Scheer Intelligence
413 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 356 ratingsScheer Intelligence features thoughtful and provocative conversations with "American Originals" -- people who, through a lifetime of engagement with political issues, offer unique and often surprising perspectives on the day's most important issues.
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Episodes
Norman Solomon: Bipartisan Obsession with War
June 16, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 47.4 MBIn War Made Invisible, journalist Norman Solomon explains that Biden is as guilty as Trump in ushering a potential nuclear holocaust.
You Sure You Want to Eat That Sentient Being?
June 09, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 39.7 MBPeter Singer knows it is difficult to make a lonely stand against the mega corporate food processing machine. To make meaningful changes to diet, to care more about where food comes from and to consider the vast laundry list of problems that comes with the international food industry requires a great deal of attention to detail and resourcefulness. Singer, through his persuasive and forgiving prose, makes it easier for folks to get in the know about what a trip to the su...
In American Prisons, You’re Nothing More Than a Number
June 02, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 44.4 MBOften overlooked, ignored and damned, the cycle that throws people in the prison system and spits them out is a calamitous yet integral part of the American experience. People who find themselves at the short end of the stick—usually poor, uneducated and of a minority race—find themselves worse off, excommunicated from society and filled with more trauma and neglect. Keri Blakinger was not poor, was highly educated and white, yet found herself in the same spot and was tr...
The China Dragon Roars Back Whether the US Likes It or Not
May 26, 2023 19:00 - 1 hour - 71.6 MBThe Western world, in the midst of being primed for a war with China, often has a limited understanding of who this supposed enemy is. Is it a communist force ready to challenge the U.S.’s capitalist and hegemonic structure? Is it an economic ally providing an indispensable factory floor for our corporate interests? Or is it somehow a combination of both? Joining host Robert Scheer this week on Scheer Intelligence is Suisheng Zhao, professor and director of Center for Ch...
The Teapot Dome scandal: When democracy worked to hold the fat cats accountable
May 19, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 37.6 MBOver 100 years ago, the United States had corrupt politicians who could actually be prosecuted for their crimes in gaming the economy. As mythical as it may seem, the history of a small band of radical and gutsy senators who were willing to put it all on the line for justice can serve as inspiration for those who have only ever seen their political representatives bought and paid for. In Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator,...
Even at Ground Zero of the Climate Crisis Denial Remains the Norm
May 19, 2023 07:00 - 33 minutes - 29.7 MBIt is so easy for people to throw trash on the floor, waste food and water and engage in endless consumerism without being truly connected with the Earth around them. Without witnessing a first hand account of the destruction to the natural environment from the persistently damaging habits of society, there is little incentive to change. The scary and all encompassing problems of climate change will devastate the planet indiscriminately regardless, and it is because of t...
Interpreting for the U.S. Army of the Deaf
April 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBIt has been almost two years since the distressing scenes of packed airports, people chasing after departing U.S. aircraft and the Taliban emerging on top were witnessed with the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. Amidst the commotion and confusion, what was certain was the fear within one type of Afghan citizen, the interpreters of the American military. Without them, U.S. forces would have been an army of the deaf, engaging in pivotal and deadly opera...
Is Tik Tok a U.S. Deep State front?
April 21, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBAlan MacLeod’s reporting on the influx of former government employees at TikTok, Meta, Twitter and other social media companies helps define the scope of the U.S. censorship regime.
It's Called the American Dream Because You Have To Be Asleep to Believe It
April 14, 2023 07:00 - 50 minutes - 45.4 MBA thorough dissection of America’s capitalist mythology reveals the sham to which lots of people continue to subscribe, despite growing nationwide suffering.
Iran 1953: The Birthplace of Western Backed Coups
April 07, 2023 07:00 - 55 minutes - 49.8 MBThe story of a U.S. backed coup destabilizing a country for the benefit of Western capitalist interests is one so often repeated that each instance is a sort of classic novel in the dystopian series from the 20th century on. The tale of the Iranian coup in 1953 is indeed a classic, as it was the first of its kind. With its share of infamous characters—mainly the CIA and British MI6—as well as its lasting impact on the region, its citizenry and the world, the coup in ‘53 ...
America’s Slavery-Ridden Origin Story: Facing the Uncomfortable Reality
March 31, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 51.4 MBWriter Dionne Ford dives deep into her ancestry and confronts the complexities of being a Black woman in America with the blood of both the enslaved and the enslaver.
Private Opulence and Public Squalor in the US
March 24, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBThe Federal Reserve is not working for the people but for wealthy individuals and corporations that can afford to have a say in the rules.
It’s China’s Turn To Give Peace a Chance
March 17, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutes - 40.3 MBA major shift in global relations has recently transpired. To some in America, it may look like the second coming of the Evil Empire. To much of the rest of the world, it’s a welcome chance for a renewed multipolar order, where the sovereign desires of nations are respected and new collaborations can be established. The deal brokered between Iran and Saudi Arabia, brought together by China, to restore diplomatic relations, is a clear example of that. The 20-year annivers...
Looking at the skeletons inside the NFL’s closet
March 10, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 42.6 MBRenowned sports journalist Dave Zirin talks about his latest documentary, which explores the unjust, unfair and deeply racist history of the NFL coupled with its commitment to nationalism, militarism and corporatism.
The Nightmare Espionage Act That is Killing Julian Assange and the First Amendment
March 03, 2023 08:00 - 58 minutes - 52.7 MBThe use of the century old Espionage Act in the Julian Assange case continues to set the chilling precedent of a bleak future in American journalism, a precedent that endangers even those outside US borders.
Ray McGovern: The Last Chance to Avoid World War III?
February 24, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.7 MBAfter a year of war and carnage in Ukraine, the fighting continues, and there are no signs of it slowing down. In fact, military budgets have increased, the weapons shipments have multiplied and the number of countries involved has reached world war levels. In a time of conflicting narratives, misinformation and rampant propaganda, history proves to be one of the few sources of wisdom left to predict and caution what the future holds.
The US Is Sending Its Worst Down to Mexico
February 17, 2023 08:00 - 36 minutes - 32.2 MBViolent drug cartels often dominate headlines about Mexico but the Ayotzinapa case reveals a more sinister involvement from the US side of the border.
The Birthplace of Dystopian America
February 10, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 60 MBCop City Atlanta is a privately funded, local community surveillance campus that has already taken the life of one protestor as a harbinger of the police state on the horizon.
Nuclear War Imminent?
February 03, 2023 08:00 - 52 minutes - 47.6 MBRetired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William J. Astore who served in the nuclear missile command fears the end of human life through nuclear war is more likely than in the Cold War era.
Jane Olson: Storytelling Exposes Humanity
January 27, 2023 08:00 - 41 minutes - 36.9 MBNumbers and facts only tell half the story of some of the world’s most horrendous circumstances.
Ex-CIA Agent John Kiriakou: The Deep State’s Attack on Dissent Beginning With MLK
January 20, 2023 08:00 - 36 minutes - 32.4 MBThe FBI, CIA, NSA and other agencies have historically exploited their power but their limits appear boundless in the modern age.
Israel Fascist?
January 13, 2023 08:00 - 35 minutes - 31.8 MBIsrael’s sharp turn to the extreme right has startled American Jews.
Dr. Warren Hern: Humans are a metastasizing cancer terminating all life on the planet
January 06, 2023 08:00 - 45 minutes - 41 MBPhysician and anthropology scholar Dr. Warren Hern delves into some of the most upsetting aspects of human behavior as a fatal threat to all life on earth in the near future.
Fact-Checking Jesus
December 23, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MBThe Rev. Madison Shockley discusses the historical, political and controversial misconceptions of the Christmas story.
You know gay rights are mainstream when Biden picks up the Rainbow flag
December 16, 2022 08:00 - 35 minutes - 31.7 MBLarry Gross, author of the LGBTQ civil rights treatise, “Up From Invisibility,” honors the achievement of the new same-sex marriage law with only feint appreciation for the president who signed the bill.
Who’s crazy, you or your nation?
December 09, 2022 08:00 - 45 minutes - 40.4 MBDr. Gabor Maté’s new book strips back the realities of the neoliberal system that has been plaguing the health of US and the world citizens.
Peace Candidate Matthew Hoh: War is a cancel culture
December 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBHow Democrats, their pro-war Republican cohorts and the media canceled the U.S. Senate campaign of ex Marine and US foreign policy official Matthew Hoh.
The US spends almost as much on healthcare as the rest of the world combined and has one of the worst outcomes
November 25, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 41.9 MBEsteemed physician Dr. Stephen Bezruchka explains why spending the most in the midst of inequality and flawed politics produces an unhealthy prognosis.
Joel Beinin: Israel’s Elections Spell More of the Same for the Country, Only With an Even Uglier Face
November 18, 2022 08:00 - 53 minutes - 47.8 MBHistorian Joel Beinin uses his personal experiences to paint a picture of Israel, past and present, as a country and an idea.
Highly regarded poet Javier Zamora tells the riveting story of his hellish nine-week journey as a nine-year old child
November 11, 2022 20:00 - 47 minutes - 42.3 MBIn this week's Scheer Intelligence interview, as in his New York Times bestselling book, “Solito: A Memoir,” celebrated poet Javier Zamora cuts through the nasty dehumanization about undocumented immigrants with the focused memory of his perilous journey as a child refugee attempting to join his family under the most vulnerable of circumstances. With their lives overturned by the U.S.-sponsored war in El Salvador, Zamora's parents had found refuge in California, but...
Is Elon Musk the best or the worst for Twitter?
November 04, 2022 07:00 - 38 minutes - 34.6 MBElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Legal Director Corynne McSherry discusses with host Robert Scheer the internet control issues raised by Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and what may lie ahead for it and other social media giants.
Is Dennis Kucinich the last Democrat for peace?
October 28, 2022 07:00 - 34 minutes - 31.1 MBFor 16 years the former Democrat congressman from Cleveland advocated for peaceful alternatives to the madness of war, but now members of his party in Congress are permitted only the voice of the warmonger.
How the Federal Reserve and allied central bankers wrote the obituary for competitive capitalism
October 21, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutes - 32.6 MBFormer Goldman Sachs managing director Nomi Prins exposes the role of the Federal Reserve and other western central banks in creating a world economy for the superrich while enabling the impoverishment of much of the world’s population
Eduardo Carreon: Adopting the mindset of the oppressor
October 14, 2022 07:00 - 46 minutes - 41.6 MBIndigenous Los Angeles psychology graduate student Eduardo Carreon analyzes the mindset of disgraced former LA City Council leader, a Latina whose racist bile scorned Black and gay colleagues and others, including indigenous members of her own Latinx community.
Fake journalism is only the first draft of fake history
October 07, 2022 07:00 - 44 minutes - 39.6 MB35-year teaching veteran Jim Mamer explores the uncomfortable areas of history most schools fail to teach and what it means about the state of the world today.
Zachary Karabell: China Is not the enemy - it is America’s indispensable economic ally
September 30, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 35.4 MBAuthor Zachary Karabell pleads that despite the militaristic noise, China and the U.S. share an economic dependency that would rupture the domestic economy of both nations if severed.
Biden’s peace for Afghanistan is a humanitarian disaster
September 23, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBThe U.S. withdrew its troops and with them all humanitarian aid while freezing Afghanistan’s foreign reserves, leading to mass deprivation for Afghanistan’s innocent civilian population.
A Somali boy’s escape from Somalia’s harrowing genocide leads him to his dream paradise—and the brutality of American racism.
September 16, 2022 19:00 - 46 minutes - 41.8 MBOn this week’s Scheer Intelligence, Boyah Farah, a young refugee from Somalia’s hellish civil war describes his family’s narrow escape from death and their arrival in the placid suburbs of Boston. But life was more a nightmare than the dream he had imagined.
Russian and western leaders squandered Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy. Now we’re all paying the price.
September 09, 2022 07:00 - 42 minutes - 38.1 MBKatrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, remembers the Russian leader—whom she called a friend—as a committed pro-peace thinker, on this week’s “Scheer Intelligence.”
What killed America’s peace movement?
September 02, 2022 07:00 - 40 minutes - 35.9 MBCODEPINK founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans are rare voices of conscience confronting the bipartisan warmongers.
The terrifying research nuclear powers don’t want you to see
August 26, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 35 MBClimate scientist Alan Robock, one of the authors of a groundbreaking Nature Food paper on the little-discussed impacts of nuclear war, talks to Robert Scheer about his work.
The menace that is Amazon and Walmart
August 19, 2022 07:00 - 33 minutes - 30 MBColumbia Law School professor Kathryn Judge talks to Robert Scheer about the exploitation of monster behemoth retail companies revealed in her new book “Direct.”
That time the KKK tried to kill Paul Robeson
August 05, 2022 07:00 - 34 minutes - 30.7 MBJoel Whitney, the author of “Finks,” joins Robert Scheer to discuss a little-told episode in the socialist actor and singer’s life and why it’s seemingly been erased from our collective memory.
Katie Halper: ‘Trump broke liberals’ brains’
July 29, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 35.1 MBThe comedian and host of two popular progressive podcasts offers her take on why the American left keeps getting things wrong.
Fist bumping the dictator we pretend to love
July 22, 2022 07:00 - 47 minutes - 42.5 MBFormer Mideast CIA operative John Kiriakou discusses his recent trip covering Biden in Saudi Arabia and what he’s learned about America’s “special relationship” with the country.
Saving broke and broken America, one town at a time.
July 15, 2022 07:00 - 40 minutes - 36 MBMichelle Wilde Anderson speaks to Robert Scheer about how four working class towns struggling with poverty and broke governments still managed to progress.
Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, author of “Born on the Fourth of July” and subject of Oliver Stone’s iconic Vietnam War film, will mark his 76 th birthday watching a war that portends the end of civilization
July 01, 2022 07:00 - 44 minutes - 40.1 MBAt a time when the war that could end civilization escalates, peace activist Ron Kovic marks his July 4 birthday sounding the alarm about the true costs of war, a sentiment shared by his girlfriend of 16 years, TerriAnn Ferren.
Has America lost the key to democracy?
June 24, 2022 07:00 - 36 minutes - 32.7 MBThe authors of “Let’s Agree to Disagree” offer a guide to fostering critical thinking and dialogue in a society that seems to have forgotten how to engage in either.
Craig McNamara reveals the truth behind the lies of his father, Robert McNamara
June 17, 2022 07:00 - 44 minutes - 39.5 MBThe author of “Because Our Fathers Lied” lays bare agonizing truths about America his father helped to shape.
Ralph Nader: Is there any hope left for Democrats?
June 10, 2022 07:00 - 42 minutes - 38.4 MBThe former presidential candidate speaks to “Scheer Intelligence” host Robert Scheer about the shreds of democracy left in America.