American history is taking a new turn in Washington, DC. A new tour is showcasing the scandals that have rocked the nation, from Monica Lewinsky to WaterGate people love good gossip. Comedian Negin Farsad joins us with her take on political scandals. Like us and/or follow us: twitter.com www.facebook.com
www.youtube.com Listening Post – China: Soft Power Or Hard Sell On Listening Post this week: Soft power or hard sell? China’s new media strategy. Plus, beating censorship in Zimbabwe by dialling in the news. Over the past few weeks, stories coming out of China have dominated the global headlines. First came the Bo Xilai political scandal, followed by the story of Chen Guangcheng, the blind dissident, and more recently, the expulsion of Al Jazeera’s sole China correspondent Melissa Chan. Chinese authorities have yet to specify the reasons why Chen was not allowed to stay, and it has left room for speculation, mostly negative, in the Western media.
China’s recent gritty political scandals have solidified the nation’s leadership style rather than weakened it, says Harvard professor and noted China expert Ezra Vogel. (May 17, 2012)
There is always a line between crossing the line and speaking the truth. In the game of politics most pepople error on the side of political correctness, but for comedians the truth is the best ingredient for laughter, and also being ironic can also be funny. There is this recent example with Robert de Niro, who did apologize and the first lady’s office called the joke “inappropriate”. So, is this just politics or is this just yet another example that political incorrectness will be shunned in this society? Dean Obeidallah, a political comedian, explains.
The trading loss is not the real outrage, it’s JPMorgan’s use of excess deposits to make trades instead of lending the money to businesses that need it, says Felix Salmon. (May 16, 2012)
