12:00 PM Pacific Time: Mondays to 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 co-produced and co-hosted by Sasha Lilley and C. S. Soong.
Post-Election Strategy; Ancient Maya Art. One thing’s for certain: either Bush or Kerry will win the election. What then? Will the Left be prepared with a coherent strategy either way? Max Elbaum shares his thoughts and Bob Wing reports from Florida on voter protection and poll monitoring efforts. Curator Kathleen Berrin describes an ancient Maya … Continued
Beyond Neoliberalism Neoliberals argue that poor countries can only develop by following the precepts of privatization, deregulation, and economic liberalization. Economists Ha-Joon Chang and Ilene Grabel believe there are other alternatives. They discuss concrete ways that countries can move out of poverty and away from economic vulnerability in an era of "globalization."
You’re skeptical of this, I’m skeptical of that — but what does skepticism really mean? Michael Shermer, director of The Skeptics Society, discusses the history, approach and applications of skepticism.
Inside the Maquiladoras. Workers at the assembly plants in Mexico known as maquiladoras face many challenges: low wages, monotonous tasks, management demands, and an unsolved crime wave known as the Maquiladora Murders. Anthropologist Devon Pena is interested in the murders’ social context; he’s also examined worker resistance within the maquilas. (Encore presentation.)
Chasing Che. He’s a revolutionary hero and a cultural icon, but who was Ernesto "Che" Guevara, really? His early travels have been chronicled in the film The Motorcycle Diaries; Che’s entire life is the subject of a book entitled The Che Handbook. Co-author Gareth Jenkins describes Che’s adventures, his ideas, and his enormous appeal.
The Road to Post Capitalism II. How should the left integrate immediate, daily struggles with the long term goal of systemic change? Can the left come up with a coherent understanding of electoral politics? How can we change the culture around us? These are some questions that Vijay Prashad and Robin D.G. Kelley addressed at … Continued
Resisting Colonization. The current occupation of Iraq is only the latest attempt by Western imperial powers to dominate the region, according to Tariq Ali. The acclaimed political analyst, novelist, film maker, and author of Bush in Babylon, spoke earlier this year about the history of colonization and resistance in Iraq.
Despair Not! Times are tough. There’s war and destruction all around us. Nonetheless, says activist and author Rebecca Solnit, the future is uncertain, and hope can get us through hard times and inspire us to struggle and persist. In Hope in the Dark, she also points to the dangers of perfectionism, rigid agendas, narrow definitions … Continued
The Road to Post-Capitalism What might life look like in a post-capitalist world? That was the subject of a conference held recently in New York. Michael Albert spoke about what the left should work towards, while Naomi Klein talked about death under capitalism — the US occupation of Iraq and what the anti-war movement in … Continued
Waking from a Dream. What if we are all living an illusion? What if the frenetic, anxious way we pass our days, grasping at things, pursuing this or that, is nothing more than a form of self-deception? In his book Reality, Peter Kingsley finds in the roots of Western civilization an invitation to participate in … Continued
