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.
The ideas of long-dead economists fundamentally shape our lives, our societies, and how we understand the world and ourselves as individuals. And yet, despite that, the field of economics seems, at best, intimidating and, at worst, a mind-numbing description of something we have no control over. But the ideas of economists were formed in specific … Continued
Selections from Voices That Change the World, a comprehensive 1300-hour Pacifica Radio Archives audio compilation featuring hundreds of thinkers, critics, activists, writers, and performers.
While Trump was consolidating his power after his inauguration, some of the leading lights of the radical left gathered at a remarkable event in Washington D.C. It featured the likes of Naomi Klein, Owen Jones, Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor, and Jeremy Scahill, who took stock of the moment and looked ahead. They emphasized the need for solidarity, … Continued
The overtly racist politics of Donald Trump has been called unprecedented — a break from the Republican Party’s past rules of engagement. But a look backward, particularly at the GOP’s Southern Strategy to woo white voters based on segregationist or racist appeals, indicates how inaccurate that assumption is. Edward H. Miller discusses the origins of … Continued
How are race and ethnicity represented in U.S. news coverage of health and medicine? Charles Briggs argues that whiteness tends to be portrayed as an aspirational state of well-being, while people of color are far too often depicted as deficient, as trapped by culture and thus to be blamed for their own health problems. Charles … Continued
In the aftermath of the shutdown of far right celebrity Milo Yiannapoulos at UC Berkeley, there’s been much debate among progressives and leftists about the use of militant tactics against the right. Some of the questions under contention are whether militant tactics bring down repression on the most vulnerable, and whether free speech—even for fascists—is … Continued
The Mediterranean has become a watery mass grave for thousands of migrants seeking entry into Europe. Maurice Stierl describes episodes of what he calls grief-activism: collective acts of grief and commemoration that simultaneously assert a radical critique of European border policy and militarization. He also discusses the current state of trans-Mediterranean migration. Maurice Stierl, “Contestations … Continued
Radiation is a fearsome thing. It occurs naturally and very unnaturally, and is used both as a medical treatment and a terrifying weapon. Timothy Jorgensen traces the history of how scientists became aware of radiation’s dangers to the human body, from the so-called “Radium Girls”, factory workers who were poisoned painting watch dials, to the … Continued
What is it about the city of Jerusalem that makes Trump’s promise to move the U.S. embassy there so alarming? Zakaria Odeh describes what Israel has done in and to East Jerusalem and its Palestinian residents. Also, Frida Berrigan discusses her involvement in efforts to close Guantánamo in the context of her father’s activism and … Continued
Until the last year or two, most people had never heard of the alt-right. But the lead up to the election of Donald Trump has highlighted its noxious influence, including in the corridors of power. Is the term the “alt-right” just a fig leaf for neo-Nazism? Or is the alternative right a new formation of … Continued
