Smart Show (goharrison) with Cary Harrison – 11.02.15

Nazi Bunkers Tour (http://www.goharrison.com/travel/germany/berlin-germany/)

Guest 1: Joanne Doroshow, Executive Director – Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School

Left and Right Opposing the “Privatization of the Justice System” More than a decade in the making, the move to block class actions was engineered by a Wall Street-led coalition of credit card companies and retailers, according to interviews with coalition members and court records. Strategizing from law offices on Park Avenue and in Washington, members of the group came up with a plan to insulate themselves from the costly lawsuits. Their work culminated in two Supreme Court rulings, in 2011 and 2013, that enshrined the use of class-action bans in contracts. The decisions drew little attention outside legal circles, even though they upended decades of jurisprudence put in place to protect consumers and employees

Guest 2: 6:55-6:58. Jason Crow – “Healthy Living” Update

Alternative Visions – Europe Ups ‘Ante’ In Global ‘QE Currency Devaluation’ Game – 10.23.15

Jack reviews the most recent threat by Europe’s central bank to expand its ‘quantitative easing’ program in order to gain share of a slowing global trade pie. As the global economy slows and competition for exports intensifies from China to US to Japan to Europe, the European Central Bank announces plans to expand its $1.1 trillion free money program for bankers and investors. Jack explores the possible consequences of the likely decision: Japan will no doubt follow with further expansion of its own QE program to defend its share of global exports. The US federal reserve, its central bank, will be less likely to raise interest rates in turn—as US exports and manufacturing are already close to stagnating, and reducing US GDP. Simultaneously, China announces its sixth cut in interest rates. Major sectors of the global economy and intensifying competition over a shrinking global economy. Jack also updates recent Alternative Visions shows on the TPP, Big Pharmaceutical companies’ price gouging, and the Chrysler-Auto Workers recent negotiations. With TPP almost a done deal, now corporate America, Jack predicts, will focus on its second big objective: corporate tax cuts. How US multinational tech and pharma companies play the global tax avoidance game is explained.

JOHN LAFORGE – Fukushima Radiation in Pacific Reaches West Coast

“[W]e should be carefully monitoring the oceans after what is certainly the largest accidental release of radioactive contaminants to the oceans in history,” marine chemist Ken Buesseler said last spring. Instead, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency halted its emergency radiation monitoring of Fukushima’s radioactive plume in May 2011, three months after the disaster began. Japan isn’t even monitoring seawater near Fukushima, according …

Economic Update – Meanings of Class – 10.04.15

Updates on Swedish plan for peaceful transition beyond capitalism, ripoffs in car insurance, Ferguson, MO credit downgrade. Response to listeners on the CA drought and on best solution for corporate abuses like VW’s. Major discussions of (1) what class means and what is at stake in different meanings, and (2) guaranteed income vs guaranteed jobs.