12:00 PM Pacific Time: Mondays - Wednesdays
Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.
Frank Luntz thinks that Israel has a public relations problem in the United States, which may seem surprising given that a majority of Americans favor Israel’s actions against the Palestinians. The rightwing spin doctor, a longtime advisor to Israel on how to shape American public opinion, believes that such longstanding support is fraying. “The Occupation … Continued
Rare recordings of Fannie Lou Hamer, Molly Ivins, Bob Dylan, George Carlin, and John Lennon.
Is capitalism bad for your health? Gabor Maté thinks so. The acclaimed Canadian physician and Marxist discusses capitalism, stress, and chronic illness, inimitably combining profound humanism, dark wit, and extensive knowledge of science and social justice. He makes the compelling case that the psycho-social needs to be taken into account by both the medical establishment … Continued
Rare recordings of George Carlin, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Carlos Castaneda, and Kate Clinton.
In the wake of the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, while wildfires continue to rage across the West, it would seem like the perils of global warming are self-evident. And in fact, there’s one part of the U.S. government that, unlike President Trump, sees climate change as an undeniable danger: the military and Homeland … Continued
According to David Theo Goldberg, society is becoming militarized in myriad, and sometimes subtle, ways. Race, as it’s perceived and deployed, is a key part of this process. Goldberg also asserts that race is the secularization of the religious; that today’s anti-Muslim fervor is not primarily religion-focused; and that many groups working to demilitarize society … Continued
What can Hinduism’s meditative traditions offer to movements for social change? In especially Tantric principles Farah Godrej finds resources for challenging gender, class/caste, and other hierarchies. Of particular significance, in Godrej’s view, is Tantra’s rejection of the matter/spirit dualism that pervades orthodox Hindu philosophical systems. Farah Godrej, “Orthodoxy and Dissent in Hinduism’s Meditative Traditions: A … Continued
How we remember the past appears innate: a look back to the lost innocence of childhood and adolescence, to the sounds and sensations of our early years. But historian Gary Cross says that how we remember the past, and what past we even choose to remember, has everything to do with contemporary capitalism, based on … Continued
Anarchist rabble rouser, maverick woman doctor and abortion provider, political prisoner, and out lesbian at the turn of the 20th century — Marie Equi was a remarkable figure who has only recently been recovered from the amnesia of history. Historian Michael Helquist discusses the turbulent life and times of a pioneering radical. (Encore presentation.) Resources: … Continued
It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism, as the popular observation goes. But, according to Betsy Hartmann, that’s an especially American outlook. She discusses what she calls the America Syndrome: the national propensity toward apocalyptic thinking, rooted in religiosity and imperial expansion. Resources: Betsy Hartmann, The America Syndrome: … Continued
