Democracy Now! Co-Host Gonzalez Speaks in San Diego (tags)
"Democracy Now!" co-host Juan Gonzalez spoke in San Diego October 24 as part of a whirlwind tour in support of his new book, "News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media." He made two main points in his talk: that there are three "strains" of American media — the corporate mainstream, the white alternative or "rebel" press, and media owned and controlled by people of color; and that since the 1840's the U.S. government has regulated every technological change in the media in a way that favors the interests of giant corporations over ordinary people.
Activists Discuss Debt Debate, Wonder How We Let Right Control It (tags)
Congressmember Bob Filner, San Diego labor leader Lorena Gonzalez and three other speakers appeared as part of a panel convened by Activist San Diego for their regular meeting August 15. The ostensible purpose was to discuss the recent debate in Washington over raising the nation's debt ceiling, but it soon turned into a discussion of how the Right managed to take over the debate, frame it the way they wanted and get virtually everything they wanted -- including promises of large cuts in government spending that will only worsen the economy and risk not only a double-dip recession but an outright depression. Filner talked not only about President Obama's willingness to concede the domestic agenda to the Republicans but his and the Democrats' Congressional leaders utter unwillingness to end the unaffordable wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.