Podcast appearances and mentions of ron formisano

Homegrown extremism in America.   This week marks the ten-year anniversary of the Facebook corporation going public on Wall Street. We examine that story from two different angles: The growing income inequality in America, which has often been fueled by Silicon Valley bubbles and the financialization of our economy, and the way Big Tech has helped stoke right-wing rhetoric—and even violence.   Ron Formisano Distinguished historian Ron Formisano has written a book about plutocracy and says we are in a new “gilded age” when the state and federal governments are up for sale. Brian Levin Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, is one of the most trusted voices on hate and extremism in America. We discuss how the landscape of political violence has changed under the Trump administration. Jim Hightower   Why Should We the People Respect a Court That Disrespects the People?   Mitch McConnell, the perpetually sour old goose who heads the Senate Republican Caucus, had a hissy fit when the news leaked out that American women are about to have their most fundamental constitutional right taken from them by a cabal of Supreme Court judges.   What made Mitch twitch, of course, was not the bad news for women… but the leak. Bill Press Midterm Ground Zero.   Former Progressive Caucus Co-chair Mark Pocan and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin are at the center of the 2022 midterms. Ron Johnson is up for reelection and control of the Senate may hinge on that race. There are competitive House seats that may determine control in that chamber. In Wisconsin the legislature is so gerrymandered, it is almost impossible for the Democrats to gain control. So having a Democratic governor is the one check on the extremist Wisconsin Republican Party.   If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

KGNU's Claudia Cragg speaks here with Ron Formisano about his new book, '' and what he sees as the permanent political class has emerged on a scale unprecedented in America's history. Formisano discusses what he sees as the self-dealing, nepotism, and corruption which contribute to rising inequality. Its reach, he says,  extends from the governing elite throughout nongovernmental institutions. Aside from constituting an oligarchy of prestige and power it enables, he says, the creation of "an aristocracy of massive inherited wealth that is accumulating immense political power." In a muckraking tour de force reminiscent of Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair, and C. Wright Mills, #AmericanOligarchy demonstrates the way the corrupt culture of the permanent political class extends down to the state and local level. Ron Formisano breaks down the ways this class creates economic inequality and how its own endemic corruption infects our entire society. Formisano delves into the work of not just politicians but lobbyists, consultants, appointed bureaucrats, pollsters, celebrity journalists, behind-the-scenes billionaires, and others. Their shameless pursuit of wealth and self-aggrandizement, often at taxpayer expense, rewards channeling the flow of income and wealth to elites. That inequality in turn has choked off social mobility and made a joke of meritocracy. As Formisano shows, these forces respond to the oligarchy’s power and compete to bask in the presence of the .01 percent. They also exacerbate the dangerous instability of an American democracy divided between extreme wealth and extreme poverty.

For Beyond 50's "Political" talks, listen to an interview with Ron Formisano. He is William T. Bryan Chair of American History and professor emeritus at University of Kentucky. Since the 1970s, government policies have contributed to the flow of wealth to the upper most income strata, i.e. the 1%. The United States now is more a plutocracy than a democracy. You'll learn about how this infrastructure of inequality, both open and hidden, obstructs the great majority of Americans from pursuing happiness, living healthy lives, and exercising basic rights. Formisano offers data-driven insight into the fallacy of widespread opportunity, the fate of the middle class, and the mechanisms that perpetuate income disparity. Tune in to Beyond 50: America's Variety Talk Radio Show on the natural, holistic, green and sustainable lifestyle. Visit www.Beyond50Radio.com and sign up for our Exclusive Updates.

Thanksgiving reflection – America’s income inequality is worse than Pakistan’s says Ron Formisano. Voters often don’t bother to consider reality, says Arthur Lupia. And Bill Press interviews Cameron Joseph about the NRA and terrorism.                                          This Thanksgiving and campaign season, historian Ron Formisano talks about how income inequality hampers economic growth for all;  political scientist Arthur Lupia explains why otherwise intelligent people can be so ignorant on political issues. And Bill Press interviews New York Daily News reporter Cameron Joseph, about the NRA support of terrorism.’   Ron Formisano Noted historian Ron Formisano compares income distribution and inequality in America to Pakistan, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Guyana and Venezuela – and the comparison is not good. https://history.as.uky.edu/users/rform2   Arthur Lupia Professor Arthur Lupia examines the behavior of American voters, who are often ignorant about the issues facing them. He says when we have simple choices, you don’t HAVE to know anything. http://www.arthurlupia.com   Cameron Joseph Bill Press interviews Cameron Joseph of the New York Daily News.   Jim hightower What honeybees, humans, and art have in common.  

  Historian Ron Formisano describes plutocracy … legal expert Garrett Epps explains the loss of voting rights … and Bill Press interviews Senator Sherrod Brown on the T-P-P.     Historian Ronald Formisano explains what plutocracy is and how we are currently governed by it. Constitutional expert Garrett Epps reviews voting rights and the missing voice of Congress in foreign policy. And Bill Press talks with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown about the Trans Pacific Partnership.   Ron Formisano Distinguished historian Ron Formisano has written a book about plutocracy and says we are in a new “gilded age” when the state and federal governments are up for sale. https://history.as.uky.edu/users/rform2   Garrett Epps Garrett Epps teaches law, and he says Republicans are now committed to suppressing the vote and ignoring the congressional role in national security. http://law.ubalt.edu/faculty/profiles/epps.cfm   Sherrod Brown Bill Press and his guest, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.   Jim Hightower Ryan bitten on the butt by his own mad dogs.