November 13 - The Growing Revolt Against the T.P.P.; Endemic Corruption in the Philippines; Going to Jail for Wearing a Toad Hat?

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with a bi-partisan revolt in the House of Representatives against President Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, following the leak of the draft text of a chapter on intellectual property rights published by Wikileaks. Lori Wallach, the Founder and Director of Global Trade Watch, a division of Public Citizen, joins us to discuss Tea Party and progressive opposition to the President’s fast track authority which could torpedo the deal.

Part 2

Then we examine the endemic political corruption in the Philippines that is hampering relief efforts while the very politicians from the ruling families who have looted the country for decades, are appearing on TV defending aid response. Michael Buehler, a Professor of Political Science at Northern Illinois University, who does political risk evaluations in the Philippines, joins us to discuss what is likely to happen to the aid that is pouring in from international donors, assuming it reaches those in need because of damage to the already neglected infrastructure.

Part 3

Then finally we speak with the anti-corporatist activist the Reverend Billy who is facing a battery of charges and jail time for a 15 minute musical protest he and his gospel choir staged as a mock-religious revival at a Chase Bank in New York City, last month. They were wearing toad hats to commemorate the Golden Toad, forced into extinction by climate change, and the $2.17 billion with which Chase has financed coal companies involved in mountaintop removal.