Nolan Higdon and Allison Butler are specialists in media literacy and, with their book, Surveillance Education: Navigating the Conspicuous Absence of Privacy in Schools, they focus attention on the pervasive use of digital surveillance technologies in schools that often results in a pernicious effect on students. Nolan Higdon is a founding member o…

Dr. Vanessa Wills is a political philosopher, ethicist, educator, and activist based in Washington, DC. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University. Her areas of specialization are moral, social, and political philosophy, nineteenth-century German philosophy (especially Karl Marx), and the philosophy of race. She is …

Vijay Prashad is a historian, journalist, and executive director of the Tri-Continental Institute for Social Research. He has authored or edited 72 books. In “On Cuba,” co-written with Noam Chomsky, they trace Cuban history from the 1950s revolution to the present, interrogating U.S. interventions and extracting lessons on U.S. power and influence …

Betsy Phillips, a journalist and historian, is the author of the new book about three unsolved bombings by segregationists in the civil rights era, “Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the Bombers Beyond Their Control.” Phillips not only paints a detailed picture of the social dynamic of the times but reveals how a violent fringe of…

Dr. David Detmer is a Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University Calumet and author of numerous books and professional articles. In his new book, “Zinnophobia: The Battle Over History in Education, Politics, and Scholarship,” Detmer offers an extended defense of the work of radical historian Howard Zinn, author of the bestselling A People's Histo…

Dr. Matthew Ferrence is an English professor at Allegheny College. In 2020, he ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in a deeply red district and lost badly. In his new book, “I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me: Essays on Rural Political Decay,” Ferrence chronicles his election defeat to explore how the American political narratives ref…

Dr. Gerald Horne is Moores Professor of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston. He is a renowned historian who has extensively researched and written about issues of racism, labor, politics, civil rights, and international relations. He has authored more than thirty books and numerous scholarly articles. Cornel West descr…

Vincent Bevins is an award-winning journalist. He reported for the Financial Times in London, then served as the Los Angeles Times' Brazil correspondent before covering Southeast Asia for the Washington Post. His first book, The Jakarta Method, came out in 2020 and was named one of the year's best books by the Financial Times and NPR. Today, we dis…

Daniel Kovalik is an American lawyer, human rights activist, author, and academic. He has been involved in various legal and human rights issues, particularly focusing on workers' rights, indigenous rights, and international law. In the book, “The Case for Palestine: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care,” Kovalik unveils the brutal realities of t…

Jesse Hagopian is a high school teacher in Seattle, a union organizer, co-author of several books, and a powerful force in pushing back against the "over-testing" of students. Jesse’s writing has appeared in publications like The Seattle Times, The Nation, The Progressive, and his commentary on education and politics has been featured in Time magaz…

Our guest is Mike Hixenbaugh, senior investigative reporter for NBC News. He has been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist and won a Peabody Award for reporting on the battle over race, gender, and sexuality in American classrooms. “They Came for the Schools,” his first book, is the winner of the prestigious Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. We also discuss…

Our guest on this podcast is investigative journalist Tim Schwab. His book, “The Bill Gates Problem: Reckoning with the Myth of the Good Billionaire.” It is a definitive critique of Bill Gates and other billionaires who use their immense wealth to forge into the world of unaccountable power philanthropy. Order the book: The Bill Gates Problem https…

In this podcast, our guest is a poet, Pat’s sister, Janice O’Mahony. She lives on Whidbey Island, Washington, and has immersed herself in the community's creative environment. Janice has always been creative, but once she retired, she focused on being a “poet.” She has published her works in journals and books and spends much of her time honing her…

This podcast examines education policies, history, and reform from two academics; Dr. Neil Kraus, is Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. His book, The Fantasy Economy: Neoliberalism, Inequality, and the Education Reform challenges the basic assumptions of the education reform movement. Dr. Jon Shelton is Asso…

Les Leopold’s book, “Wall Street’s War on Workers: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Are Destroying the Working Class and What to Do About It,” connects the dots between long-term trends in corporate capitalism and the last 50 years of neoliberal attacks on the working class. He shows the direct relationship between deregulation, predatory private equity …

Kevin Gosztola’s book, “Guilty of Journalism,” is an essential guide to the case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. As a journalist, Kevin has been reporting on Julian Assange for more than a decade and returns to our podcast to discuss London's High Court recent decision regarding his extradition to the United States. This is an important m…

Today, our guest is Kathrine Yeske Taylor, a rock journalist who has interviewed hundreds of musicians. In her book, “She’s a Badass,” Taylor focuses on twenty significant women in rock such as Ann Wilson, Joan Osborne, Paula Cole, Suzi Quatro, Orianthi and more. She devotes an entire chapter to each one, taking an in-depth look at the incredible t…

Today, our guest is Dr. Judith Herman, one of America’s most influential psychiatrists and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and is a distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Today, we discuss two of h…

Kevin Gosztola, has spent the last decade covering Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, and the wider war on whistleblowers and journalists. His book, “Guilty of Journalism” offers a balanced and comprehensive perspective on all the events leading up to what press freedom advocates have called the trial of the century. Noam Chomsky noted that Kevin’s book is…

Andy Lee Roth is the associate director of Project Censored, an American nonprofit media watchdog organization. He holds a PhD in sociology from UCLA. Project Censored was founded in 1976 by Dr. Carl Jensen at Sonoma State University to research and publicize news media censorship in the news and to develop students’ critical thinking skills and me…

Three years ago, we started the podcast Coming From Left Field… where we talk about politics, books, and current events. In this podcast we reflect on some of our guests we have hosted over the 68 episodes, argue where we agree and disagree, and provide observations about our current political apocalypse. Greg’s Blog (subscribe!): http://zzs-blg.bl…

Stephen Bezruchka is a graduate of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford universities. He now is an Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus, Health Systems, and Population Health at the University of Washington. He worked for three decades as an emergency physician. In “Inequity Kills Us All” Bezruchka takes a deep dive into the global health data and…

67 – “They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent” with Sarah Kendzior Sarah Kendzior is the New York Times bestselling author of Hiding in Plain Sight and The View from Flyover Country. Today we discuss her third book, “They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent” which delves into the world of conspiracy th…

Charlie Derber is a professor of sociology at Boston College and the author of 25 books. Current work focuses on the crises of capitalism, globalization, corporate power, American militarism, the culture of hegemony, the climate crisis, and the new peace and global justice movements. Today we discuss the book, “Dying for Capitalism: How Big Money F…

Theresa Amato is a public advocate, attorney, and founder of the Citizen Advocacy Center in Illinois. She was the national campaign manager and in-house counsel for Ralph Nader for his presidential runs in both 2000 and 2004. “Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny” is a powerful argument for electoral reform, especially re…

Freddie DeBoer has written for many mainstream publications but, in the past few years, has established himself as a Substack community for 47K readers who have had enough of the polarized media. Today, we will discuss his new book, “How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement,” which explores why a passionate but unfocused social justice movement f…

It is hard to describe Peter Serko. He’s been a counselor, IT professional, playwright, filmmaker, museum quality photographer and now, add novelist. After acquiring a tattered cardboard box with old books, photos, and diaries from his great-grandmother, Peter became inspired to research his family genealogy and write a historical fiction novel abo…

Professor and author, Christian Parenti, discusses a wide range of topics today including his article in NONSITE.org, ‘The First Privilege Walk,’ which may be the symbolic origin story of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion industry. We also overview his book 'Radical Hamilton' and how the founding father was more progressive for his time than cre…

Our guest today is award-winning investigative journalist and contributing writer at The Intercept, Trevor Aaronson. His seminal book “The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War On Terrorism” exposed the questionable counterterrorism tactics the Bureau used so they could claim it was winning the “war on terror.” His recent podcast, ‘Alph…

Our guest today, Alfred de Zayas, is a prominent scholar, lawyer, historian, and human rights expert. He has an impressive academic background, having earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, as well as a Ph.D. in history from the University of Göttingen in Germany. Throughout his career, he has focused on international law, human rights, and t…

Bill Ehrhart’s experiences in the Vietnam War have defined his life—first as an enlisted member of a Marine infantry battalion, then as an author, poet, and teacher who has spent fifty years explaining the war and its consequences in books, lectures, and interviews. In this podcast, we discuss his recent book of essays on diverse topics, being a te…

Vijay Prashad is an American-based Indian Marxist historian; he has written over 20 books and is the founder and executive director of the Tri-Continental Institute for Social Research. In this podcast, we discuss his recent book with Noam Chomsky, "The Withdrawal," and his observations regarding our foreign policy with China. Wenhua Zongheng, Quar…

Daniel Kovalik, is a human rights lawyer, author, and professor. He has focused on issues such as labor rights, human rights, and international law. He has written numerous books that criticize what he sees as U.S. foreign policy agendas and media narratives that demonize certain countries. In this podcast we discuss his recent trip to Russia and C…

We welcome Norman Finkelstein to our podcast, a prominent political scientist known for his writings, research, and scholarship on the middle east. In 2020, he was named the fifth most influential political scientist in the world. In his new book,” I'll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and …

Walker Bragman is a journalist, JD, occasional cartoonist, and co-founder of OptOut Media Foundation. He writes for Salon, The Hill, Truth Out, Huffington Post and other publications. His recent reporting involves “Moms for Liberty,” an astroturf organization influenced by right-wing dark money that has been accused of using "parental rights" as a …

Sarah Augustine, a Pueblo (Tewa) descendant, is the founder and co-chair of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal principal that originated in the 15th and 16th centuries to justify colonial expansion and domination of indigenous land rights and tribal sovereignty. We discuss impact of this doctrine, native boarding schools,…

William Z. Foster was one the most recognized and respected labor leaders in U.S. history. Chris Townsend is his prodigy. A long-time union organizer and, with the support of others, is instrumental in the unionization of Starbucks stores across the country. Book: Working Class Giant by Arthur Zipser https://www.intpubnyc.com/browse/working-class-g…

The promise that you can “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” is central to the story of the American Dream. Not so fast…. Acclaimed journalist Alissa Quart argues that at the heart of our suffering is a do-it-yourself ethos, the misplaced belief in our independence, and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone. Alissa Quart website: ht…

Carlos Garrido provides a comprehensive development of his concept of the purity fetish, tracing the outlook to the Eleatic school of Ancient Greek philosophy and showing how it has appeared in 20th and 21st century Western Marxism and contemporary U.S. socialism. Book: "The Purity Fetish and the Crisis of Western Marxism" by Carlos Garrido https:/…

Nathan Robinson is the editor of Current Affairs magazine and is a leading voice of millennial left politics. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, Salon, The Guardian, and elsewhere. We discuss his new book where he gives a detailed explanation of how conservative arguments work and why we …

Our “friend of the show,” Bill Ehrhart returns to our podcast to discuss General Smedley D. Butler, one of the most colorful officers in the Marine Corps' long history; he was one of the two Marines who received two Medals of Honor for separate acts of outstanding heroism. Butler and Ehrhart are both cut from the same cloth, Marines, opinionated, a…

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. She is an MSNBC Opinion Columnist and commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and other media outlets about authoritarianism, Fascism, and threats to democracy around the world.. Her latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, looks at how illiberal leaders use propaganda…

Tom Hulst was a policy advisor to Washington Governor Daniel J. Evans, an administrator in the State Office of Public Instruction, superintendent of Peninsula School District, and college political science teacher. His book “The Footpaths of Justice William O. Douglas” is a remarkable tribute to Douglas, hiking, place, and family. Tom’s book: The F…

Anthony Conwright is a writer and educator based in New York City. He contributes to Mother Jones, The Nation, Huffington Post, New Republic, and others. He is a remarkable journalist, always with a refreshingly unique perspective on our modern political economy. Follow his works on: Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/anthony-conwrigh…

Tariq Ali is a writer, activist, and longtime public intellectual. He has authored many books and is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review. He contributes to The Guardian, CounterPunch, and the London Review of Books. His most recent book is a critical review that exposes Churchill’s leadership in the context of forgotten Imper…

Stansfield Smith is a member of Chicago ALBA Solidarity, formerly the Chicago Committee to Free the Cuban 5. Stansfield is a long-time anti-war activist and opposed U.S. interference over the years in Latin America. He is a prolific writer, and his works have appeared in publications such as CounterPunch, Dissident Voice, MLToday, Black Agenda, Cov…

Andy Campbell, the Senior Editor of Huffington Post, joined us today to discuss his book, “We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered in a New Era of American Extremism .” Andy is considered an expert on American extremism, having covered the modern rise of the far-right at the ground level, including the neo-Nazi rallies in Charlottes…

Today’s guest is an American poet, writer, scholar, and Vietnam veteran. Bill (W.D.) Ehrhart has been called "the dean of Vietnam war poetry." His activism in the form of his prolific literary work has been featured in numerous articles, books, periodicals, and even Ken Burns’ documentary, The Vietnam War. Links: W.D. Ehrhart’s books from McFarland…

Our guest today is an award-winning New York Times best-selling historian Adam Hochschild to discuss his book, “American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis.” Adam Hochschild is a prominent historian, author of eleven books, and a co-founder, editor, and writer at Mother Jones magazine. Links: “American Midnig…

Our guests today are Joe Jamison (pen name: Thomas Kenny) and Roger Keeran, authors of “Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union.” Although written two decades ago, it remains the definitive expose of what led to the overthrow of the Soviet Union. With the recent death of Mikhail Gorbachev, their book is especially relevant, prov…