Welcome to Left Out, reality-based independent radio on WRCT 88.3FM, and on the worldwide web at leftout.info. Left Out discusses the news from a perspective left out of the mainstream media. Left Out is co-hosted by Bob Harper and Danny Sleator. Today's program is produced by Matt Hornyak. Listeners are invited to call the program at (412) 268-WRCT (9728), or to send email to bob@leftout.info
Today, Bob Harper was not able to be on the show, so it was hosted by Danny Sleator and our producer Matt Hornyak.
Listen to the broadcast (requires MP3 player). (Streaming, Download, Podcast)
Today was primary election day. Voters were offered the new iVotronic paperless touch-screen machines from ES&S. They also had the option to vote using a paper ballot. Danny voted using the paper ballot, while Matt used the new machine. One of our callers also used the new machines. On the air, we discussed our experiences, and comment about the whole voting debacle in the US.
For more information on the movement to install machines that have a voter verifiable audit trail, see the web site: www.votepa.us.
Thomas Friedman is a NY Times columnist and free-trade booster. He's worshiped by the mainstream media, and considered a foreign policy genius. Of course he strongly suppored the Iraq war. Norman Solomon has called him a liberal sadist. (Norman and Bernard Chazelle discussed Friedman and in our September 20 show.)
Now FAIR has pointed out a massive inconsistency in his writings and comments regarding the unfolding catastrophy known as the Iraq War. He's been saying, literally for three years, that we'll know in "six months to a year" how this is going to turn out. Well, it's time for him to make up his mind. Has this thing a success, or a catastrophy? Come on Tom. Your time is up.
During the show, Matt mentioned this scathing and hilarious review by Matt Taibbi of Friedman's latest book The Earth is Flat.
Watch this short chilling documentary about the police riot that took place in Portland Oregon in August 2002. Protestors were gathered outside of a hotel where G. W. Bush was at a fund-raising event for the super-rich. The police pepper sprayed and beat protestors. The mainstream media reported that a bottle was thrown at the police, who then used force on the unruly cowed. The protestors have denied this all along.
Now, finally, footage from the police's own video cameras have been obtained which prove beyond any doubt that the police attack was complete unprovoked. Specifically, the video shows one policeman instructing the others about the plan. He tells them to use pepper-spray, and then batons, and then pepperballs, if necessary on the protestors. Behind him, you can see the peaceful protestors holding their signs behind police lines.
The documentary also analyzes other aspects of the police videos -- how they zoom in on the protestors faces, or (if the face is not visible) on the shoes or other identifiable parts.
During the broadcast, Matt described his own experience being arrested at a protest in Washington DC.
During the show, Danny referred to Thom Hartmann a few times. He's a liberal talk radio host who is broadcast noon to 3pm ET live every weekday. In Pittsburgh you can hear him on AM 1360. You can also listen to him on the internet at: www.thomhartmann.com.
Truth Out
Common Dreams
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Tom Paine
The Independent
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