Loud & Clear

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology Dr. Robert Epstein, as well as David Ahmad, President of Subgraph, an open source tech security company. Google’s parent company Alphabet has celebrated its one year anniversary. The conglomerate was created by Google’s founders to bring their companies under one roof - creating a behemoth that has its hands in a great many areas of our lives, from our health to our homes to our location, finances and more. Astonishingly, this could even include the presidential election, with Google serving as, in the words of Julian Assange, Hillary Clinton’s “secret weapon”. There is justified outrage at the NSA’s mass surveillance, but is Google essentially the same thing - just led by a CEO rather than a General?

The Syrian Army has sent thousands of reinforcements to the country's largest city after rebel groups including the former al-Nusra Front broke the siege in the east. But the Syrian government claims that they have retaken that ground. Are we witnessing a turning point, or even decisive moment, in Syria’s five year war?Turkish President Erdogan has met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on his first trip abroad since last month’s attempted coup. Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship program Crosstalk, discusses if it's back to business as usual between Turkey and Russia, and if Turkey is moving to a new policy on Syria. Protesters for and against Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff rallied outside of the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers voted on moving her to within a step of losing office. But do her opponents have the two thirds needed in the Senate to oust her? Becker is joined by Aline C. Piva of Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Brazilian-British analyst Victor Fraga.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international security and affairs analyst Mark Sleboda to discuss the thaw in relations between Turkey and Russia. The two countries may hit the re-set button in St. Petersburg today as President Erdogan arrives for a state visit where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin. What accounts for the sharp turnaround in relations, and is Turkey increasingly moving away from NATO after last month’s failed coup or is this a limited maneuver on the part of both governments. Donald Trump could barely finish a sentence as he delivered his vision for the U.S. economy over the objections of protesters in Detroit. His newly-unveiled team of advisers is packed with bankers, hedge fund managers and real estate sharks. Becker is joined by political cartoonist and analyst Ted Rall to assess Trump's economic policy.Nagasaki, Hiroshima: Hundreds of thousands of Japanese were slaughtered as guinea pigs in a huge weapons testing operation. Today is the anni

The general election campaign is in full swing. After a bruising and often absurd primary fight in both of the major parties, the political situation looks set to intensify even further. Historic numbers of people are planning on voting for a third-party, and the Democrats’ lesser-evil rhetoric is ramping up in response. There is no doubt that Trump is a reprehensible bigot and an open supporter of torture - banning muslims and more - but the lesser-of-two-evils argument conceals just how “evil” Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party really is. Today, we spend the show examining Clinton and her party - their foreign policy, their loyalty to Wall Street and the underhanded, essentially fraudulent methods they employed to extinguish the Sanders insurgency. Brian is joined for the full hour to discuss these issues by Dr. Anthony Monteiro, W.E.B. DuBois scholar and member of the Black Radical Organizing Collective, Jane Cutter, editor of Liberationnews.org, Derek Ford, Assistant Professor of Education Studies a

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, the head of Middlesex University's Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies to discuss developments in the ongoing coup against suspended President Dilma Rousseff.As the Olympics get underway in Rio de Janeiro, can the movement against the coup leverage this international spotlight? The National Nuclear Security Administration has given the go ahead for the upgrade of the B-61 nuclear airborne bomb. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists discusses the implications.Donald Trump’s increasingly ridiculous attacks on the parents of a Muslim Army captain who died in Iraq have been attacked by both Republicans and Democrats. But what has been ignored all this week was the Iraq war itself.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses the upcoming Green Party convention and the future of progressive third-party politics in the United States. In the aftermath of Bernie Sanders throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton, will his supporters flock to join Stein’s campaign? David Cobb, the 2004 presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins Becker to talk about the importance of this year's convention and prospects for the coming period.Becker is joined by political analyst Daniel McAdams to address comments made by one of Clinton’s foreign policy advisers that dealing with Syria would be a “first key task”. Would such a position only work to strengthen the so-called Islamic State?Attorney General Loretta Lynch just departed from Detroit, where she participated in the first of what is intended to be a series of “Justice Forums” sponsored by the Justice Department in the wake of police murders and individual attacks on police. To discuss if these justice forums have any real cre

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to exmane new court rulings that have overturned some of the new laws that the courts ruled aim at disenfranchising Black African-American voters with "surgical precision." Purged voter rolls and tens of thousands of complaints indicate a massive effort to suppress the African-American community from participating in elections in the United States.Five years on from the NATO bombing campaign and overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's government, the United States in once against launching airstrikes in Libya. Becker is joined by Zafar Bangash, director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought, to speak on how Daesh has been able to establish a foothold in Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, why western special forces operating in the country are not classified as "boots on the ground", and if the real objectives of the U.S. bombing campaign

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian spends the full hour dealing with the dramatic new developments in the Philippines, including a discussion with Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, where the new government of Rodrigo Duterte and the New People's Army are making moves to put an end to the country's civil war. The new President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has said it is his dream to end of the nearly fifty year armed conflict in the country. Last week, he declared a unilateral ceasefire with the New People’s Army, but withdrew it just days later. Still, the Communist Party has said that it expects to declare a truce along with the government on August 20th, the same day that peace negotiations are due to begin in Oslo.Brian is joined by Jose Maria Sison, who is the senior political adviser to the National Democratic Front, which is the organization that will begin peace talks with the Duterte government on August 20. Brian also speaks with Bernadette Ellorin, chairperson of B

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the strategic importance of the Syrian city of Aleppo.Becker is joined by political analyst Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, who comments on Russia and Syria opening three humanitarian corridors in Aleppo and how what unfolds there could dramatically change the course of the war that has raged on for over five years. South Korea has denied entry to and deported two Korean American peace activists who traveled to the country to participate in protests the deployment of THAAD, the US missile Defense shield in South Korea that has generated mass anger inside of south Korea and harsh condemnation from China and Russia. The activists, Hyun Lee and Juyeon Rhee, speak with Becker about their experience.While Korean authorities detained and deported Korean-American peace activists -- other Americans from Veterans for Peace were able to make it into the country and they are joining Koreans in protest all over the country including upcoming actions in Sonju -- the s

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the foreign policy of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the aftermath of the DNC officially choosing her as the nominee. Becker speaks with journalist and historian Gareth Porter and author Richard Becker about Clinton's record as a war hawk both in and outside of the State Department. What will a Clinton White House mean for Syria, the Middle East and beyond?None of the police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray will be convicted. Prosecutors dropped all charges against the remaining officers due to stand trial. Joining Becker to discuss the decision is former political prisoner and journalist Eddie Conway and Sean Blackman of the D.C. Stop Police Terror Project. Conway analyzes how the prosecution of the police officers was deliberately organized to prevent a successful prosecution. Two weeks after the coup attempt in Turkey, the government continues its clampdown. Becker is joined by Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan t

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and guests examine the speeches of President Obama and Joe Biden at the the third night of the DNC. Obama quoted from the American Exceptionalism language of Ronald Reagan. Borrowing heavily from the rhetoric of the Bush-era neocons Joe Biden stated that the "21st century will be the American century." The crowd chanted "USA, USA" as Biden gave a pumped up "don't mess with America" speech. A retired Admiral condemned Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong un and Vladimir Putin as a group. Becker is joined from Los Angeles by Danielle Norwood of WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend), by Kevin Aiken, Secretary of the California Peace & Freedom Party, and Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek who is in Philadelphia covering protests by the Bernie Sanders supporters. They also discuss the next steps for millions of Bernie Sanders supporters who are seeking an independent, progressive alternative to the Democratic Party.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker talks to Bernie Sanders delegate to the Rules Committee, Attorney Julie Hurwitz about what's next for his supporters now that he has called for a united effort to elect Hillary Clinton.As the Democratic National Convention enters its third day today and supporters of Bernie Sanders continue to protest both in and outside of the convention, will his call be heeded or will Sanders voters turn to third party candidates? Russia and China have criticized the decision by South Korea to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile defence system. Seoul has said the THAAD system (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) is necessary to counter threats from North Korea, but will it only inflame regional tensions? Joining Becker to discuss THAAD is Michael Elleman, Consulting Senior Fellow for Missile Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. and a former UN weapons inspector.Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is meeting Secretary of Sta

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by security analyst Mark Sleboda to look at the allegations leveled against Russia by Hillary Clinton's campaign. The Democratic National Convention opened yesterday after Party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign after release of almost 20,000 emails that reveal shocking abuse and misconduct by the Democratic National Committee to undermine Bernie sanders at the same time as people were going to the polls in the primaries. Is there any credibility to the accusation that Russian hackers are behind the leak in an attempt to bolster the campaign of Donald Trump, or is this simply another case of slander aimed at Moscow to demonize the country?On Sunday, people packed the main hall of a community center to demand freedom for political prisoners on the eve of the DNC. President Obama has the power to free all political prisoners held in federal custody, but hasn't done so. Joining Becker to discuss the DNC event is Kashara White of th

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian spends the full hour looking at the state of the Democratic Party and the candidate they are preparing to coronate - Hillary Clinton.The Democratic Party begins its national convention today in Philadelphia. After a bruising primary fight, the party will attempt to unify itself for the November election. But thousands of protesters are gathering outside, expressing their outrage at the party elite who are fully at the service of Wall Street. Inside the convention, there is the prospect of a serious floor fight over the structure of the party and the way it selects its candidate.Brian is joined by Dr. Anthony Monteiro, a scholar and activist with the Black Radical Organizing Collective, Gloria La Riva, the 2016 presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Eric Draitser, political analyst and founder of StopImperialism.org.

As the delegates begin arriving in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention that will coronate Donald Trump as the nominee, Brian Becker spends today’s episode examining the state of the Republican Party as it spirals even further down the path of extreme bigotry.Donald Trump has broken with hawkish Republican foreign policy orthodoxy in some areas but dialed up the chest-thumping militarism in others. Legendary anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and Don DeBar, Senior Producer at Community Public Radio join the show.Trump is well-known for his inflammatory sexist remarks and behavior, but on this point the rest of the Republican Party is solidly with him. Danielle Norwood of WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) discusses this issue.Finally, Robert McCaw, Director of Government Affairs for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, talks with Brian about how Islamophobia has become a core component of the Republican Party’s program - and the key role played by its candidate Donald Trump.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses Secretary of State John Kerry's two-day trip to Russia with the host of RT’s Crosstalk Peter Lavelle and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.As John Kerry arrives in Moscow to talk about the Syrian War, the Turkish Prime Minister has a new policy and is prepared to normalize relations with Syria. Is there really a prospect for peace or is this old wine in new bottles?As NATO met in Warsaw, thousands of activists gathered at counter-summits to protest the alliance’s aggressive posture. Phil Wilayto of the United National Anti-War Coalition joins the show to give an eyewitness report.Today is Republic Day in Iraq - the anniversary of the 1958 revolution. Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee, and Richard Becker, author of the book "Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire", join Brian to take a look at Iraqi history to debunk the bogus mainstream media presentation that the country h

After weeks of intense pressure, Bernie Sanders has finally relented endorsed Hillary Clinton in a nationally televised rally from New Hampshire. Even though Sanders is on board with Clinton’s candidacy, Sanders supporters on the Democratic Party platform committee fail to change the Party position on Palestine or the TPP.Meanwhile, China is outraged at an international court in favor of the Philippines in a dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker explores the game-changing implications of Bernie Sanders' expected decision to endorse his arch-nemesis Hillary Clinton later today.He is joined first by Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate who is polling at unprecedentedly high numbers.Also reacting to the news, third party presidential candidate Gloria La Riva joins the show after having just been released from jail in Baton Rouge after police attacked and broke up a peaceful march organized by the African-American community to protest the apparently cold-blooded murder by police of Alton Sterling, a 37-year old father.Finally, Bernie Sanders supporters from the labor movement and the Black community talk with Brian about their concerns about the election, the reasons they supported Sanders and their apprehension about a Clinton presidency.

On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks ahead to tomorrow's ruling in a Hague arbitration court on the South China Sea.Brian spends the full hour looking at how the dispute affects the region and the world. He is joined by James Bradley, the author of the book The China Mirage: The Hidden History of American Disaster in Asia and by author Patrick Lawrence, whose latest book is Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century.Tensions have been inflamed by the impending ruling on a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. Last week, Beijing said the U.S. military’s buildup in the region constituted a “direct threat to national security”. Despite U.S. assertions of the need for freedom of navigation, Washington is treating the Pacific like its backyard. Is the United States also playing other countries in the region against China for their own benefit?

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses the landmark NATO Summit taking place in Poland with international affairs analyst Mark Sleboda and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. As NATO engages in a unprecedented build-up of troops on Russia’s borders and its 28 members as well as partners meet starting today in Warsaw, will they take a further step towards confrontation? Protests sweep the U.S. as two African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, are gunned down in cold blood by the police in Louisiana and Minneapolis. Both incidents were partially captured on video. Radio Sputnik's Eugene Puryear joins Becker to speak on the continuing epidemic of police brutality and murder of black people across the country.More than 3,000 people await execution in the United States. The draft of the Democratic Party's new platform says they will outlaw the death penalty, but doubts linger about Hillary Clinton’s position. Anti-death penalty activist Kristin Houlé joins Becker to explain why