Wow! What a show! If you missed it, I highly recommend playing it from our archives. Just go to archive.wslr.org and look for Peace & Justice for 4/29/20. John Nichols and Harvey Kaye praised independent media and WSLR and spoke about the state of our nation.
This Wednesday we were honored to have John Nichols as our first guest, LIVE on the phone. John has spoken twice in person at Fogartyville. His most recent visit was last December, and he brought his lovely mom. John is easily the most engaging and stimulating thinker I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, and one of the most generous with his time.
John has a new book out: The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party: The Enduring Legacy of Henry Wallace’s Anti-Fascist, Anti-Racist Politics. We’ll talk about that and also the organization he co-founded – Free Press.
From the Free Press website: “We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what’s actually happening in their communities.”
And that’s why Bob and I will be asking you to go to our show link in the Giving Partner and donate $25 to $100 to help keep WSLR community radio on the air. Or just call 941-894-6469. The Giving Partner drive lasts from noon on the 28th to noon on Wednesday the 29th.
And you can text any questions for John or Harvey during the show to (941) 954-8636. Please include your name.
John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, writes about politics for The Nation as its national-affairs correspondent. His posts have been circulated internationally, quoted in numerous books, and mentioned in debates on the floor of Congress. Nichols also hosts Next Left, The Nation’s podcast featuring interviews with rising progressive politicians who explain how they plan to change our country for the better.
Of Nichols, author Gore Vidal says: “Of all the giant slayers now afoot in the great American desert, John Nichols’s sword is the sharpest.”
Our second guest was Professor Harvey Kaye.
Harvey is an American historian and sociologist. He is an author of several political books including “Thomas Paine and the Promise of America” and “The Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great“
Harvey has appeared as an expert on several political news shows and podcasts including “Bill Moyers Journal” and “That’s Jacqueline”.
Harvey is currently the Director of the Center for History and Social Change at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.
Here’s a statement he made on our show:
This is SERIOUS… VERY SERIOUS… A pandemic without a plan. A fascistic President. Gross inequalities of power and wealth. America’s Revolutionary promise denied and in mortal jeopardy.
We know how we got here. We failed to effectively counter 45 years of continuing class war against the radical and progressive democratic legacy and achievements of #FDR and the #GreatestGeneration by corporate capitalists, conservative Republicans, and neoliberal Democrats.
But the question is, What do we do now? What do we do right now in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ defeat?
I can only answer for myself and hope that others agree. (I live in Wisconsin….those of you who live in solidly blue states will no doubt see things differently and feel free to answer that question otherwise – and I understand completely, if not enviously.)
In view of the forces and crisis we face — which threaten American democratic life itself — I believe as a citizen, father, & grandfather that we must act to assure that we and our children are not only able to vote this November and again in 2024…
But also to continue the fight to both redeem America’s promise and create a truly progressive social-democratic America. Indeed, the fight must continue even now through direct action.
Thus, the clear and present danger of Trump, the reactionary Republicans aligned with him, and now, the RW rallies in Michigan and elsewhere to “liberate” states, compel me to declare, in favor of living to fight another day, that we should vote for Joe Biden in November.
I am not oblivious to the reasons not to do so. So much of Biden’s record is deplorable. But Trump’s is utterly despicable. And we cannot deny the peril.
Drawing strength from #NotMeUs…
And never forgetting how Americans overcame reactionary forces & mortal crises in the 1770s, 1860s, & 1930s-1960s – by radically enhancing freedom, equality, & democracy – we must VOTE to both #takebackAmerica and better position ourselves to Make America Radical Again #MARA🌹🇺🇸
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More about John Nichols
John is a contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times and the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and dozens of other newspapers.
Nichols is the author of Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse: A Field Guide to the Most Dangerous People in America (Nation Books) as well as The Genius of Impeachment (New Press); a critically acclaimed analysis of the Florida recount fight of 2000, Jews for Buchanan (New Press); and a best-selling biography of former vice president Dick Cheney, Dick: The Man Who is President (New Press), which was also published in French and Arabic. He edited Against the Beast: A Documentary History of American Opposition to Empire (Nation Books), of which historian Howard Zinn said: “At exactly the time when we need it most, John Nichols gives us a special gift—a collection of writings, speeches, poems, and songs from throughout American history—that reminds us that our revulsion to war and empire has a long and noble tradition in this country.”