Where's the Outrage?

Let’s cover just a few things that are on my mind today.

ET show - 10-14-11 [ 14:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

• Occupy Wall Street – Why are the Republicans worried or nervous about this movement? Why aren’t they more worried about corporate influence on our political system? One of the stories currently circulating is that this organic movement was really started by George Soros. There’s actually no evidence to back this up, but since George Soros is one of the conservatives bogeymen, why not throw it out there?
• Texas Governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry has introduced his “jobs plan.” It looks as if he’d like to give away a lot of our money to big oil. No surprises here. By the way, the House Republican plan, released several months ago, is only 10 pages long and that includes large pages of what are basically cartoons. The plan is a joke.
• Michele Bachmann has publicly stated that she would like to revert back to the Reagan tax plan. Clearly she doesn’t understand that taxes were higher under Ronald Reagan than they are today.
• Was Herman Cain‘s tax plan (“999 plan”) based on the computer game Sim City? Doesn’t his plan place a higher tax burden on the poor and middle class? Bachmann doesn’t like the plan.

Tags: Party Politics, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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I was on Local Edge Radio yesterday. I chatted with Blake and Leslie. We discussed the death of Troy Davis. We have to fix this. We need a system that is fair for everyone. Our government shouldn’t be in the business of vengeance. We need to get into a position where the death penalty is used rarely, if ever. We then drift into a couple of other topics. We note that the stock market took a huge hit yesterday. Then we delve into global climate change secondary to man’s burning of fossil fuels. I point to the difficulty of tackling threats that are in the future. I then talk about the science of global warming. Ice core samples reveal that CO2 levels are higher now then at any time during the last 500,000 years. The question that I ask is whether we can face a complex problem like global warming. We then discuss the problem that California is having with water. California has known for more than 40 years that their water supply is dwindling. The population of California’s increasing. The agricultural demands on water continue to increase. Yet, California continually puts the problem off by rationing water. Rationing water is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. There are only two ways to fix this problem. One, significantly decrease demand on water – move large segments of the population. Two, significantly increase water, make water. Leslie mentions the decrease in the water in aquifers. Finally, I mention a book that I’m currently reading called the Watchman’s Rattle. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy.

Local Edge Radio 9-23-11 [ 25:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Entertainment, Legal, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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I haven’t discussed women’s rights that much on this blog and for this I am sorry. Women’s rights should be important to everyone. If anybody’s liberty is in jeopardy, all of our liberties are in jeopardy. Currently, women’s rights are under a blistering assault by the GOP. Legislation both on the state and on the federal level has been designed to target women and limit their access to healthcare and their right to choose. One of the most egregious assaults on women is rape. Several states are requiring women to pay for their rape examinations. Let me say this again. After a woman is raped, some states require women to pay for their rape kits. These examinations don’t cost $5 or $10. In some cases, women are being charged over $1000 (or more) for these examinations. For women who are poor and without means, this puts justice out of their reach. I talked with a friend of mine, Tamara Benson, who has intimate knowledge of this assault on women. Her own daughter was raped and because her daughter was a minor she was sent the bill for the rape kit. This is a very compelling interview and I hope you find it informative.

The Errington Thompson show – Womens Rights [ 23:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Update: The HuffPo has also tackled this subject (listen to the personal story in the podcast below)-

Journalists occasionally shine light on a public policy that is so disgusting it literally stuns you – just takes your breath away and leaves you speechless.

Your first thought is they’ve made a mistake. Or this is ratings hype. It can’t be true.

After the initial shock wears off, you realize it actuallyis happening – that it’s the system – and it hurt real people today; and it will hurt others the same way tomorrow, and others the day after that, and others the day after that. And you just want to urp.

That happened today when I saw this clip on CNN (from Houston station KPRC) that showed the attorney general of Texas (my home state) is sending letters to women who have been raped threatening their credit will be ruined unless they pay for the part of the criminal investigation known as the rape kit.

(A rape kit is a set of items that specially trained medial staff use to gather and preserve evidence of a sexual assault. A woman can decline the process, which can take up to four hours, but going to an emergency room and undergoing this additional intrusion helps document the attack and gives law enforcement evidence it needs to investigate the crime and prosecute the rapist.) The cost, according to CNN/ KPRC, runs $1,200 to $1,800. (more…)

Tags: Civil Liberty, Civil Rights, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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On Thursday I was on the radio with Blake and Lesley of Local Edge Radio. Now this was fun.

Local Edge Radio 5-19-2011 [ 27:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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I was interviewed by Blake and Lesley on Local Edge Radio. We talked about how Robin Hood was not a Republican, labor arbitrage, corporate citizenship and much more. Enjoy.

Local Edge Radio interview 3-31-11 [ 19:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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For the last several months, I have been invited to be a guest on Local Edge Radio with Blake and Lesley. I’m on a Thursda’s at 4 pm (EST). This week – we discussed how we aren’t moving forward as a country. We get distracted by mosques at Ground Zero and some preacher thinking about burning Korans. What’s up with Iraq? I’m having a problem with the idea that combat operations are over. They aren’t. We take a break then come back and talk about labor and how unions are dying. This show was fun. I hope that you enjoy it.

BTW, next Tuesday (9/14), @ 3 pm (EST) I’ll wipe the dust off of BlogTalkRadio. I’ll be back on the air (really I’ll be on the internet). My guest will be Markos Moulitsas founder of the Daily Kos. We’ll chat about his new book, American Taliban.

Local Edge Radio 9-9-2010 [ 24:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Afghanistan, Domestic Issues, Iraq, Media, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Hey! It’s time for another show! I took a month off and there is a lot to talk about. Catch me tonight at 7 pm.

This was a fun show. I hope that you enjoy it. If you have suggests about improving my show, please let me know.

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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The Errington Thompson Show will look at, discuss and dissect meteorites, volcanoes, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, the state of the financial sector, the progress of the financial bill in the Senate, taxes and the tea partiers. We are happy to welcome from the popular blog, Jack and Jill Politics, Rikyrah. Join me this Friday for some fun, entertaining and progressive discussion at 6 PM (EST).

GREAT show. If you missed it, I’ll have the podcasts up later.

Tags: Economy, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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After taking a two-week hiatus, I am back, rested and energized. As usual, I will review the week’s top stories. I’ll talk about Tiger Woods, Donovan McNabb, nuclear disarmament, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann and that terrible mining accident in West Virginia. My special guest is Meteor Blades of The Daily Kos. Join me at 3 pm EST today, April 9th. This will be fun and entertaining.

Now, this is progressive radio!

This was a GREAT show. Let me know what you thought of it? Thanks!!

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Listen to Errington Thompson on Blog Talk Radio

Today at 5 pm EST, I’ll have Heidi Shierholz from the Economic Policy Institute. I will also have Andy Coates from Physicians for a National Healthcare Program. This is going to be a GREAT show. Now, this is truly Progressive Radio.

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Now, this is progressive radio. Enjoy.

The Errington Thompson Show 2-6-2-10 [ 54:24 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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I thought I was current with my shows. I’m not sure why I thought that. I’m never current.

Hope for Haiti raises $57 million for Haiti. Military contractor DynCorp has lost millions in Iraq. James O’Keefe was arrested for trying to wiretap Mary Landrieu. This is really crazy. We have never gotten the real story on O’Keefe and ACORN. These stories and more.

Now, this is progressive radio! Enjoy!

The Errington Thompson Show - 1-30-2010 [ 55:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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I’ll be on BlogTalkRadio at 5 pm today. Give me a listen. I really appreciate it.

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Errington starts the show by congratulating Aaron on his new full-time gig with Local Edge Radio, Monday through Friday 3 to 6 and then hits upon a few topical insights, starting with a private citizen’s billboard on Highway 1 in Wisconsin which suggests brazenly that we “impeach Obama.” The lawyer for this guy says it’s only an expression suggesting a change in Washington and a better focus on small business! We then go over a few other erstwhile concerns, like needing some definitive explanations about Afghanistan and how the 400 highest-earning American households grew by $345 million dollars in 2007, according to the IRS. Sure would be nice if my household had increased by 31%! Before heading into the segment with two great guests, Errington covers CPAC’s maverick-y no-show, Ms Sarah Palin, the inescapable and unexplainable tragedy of Joseph Andrew’s Stack’s last flight and the unnerving number of condoms distributed to each visiting athlete in Vancouver.

Errington’s guests for the show are Mark Karlin from Buzzflash.com and Professor Juan Cole from Informed Comment. With Mark Karlin, the conversation begins with the absurdity of Tiger Woods’ personal life coming before the healthcare crisis, the controversy about building nuclear power plants and the rising number of American deaths in Afghanistan. Karlin calls Republicans “complete hypocrites” with regard to the stimulus package, which did stabilize the economy, and challenges Democrats to give the Republicans the “back of the hand” and demonstrate some strength!

Professor Juan Cole, an expert on the Middle East who teaches history at the University of Michigan, lays out for us short-term and long-term rationale for the Obama Administration’s presence in and withdrawal from Afghanistan. Professor Cole, distinguished author of Engaging the Muslim World, puts into perspective the real concern about a “nuclear Taliban.” About purported exit strategies, he claims that, “stabilizing Afghanistan in an 18-month period is far-fetched.”

Errington wraps up with a reminder about his Foreign Policy Week blog posts, revisiting some important notes on North Korea’s bargaining chips and the mismanagement of the situation by the last administration. Now this is some great progressive radio!

The Errington Thompson Show - 2-20-2010 [ 54:24 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Errington talks with two great guests on this show. The first is Linda Monk, constitutional scholar and author of The Words We Live By, who tries to make sense for us the very complicated Supreme Court decision regarding corporations. In what Ms Monk calls an “astounding example of judicial activism,” corporations have been deemed to have the same rights to free speech that individual Americans enjoy. Given that they retain limited liability, however, the rights of corporations become “Super Rights.” An individual’s liability would limit defamatory claims… not so for a corporation’s campaign ad! What to do? Monk supports a constitutional amendment prohibiting for-profit companies’ participation in elections. Such an endeavor would be, in Monk’s words, “a hallmark of the new populist movement.” I like it.

Errington’s second guest is Patrick Fitzsimmons, the regional executive director of the Red Cross for western North Carolina. Mr. Fitzsimmons explains some of the ways our donations make it to help in Haiti. At least three million of Haiti’s 10 million citizens have been immediately affected by last month’s massive earthquake. That’s one third of the population! Stepping up to the challenges like the decimated infrastructure, debilitated power grid, the lack of water and gasoline, the Red Cross is coming to the rescue the best they can. They’re operating hospitals and first aid and helping to distribute food, water, blood products and other emergency supplies. Remember, 91 cents of every dollar gets directly to those who need it after negligible but necessary administrative costs.

Both of these issues spark insightful debate. Now that’s progressive radio!

The Errington Thompson Show 1-23-10 [ 54:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Foreign Affairs, Legal, Podcasts by rlmcgary
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This week’s show revisits two excellent interviews Errington had with Amy Goodman from Democracy Now, who is the author of Standing up to the Madness, and Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert. The first interview with Ms Goodman reminds us of the ongoing fight for our civil liberties, even here in these United States. Goodman chronicles the story of a group of librarians who were served with so-called “National Security Letters” and, along with the help of the ACLU, stood up for their rights, for our rights, in a case against the United States Patriot Act. We hear, too, about some sneaky legal maneuvers with regard to shutting down public housing in New Orleans after Katrina. This was attempted under the guise of cleaning up the mess, during and after one of former President Bush’s extended vacations in the hurricane’s aftermath. In what Goodman calls a “microcosm of injustice in this country,” some residents of New Orleans’ public housing structures were not allowed to return to their homes, even though they were neither swamped nor destroyed.

Reminding us to remain vigilant in the face of the degradation of civil liberties, Errington and Goodman also cover the story of some brave Americans who test the No-Fly List mentality. One man’s choice of a particular tee-shirt found him in custody at a US airport. “We will not be silenced,” from the original anti-Holocaust slogan, was too inflammatory for him to go unnoticed on an American flight, especially because the tee included Arabic writing, as well!

Eric Boehlert’s interview continues the insightful commentary, as he and Errington delve into how the blogosphere has changed American journalism forever. The plethora of information grows as fewer people get cut out of the conversation. So much more discussion of what is important to our country gets covered, thanks to sites like firedoglake.org and the Huffpost… oh, and whereistheoutrage.net!

Now this is Progressive radio!

The Errington Thompson Show - 1-9-2010 [ 53:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Domestic Issues, Podcasts by rlmcgary
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He’s back! The Errington Thompson Show was snowed in two weeks ago and MIA last week, but this week’s show brings back the progressive radio fun with New Year’s resolutions, the Blackwater travesty, healthcare and more. Errington’s guest is Mark Karlin from buzzflash.com. Among the highlights of their review of 2009 is a thoughtful discussion about the healthcare legislation and why it is going the way it is. Of course everybody’s favorite Filibusterer-in-the-Mud, Mr. Joe Lieberman, figures into the mix, as does Nebraska’s Ben Nelson. Both of these guys represent states that are pretty well saturated by the insurance industry (Mutual of Omaha, anyone?) Is it any wonder they’re so gung-ho about status quo?

Another point of contention is the would-be Christmas Day Bomber, the struggling United States economy and Obama’s presidential performance so far. Where are all these new jobs going to come from? Is Obama making mistakes or, as Mark Karlin asks, is he really a great political chess player and we have yet to see the deciding move? Has Main Street been sacrificed to Wall Street or is there a light at the end of the tunnel? The corporate rule of America must be discussed if we are to have hope of attaining the change that we progressive thinkers want for this country.

Now this is progressive radio!

The Errington Thompson Show 1-2-10 [ 53:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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Now, this is GREAT radio. My special guest is Lance Ulanoff, Editor and Chief of PC Magazine. He is here to help us with Christmas electronic purchases. We’ll chat about the do’s and don’ts. Then I talk with Igor Volsky of the Wonk Room at Think Progress. He has been following the ins and outs of the Healthcare legislation. Plus, I promise… NO Tiger Woods jokes.

I gave away another copy of the GREAT book, Pops by Terry Teachout and another $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com. If you listen, then you can win too!!

The Errington Thompson Show 12-12-09 [ 49:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Economy, Entertainment, Healthcare, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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I talk with Joan McCarter from the Daily Kos about what the heck is going on in the Senate. Joan has been following the ins and outs of the Healthcare legislation with posts two or three times per day.

This is clearly worth a listen.

Update from McJoan:

According to USA Today, there’s a new, influential voice pushing reconciliation to get a healthcare reform bill passed.

USA TODAY’s Washington bureau chief Susan Page reports that John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress and the former head of President Obama’s transition, said some Democrats may be taking another look at the so-called reconciliation process, a budget procedure that would let Democrats pass a health care bill with only 51 votes….

The issue, Podesta said, is whether Lieberman “is trying to get to ‘no’ ” on health care. He said Democratic congressional leaders were surprised by Lieberman’s negative language Sunday on the emerging Democratic plan.

“I suspect musty folders on reconciliation got dusted off this morning” on Capitol Hill in the wake of Lieberman’s comments. “If you don’t have Lieberman and you don’t have Nelson, the question is whether you can get Snowe and Collins.” He said the Democrats were “very close” to 60 and might still be able to get there.

On Lieberman: “I’ve given up on him” — that is, on trying to figure out what he will do.

Snowe says that she’ll only support a bill if they slow things down (because being at the heart of negotiations in the Finance committee for the past year, and being one of the bipartisan Gang of Six that drug on, and on, and on, and on, and knowing this bill inside and out just hasn’t given her enough time to make up her mind). Collins isn’t going anywhere Snowe doesn’t go first. Nelson still wants his abortion amendment.

Figure out enough compromises to make any of the “moderates” happy enough to get to 60, and you risk losing progressives, particulary Brown (who personally invested a great deal in the compromise Lieberman just blew up), Sanders, Feingold, and Burris. You also risk losing a 218 majority in the House.

Let’s hope that those musty folders are being dusted off, because there very well may be no other way to achieve this. And let’s hope the issue compromises a large part of the discussion in the Senate Dem caucus meeting this afternoon.

The Errington Thompson Show - Special Healthcare edition 12-14-09 [ 14:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Healthcare, Podcasts, Senate by ecthompson md
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This snowy day in Asheville starts off with Obama’s huge speech and the 30,000 troop surge to Afghanistan. All the trust we have put into Obama… is this the right way to go? His speech about the troop increase was written and spoken well, as always, but should this be where we are headed? Errington’s guest, Brian Katulis, has some compelling insights and shares details about Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq that might slip through the cracks if we don’t perk up and listen. Katulis is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. Errington and he discuss how Yemen and Somalia are not getting the attention they deserve while we pour money and American soldiers into Afghanistan. The importance of this issue can’t be overstated and Katulis makes it understandable. Are the estimated one to two hundred Al Queda members left in Afghanistan (according to Jim Jones, Obama’s National Security Advisor) worth this huge surge of American troops and money? What is to be done about the nuclear power of Pakistan? What is our legacy in Iraq?

This huge show bundles in healthcare, with Errington’s thoughts on Michael Moore’s movie Sicko. In the movie, and played here in this broadcast, a former influential member of Britain’s Parliament explains how democracy gave the poor the vote and changed Britain’s healthcare system. If money can be found for war, why shouldn’t it be available to help within a country’s own borders? Their system isn’t free. They pay for it with tax dollars.

In addition to the giveaways during the show, the biography about Louis Armstrong, Pops and a $100 amazon.com gift card, some exciting stuff for upcoming shows is announced… a visit from someone from PC Magazine and some time talking about music with two-time Grammy winner Larry Fulcher. Which twenty CDs would you take with you to a desert island?

From global climate change to gangs on Twitter, this show is investigative and fun. Thanks and congratulations to John and Terry for their calls and prizes! Now this is progressive radio!

The Errington Thompson Show 12-5-09 [ 54:27 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Podcasts by ecthompson md
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