MOVIE REVIEW FOR ...
The Girl in the Café

CATEGORY:  AGRICULTURE, LABOR ISSUES — 30.DEC.2014

Agroinnovations Podcast

The Farmers Union and the Future of Food — Tom Giessel, honorary historian of the National Farmers Union, talks about the history of the Farmers Union, which was started in the early 20th century by cotton farmers in Texas. Giessel discusses the importance of community organizing and collaboration; the impact of technology on the Farmers Union; and visionary leaders throughout the Union's history. ~~ In Part II, Giessel explains the advantages of small operations unifying under a cooperative structure. He advises listeners to beware of threats to uniform cooperative law, and the further danger of wholesale privatization of cooperative assets. The discussion concludes with a look at the role of commodity groups in the political landscape and the dwindling role of cooperative extension in the face of persistent budget cuts.
Go to page A  |  Download/listen A   38:15
Go to page B  |  Download/listen B   36:59

GP comment:  An important topic, though not the most scintillating of presentations.

Original Show Pub Date: 18.Nov.2014 ~~ Original story titles: History of the Farmer’s Union, The Future of Food and Farming

CATEGORY:  ENVIRONMENT, CORPORATIONS — 10.DEC.2014

CounterSpin

30 Years Since Bhopal, Justice May Finally Be Getting Started — It was 30 years ago that a gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killed thousands of people and injured tens of thousands more. But if you think of Bhopal as a tragedy from the '80s, you're missing the point: It was a crime and it's far from over. Amitabh Pal of the Progressive talks about the ongoing disaster of Bhopal and the potential progress finally being made to clean up the area and properly compensate victims.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   10:14

GP comment:  It's important to remember that Bhopal was not an unavoidable accident, it was a manifestation of corporate pennypinching on maintenance and upgrades at an industrial facility that handled deadly reagents. It's extremely rare that we put corporate executives or board members on trial for such failures, but that should change. Their personal fortunes are made by reaping the revenue from such operations in good times; their liberty and wealth should be at risk when it goes wrong due to their mismanagement.

Original Show Pub Date: 05.Dec.2014

CATEGORY:  EMPIRE, CORPORATIONS, LABOR ISSUES — 27.OCT.2014

Making Contact

Blowing the Whistle, Paying the Price — Whistleblowers are heroes to many, but the government is increasingly treating them as traitors. In this show, we hear about the whistleblowers you won't see on the nightly news. They’re not named Manning or Snowden; they’re ordinary people who report wrongdoing at their place of employment, and pay the consequences.
Go to page  |  Download/listen   28:56

GP comment:  Such actions do indeed take courage, and wisdom to know when something is important enough that it can't be ignored or overlooked. Bravo to those who step up.

Original Show Pub Date: 15.Oct.2014

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Hey, we don't pick
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