Reality Asserts Itself

Climate Change and Waiting for Bruce Willis – Christopher Williams on RAI (pt 1/5)

This interview was originally published on August 6, 2014. Mr. Williams says capitalism is not capable of facing up to the climate change crisis – and because there won’t be a hero that appears to save the day, it’s up to us to make the change.

Economy & Work, Reality Asserts Itself, USA

Capitalism Will Hit the Wall Again, Hard – Heiner Flassbeck on RAI Pt 5/5

Mr. Flassbeck says people must get politically engaged and find an alternative or we will face dictatorship because today’s capitalism is out of answers. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced August 3, 2014, with Paul Jay.

Economy & Work, Reality Asserts Itself, USA

The Necessity for Higher Wages – Heiner Flassbeck on RAI Pt 4/5

Mr. Flassbeck, former head of UNCTAD, says we’re going into the Japanese scenario, a stagnation with a kind of deflation because we have no purchasing power in the hands of the mass of the consumers. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 31, 2014, with Paul Jay.

Economy & Work, Reality Asserts Itself, USA

The U.S. Dollar and the Search for a Reasonable Capitalist – Heiner Flassbeck on RAI Pt 3/5

On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Flassbeck says the stock market bubble can burst at any moment because everybody knows there is no real growth behind it; then we are really in trouble as the whole effect of stabilization will disappear in one moment. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 31, 2014, with Paul Jay.

Economy & Work, Reality Asserts Itself, USA

Racing to a Dead End – Heiner Flassbeck on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 2/5

Mr. Flassbeck, former head of UNCTAD, says current economic policy is heading back to the 1930s, a race to the bottom, they have no solution at all, we will end up again in trade wars or other wars. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 29, 2014, with Paul Jay.

Economy & Work, Reality Asserts Itself, U.S. Politics

Reaganism and Thatcherism were Intellectually Dishonest – Heiner Flassbeck on RAI Pt 1/5

Mr. Flassbeck, former director of UNCTAD, discusses growing up in a US-dominated Germany and his opposition to the birth of neoliberal economics. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 25, 2014, with Paul Jay.

History, Reality Asserts Itself

‘We the People’ Force Confronts Democratic Party Leadership in ’64 – Bob Moses on RAI Pt 9/9

Sad news that Bob Moses, a leader of the civil rights movement, died on July 25, 2021. We commemorate his work with a replay of his appearance on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, first released on June 20, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Moses recounts the story of challenging the racist Dixiecrats at the ’64 Democratic Convention; says what’s needed now is black and white workers to create a ‘We the People’ force to challenge the elites in both parties.

History, Reality Asserts Itself

The Constitutional People and Slavery by Another Name – Bob Moses on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 8/9

Sad news that Bob Moses, a leader of the civil rights movement, died on July 25, 2021. We commemorate his work with a replay of his appearance on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, first released on June 20, 2014. Mr. Moses says mass incarceration helped build the American steel industry, and while there has been progress, there is still slavery by another name.

History, Reality Asserts Itself

An Earned Insurgency – Bob Moses on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 7/9

History, Reality Asserts Itself

Founding SNCC and Taking on Mississippi – Bob Moses on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 4/9

History, Reality Asserts Itself

The Respectable Face of Terror – Robert Moses on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 3/9

History, Reality Asserts Itself

Patriotism and Lynching – Bob Moses on Reality Asserts Itself Pt 2/9

History, Reality Asserts Itself

Civil Rights Leader Bob Moses Dies at 86 – Pt 1/9

Sad news that Bob Moses, a leader of the civil rights movement, died on July 25, 2021. We commemorate his work with a replay of his appearance on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, first released on June 20, 2014. Mr. Moses was a brilliant educator and an organizer. He begins his story from growing up in Harlem to becoming a main organizer of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer project that helped register black voters in the Deep South.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Ugly Money Politics – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 8/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 17, 2014. Mr. Johnson says politicians dependent on campaign contributions from the wealthy are allowing finance to bankrupt Detroit and cities across the country.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Has Capitalism Lost the Ability to Reform Itself – Robert Johnson on RAI (pt 7/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 16, 2014. Capitalism is not rebalancing; the yearnings and desires of large portions of society are not being responded to.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

A Civilized Critic of Savage Behavior – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 6/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 15, 2014. Mr. Johnson says the compulsive pressure of money in politics has led to an abandonment of rules other than rules which transfer risk onto the back of the public.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Heads, Finance Wins, Tails, Society Loses – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 5/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 13, 2014. Mr. Johnson says TARP was an abomination; finance controls the government and uses it to cover its losses.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

How We Broke the Bank of England – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 4/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 12, 2014. Mr. Johnson says, “I used to tell my dad, if I’m fortunate enough to see St. Peter and get through the gate, I’m not going to get in because I helped knock off the British pound”.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Finance is Building the Architecture of their Own Rules – Robert Johnson on RAI (pt 3/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 10, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Johnson says the scale of the political investment of finance – six, seven hundred million dollars – is overwhelming. With the political power of finance, do we still have a democracy?

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Reaganomics Was Crazy – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 2/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 9, 2014. Mr. Johnson says the idea that you were going to cut taxes massively and this was going to lead to a growth in revenue and close the deficit was silly.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Growing Up in the Cauldron of 1960’s Detroit – Robert Johnson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 1/8)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on June 8, 2014. Mr. Johnson, who, while working with George Soros, “broke the Bank of England,” talks about growing up in the turmoil of racial tension and the mass movement against the Vietnam War.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Confronting Financialization on Steroids – Costas Lapavitsas on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 8/8)

This interview was originally published on June 1, 2014. Mr. Lapavitsas says we must deeply reverse financialization and take on private ownership of banking and other critical sectors.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Financialization and the Collapse of European Social Democracy – Costas Lapavitsas on RAI (pt 7/8)

This interview was originally published on May 30, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lapavitsas says Greece will face the choice between socialism or fascism.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

40% of Profits Buys A Lot of Politicians – Costas Lapavitsas on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 6/8)

This interview was originally published on May 28, 2014. Mr. Lapavitsas says that during the financial crisis the power of the state was mobilized to save finance.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Is Financialization Necessary for a Modern Economy – Costas Lapavitsas on RAI (pt 5/8)

This interview was originally published on May 27, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lapavitsas says modern capitalism requires financialization, but productive growth in the interests of the majority of people does not.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

The Financialization of Big Business – Costas Lapavitsas on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 4/8)

This interview was originally published on May 25, 2014. Mr. Lapavitsas says that capitalists have learned how to make huge profits without producing anything useful.

Reality Asserts Itself

The Rise of the Big Banks – Costas Lapavitsas on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 3/8)

This interview was originally published on May 24, 2014. Mr. Lapavitsas says that large-scale industrialization created the need for massive amounts of capital and big banks, a process that developed an aggressive global capitalism.

Finance, Reality Asserts Itself

Growing Up in the Greek Police State – Costas Lapavitsas on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 1/8)

This interview was originally published on May 22, 2014. Mr. Lapavitsas, author of ‘How Finance Exploits Us All’, traces his own political development, coming of age during the Greek dictatorship.

Palestine/Israel, Reality Asserts Itself

Class Struggle in Palestine – Ali Abunimah on Reality Asserts Itself (4/5)

Mr. Abunimah says there’s conspicuous consumption in Palestine but the reality for the vast majority in the West Bank and Gaza is increasing poverty. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 18, 2014.

Palestine/Israel, Reality Asserts Itself

Palestinians can Learn From the African America Struggle – Ali Abunimah on Reality Asserts Itself (2/5)

On Reality Asserts Itself, Ali Abunimah, founder of Electronic Intifada, says that Palestinians need to know that even in a country with formal legal equality, the reality can mean mass incarceration, economic inequality and racism. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 14, 2014.

Palestine/Israel, Reality Asserts Itself

Awakened by the Palestinian Intifada – Ali Abunimah on Reality Asserts Itself (1/5)

Mr. Abunimah, founder of Electronic Intifada, says after the Israeli 2006 invasion of Lebanon and the 2008 attack on Gaza, he knew what he had to do. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 13, 2014.

Reality Asserts Itself, U.S. Politics

If We Remain Predators, the Planet Will Cast Us Off – Lawrence Wilkerson on RAI (pt 3/3)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 12, 2014. Col. Wilkerson says the United States and China must stop the arms buildup and solve the climate change crisis, or humans may not have a future on this planet.

Reality Asserts Itself, U.S. Politics

Who Makes US Foreign Policy – Lawrence Wilkerson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 2/3)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 10, 2014. Colonel Wilkerson says while an Iran deal is in US strategic interests, it could still be derailed by Congress, the neocons, and Hillary Clinton.

Reality Asserts Itself, U.S. Politics

Who Makes US Foreign Policy – Lawrence Wilkerson on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 1/3)

This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on May 9, 2014. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson says US foreign policy is made by the oligarchs.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

What to Do Next About Global Warming – Alan Robock on RAI (5/5)

Mr. Robock says coal burning must end now and fracking is not a good transitional form of energy production. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 6, 2014.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

Nuclear Winter – Alan Robock on RAI (4/5)

Mr. Robock says a nuclear war between the United States and Russia would produce so much smoke that temperatures would get below freezing even in the summertime, crops would die and there would be no food for the entire planet. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 5, 2014.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

Answering Counter Climate Claims – Alan Robock RAI (3/5)

Mr. Robock takes on many of the arguments against the thesis that CO2 produced by industrial society is the main contributor to global warming. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced May 4, 2014.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

No CO2 Eureka Moment, Just Years of Statistical Analysis – Alan Robock on RAI (2/5)

On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Mr. Robock says his initial work led him to investigate the role of volcanoes in global warming, but years of reports convinced him that CO2 is the most likely cause. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced April 30, 2014.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

Global Warming Theory Based on Evidence, Not a Belief – Alan Robock (1/5)

On Reality Asserts Itself, climatologist and IPCC lead author Alan Robock tells Paul Jay that he’s a skeptic who tries to be critical and make conclusions based on the evidence.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela and Popular Democracy – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 9/9)

This interview was originally released on April 23, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lander assesses Chavez’s attempt to establish a participatory democracy that changed the structure of power and decision-making.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela, The Protests and Democracy – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 8/9)

This interview was originally released on April 22, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lander says while there are problems with the democratic process in Venezuela, the current protests are anti-democratic attempts to bring down an elected government.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela, Why Still So Much Crime – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 7/9)

This interview was originally released on April 18, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lander analyzes why the Chavez and Maduro governments have so far been unable to reduce the high rates of murder and violent crime.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

Modern History of Venezuela and the Need for a Post-Oil Economy – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 6/9)

This interview was originally released on April 17, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lander says to strengthen democracy, develop food sovereignty and help save the planet, Venezuela must develop a plan to transition away from an extractive economy.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela The Bolivarian Revolution – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 5/9)

This interview was originally released on April 16, 2014. Mr. Lander discusses the achievements and failures of the revolution led by President Hugo Chavez.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela from 1973 to the Caracazo Massacre – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 3/9)

This interview was originally released on April 15, 2014. Mr. Lander traces the history of Venezuela from the rise of neo-liberal capitalism to the suppression and slaughter of protesters against it.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

The Modern History of Venezuela from 1908 to 1973 – Edgardo Lander on RAI (pt 2/9)

This interview was originally released on April 14, 2014. Mr. Lander traces the history of Venezuela from dictatorship to attempts at democratic governments and back.

Climate Change, Reality Asserts Itself

Après Moi, le Déluge – Christopher Williams on Reality Asserts Itself (pt 5/5)

This interview was originally published on August 14, 2014. Mr. Williams says the global elites plan to protect themselves by adapting to the threat of continuing fossil fuel use, while everyone else will suffer the consequences of climate change disasters.

History, Reality Asserts Itself, Venezuela

Semper blandit suspendisse faucibus metus lobortis morbi magna vivamus per risus fermentum dapibus imperdiet praesent magnis.