Meditations and Molotovs

Meditations and Molotovs - 02.13.17

 On today's program Vince is joined by former Scout Sniper (USMC), activist, filmmaker and his main compadre, the great Sergio Alexander Kochergin. Sergio and Vince served together in the Marine Corps and have been involved with progressive activism ever since. This is Part I of their two part conversation. 

Sergio has a Master's Degree in Political Economy of Agriculture and the Environment and Economics of Development at the University of Rotterdam's Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands. For the past 24 months, he's been working on a documentary about events in Ukraine, where Sergio was born and raised.

Meditations and Molotovs - 02.06.17

Vince is joined by world-class musician, martial artist, free-thinker and all-around interesting cat, Josh McClain.

Joshua McClain, from Oakland, CA, is a progressive cellist who loops and layers his sound live on stage—while classically trained he mixes Jimmy Hendrix-style rock ballads with blues, jazz, folk, and electronic music to produce all original compositions and soundscapes using only the cello. This year Josh is producing his 2nd studio album - a concept album that follows a hero's journey, all the way down to the depths of the shadows, where the listener is asked to look at themselves deeply, and face what's inside.

Here's a link to Josh's indiegogo campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/…/josh-mcclain-s-2nd-studio-album…

Meditations and Molotovs - 01.30.17

On today's program, Vince is joined by Olga Bautista. Olga is a life long resident and community organizer of Chicago’s Southeast Side. She is a founding member of Chicago’s Southeast Side Coalition to Ban Petcoke and ran as a candidate for Alderman of Chicago's 10th Ward in 2015. Olga continues to devote her time and energy toward building progressive political movements throughout the Chicagoland region.

Meditations and Molotovs - 01.23.17

On today's program, Vince speaks with Charles Glass about his recent book, "Syria Burning: ISIS and the Death of the Arab Spring."

Charles Glass is a broadcaster, journalist and writer, who began his journalistic career in 1973 at the ABC News Beirut bureau with Peter Jennings. He covered the October Arab-Israeli War on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. He also covered civil war in Lebanon, where artillery fire wounded him in 1976.

He was ABC News Chief Middle East correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1993, he has been a freelance writer in Paris, Tuscany, Venice and London, regularly covering the Middle East, the Balkans, southeast Asia and the Mediterranean region. He has also published books, short stories, essays and articles in the United States and Europe.

Meditations and Molotovs - 01.16.17

On today's program Vince speaks with Paul Street about Barrack Obama's neoliberal legacy, Dr. King's radicalism and the future of leftwing political movements under a Trump presidency.

 

Paul Street is an independent radical-democratic policy researcher, journalist, historian, author and speaker based in Iowa City, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of seven books to date, including "Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics," (Boulder, CO: Paradigm, 2008), "The Empire’s New Clothes: Barack Obama in the Real World of Power" (Paradigm, 2010), also w/Anthony DiMaggio, "Crashing the Tea Party: Mass Media and the Campaign to Remake American Politics" (Paradigm, 2011), and "They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy" (Paradigm, 2014).

 

 

Meditations and Molotovs - 01.09.17

 On today's show, I'll talk about the so-called "Russian Hacking scandal," Donald Trump's first 100 days, upcoming events in the Chicagoland region, Brexit, Syria and the sad ending to the life of the Pioneer Cabin Tree.

Meditations and Molotovs - 12.12.16

Show Description - MONDAY, DECEMBER 12th - On today's program, Vince talks about love, the holidays, anti-Russian propaganda, Standing Rock, the unfortunate state of leftwing activism in the U.S., and why we should occasionally disconnect from social media and various other forms of manufactured digital realities.

Meditations and Molotovs - 12.05.16

Meditations and Molotovs "Live From Standing Rock" features Vincent's reflections on his recent trip to the encampments and why he thinks the tribal leadership squandered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Meditations and Molotovs - 11.28.16

On today's program, Vince speaks to one of the best organizers in Chicago, who also happens to be one of Vince's best friends - Roberto Jesus, otherwise known as "Joliet Jake," will be joining us for the hour. The conversation covers the anti-globalization movements of the 1990s, WTO protests, antiwar activism under Bush, Wisconsin, Occupy, Obama, and community organizing. This podcast is an excellent educational tool for organizing, especially for those who are just starting their political journey. 

Roberto Clack is a community and labor organizer who lives in Chicago. Roberto was the primary organizer for Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) - Chicago, from 2007-2013. He's a former organizer with the Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO) and the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC). He is currently the co-coordinator of the 25th Ward Independent Political Organization (IPO), which is located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago.

Meditations and Molotovs - 11.21.16

Today's program will cover a broad range of issues: local organizing, NDPL, Trump's appointments and why I think the vast majority of progressive political organizations and movements are not prepared - mentally, emotionally, physically, organizationally, politically - for Trump's reign as Il Duce.