October 26 - War Without Boots on the Ground; The Return of "It Can't Happen Here"; Inside the Saudi Gerontocracy

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Part 1	We begin with what appears to be a new Obama military/intelligence doctrine emerging that builds upon the Libyan example of intervention without boots on the ground. The founder and editor of Somaliareport.com, Robert Young Pelton joins us to discuss a new war going on in Somalia that employs U.S. naval and air assets, including drones, but uses Kenyan and Ugandan boots on the ground to fight the Islamist al Shebab militia.
Part 2	Then we talk about the national revival of Sinclair Lewis’ novel and play “It Can’t Happen Here”, a prophetic warning from the 1930’s of how fascism could take over in the United States, opening now in performances and readings across the country. The organizer of this political and literary awakening, author, actor and comedian Darryl Henriques joins us along with Professor Joel Schechter who teaches dramatic literature, criticism and theatre history. We discuss similarities between today’s economic hard times and political extremism, and the era in which “It Can’t Happen Here” was written and performed by actors who actually worked for the United States Government under the WPA, the Works Progress Administration.
Part 3	Then finally we speak with British historian and author Robert Lacey, the author of “Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia”. As the Cold War between the Saudis and the Iranians heats up, we discuss the paradox that as rebellious Arab youth drive the region towards liberalism and reform, the ruling gerentocracy in Saudi Arabia appear to be heading in the opposite direction.
	Music: Babyshambles - Piracy, M. Ward - It Won't Happen Twice, Digable Planets - Dog It, The Libertines - The Man Who Would Be King