David Swanson Videos

After the 2008 election, a cartoon was circulated of Obama sitting in the Oval Office Scotch-taping the Constitution back together. But a year later, David Swanson, author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union and founder of AfterDowningStreet, notes that Obama has quietly allowed many Bush-Cheney practices to stay in place--not upholding the policies, perhaps, but issuing signing statements and hanging on to the increased power of the presidency. Mark Winston Griffith, on leave from the Drum Major Institute and former candidate for New York City Council, joins Swanson and Laura to talk about the way nothing seems to change in politics. Is there a way around the machine to create a true politics of the people? These two big thinkers have some suggestions.

It might be what President Obama calls a teachable moment. On Monday, dozens of anti-war protesters were arrested outside of the White House, including Cindy Sheehan. Robert Gibbs, however, told reporters he wasn't even aware of the group's actions. One wonders whether he and the administration are aware of the fact that the majority of the public is now opposed to the war. So who decides US military policy? Do the people have any kind of role to play? And if not, what does that say about our enfeebled democracy? Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Photographer, writer and filmmaker Brian Palmer, Anuradha K. Bhagwati, Executive Director of Service Women?s Action Network (SWAN), and David Swanson, the founder of AfterDowningStreet.org and the author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union on war making and why it threatens democracy in America.

It might be what President Obama calls a teachable moment. On Monday, dozens of anti-war protesters were