Populist Dialogues

Paul Cienfuegos returns for part 2 of our discussion of creating local community rights movements to prevent usually large national and multinational corporations from dominating our democracy. Paul reviews the history of the regulatory box designed by corporate interests to regulate the peoples' participation in decision-making. He also discusses the movement to give nature rights, enforceable by citizens and looks at how the community rights movement is developing here in Oregon.

Thom Hartmann progressive talk show host and author of about 20 books, including Unequal Protections, The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights, addresses the need for a 28th constitutional amendment to end the legal doctrines that Money is Speech and Corporations Are People. He calls America's governing structure a constitutional monarchy and describes how we moved there from a constitutional democracy.

How does the practice of Public Health interact with social justice? Dr. Martin Donohoe, author of Public Health and Social Justice, explains, talking about the UN Declaration on Human Rights, trade in arms and the military, major social justice issues which impact public health including the status of women, industrial chemicals, access to health care (he advocated for a single payer system in the US),, corporate influence in the school system.

Guests Bob Marshall with Making Change at Walmart and Laurie King with Portland Jobs with Justice talk about the detrimental effects of an expanding Walmart has on communities with a focus on Portland, as well as efforts on the part of workers united with community organizations to fight back. Laurie talks about Portland Rising, how they are joining different communities to achieve an economy which works for the 99% as well as an upcoming event in Portland.