Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen Burt Cohen

Authoritarianism. Anti-Immigrant. White men fearful of losing control.   Books banned, free press shut down. Widespread domestic spying. Dissent criminalized and many jailed tortured and killed. In his new book, American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis, acclaimed author historian Adam Hochschild says it was the Trumpiest period of American history before Trump. Amazing stories, with both villains and some heroes.

Reagan, Clinton, and Obama all boosted neoliberalism. But Biden is showing that he’s on a different track. Democrats in the 90s moved away from FDRs liberalism only to solidify Wall St’s hold on our economic life and political power. In his new book, The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order, author Gary Gerstle says he noted a Jake Sullivan speech, redefining national security to mean average people’s ability to live decently.  A real left is emerging, Gerstle says, but it will be a long rough road.

The writers and screen actors strike is an example of what’s happening to working people: the rents are too damn high. Housing is at the root of so many issues of the 2020s, including a stagnation in the arts. On this show Ned Resnikoff says if we want a thriving arts scene, more affordable housing is essential. the right hates the arts: it is by nature unruly. But it builds identity and benefits everyone. Give a listen; a good one.

Republicans determined to replace democracy with authoritarian tyranny. No it’s not 2023, it’s 1973 when they succeeded. Duly elected democratic socialist Salvador Allende is overthrown and replaced with dictator Augusto Pinochet. It’s not well known today, but listen in as, first, the stunning report of how America made it happen, written by National Security Archive senior analyst Peter Kornbluh, is read by our host, and then, from Chile where the 50th anniversary is being commemorated, Kornbluh himself explains what happened the days and months that followed. Some important questions are answered.

They used to be prosperous Black neighborhoods: less than 2 percent unemployment. But through connected processes over the last 75 years, government and banks worked together to create gentrification. Black people were intentionally left out of the capitalist system, frozen out of participation in the benefits of our traditional real estate value growth. And apparently public housing had been good until Nixon came along. On this show, author and professor of sociology Tanya Golash-Boza talks about her new book Before Gentrification: The Creation of DC’s Racial Wealth Gap. The author research saw signs of hopeful change.

We value the right to control our bodies. But is there really reproductive fairness and justice if those who want to be a parent face unchosen infertility and are denied access and face social stigma?  The new book is called Infertilties: a Curation, and our guest is co-curator Maria Novotny. It’s an important issue often ignored.