Virtually Speaking

A 2013 retrospective: The Virtually Speaking media panel has discussed patterns of corruption, secrecy and abuse of power, and the resurgent forces arising in response to an increasingly plutocratic ruling class. On the last episode of 2013, Commentators Avedon Carol (Sideshow) & Jay Ackroyd (Eschaton) recount 10 of the issues we discussed over the last year More at VirtuallySpeaking.us The 2013 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, Stuart Zechman

Political satirist Culture of Truth bases The Bobblespeak Translations on the Sunday Talk Shows —  This Week on ABC and Meet the Press — then creates the 'most ridiculous moment' for Virtually Speaking Sundays. We create a separate podcast and post the copy at VirtuallySpeaking.us.

Commentators Dave Johnson (Campaign for America's Future) & Cliff Schecter (Libertas LLC) discuss 1) Good public policy as popular public policy. A government jobs program with a minimum wage increase would be both. Moral Mondays as an example of bringing public opinion to bare. Gillibrand's populist "Opportunity Agenda." 2) Political satirist CoT's most ridiculous moment from the morning gabfest. 3) Potential progressive options to Clinton (Sanders, Schweitzer, O'Malley) and the impact they may have on the Democratic Party, and Clinton's positions and campaign. Jay Ackroyd moderates. Follow @CliffSchecter @DCJohnson @Bobblespeak @JayAckroyd. Links at VirtuallySpeaking.us The Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, Stuart Zechman  

Michael B. King & John Bredehoft talk about the first of their planned three-volume alternative American history, King and Bredehoft expertly plot the effects of the South’s victory in the Civil War. Kirkusreviews calls Democracy's Missing Arsenal one of the Best Indie War Stories of 2013.

Host Tom Levenson (MIT) talks with Maryn McKenna and Janet Stemwedel about about sexual harassment, gender discrimination and science writing.  Follow @docfreeride @marynmck @TomLevenson Links, bios at VirtuallySpeaking.us Lightly edited 12/20/2013

In this special edition, Lizz Winstead and  KC Boyd discuss KC's new novel novel Being Christian. The book tells the story of a larger-than-life, yet familiar, character from his crime-ridden beginnings to the peak of his political influence in post-9/11 America. Not since Elmer Gantry has a novel so exposed the religious flim-flammery and hypocrisy that threaten to tear apart the American social and political fabric. Being Christian is a quintessentially American story, based on the ideologies and personalities that make the news every day with their challenges to the Constitutional religious/political divide. LIzz and KC make several references to C Street.  See Jeff Sharlet's C Street for more. 

Political satirist Culture of Truth bases The Bobblespeak Translations on the Sunday Talk Shows — in this case, This Week on ABC and Meet the Press — then creates the 'most ridiculous moment' for Virtually Speaking Sundays. We create a separate podcast and post the copy at VirtuallySpeaking.US. Follow @Bobblespeak

Joan McCarter and Jay Ackroyd compare and contrast the media attention to the beleaguered centrist Dems with John Podesta's appointment to a new position of power, and then discuss the pros and cons of cutting discretionary spending. Plus a ridiculous moment from Culture of Truth. Follow @JoanMcCarter @JayAckroyd @Bobblespeak @JayAckroyd The Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, Stuart Zechman

Richard Mayhew on PPACA implementation. Mayhew writes extensively about health policy and insurance programs at Balloon Juice. http://www.balloon-juice.com/author/richard-mayhew/ More at VirtuallySpeaking.us

Kevin C. Murphy & Stuart Zechman discuss the difference between modern ¨liberalism¨ and modern ¨progressivism.´ Five minutes excerpted from this longer conversation where Stuart Zechman and Kevin C. Murphy discuss Kevin's dissertation, Uphill All the Way: The Fortunes of Progressivism 1919-1929 Gaius Publius considers  it here. Listen to Kevin's Aug 2013 conversation about1920s progressive context, thought and action in which progressives became liberals... here.  

While attending the 2013 Netroots Nation conference, Gaius Publius - contributing editor of AmericaBlog and member of the virtually speaking Sunday media panel — conducted seven interviews under the heading Five Questions. In this 15 minute podcast — first published at AmericaBlog — Gaius talks with GottaLaff of The Political Carnival dot Net and Blunt Cast where she finds and shares the humor in even the darkest political events. They talk about The importance of comedy to progressive media, climate and the utility of making trolls laugh.

Political satirist Culture of Truth bases The Bobblespeak Translations on the Sunday Talk Shows — in this case, This Week on ABC and Meet the Press — then creates the 'most ridiculous moment' for Virtually Speaking Sundays. We create a separate podcast and post the copy at VirtuallySpeaking.US. Follow @Bobblespeak

This week Political & social commentators Dave Dayen & Gaius Publius discuss the Serious People's recent discovery of income inequality in America; the likely demise of public pensions; and the risk from Fukushima and the implications for Western neoliberalism. Culture of Truth satirizes one of more of the Sunday Morning talk shows. Jay Ackroyd moderates. Follow @ddayen @Gaius_Publius @JayAckroyd @Bobblespeak VS Sunday panelists offer a counterpoint to the Sunday morning TV talk shows. Links & bios  

While attending the 2013 Netroots Nation conference, Gaius Publius - contributing editor of AmericaBlog and member of the virtually speaking Sunday media panel — conducted seven interviews under the heading Five Questions. In this 18 minute podcast — first published at AmericaBlog — Gaius talks with Joel Silberman, widely respected media strategist and trainer for progressive organizations, online activists, leaders and candidates and a principal at DemocracyPartners.com. They talk about money and votes in politics, climate, consumerism, narcicism, enlightened self interest, service to message and humor.

Stuart and Kevin C. Murphy discuss Kevin's dissertation, Uphill All the Way: The Fortunes of Progressivism 1919-1929 Listen to Kevin's Aug 2013 conversation about1920s progressve context, thought and action and how progressives became liberals... here.