscribe to any ideology other than his own strong opinions. His polemical skills are such that he was once called an "equal opportunity destroyer." Artistic Consultant to Wynton Marsalis for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Crouch talks about the "blues hero," a figure of survival and endurance rooted in African-American culture but not confined to blacks.
Program Number 197 04/10/98 ETHNIC CLEANSING AND AMERICAN CONSCIENCE. A writer who has traveled in some of the world's most dangerous places, Michael Ignatieff discusses his book, "The Warrior's Honor." Ignatieff examines the human rights dilemmas facing the post-Cold War world. He disagrees with the widely-held belief that ethnic conflagrations like the one in the former Yugoslavia were inevitable and based on ancient hatreds. Rather, they were the product of specific political circumstances that left certain groups feeling unsafe and threatened. Ignatieff also talks about the work of the International Committee for the Red Cross, an organization that has seen its share of controversy.
Program Number 195 03/27/98 LEON BOTSTEIN. The Musical Director of the American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein is also the president of Bard College, a post he has held since 1975, when he became the youngest college president in American history at the age of 23. In his new book, "Jefferson's Children: Education and the Promise of American Culture," Botstein argues for radical education reform. Most notably, he calls for the abolition of the American high school, since teenagers are maturing earlier than they did 100 years ago and are not being served well under the current system. Botstein also discusses the almost forgotten connection between education and citizenship, and gives a ringing endorsement of the value of a liberal education.
Program Number 194 03/20/98 THE DIGITAL FUTURE. How much will computers and the internet really benefit our lives? Or is most of it just hype? Esther Dyson, widely regarded as the most influential woman in the digital world, discusses the future of the worldwide web. Dyson praises the web for eroding the power of the media and feels that the web will increase the ability of ordinary citizens to get involved with local issues. Michael Dertouzos is the director of MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, which has been on the cutting edge of computer innovation for decades. In 1981, he predicted something very much like the worldwide web. Dertouzos says that we have become the servants of computers and that we must change our ways of thinking about technology if computers are to serve us.
Program Number 193 03/13/98 THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY. A reassessment of the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the most conservative president of the century. Dinesh D'Souza, author of a new biography, ranks Reagan with Franklin Roosevelt as one of America's great presidents. Theodore Lowi, professor of political science at Cornell University, is not an admirer of Reagan's but agrees that his presidency was enormously significant. Economist Jeff Faux assesses the impact of Reaganomics, and conservative analyst Bill Kristol remembers Reagan's farewell speech.
Program Number 191 02/27/98 PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE. A conversation on this highly contentious issue between Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and Dr. Samuel Klagsbrun, a psychiatrist who is Executive Medical Director of the Four Winds Hospitals in Katonah, New York. Dr. Klagsbrun, who is a practicing Jew, supports physician-assisted suicide under very precise, limited criteria. Rabbi Schorsch feels that assisted suicide will be a slippery slope into a moral quagmire.
Program Number 190 02/20/98 MICHAEL SANDEL. Political philosopher Michael Sandel is the author of the recent "Democracy's Discontent." Sandel takes conservatives to task for sanctifying the free market and demonizing government, while criticizing liberals for their timidity in addressing moral issues, such as abortion. What both sides seem to have lost sight of, he argues, is the American civic tradition of community and responsibility.
Program Number 188 02/06/98 FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE. A professor emeritus of literature at Boston University, Roger Shattuck has written a book about the moral implications of the breakthroughs in science such as nuclear weapons, cloning, and the like. The relentless march of technology raises complicated questions about the limits of human endeavor. Discussing western myths like Faust and Prometheus and Pandora, Shattuck asks if there are things we should not know. Also, brief comments on science and technology from physicists Freeman Dyson, Andrew Sessler and Glen Seaborg.
Program Number 187 01/30/98 GEORGE WILL AND JEFF GREENFIELD IN CONVERSATION. The conservative columnist discusses politics with former ABC commentator Jeff Greenfield. The conversation was recorded before a live audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Among the topics addressed include the demise of the Republican revolution, President Clinton's place in history, and the changing role of government. They also take questions from the audience.
Program Number 185 1/16/98 THE HISTORY WARS. Lynne Cheney explains why she attacked the National History Standards for being politically correct and even anti-American. Cheney was chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funded the writing of the Standards, but eventually became the leading critic of the project. Gary Nash, professor of history at UCLA, who served as co-director for the project, defends the Standards and accuses Cheney of political opportunism. His new book, "History on Trial," makes the case for an inclusive, critical history of the United States.
Program Number 184 1/9/98 THE HOLOCAUST REVISITED. Another look at the Holocaust with two distinguished scholars. Istvan Deak, who is a professor of history at Columbia University, questions the quality of many Holocaust memoirs. Professor Deak, who saw his own mother deported from Hungary by the Nazis, has an unsentimental view of Holocaust literature; he feels many books earn uncritical endorsement regardless of their contents. Daniel Jonah Goldhagen returns to the program to address his critics. His 1996 book, "Hitler's Willing Executioners," caused a firestorm of controversy by implicating ordinary Germans in the Holocaust. Amazingly, the book has become a bestseller in Germany.
Program Number 181 12/19/97 WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY ON FAITH. The founder of National Review and conservative patriarch discusses his new memoir, "Nearer, My God," about his Catholic faith. He describes his upbringing, the difficulties of maintaining faith in a secular age, and the problems facing the Catholic Church today. He also addresses the disjunct between Christianity and capitalism.
Program Number 180 12/12/97 THE ORIGINS OF WAR. In her new book, "Blood Rites," Barbara Ehrenreich defends her theory that the emotions people bring to war evolved from the human fear of predation--man the hunted, instead of man the hunter. She explores what she calls the sacralization of war, or the noble and heroic feelings that the warrior inspires in western societies. Ehrenreich is an essayist for Time Magazine and the author of many books on feminism and politics.
Program Number 179 12/05/97 RACE RELATIONS IN THE U.S. Is America's racial situation getting better or worse? Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom's new book, "America in Black and White," has garnered praise and controversy for its optimistic assessment. Although the Thernstroms acknowledge the problems that still remain, they feel that blacks have made tremendous progress over the last 50 years. Liberals tend to emphasize the bad news on race, without noting what has been achieved. The Thernstroms oppose affirmative action and other preference programs, arguing that blacks made greater gains in the years before such programs were implemented. Also, excerpts from a conference held on the Thernstroms' book. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy offers his thoughts on the Thernstroms' work and the current racial climate.
Program Number 177 11/21/97 AMERICAN CITIES, PAST AND PRESENT. In his new book, "The Future Once Happened Here," Fred Siegel, a professor at New York City's Cooper Union, analyzes the decline of American cities over the past half century. In Siegel's view, the excesses of 1960s liberalism, and especially radical racial politics, are to blame for the urban unrest and economic problems of cities like New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Ester Fuchs, a professor at Barnard College, argues that Siegel is oversimplifying a very complex issue, and ignoring demographic trends that had nothing to do with the 1960s. Besides, she says, American cities are on the rebound.
Program Number 176 11/14/97 IS CONSERVATISM FAILING? In September, conservatives from around the world gathered for the First International Conservative Congress in Washington. Excerpts from speeches by Judge Robert Bork, William Kristol, William F. Buckley, Charles Krauthammer, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, George Will and Margaret Thatcher, among others. Also, an assessment of the conference with National Review editor John O'Sullivan, the man who organized the event.
Program Number 174 10/31/97 A TAX DEBATE. A debate between two powerful conservative members of Congress, both of whom want to radically change our tax system. House Majority Leader Dick Armey supports a flat tax, while Representative Billy Tauzin wants to abolish the I.R.S. and impose a national sales tax. Also, a liberal response from Robert McIntyre, Director of Americans for Tax Justice. McIntyre defends the progressive income tax and says that the numbers on the flat tax and the national sales tax just don't add up. He thinks that conservative Congressional leaders are cynically using the idea of tax simplification as a way to get votes.
Program Number 173 10/24/97 HOWARD ZINN. The radical historian and activist discusses his life and career. Zinn is the author of "A People's History of the United States," a book that challenged nearly every piety about American history. He was a prominent voice in the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s, and his writing has always emphasized the power of ordinary people to effect change. One of the most revered figures on the left, he continues to be optimistic about the future.
Program Number 172 10/17/97 DEBATE: PUBLIC FUNDING FOR THE ARTS. Another in The Nation vs. National Review series. Katha Pollitt and Victor Navasky of The Nation face off against John O'Sullivan and Jeffrey Hart of National Review. The debate is moderated by Alan Chartock.
Program Number 170 10/03/97 WELFARE REFORM. Journalist David Zucchino talks about the lives of welfare mothers in Philadelphia. His book "Myth of the Welfare Queen" tries to overturn stereotypes of people on welfare living it up and not trying to fend for themselves. Zucchino is joined by one of the mothers he writes about, Odessa Williams. Ms. Williams is a grandmother who supplements a meager welfare income for herself and her grandchildren by fishing and trashpicking. Also, New York Times reporter Jason DeParle comments on Zucchino's book and gives an update on welfare reform.
Program Number 169 9/26/97 LIBERALS AND RACE. Former Daily News columnist Jim Sleeper talks about what he calls liberal racism. Although Sleeper considers himself a liberal, he thinks that many liberals are condescending, patronizing and even racist towards blacks. Sleeper feels that liberals have abandoned the high ground on racial issues, advocating racial set-asides instead of the old ideal of a color-blind society. One of the liberals who Sleeper identifies with such attitudes is Andrew Hacker, who responds to Sleeper's charges.
Program Number 167 9/12/97 A DEATH PENALTY DEBATE. The Nation and National Review co-sponsored this debate on capital punishment, which was held at New York City's Town Hall in the spring of 1997. Hadley Arkes, contributing editor of National Review, and Judge Stephen J. Markman argue in favor of the death penalty. They are opposed by Christopher Hitchens, columnist for The Nation, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. The debate is moderated by former New York City mayor Ed Koch.
Program Number 166 9/5/97 MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. Another look at family life in America focuses on the problem of divorce and single-parent families. Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, author of "The Divorce Culture," argues that Americans have become too casual about divorce, ignoring its damaging effects on children. She feels that the culture has become more concerned with the needs of adults than children, and that steps should be taken to reduce the divorce rate. Stephanie Coontz, author of "The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families," believes that the golden age of the American family, when everyone had two parents and no one got divorced, was largely a myth, and that family structures have always been complicated. Trying to force people to stay married, she argues, will only make things worse.
Program Number 164 8/22/97 DAVID HOROWITZ/PETER COLLIER. Former 1960s radical David Horowitz discusses his memoir, "Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey." Horowitz is now a card-carrying conservative, and has completely rejected what he regards as the naive utopianism of the left. Horowitz grew disillusioned with the left after learning of a murder committed by the Black Panthers, a group he had supported. He resurfaced in the 1980s as a vocal supporter of the Contras in Nicaragua, and is now a leading conservative activist in Hollywood. Also, an excerpt from a speech by Peter Collier, Horowitz's longtime colleague and fellow ex-radical.
Program Number 163 8/15/97 THE LIFE OF WHITTAKER CHAMBERS. Sam Tanenhaus, author of a new biography, discusses the turbulent life and times of Whittaker Chambers, the legendary Cold War figure who accused Alger Hiss of Communist subversion. Tanenhaus describes Chambers' early membership in the Communist Party, his disillusionment with the Left, and his conversion to a vigilant anti-Communism. Idolized by the Right and reviled by the Left, Chambers was a much more complex man than his public image suggested. He later wrote about his experiences in his famous memoir, "Witness." The program also features archival audio of both Chambers and Hiss.
Program Number 160 7/25/97 ANOTHER LOOK AT MULTICULTURALISM. Harvard professor and social scientist Nathan Glazer discusses his new book, "We Are All Multiculturalists Now." Glazer's book has managed to displease both liberals and his fellow neoconservatives. On the one hand, he laments the loss of a shared American culture, and on the other, he argues that, excesses aside, multiculturalism is here to stay. He traces the rise of multiculturalism to the failure of American society to adequately assimilate blacks. Now he says, a growing number of blacks have given up on assimilation and seek separation and cultural distinctiveness. Glazer has written several seminal books on social and ethnic history, including "Beyond the Melting Pot," co-authored with Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Program Number 159 7/18/97 STUDS TERKEL, PART TWO. The second of two programs with Chicagoan extraordinaire Studs Terkel, taped at the Public Radio Conference in June. Studs discusses his beloved Chicago, multiculturalism, radio versus television, and the trivializing effects of mass culture. He also takes questions from the audience. Also, excerpts from Studs' own radio program, featuring interviews with Pete Seeger and Zero Mostel. NPR's Scott Simon gives an appreciation of Studs.
Program Number 158 7/11/97 STUDS TERKEL, PART ONE. Chicago radio legend Studs Terkel has conducted over nine thousand interviews over his long career, with people from all walks of life. He is virtually synonymous with his beloved Chicago, but his true subject is America and its people. His many books include "Working," "Coming of Age," and his upcoming "My American Century." An interview with Studs is intercut with excerpts from his own radio program, featuring conversations with Arthur Miller, Mahalia Jackson and James Baldwin. Scott Simon gives an appreciation of Studs, and relates a few choice anecdotes.
Program Number 157 7/04/97 THE LEGACY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON. A special program examines the enduring appeal of Thomas Jefferson, perhaps the most radical of the Founding Fathers. Historian Joseph Ellis, author of "American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson," discusses Jefferson's uncanny ability to represent all things to all people. Both liberals and conservatives claim him, Ellis observes, and Jefferson's ideas remain at the forefront of American political debate. Ellis also explores Jefferson's notoriously contradictory attitude toward slavery and race. In addition, Ossie Davis reads from the Declaration of Independence, and Fritz Weaver and Isiah Sheffer read from the correspondence between Jefferson and John Adams.
Program Number 155 6/20/97 WOMEN, HOME AND WORK. In her new book, "The Time Bind," Arlie Russell Hochschild explores why Americans are spending more and more time at work, even when employers offer family-friendly policies. She argues that the home has become such a contested place in American culture that many people feel more comfortable, and more valued, at work. Also, a candid conversation with Barbara Ledeen and Anita Blair of the Independent Women's Forum, a conservative women's group. They think that women are now firmly established in the workplace and that affirmative action should end.
Program Number 154 6/13/97 SENATOR JOHN McCAIN. The Republican Senator from Arizona discusses his life and career, and America's political future. McCain served five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, incarcerated in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. He somehow survived and has since become one of the most powerful Senators in Washington, talked about by some as a presidential contender in 2000. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, McCain's views on telecommunications, trade and public broadcasting are highly influential. As respected as he is today, his career nearly ended when he was identified as one of the Keating Five.
Program Number 152 5/30/97 ROBERT REICH. The former Secretary of Labor in the first Clinton Administration discusses his memoir, "Locked in the Cabinet," a poignant and often hilarious account of life in Washington. As Bill Clinton's liberal conscience, Reich fought hard for progressive economic policies. His book describes his occasional victories and frequent frustrations, as he is outflanked from within the cabinet by Wall Streeters and from without by Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, whom Reich calls the most powerful man in America.
Program Number 150 05/16/97 GARY BAUER. With the departure of Ralph Reed from the Christian Coalition, Gary Bauer is perhaps the most influential Christian conservative in Washington. The President of The Family Research Council, a Christian lobbying group, he discusses the Republican Party, homosexuality, human rights in China and the role of religion in public life.
Program Number 148 05/02/97 SAME SEX MARRIAGE, PRO AND CON. A discussion between Andrew Sullivan, former editor of The New Republic, and Dennis Prager, a radio talk show host in Los Angeles. Sullivan advances a conservative argument in favor of gay marriage, while Prager gives a conservative argument against, based heavily on the teachings of the Bible. Also, a reading by Katha Pollitt, columnist for The Nation, who advises gays to be careful of what they ask for--they just might get it.
Program Number 147 04/25/97 SURVIVING THE HOLOCAUST. British historian Sir Martin Gilbert discusses his new book, "The Boys," which recounts the story of 732 young holocaust survivors given asylum by Great Britain after World War II. Gilbert describes how they struggled to rebuild their shattered lives after the horrors of Nazism. He also discusses British social history and its effects on British Jewry.
Program Number 146 4/18/97 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. James Q. Wilson, UCLA professor and influential criminologist, discusses his new book, "Moral Judgment: Does the Abuse Excuse Threaten Our Legal System?" Wilson feels that the court system has become weakened by the increasing use of "expert witnesses" and the tendency to rationalize or excuse aberrant behavior. He also talks about the recent drops in crime across the United States, which are sometimes attributed to his theories.
Program Number 145 4/11/97 THE ATTACK ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, PART II. In Part Two, George Curry, editor of "Emerge: Black America's Newsmagazine" and ardent supporter of affirmative action, responds to the critics heard in Part One. Curry makes no apologies for his magazine's attacks on Clarence Thomas as a "Lawn Jockey for the Far Right," and argues strongly for the continuation of affirmative action programs.
Program Number 144 4/4/97 THE ATTACK ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, PART I. Part One features excerpts from speeches given at a tribute dinner honoring Ward Connerly, the black businessman and Regent at the University of California at Berkeley. Connerly led the movement in California against affirmative action in public institutions, which culminated in the California Civil Rights Initiative, approved by California voters last November. Speaker Newt Gingrich is among those calling for an end to "affirmative racism." Also heard from are several private citizens and Ward Connerly himself.
Program Number 142 3/21/97 JOHN WAYNE AND AMERICAN MYTH. In a 1995 poll, Americans were asked to name their favorite movie star. The winner was John Wayne, who has been dead for eighteen years. What accounts for Wayne's enduring popularity? Acclaimed author Garry Wills states that Wayne's movie characters embodied deep-seated American myths about the frontier, self-reliance and patriotism. Ironically, although Wayne personified America to many, this persona was largely fabricated. In the movies, for instance, John Wayne was the ideal American soldier; in real life, he avoided serving in the military.
Program Number 141 3/14/97 CONSERVATIVE COMPLACENCY? William Kristol, Editor and Publisher of The Weekly Standard, is deeply disappointed with the recent performance of the conservative majority in Congress. He says Republicans are not acting like a party that controls the House and the Senate. Instead of blaming President Clinton for all their problems, Kristol says the Republicans should concentrate on the ideas that got them elected in the first place.
Program Number 139 2/28/97 WOMANHOOD, MOTHERHOOD AND FEMINISM. Essayist Vivian Gornick takes stock of her life and relationships, and the effect that feminism has had on America. She argues that the massive disintegration of the American family cannot be blamed on feminism. Novelist Anne Roiphe discusses what it's like to be a mother and a feminist in the real world.
Program Number 138 2/21/97 A BRIEF HISTORY OF CONSERVATISM. Not long ago, American conservatives were lost in the wilderness of New Deal liberalism and Great Society programs. So how did conservatives become the dominant political force of our era? A discussion with three students of American conservatism, including journalist Godfrey Hodgson, who asks, Was there a Reagan Revolution? Sociologist Sara Diamond describes the growing political power of the Christian Right. Historian George Nash talks about the intellectual underpinnings of the Conservative movement.
Program Number 136 2/7/97 WHAT IS THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT? Charles Murray explains his personal brand of libertarianism. Murray would like to see nearly half of the federal government eliminated. Economics writer Robert Kuttner sharply challenges the libertarian idea that free markets make free men.
Program Number 135 1/31/97 KARSKI'S STORY. Jan Karski, a junior Polish diplomat, was one of the first to bring news of the Holocaust to England and America. At the behest of Jewish underground leaders, he was smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto and into a Nazi concentration camp to see for himself what was happening. He later told President Roosevelt what he had seen. His biographer Thomas Wood also joins the discussion.
Program Number 133 1/17/97 The End of Work. Economic analyst Jeremy Rifkin argues that the high-tech revolution will be just as devastating for blue and white collar workers as the industrial revolution was for farm workers. Corporate downsizing may be just the tip of the iceberg. According to Rifkin, the information revolution will soon do away with entire professions. He also says that we should begin thinking about a 30-hour work week, as well as investing in the "third sector" (public sector and non-profit organizations), to prevent massive unemployment and social dislocations.
Program Number 132 1/10/97 William F. Buckley On Language. Some bandinage with William F. Buckley, Jr., the man who loves to send his readers to the dictionary. The godfather of modern American conservatism talks about unusual words, e-mail and the internet, the f-word, and the reason why he answers almost every letter written to the National Review." He also gives an emotional reading of the touching obituary he wrote for his mother.
Program Number 128 12/13/96 Why Has America Turned to the Right? Former New York Times journalist Samuel Freedman talks about the breakdown of the New Deal coalition and the drift of the American electorate from liberal to conservative. Freedman traces the political evolution of three American families over three generations in his book "The Inheritance." Freedman also says that there is an anxious lower middle class which doesn't identify with either party, and is prey to demagogues from the right and left.
Program Number 127 12/06/96 Bridges Goes To School. Film critic David Denby talks about going back to Columbia University, his alma mater, to reread the classics of Western thought. Professor Lawrence Levine discusses his book "The Opening of the American Mind," a liberal response to "The Closing of the American Mind." That bestselling book by Allen Bloom blasted the academy for multi-culturalism and political correctness. Levine, however, thinks that universities are finally responding to America's pluralism.
Program Number 126 11/29/96 Jonathan Kozol. Jonathan Kozol talks about the material and spiritual conditions of poor residents of the Bronx. He is harshly critical of wealthy people who dare to question the values of the poor, when their own values go unquestioned. Also, Ellen Bassuk and Angela Browne, authors of an study on single mothers and welfare, give some hard facts on poverty today in the U.S.
Program Number 125 11/22/96 Robert Bork and Nadine Strossen. Robert Bork talks about the twin evils of modern liberalism--radical individualism and radical liberalism--which he says are destroying American culture. Bork wants to see censorship of pornography, which he says is polluting the culture. Answering him is Nadine Strossen, president of the ACLU, which Bork attacks as the premier litigating and lobbying arm of modern liberalism.
Program Number 123 11/08/96 Edward Teller and His Critics, Part 2. Edward Teller talks about his role in the infamous security hearing of J. Robert Oppenheimer; about his belief in SDI, or Star Wars, and his fateful meeting with Ronald Reagan when Reagan was still governer of California; about his worries concerning the status of science in American culture. Also, comments by physicist Freeman Dyson, writer Richard Rhodes, arms control expert John Pike, and the eminent nuclear chemist and Nobel laureate, Glen Seaborg.
Program Number 122 11/01/96 Edward Teller and His Critics, Part 1. The life and turbulent times of physicist Edward Teller, "the father of the H-Bomb" and the godfather of SDI or "Star Wars." A wide-ranging interview with Edward Teller along with commentary from Teller's supporters and critics including physicst Freeman Dyson, writer Richard Rhodes and President Ronald Reagan, among others.
Program Number 117 9/27/96 Michael Elliott. Journalist Michael Elliott, author of "The Day Before Yesterday: Reconsidering America's Past, Rediscovering America's Future." Elliott is an English immigrant who thinks that Americans are too nostalgic for the halcyon days of post-war prosperity. Also a brief discussion on immigration with Peter Brimelow, another Englishman, and a senior editor at Forbes Magazine and the National Review, and the author of "Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster."
Program Number 116 9/20/96 Arthur Magida/Louis Farrakhan. A speech on Louis Farrakhan, as well as an excerpt of a speech by Farrakhan himself. Arthur Magida is a Jewish journalist who was granted unusual access to Minister Farrakhan and to others in the Nation of Islam. He speculates about how and why Farrakhan is so popular among blacks, while frightening many whites. He also examines the history and purpose behind Farrakhan's anti-semitism. An excerpt from Farrakhan's speech is revealing of Farrakhan's sense of his own calling as a black leader.
Program Number 114 9/6/96 An Evening With Henry Louis Gates & ABC News Commentator Robert Krulwich at the 92 Street Y. Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates discusses his childhood, his views on Affirmative Action, and retired General Colin Powell.
Program Number 110 8/9/96 Dr. James Gilligan on Violence. Is the war on crime a war on the poor? Psychiatrist James Gilligan talks about the connection between poverty, shame and violence. After years working in maximum security prisons, Dr. Gilligan is convinced that we can eliminate most of the violence in our culture--if we want to. One of the emotional causes of violence, he says, is shame, or the lack of love. He also calls poverty the violence of the rich on the poor.
Program Number 109 8/2/96 Justice Antonin Scalia and Nadine Strossen. Excerpts from a speech by the conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on the separation of church and state. The lecture was given at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Manhattan, and Nadine Strossen, President of the ACLU, was in attendance. One month later, she too gave a speech at the seminary, blasting Scalia for lowering the constitutional barriers between church and state. Excerpts from Scalia's lecture are intercut with excerpts from Strossen's.
Program Number 108 7/26/96 Michael Lind. Lind has written a new book, "Up from Conservatism: Why the Right is Wrong for America." A former conservative writer and editor, Lind tells of his disillusionment with American conservatism. He argues that the conservative movement is now intellectually bankrupt, and that most conservative intellectuals are now PR men for the Republican Party and the Christian Right. David Brooks from the Weekly Standard challenges Michael Lind's ideas in the final ten minutes of the program.
Program Number 106 7/12/96 White Guilt and Black Mobility. Tom Wicker, the former New York Times columnist, has written a new book, "Tragic Failure: Racial Integration in America." Wicker calls for blacks and other poor, disenfranchised groups in America to form a third political party, in order to protect their interests. Black intellectual Shelby Steele, contests this radical notion, saying it's just another example of white liberal guilt.
Program Number 84 02/09/96 Milton Friedman: Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman is considered the godfather of the Chicago School of monetary economics. He stresses the least possible government intervention in the economy, and the smallest possible government. Calling himself a Libertarian, Friedman would abolish most government agencies, starting with the FDA. He has influenced Presidents Nixon and Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, the government of Chile and a generation of free-market economists at the University of Chicago.
Program Number 76 12/15/95 Andrew Sullivan: Sullivan, the conservative editor of the historically liberal New Republic, is the author of the new book "Virtually Normal." Sullivan, who is gay, discusses how he feels society should deal with homosexuals. He believes government should not discriminate against gay men and lesbians, but private citizens should be free to have their own beliefs and biases. Among other things, he calls for government to sanction gay marriages. He also talks about how the New Republic has changed under his editorship.
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Technical Notes:
For TrueSpeech programs, if you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, select the TrueSpeech (Explorer) button following the program you would like to hear. The Internet Explorer browser will then stream the audio file with its built-in ActiveMovie Player. ActiveMovie will play many audio formats supported in Windows 95, including TrueSpeech. When the Play button becomes active, you can begin playing while the file is downloading.
For TrueSpeech programs, if you are using a Netscape browser, you will need to select the TrueSpeech (Netscape) button following the program you would like to hear. But first, you will need to install the TrueSpeech player on your computer. To get the TrueSpeech software without charge, visit the TrueSpeech Web site. Read and follow the straightforward instructions for downloading and installation.
For RealAudio programs, you will need to have version 4.0 (or later) of the RealAudio player installed. (To get this player for free, please go to the RealAudio download site.) In addition, your modem speed must be 28.8 or higher. (These recordings will NOT play with either a 14.4 modem or versions of the RealAudio player earlier than 4.0.)
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