August 21 – Why Manning and Not Cheney?; Why is Pacifica Radio Losing Audience and Going Broke?; The Journalist Booted Off RT – Russia’s English-Language Cable Network

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the 35 year sentence that Bradley Manning received and speak with Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former Chief of Staff who went public in 2005 with his knowledge that Vice President Dick Cheney provided the “guidance” that led to America’s torture disgrace. We discuss how much Manning hurt the United States compared to Cheney and why others convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, Cuba and Russia received much lesser sentences.

Part 2

Then we look into The New York Times article “Democracy May Prove the Doom of WBAI” and examine the reasons why the Pacifica network is losing listeners with two of its five stations facing bankruptcy. John Dinges, a professor and director of radio at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of “A Guidebook for Public Radio Journalism” joins us to discuss the expensive elections listeners are boycotting and the top-heavy governance, about which the article states, “unless Pacifica reforms it will simply govern itself to death”.

Part 3

Then finally we speak with James Kirchick, a journalist and foreign correspondent who is a leading voice on American gay politics and international gay rights. He was booted off RT, Russia’s English language cable network for attacking Putin’s anti-gay crackdown, accusing the RT hosts and guests of being paid propagandists for their paymaster Vladimir Putin. We discuss Russia’s assault on gay rights and James Kirchick’s article at The Daily Beast, “Why American Social Conservatives Love Anti-Gay Putin”.