Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin joins Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself; born two years after the death of Stalin, he talks about growing up in the Soviet Union. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 11, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Leo Panitch says as he became politically active, he concluded that neither the bureaucratic socialism in the Soviet Union or Canadian social-democracy would democratize the economy or the state – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced March 8, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Leo Panitch says it’s a dilemma that the gradualism of European social-democracy and attempts at a more radical transformation have so far both failed; Panitch says a first step towards democratizing the economy is to make finance a public utility – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced March 15, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Panitch talks about how the Labour Party moved from being a Tony Blair party of class reconciliation and war, to a truly left mass party with more than 600,000 members that may take power. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced March 13, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar and host Paul Jay discuss the merging of finance and big tech and the threat AI poses to working people and the economy; they also discuss the potential of AI in addressing the climate crisis and making a more rational and equal society possible – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar says many wealthy people understand that the climate crisis, deep recession, and war are real threats, but they believe “apres moi le deluge [after me comes the floods];” the Financial Times columnist and author of “Makers and Takers” said many of the rich have escape plans thinking “they can avoid the apocalypse” – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar says growing inequality and record student, household and corporate debt is creating a dangerous bubble, similar to the lead up to the ’29 crash; the Financial Times columnist and author of “Makers and Takers” says a few on Wall St. see it, but most businesses are doing too well to care – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar says President Bill Clinton’s finance team further deregulated Wall St. including eliminating Glass-Steagall legislation allowing even riskier investments; the Financial Times columnist and author of “Makers and Takers” says this helped create the world’s largest financial institution—Citigroup— headed by Clinton’s former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar says the legalization of stock buybacks in 1982 allowed companies like Apple to now spend only 15% of their investments on R&D, while the majority is spent on market manipulation; the Financial Times columnist and author of “Makers and Takers” said the move from traditional pensions to 401k’s makes everyone feel they benefit from finance when the vast majority of profits go to the elites and most people’s living standards deteriorate – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Ms. Foroohar says financialization delivers stagnant wages, inequality, and economic crisis; the Financial Times columnist and author of “Makers and Takers” says the financial sector represents only 7 percent of the U.S. economy but takes around 25 percent of all corporate profit while creating only 4 percent of all jobs – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 9, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Leo Panitch talks about the political culture of his family, shaped in Winnipeg’s radical Jewish community before and after World War Two; Labor Zionists, Social Democrats, and Communists debated and organized within the Jewish working-class movement – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced March 5, 2018.
Note: After the film was completed, Martha Hart and the Hart family sued WWF and Vince McMahon. It was settled out of court for approximately $18 million on November 2, 2000.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Tom Frank says in the world of the wealthy, liberalism is something you do to offset your rapacious behavior in other spheres – with host Paul Jay. This episode was produced on January 2, 2018.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank says the Democratic Party must acknowledge that in 2008 the crash and the discrediting of Bush, created conditions for much a more progressive policy – but Obama did not step up; with host Paul Jay. This episode was produced on December 29, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of Listen Liberal, says Democratic Party administrations allowed the big banks to run economic policy and create exploding income inequality – with host Paul Jay. This episode was produced on December 28, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, actor Gabriel Byrne says his journey as an Irish immigrant helped to radicalize him, as did his disillusionment with leaders who promised transformation and delivered conservatism with a “different tie” – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced December 26, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, actor Gabriel Byrne says that in the ’70s, being Irish in London was like being a Muslim now; PM Thatcher’s campaign to crush the miners union in 1984 helped him understand how the media were anti-working class and anti-union – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced December 24, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, actor and climate activist Gabriel Byrne speaks of growing up in a working-class family that was religious, Irish nationalist, and where joining a seminary made parents proud. He came to understand the injustice of the life working men like his father faced; with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced December 22, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank says if liberals don’t face up to how the policies of Clinton and Obama helped create the conditions for the rise of Trump, the next version of Trump will be far more dangerous than this one. This episode was produced on September 18, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas?’ and ‘Listen, Liberal,’ talks about his journey from being an enthusiastic supporter of the Vietnam War and Ronald Reagan to embracing Franklin Roosevelt and socialist Bernie Sanders. This episode was produced on September 15, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas?’ and ‘Listen, Liberal,’ tells host Paul Jay that Bill Clinton tried to drive the left from the party; now Clinton Democrats blame the left for Hillary’s defeat. This episode was produced on September 12, 2017.
Bill Clinton accomplished a Republican agenda and Obama allowed the Tea Party to steal the economic populist moment, says Thomas Frank on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay; Frank is the author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”. This episode was published on September 10, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas?’ and ‘Listen, Liberal,’ and Paul Jay discuss Hillary Clinton’s new book ‘What Happened,’ and identify the real differences between Clinton and Sanders. This episode was produced on September 7, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”, tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class. This episode was produced on September 5, 2017.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Trita Parsi says the Israelis are trying to push the United States to reestablish the pre-Iraq War status quo, but it’s not possible any longer. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced August 30, 2017, with Paul Jay.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Trita Parsi tells Paul Jay that diplomacy, not sanctions and coercion, will help the U.S. work with Iran to find solutions to regional problems. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced August 28, 2017, with Paul Jay.
This interview was originally released on August 21, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Troy LaRaviere says that the “parasitical wealthy” should be fought for control of the Democratic Party.
On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, the president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, Troy LaRaviere, says there’s no evidence that giving corporations tax breaks or putting schools in competition with each other makes for better education; in fact, the evidence says the opposite.
This interview was originally published on August 15, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Troy LaRaviere says growing up in poverty prepared him for a fight to defend public education in Chicago, even when it threatened his own job as a school principal.
This interview was originally published on August 10, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Paul Jay talks to the president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, Troy LaRaviere, about his new report that found systemic racial discrimination in the way Chicago Public Schools receive special education funding.
From Afghanistan to Iraq, the Trump administration, leading Democrats, and much of the foreign policy and military establishment believe the U.S. should be more aggressive towards Iran. That’s a very dangerous situation that can lead to war, noted Iran expert Trita Parsi tells Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced August 21, 2017, with Paul Jay.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 8, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Norman Solomon of the Bernie Delegates Network tells Paul Jay that when it comes to defending the deep state, there’s really no difference between the two parties.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 6, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Norman Solomon of the Bernie Delegates Network tells Paul Jay that corporate Democrats should be vigorously fought in primaries, but this is also a moment like 1930’s Germany where a united front is necessary to defeat Trump and Republicans.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 4, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Prof. Alnasseri says we are witnessing a counter-revolutionary setback against the revolution, but the revolt will erupt again and again.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 1, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alnasseri says Trump’s strategy is to use the war against ISIS as an excuse to build up US troop levels in Iraq to control the oil and create a pro-American government.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 30, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alnasseri explains why so many Shia fought for Iraq against Iran during a war that killed more than 1.8 million people; he continues the story of his family, and how from prison, his brother was able to help Sabah escape the country.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 28, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alnasseri tells Paul Jay the story of the development of the Iraqi welfare state and the rise of Saddam Hussein as dictator of Iraq.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 26, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Alnasseri tells the story of his militant working-class family, the class struggle in Iraq and the sectarian conflict created by the U.S. invasion.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 22, 2017. Norman Solomon joins Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself, discussing the Trump/Russia affair and plans to isolate and perhaps attack Iran.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 18, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Norman Solomon of the Bernie Delegates Network tells Paul Jay that the California fight reflects a much larger struggle within the party between progressives and corporate Democrats.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 16, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Sabah Alnasseri and Paul Jay discuss the Trump/Saudi plan for an anti-Iran Arab alliance and to use ISIS as justification for increasing American troop levels – with Iraq’s oil as the prize.
This interview was originally released on April 28, 2017. The Next System Project’s Gar Alperovitz tells Paul Jay that the Federal Reserve should use quantitive easing, i.e. create money, to take Big Oil companies out of the equation and finance a massive green infrastructure program.
This interview was originally released on April 28, 2017. The Next System Project’s Gar Alperovitz tells Paul Jay that the Federal Reserve should use quantitive easing, i.e. create money, to take Big Oil companies out of the equation and finance a massive green infrastructure program.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 20, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, whose husband is a retired cop and son is active duty, tells host Paul Jay that police need to be held accountable, but so do policymakers who are responsible for stagnant wages and chronic poverty.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 19, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, leading Bernie Sanders surrogate during the primary, tells host Paul Jay that Democrats and progressives need to stand up and challenge establishment Democrats in the primaries all across the country. “Either you’re with the people, or you’re not.”
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 18, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, leading Bernie Sanders surrogate during the primary, tells host Paul Jay that when she moved her support from Clinton to Sanders, she was accused of betraying the party that she should be grateful for – and she answered: “I’m not on the plantation anymore”.