The Hartmann Report

All bets are off. The thin veneer of civilization is coming unraveled. How long will it be before Iran retaliates?-, and after that will there be any possibility for anyone to point out the truth that Trump has deliberately created this conflict? Does the evidence of his billion-dollar loan to the Russians coming out this week have anything to do with it? Or further proof of his shakedown of the Ukraine? Or evidence of massive stock market bets tied to Trump, where his friends make bank by knowing what announcements Trump is about to make?Who are our real allies, and who will act to stop this from becoming World War III? How did Dick Cheney's illegal war and occupation of the nation of Iraq lead to this? Thom speaks with Jamal Abdi, policy director of the National Iranian American Council, as well as with House Progressive leader Mark Pocan on this developing crisis that Trump has created by assassinating a government official of another country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Swanson, author of 'War is a Lie' is working to build support for gun laws- what can you do to help?... And as tension simmers abroad, will Trump's need for negative attention get us into a war?.. How many Americans know that Iran made a deal with Reagan to hold the 1979 embassy hostages until Reagan was sworn in?.. For that matter, how many Americans really can see that Trump is a relentless liar and his business is really primarily money laundering?.. Meanwhile, is Trump courting the bottom tiers of the police and military for their support in case he needs to call on their muscle someday?..   For the Book Club, Thom reads from "October Surprise" by Barbara Honegger.Also, Evan Greer of 'Fight for the Future' joins Thom to discuss ways we must fight to preserve our privacy as facial recognition systems are deployed across the country by law enforcement.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Should we get rid of drug patents since the government does most of the drug research anyway?.. Why do we have NASA to thank for LASIC eye surgery?.. Jimmy Carter v. Reagan on Medicare For All... If everybody got healthcare, wouldn't that benefit employers and employees both?.. How Republican policies have led to disposable employees... Do we have a health care system, or a health insurance industry?- and does that mean we have nutty priorities that lead to very high levels of serious, but preventable illnesses among Americans like diabetes? And how are people across our country coping with the holes in medical care?Plus Thom reads from 'Drugs, Money, and Secret Handshakes' by Robin Feldman, and his own book 'Walking Your Blues Away'.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What we could gain from socializing healthcare and improving education-- and why Republicans spread fear of Socialism and encourage Americans to vote against their own best interests.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How deep does Trump's racism go, and will it ultimately win him the next election?.. How does Fox News play up the fears of white people at becoming a minority?.. Are racists opposed to Medicare for All because they don't want people of color to benefit?.. How can we unlearn racism?..  Should we all get our DNA tested or are we all just humans here?.. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest-host Jefferson Smith considers the consequences of Alabama's legislative abortion ban and callers share concerns of abortion becoming illegal once again. For the Book Club, Thom reads from "Handbook for a Post-Roe America" by Robin Marty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bolivia's democratically elected government has been taken over by oligarchs, police forces are bribed and the media is suppressed. Code Pink's Medea Benjamin joins Thom to discuss the recent coup.When people forget history, it repeats itself and the Trump administration could be the result of forgetting what fascism really is! For the book club, Thom reads from "Paul Revere & The World He Lived In" by Esther Forbes and "The Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great" by Harvey J. Kaye. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What could we afford for the common person if we weren't subsidizing billionaires' extreme wealth in this country? And for that matter, can we afford the real cost to society that 'conservatism' (really oligarchy and corporatism) is bringing us? Thom plays recordings of Ronald Reagan opposing Medicare in the 1960s, and in contrast, the words of Harry Truman and LBJ- and the warning of Eisenhower. Is democratic socialism really as American as FDA-ingredients-listed, USDA-graded, farm-bill supported apple pie? What must Progressives do to save democracy?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nasreen Sheikh tells her story, and how her group- 'The Empowerment Collective' is saving young women in Nepal from poverty and cruelty by providing a fair price for women's handicrafts, available through their website at LocalWomensHandicrafts.com.Plus Andrew Behar, CEO of 'As You Sow', joins Thom to discuss share-holder activism and the dark side of Facebook. Thom reads from 'The Entrepreneurial State' by Mariana Mazzucato- she argues that 'more state, not less' has always been the key to economic development in the United States historically, and today in the developing world.And Thom also reads from 'Measuring What Counts: A New Dashboard for Well-Being' by Jean-Paul Fitoussi, Joseph Stiglitz, and Martine Durand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just in time for Xmas- the true origin of Santa Claus! And, have you lost a loved one to the war on Christmas?? Thom asks whether James Madison's nightmare coming true?- the fusion of church and state... What did the founders believe in and how did they come to a compromise in the founding documents of our nation? Will the rise of the 'spirtual, not religious' and those who identify with paganism shift Christianity away from Republicanism? And was Jesus' message always in line with paganism anyway?- that we are all connected, all rising and falling together in this world...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.