The Majority Report with Sam Seder

From August 2017:

Best selling author Naomi Klein, author of, No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump’s Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need, explains the history of modern branding. The formation of the Trump brand. The liberals who helped create the CEO myth of leadership. Why Trump can’t be worked with. Why labor unions should fight Trump on all fronts. Why the climate crisis needs to remain central to our politics. What to learn from Jeremy Corbyn. Why the Left needs to synchronize race, class and gender and what comes next in Left politics.

 

Also, a few conversations on Seb Gorka and Sam has a Gianforte-style meltdown.

Direct download: 12-29-17-Naomi_Klein-BestOf-Comp.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT

Best of from April 2017,

Chris Hayes, host of the Chris Hayes Show and author of, A Colony in a Nation, explains Richard Nixon’s role in the creation of the modern law and order state. Colonialism and American revolution. Why smugglers were popular in early American history. Colonial era smuggling and the modern drug war. The murder of Eric Garner and Jefferson’s attack on the crown. Policing and revenue and Ferguson. Police as occupying forces. White fear and American history. Police violence, African Americans and recurring themes in American history. What changed in 1968. Jeff Sessions unshackles police departments and the return of private prisons. What fuels change? Is there a way to change white fear and pathology? Understanding Trump’s mind and American bigotry and The what people are missing about the Nunes story.

 

Also, Ivanka loves board games so much they've never been unboxed and Alex Jones gets frustrated with Mike Cernovich.

Direct download: 12-28-17-Chris_Hayes-BestOf-Comp.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30am EDT

An interview from May 2014:

Professor Stephanie Kelton explains the Bretton Woods System and the end of the Gold Standard in the 1970s, why comparisons to the Weimar Republic and Zimbabwe made by austerity promoters are wrong, high inflation does not happen in well functioning democracies, why we think about the deficit in the wrong way, the smart way to think about the Simpson Bowles austerity plan, the purpose of taxes, Hillary Clinton running on bringing down the debt and addressing the inequality crisis, Social Security and inequality, what Thomas Piketty misses, why labor needs to make a comeback and why fighting inequality must go beyond raising taxes at the top.

Also, a best of compilation of some of our Alex Jones coverage from the year.

Direct download: 12-27-17-Stephanie_Kelton-BestOf-Comp.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30am EDT

From February 8th:

Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, explains what is radicalism. Why radicalism is different from liberalism and incrementalism. Has America always had radicals. The 1990s and the “end of history”. Tom Paine, America’s original radical. Radicalism in times of crisis. The opportunities the Left has today. Why are people marching against Trump? How radicalism moves from saying no to articulating what it wants. The old order is dying, what about the next one? Organic movements and the importance of Black Lives Matter. Why we are behind the curve on inequality and basic social benefits. Long term strategy for radical change. Where Europe is further ahead and further behind and what we need to learn from reconstruction.

Then, Michael takes down Ben Shapiro and David Rubin, and Sam argues with a libertarian about the Bell Curve.

Direct download: 12-26-17-Eric_Foner-BestOf-Comp.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:30am EDT

For the best-of today, an interview from April 14th:

Ganesh Sitaraman (@GaneshSitaraman) is an Assistant Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School. He joins us to discuss his new book, “The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution: Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic.”

Direct download: 12-25-17-Ganesh_Sitaraman-BestOf-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

It's the last live Majority Report of 2017, and have we got a star-studded line-up for you! First, cultural critic Fran Lebowitz joins us to discuss the rise of Trump, what it means about America, and what happened to our class consciousness. Next, our old pal Cliff Schecter breaks down the GOP tax bill and the shifting political ground with his trademark wonkishness. Then Isabel Gillies and Film Guy Matthew stop by to recommend uplifting and depressing movies, respectively. Finally, we close out the year with a viewing of Weird Mike's live Reddit AMA session.

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Direct download: 12-22-17-Fran_Liebowitz-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:21pm EDT

On this episode of MR, Travis L Dixon (@Dr_TLDixon), a professor of communication at the University of Illinois, discusses his new report for Color of Change, A Dangerous Distortion of Our Families: Representations of Families, By Race, in News and Opinion Media. Drawing on data from 2015-2016, Dixon outlines how African American families are over-represented in the media's reporting on crime and poverty, and discusses how politicians from Reagan to Clinton have used those perceptions to shred the social safety net in a racialized way. Read the full report here.

In the fun half: The first six Disrupt J20 defendants are found not guilty, Roy Moore thinks Muslims and Marxists worked together to defeat him and delight Doug Jones' gay son, Trump's politics re: taxes, drilling in the Arctic, etc. are just the same old Republican garbage, Nikki Haley delivers some tough talk on Israel at the UN, immigration courts show children no mercy, and the crew goes back and forth some more about the effects of classist snobbery.

 

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Direct download: 12-21-17-Travis_Dixon-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:48pm EDT

On this episode of the Majority Report, Paul Ryan does his smarmy best to pretend the GOP tax bill will help the 99% and not add to the deficit (not that the latter matters), animatronic William Howard Taft calls in to praise Donald Trump, banks plan to proceed with mortgage payments and foreclosures in Puerto Rico despite the ongoing crisis, Wyatt Koch peddles terrible shirts to his fellow failsons, and Rachel in Queens sparks a discussion on classist attitudes held by coastal elites.

After the break: Susan Collins blames sexism for tax bill backlash, Cenk recaps his bet with Jimmy Dore, Donald Trump Jr. does a fake TED talk on how the system is rigged against his dad, MN lawmaker and transphobe Mary Franson is scared to meet with high school students, the Department of Defense releases a UFO video, Sam tackles a random Rush clip, and Jeff in GA elicits further discussion on how the Democrats should (and should not) convince people to vote for them.

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Direct download: 12-20-17-Sam_Seder-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:05pm EDT

This episode of the Majority Report begins with a viewing of the newly unveiled animatronic Trump at Disney World. Will it bring on the robot revolution? Then journalist David Dayen (@ddayen) joins us to discuss the Republican tax bill and the political history of 2017. With 83% of gains going to the top 1%, the GOP plan is unlikely to win favor with voters. But if and when the Democrats get back into power, we must pressure them to re-allocate the funds to social programs, rather than the deficit.

On the fun half: The Mooch says Trump is too smart to fire Mueller, "firefighter prophet" Mark Taylor says Trump is set to release cures for cancer and Alzheimer's, a caller reminds us of the importance of local races in pushing Democrats to the left, former Fox News employee Tamara Holder is released from her NDA, Alex Jones doesn't want Trump to get assassinated (but if he does, it'll be great for his numbers), listeners tell us about VA healthcare headaches and organizing in Florida, and Ronald Raygun calls in with a special, Cernovich-related offer.

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Direct download: 12-19-17-David_Dayen-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT

Steven A Cook (@StevenACook), Senior fellow of Middle East and North African studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Michael Brooks to talk about our relationship with Turkey since Trump became president. Why is Turkey upset with the United States? The obsession with Fethullah Gulen by Erdogan's supporters.

Why the 'new' Jerusalem policy is just an acknowledgment of the reality that the peace process and two-state solution are no longer possible. Why it benefits those in power to pretend like the two-state solution is still viable. The generational divide re: Israel politics and why mainstream Dems continue to close ranks around the issue.

On the fun half: Judge Jeanine "doubles down" on apocalypse of the republic record against the FBI, Alex Jones needs your prayers, Pharma company McKesson killed americans with opioids but our justice system is too weak to punish them, what's the lesson from Alabama, and your calls an IMs.

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Cast: Sam Seder (@samseder), Michael Brooks (@_michaelbrooks) Matt Lech (@mattlech), Jamie Peck (@jamie_elizabeth), Brendan Finn (@BF1nn)

 

Direct download: 12-18-17-Steven_A_Cook-Pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:21pm EDT