J. Ward Regan, professor of history and philosophy at NYU, delivers one of the best presentations ever on Thomas Paine, his importance to the founding of America, and his essential relevance to the politics of today. Regan also deconstructs the co-option of Paine’s legacy by modern political forces that represent ideologies that Paine abhorred.
What do AT&T and Communist China have in common? Tim Wu tells you in 5 minutes how state and corporate censorship work the same with the internet. Excellent short primer for those who like to use the internet and want to keep using it the way you have been.
This is primarily a discussion about the nature of American infrastructure, and the internet is the infrastructure of our time.
Wu points out here how in the 19th century, control over railroad networks were where power was concentrated (a system which became a discriminatory network, by the way, with elite, monopolistic control over it). In ages of abusive monopolies and trusts, behind every one of those monopolies of power lies a network, one that has been co-opted and turned into a discriminatory network, which is then used to further the power of the monopoly
When infrastructure is designed to serve the public, the country is richer, freer, better. Today, the question regarding access to and control over the internet should not be an issue one thinks about as a marginal or side concern, but is an issue critical to the future of the country, economically and politically. And the key to making the effective breakthrough in the discussion over the infrastructure of speech control is by placing the issue squarely within the arena of rights.
Chris Hedges manages to pretty much sum up what is going wrong with this country in under 30 minutes. This should be utilized for discussions in political science classrooms everywhere.
Journalist John Pilger provides this report on the role of media control in maintaining war policies, and the landmark role of WikiLeaks in creating a new form of challenge to that control.
“If people really knew the truth, the war would be stopped tomorrow. But of course they don’t know, and can’t know.” - David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister during the First World War, in private conversation with C.P. Scott, the editor of The Guardian newspaper.
An informative documentary piece on the history of Julian Assange and his organizational creation WikiLeaks. Produced during the summer of 2010 as an episode of Foreign Correspondent by ABC; the Australian Broadcasting Company (unfortunately, it is quite difficult to envision the American ABC from venturing such a production). It highlights WikiLeak’s burgeoning role within the global news and information system. It also features interviews with famed American whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers fame, and highlights its role in the creation of the groundbreaking legislation of IMMI, the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative.
A must see for anyone wishing to understand the real root causes of the current financial problems plaguing this country.
An insightful and professionally-produced documentary from Swedish television on the rise of WikiLeaks and the groups at the forefront of what is the rights-based battle of the 21st Century - the one over information and communication rights.
Rep. Ron Paul lays out some of the stark truth of the situation with this speech in the U.S. House of Representatives: “Which has resulted in the most deaths? Lying us into war, or the release of the WikiLeaks papers?”
Paul continues on this subject with his declarations that what we need is more WikiLeaks.
The Human Rights Action Center presents the 30 articles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights read aloud by artists, advocates and children in support of the 60th Anniversary of this UN document.
