S1 E7 This Happened Here and They Rule with Paul Street

Welcome back to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America Podcast.

It looks like we could make some very real improvements to our political system. It is becoming more and more obvious that after 233 years, our Constitution could be significantly upgraded. If we want to have an effective and democratic form of government we should probably be thinking about how to democratize our Constitution. Confronting this reality will not be easy for many. But perhaps we should begin by asking ourselves the following questions:

What are the undemocratic features of our Constitution? What features would make it more democratic? And, can we as Americans amend, change or even replace our Constitution?

But there is also another urgent and more immediate crisis to contend with. Paul Street is the author of over 8 books including, They Rule, Empire and Inequality, Hollow Resistance, and his most recent book, This Happened Here: Amerikaners, Neoliberals, and the Trumping of America.

American-Canadian scholar and cultural critic Henry Giroux, a founding theorist of critical pedagogy in the United States writes, " His analysis of fascism in its post-Trump form and the Trump base is the best I have read. Street is a straight shooter and displays a courageousness and brilliance in the book that should be a model for every public intellectual in America, and a resource for every member of the public when it comes to holding truth to power. The book is an absolute necessary treasure for anyone concerned about the threats now facing the ideal and promise of American democracy."

On Paul's book, They Rule, Cornel West, says “Paul Street is the most acute observer and insightful analyst of the 'Obama Phenomena.' This book gets beneath the political smoke and mirrors to reveal the pervasive rule of big money that drives the American Empire and global capitalist economy. Street’s courageous truth-telling is the precondition for a massive radical democratic movement.”

Paul Street knows a few things about the threats to our nation. He has a deep understanding of the people who control the levers of real power in Washington, and he is here to tell you why This Happened Here and how it is They Rule.