Eddie Conway: 5-Year Anniversary of His Release From Prison – RAI (11/12)
We continue our Reality Asserts Itself series with TRNN Executive Producer Eddie Conway, who spent 44 years as a political prisoner and is now in the leadership of TRNN.
Convert Military to Green Production, or Perish – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 13/13
A massive reduction in ICBM’s and transforming the economy away from the military-industrial complex are prerequisites for our survival – says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 29, 2018, with Paul Jay.
Dismantle the American Doomsday Machine – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 12/13
Congress should hold hearings into nuclear winter and eliminating the hair-trigger and obsolete ICBM’s – says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 27, 2018, with Paul Jay.
The Doomsday Machine and Nuclear Winter – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 11/13
An H-Bomb first strike will create firestorms and smoke that ends most human life; this is a fact ignored by military planners and by the Trump administration which doesn’t believe in climate science – says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 23, 2018, with Paul Jay.
A Strategy of War Crimes, Killing Civilians to Win a War – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 10/13
General Curtis LeMay, who directed the firebombing and nuclear attacks on Japan said, “War is killing people, when you kill enough of them, the other guy quits” – quotes Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 21, 2018, with Paul Jay.
The Discovery That Should Have Changed the Cold War – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 9/13
In 1958, then Senator John F. Kennedy claimed there was a “missile gap”, saying the USSR was far ahead in ICBM weapons; when satellite photos showed the astounding true number, it meant the USSR did not have plans for global domination, but it remained a secret, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 19, 2018, with Paul Jay.
Once Fired, There’s No Calling a Nuke Back – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 8/13
There are many fingers on the nuclear missile’s trigger and once an attack begins, even the President can’t order it reversed, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 15, 2018, with Paul Jay.
U.S. Refuses to Adopt a Nuclear Weapon No First Use Pledge – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI 7/13
Every President since Truman has used a nuclear first strike threat as leverage in U.S. foreign policy; it’s institutional insanity says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 12, 2018, with Paul Jay.
U.S. Planned Nuclear First Strike to Destroy Soviets and China – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 6/13
U.S. cold-war nuclear plan called for all-out attack on China, even if it was not involved in the war, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 9, 2018, with Paul Jay.
Russian Doomsday Machine an Answer to U.S. Decapitation Strategy – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 5/13
The U.S. military still thinks that a nuclear war can be won by targeting Russian leadership in a bizarre Dr. Strangelove logic; it’s a recipe for unmitigated catastrophe, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 4, 2018, with Paul Jay.
The Largest Act of Terrorism in Human History – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 4/13
The British bombing of Hamburg in 1942, and the American firebombing of Japan in March 1945 that killed as many as 120,000 people in one night, created the conditions for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were considered mere extensions of the firebombing tactics, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 4, 2018, with Paul Jay.
Truman Delayed End of WWII to Demonstrate Nuclear Weapons – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 3/13
To intimidate the Soviet Union and prove to Congress the nuclear program should be funded, Truman dropped nuclear weapons on Japan to end the war; no scientist came forward to warn of the dangers to life on earth, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 2, 2018, with Paul Jay.
Hitler Wouldn’t Risk Doomsday, But The United States Did – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 2/13
Hitler ended the German nuclear weapons program in 1942 when told it could end life on Earth—the Americans were willing to take the risk; since the end of WWII the Cold War was to a very large extent, from beginning to end, a marketing campaign for subsidization of the aerospace industry, says Daniel Ellsberg on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced October 31, 2018, with Paul Jay.
The Doomsday Machine: The Big Lie of the Cold War – Daniel Ellsberg on RAI Pt 1/13
On Reality Asserts Itself, Daniel Ellsberg tells host Paul Jay that US intelligence agencies knew that Stalin was not planning to invade Western Europe or seek world domination, but based on the myth, the world came close to nuclear war – and it’s all happening again.
Why Does the West Hate Putin? – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (10/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says the West doesn’t like Putin defying the American world order, but this does not make Russia a progressive country – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 25, 2018.
Why is Putin so Popular When People are so Poor? – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (9/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says under the slogans liberal democracy and market capitalism was delivered chaos and crime; Putin stands for traditional Russian values and culture, social order and making Russia great again – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 23, 2018.
Is Putin’s Rule a Dictatorship? – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (8/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says while Putin heads a powerful state, this is not a system of one man rule; more than 100 billionaires and a stratum of top bureaucrats have political power – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 22, 2018.
Putin is Anointed King, but Big Capital has the Real Power – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (7/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says after the chaotic ‘90s, the Russian oligarchs needed a stronger central state to defend their class interests, but Putin’s individual power should not be exaggerated – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 20, 2018.
Shock Without the Therapy: A New Russia is Born in Chaos and Plunder – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (6/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says the collapse of the Soviet Union was followed by the rise of billionaire oligarchs as the “free market” led to the impoverishment of the people – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 19, 2018.
I Returned from Vacation to Find the Soviet Union had Collapsed – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (5/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says that he returned from a vacation in the countryside to find Gorbachev was arrested, Yeltsin was leader and the Soviet Union was no more – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 16, 2018.
Turning Power into Money, the End of the Soviet Union – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (4/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says that many Communist Party leaders supported Gorbachev’s perestroika reforms, but what they really wanted, was to drop restrictions on accumulating great wealth – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 15, 2018.
Communism and Consumerism – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (3/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says that “market fetishism”, the hunger for commodities, became a major obstacle to building socialism – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 13, 2018.
Success and Mutation in the Soviet Union – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (2/12)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says the threat of European fascism propelled the militarization and bureaucratization of the USSR. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 12, 2018.
Growing Up in the U.S.S.R. – RAI with Aleksandr Buzgalin (1/12)
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.
Clinton, Blair, and Obama Destroyed the Idealism of Politics – Gabriel Byrne on RAI Pt 3/4
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.
The Miners Strike Taught Me to Think Critically – Gabriel Byrne on RAI Pt 2/4
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.
From Priesthood to Actor to Activist – Gabriel Byrne on RAI Pt 1/4
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.
RAI with Former Weatherman Bill Ayers – Pt 3/3
In an interview that took place days before Trump was elected President, Bill Ayers discusses what needs to be done as we head into a ”form of friendly-looking and familiar fascism or some other form of extreme social disintegration”. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 13, 2016, with Paul Jay.
RAI with Former Weatherman Bill Ayers Pt 2/3
Bill Ayers tells Paul Jay the Weathermen were delusional about armed struggle because they mistakenly thought the American people were in a revolutionary crisis during the Vietnam War. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 8, 2016, with Paul Jay.
RAI With Former Weatherman Bill Ayers Pt 1/3
On Reality Asserts Itself Bill Ayers joins Paul Jay to discuss his journey from an apolitical life to the militant group the Weatherman to social activism and organizing. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 7, 2016, with Paul Jay.
In Hiroshima, Obama Neglects to Mention $1 Trillion Deal for Nuclear Weapons – Kuznick RAI (pt 2/2)
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 10, 2016. Peter Kuznick, the co-author of The Untold History of the United States, spoke to Paul Jay about the significance of the vice presidency of Henry Wallace, who served in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the context of the Bernie Sanders campaign.
Obama’s Defense of Hiroshima Mythology – RAI with Peter Kuznick (pt 1/2)
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 6, 2016. President Obama is defending the mythology that dropping atomic bombings on Hiroshima ended World War 2 and avoided a ground invasion by US troops, said award-winning historian Peter Kuznick.
Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt – Chris Hedges on RAI (pt 2/3)
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on July 7, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Chris Hedges and Paul Jay discuss Ferguson, Baltimore and the need to build a movement with candidates that targets white supremacy and corporate capitalism.
Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt – Chris Hedges on RAI (pt 1/3)
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on July 6, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Chris Hedges discusses his new book with Paul Jay. In part one, they focus on the revolutionary significance of the life of Tom Paine, a man who understood the moral imperative of revolt and was willing to pay the price.
Plundering Our Freedom with Abandon – Robert Scheer (10/10)
This interview was originally published July 5, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Robert Scheer says you get drunk on the power of this culture and its military, its wealth, and you can become incredibly destructive. And we have been incredibly destructive.
The Vietnam Syndrome and the Project for a New American Century – Christian Appy on RAI (5/5)
This interview was originally published June 4, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Appy says that Israeli preemptive and punitive war became a model for US foreign policy.
Vietnam Body Counts and America as Victim – Christian Appy on RAI (4/5)
This interview was originally published June 2, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Appy says the Vietnam War killed millions of Vietnamese and tens of thousands of American workers – yet the mythology is America as a whole emerged as the victim.
Vietnam Blood Bath to Prove America Had “Balls” – Christian Appy on RAI (3/5)
This interview was originally published May 29, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Appy says that presidents Kennedy and Johnson pursued the Vietnam war largely to prove the U.S., and themselves personally, had the “courage” to wage war.
“America Does Bad Things for Good Reasons” – Christian Appy on RAI (1/5)
This interview was originally published on May 26, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Appy, author of “American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity”, discusses growing up with a broad faith that America is always an indispensable and invincible force for good in the world – and the seeds of his disillusionment with Americanism.
“American Does Bad Things for Good Reasons” – Christian Appy on RAI (2/5)
This interview was originally published May 17, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Appy, author of “American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity”, discusses how before direct American military involvement in Vietnam, the US financed almost 80 percent of the cost, so, in effect, France was serving almost as an American mercenary.
Malcolm X, Self-Determination and the People’s Movement – Kamau Franklin on Reality Asserts Itself (4/4)
This interview was originally published on March 13, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Franklin discusses the relationship between the mass movement and electoral politics.
Malcolm X, Self-Determination and the People’s Movement – Kamau Franklin on Reality Asserts Itself (3/4)
This interview was originally published on March 10, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Franklin says Malcolm believed the international order benefited Western capitalist interests over the masses of black, brown and oppressed white people.
Malcolm X, Self-Determination and the People’s Movement – Kamau Franklin on Reality Asserts Itself (2/4)
This interview was originally published on March 8, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Franklin discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Malcolm X.
Malcolm X, Self-Determination and the People’s Movement – Kamau Franklin on Reality Asserts Itself (1/4)
This interview was originally published on March 4, 2015. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Franklin says that after growing up in the projects of Brooklyn, reading the autobiography of Malcolm X changed his life.
Corporate Media Perpetuates Climate Science Denial – Gabriel Byrne on RAI Pt 4/4
On Reality Asserts Itself, Gabriel Byrne says that mutant capitalism seeks only profit and corporate media’s agenda avoids the climate crisis; Byrne says its up to us, no superhero will save us – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced November 27, 2017.
Why Eddie Joined the Real News – Eddie Conway on RAI (10/12)
Mr. Conway says that after 44 years in prison, he found the conditions in Baltimore worse than when he went in. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself produced on November 28, 2014.
We Dehumanize Those We Want to Exploit – Eddie Conway on RAI (9/12)
Mr. Conway says police are asked by society to control the poor as if they are fighting a war, so anything goes. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself produced on November 26, 2014.
I Refused to be Treated Like an Animal – Eddie Conway on RAI (8/12)
Mr. Conway says after 44 years in prison, he considered people to be of value and to be respected and refused to be dehumanized himself. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself produced on September 16, 2014.
Six Years in Solitary Confinement – Eddie Conway (7/12)
Mr. Conway says prisoners were treated like animals; and because he resisted and organized, he was in lockup twenty-three and a half hours a day for six years. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself produced on September 25, 2014.
The Frame Up – Eddie Conway on RAI (6/12)
Mr. Conway tells the story of his arrest and trial and being “represented” by a lawyer who spent 45 minutes with him before going to trial. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself produced on September 24, 2014.