The Majority Report with Sam Seder

12/16/15

We review how the Republicans did in last nights debate. The implications of the Republican freak-show for the rest of the country. Why Marco Rubio is a very weak candidate. The foreign policy debate inside the GOP and Donald Trump and Rand Paul both make sense for a minute. Will Cruz and Trump be to the left in foreign policy and Donald Trump has no idea what he is talking about.

On The Fun Half: Ben Carson is ready to kill innocent people too. Jeb Bush fails again and your IMs.

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Direct download: 12-16-15-Sam_Seder-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT

12/15/15

Ian Millhiser, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Editor of ThinkProgress Justice, explains the educational and public policy benefits of Affirmative Action (10:50). How a student body is built at prestigious universities. The long dividends of racial diversity in college campuses. Why Justice Roberts is the most anti-Civil Rights Justice on the Court. The history of affirmative action (14:05).  What is the Supreme Court's role in determining the type of education a university provides (19:55)?Why Justice Kennedy is like the Dread Pirate Roberts (24:35). How Justice Kennedy and Justice Roberts differ in their views of race (26:28). Does Abigail Fisher even have standing (37:35)? And why Elena Kagan is recusing herself, and what the rules for recusal are for Supreme Court (42:32).

On The Fun Half: Sam and Michael give their debate predictions. Ted Cruz goes all in on the anti Muslim conspiracy bandwagon and your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-15-15-Ian_Millhiser-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:08pm EDT

12/14/15

Interview with journalist Jesse A. Myerson joins us to discuss his recent piece for The Nation How to Get Rid of Your Landlord and Socialize American Housing, in 3 Easy Steps (7:12). How private real estate value is created by public goods (8:47). Enclosure of the commons, and the relationship between communities, housing, schools, and race (11:12). Myerson's three policy solutions (21:48). Bernie Sanders' pro public goods candidacy (33:07).

On The Fun Half: Why Bernie Sanders matters more than Donald Trump in the long run. Trump claims Cruz is bought by Oil companies. What's inside the Paris climate deal. Is Ben Carson a secret member of the Wu Tang Clan? And your calls and IMs

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Direct download: 12-14-15-Jesse_Myerson-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:07pm EDT

12/11/15

-Cliff Schecter and Sam debate closing the No Fly List loophole. Why Cliff thinks we should do it and why Sam thinks its a problem. The smart politics of the No Fly List bill. Why we don't have the "right" to bear arms. Why if this case goes to the Supreme Court its a bad and dangerous thing. Donald Trump goes full bigot and nativist. Why the mainstream press still won't admit that Republicans love Trump. Why all the other Republicans are just like Trump and why Sam has been predicting someone from the crazy caucus will get the GOP nomination (11:27 )

-Andy Kindler explains why he would have turned in other actors during the McCarthy era. How Andy Kindler became a comedian. Sam lets Andy know about H. Jon Benjamin's Jazz album. Kindler comes through NYC without visiting sam and Andy's history with Donald Trump. (54:27)

On The Fun Half: Donald Trump gets what he wants from Ted Cruz. And your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-11-15-Cliff_Schecter-Andy_Kindler-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT

12/10/15

Greg Grandin, a professor of history at NYU and author of Kissinger's Shadow explains the global scale of Henry Kissinger's crimes (9:20).

How Henry Kissinger locked in the Israel/Palestine crisis and why we still live under "Kissingerism"(18:00).

The intellectual roots of Henry Kissinger. Why Henry Kissinger is not a realist and how Nixon and Kissinger used foreign policy to get reactionary support in American politics (25:57).

Why Kissinger's Southern African wars help explain Iran Contra. What makes Kissinger different from The Dulles Brothers (31:41).

The Kissinger and Nixon bond. Why Kissinger is treated as a revered elder statesman when he is a war criminal and the Democrats who spread the Kissinger myth (40:23).

 

On The Fun Half: A corrupt scientist erupts at a Greenpeace researcher, Bernie Sanders explains how to fight Trump. Never Give Dick Cheney credit for anything and your IMs.

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Direct download: 12-10-15-Greg_Grandin-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:33pm EDT

12/9/15

Journalist Guy Lawson explains his personal connections to Canadian politics(10:56). The Trudeau family history and how Justin Trudeau was able to become the Prime Minister of Canada. Why the left wing NDP lost ground in Canada's elections by embracing austerity. Why Justin Trudeau leveraged a charity boxing match into becoming Prime Minister(16:00). Is Canada relevant to global politics? Rob Ford the Crack smoking conservative political leader and the destruction of Canadian identity Confronting anti Islamic bigotry and preserving Canadian identity and the Obama and Trudeau bromance(27:54).

On The Fun Half: Greenpeace exposes scientists ready to take cash to lie about climate science. Why we should monitor Gun owners. Donald Trump provides no cover for Republicans. Blind support for the Right in Israel is a threat to Israel. Fox & Friends wants to train children how to takedown active shooters. Philadelphia Mayor calls Donald Trump an "asshole" and your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-09-15-Guy_Lawson-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:20pm EDT

12/8/15

Harvard historian Sven Beckert, author of Empire of Cotton: A Global History, tells us why cotton helps us understand capitalism (8:16). How Europe was able to dominate the global cotton trade. The difference between "mercantile" capitalism and "war" capitalism (12:23). Slavery and the growth of global cotton. How Southern slavery is a part of national and global history (15:41). Why the British Empire focused cotton production on India. How nation states were central to the development of capitalism and modern sweatshop labor and the history of capitalist development (18:07).

On The Fun Half: Debating Donald Trump's Muslim ban with our "Constitutionalist" caller Doug. Ted Cruz surges in Iowa. Donald Trump goes full Fascist and Sam gets into a heated debate with Michael Steele and your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-08-15-Sven_Beckert-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:48pm EDT

12/7/15

Hilary Matfess, a research analyst at the National Defense University’s Center for Complex Operations, explains the dangers in Nigeria's new discovery of oil reserves in the Lake Chad area. The "resource curse" and Nigeria's corruption. Coordinating security efforts against Boko Haram and why oil disputes undermine that effort and the broader effort to reform Nigeria's oil sector.

On The Fun Half : President Obama's address on terrorism. What President Obama believes about terrorism. Jeb Bush wants Obama to be intense! And your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-07-15-Hilary_Matfess-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:42pm EDT

12/4/15

Political strategist Cliff Schecter explains the common thread of America's insane gun laws in the terror attacks in Colorado and California. Why being an arms dealer should make you socially ostracized. Reshaping the culture of guns and society. A new Gun TV channel and Every study shows that more guns make communities less safe. Now women can serve in any combat role in the military. How social change happens and Donald Trump continues to dominate.

H. Jon Benjamin and Sam reflect on their upbringing and he explains his reasoning behind releasing a Jazz album. The reviews of Jon's album have not been great. Were the musicians Jon worked with offended by his lack of ability to play. Is Jon's son proud of him?

On The Fun Half: Why did the San Bernardino County terrorist attacks. Donald Trump makes a lot of Jew jokes to a roomful of Republican Jewish crowd. A conservative teen twitter war.  And your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 12-04-15-Cliff_Schecter-Jon_Benjamin-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:03pm EDT

12/3/15

We update the latest information from the shootings in San Bernardino.

Premilla Nadasen an an associate professor of history at Barnard College, Columbia University and author of the new book Household Workers Unite: The Untold Story of African American Women Who Built a Movement, explains why household workers have been ignored in the dominant narrative of labor history. Why the New Deal ignored domestic labor. Race and who a worker was and is. The "gendered imagination" and the limits of northern labor organizing. The logistical challenges of organizing without a collective workspace. The incredible organizing power of Georgia Gilmore and why her story matters. The Bronx "slave markets" and the use of story telling by members of the domestic workers movement and the importance of intersectionality in overcoming racial divisions in organizing domestic workers.

On The Fun Half: Mike Allen pisses off Rahm Emanuel. Alex Jones conducts an epic interview with Donald Trump. Alabama Police Department planted drugs on black men for years. Ted Cruz's campaign releases raw video that shows Cruz trying to forcing his mom to talk about personal things in a campaign ad and your IMs.

Members make the Majority Report possible. Please join us by becoming a MEMBER. You can also show your support by clicking thru to the DONATE button for a one-time donation. Thanks!

Direct download: 12-03-15-Premilla_Nadasen-PUB.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:29pm EDT