The Errington Thompson Show 12-5-09
This snowy day in Asheville starts off with Obama’s huge speech and the 30,000 troop surge to Afghanistan. All the trust we have put into Obama… is this the right way to go? His speech about the troop increase was written and spoken well, as always, but should this be where we are headed? Errington’s guest, Brian Katulis, has some compelling insights and shares details about Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq that might slip through the cracks if we don’t perk up and listen. Katulis is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. Errington and he discuss how Yemen and Somalia are not getting the attention they deserve while we pour money and American soldiers into Afghanistan. The importance of this issue can’t be overstated and Katulis makes it understandable. Are the estimated one to two hundred Al Queda members left in Afghanistan (according to Jim Jones, Obama’s National Security Advisor) worth this huge surge of American troops and money? What is to be done about the nuclear power of Pakistan? What is our legacy in Iraq?
This huge show bundles in healthcare, with Errington’s thoughts on Michael Moore’s movie Sicko. In the movie, and played here in this broadcast, a former influential member of Britain’s Parliament explains how democracy gave the poor the vote and changed Britain’s healthcare system. If money can be found for war, why shouldn’t it be available to help within a country’s own borders? Their system isn’t free. They pay for it with tax dollars.
In addition to the giveaways during the show, the biography about Louis Armstrong, Pops and a $100 amazon.com gift card, some exciting stuff for upcoming shows is announced… a visit from someone from PC Magazine and some time talking about music with two-time Grammy winner Larry Fulcher. Which twenty CDs would you take with you to a desert island?
From global climate change to gangs on Twitter, this show is investigative and fun. Thanks and congratulations to John and Terry for their calls and prizes! Now this is progressive radio!
