Ruth looks at the year in YOUTUBE programming.
Ruth's YOUTUBE Report
Ruth: So, by way of introduction, before I started my own site, I would show up here every week doing a report on public radio -- PACIFICA RADIO mainly, but some NPR, some AIR AMERICA, and some PRI as well. And then PACIFICA became a gross embarrassment. Let us go into that.
The network found new prominence as the Iraq War started back in 2003. And it used that war to raise money. They were embarrassing before 2008 and I tried to be nice about the first moment that ever horrified me on PACIFIA RADIO, truly left me in horror. It was Kris Welch's Thursday program (LIVING ROOM) and a man I will not name -- not out of playground loyalty but because I am not here to promote whores -- who was a KFPA personality and who had 'reported' from Iraq showed up to tell Kris how good the war was going. And Kris did not strongly (or, really, weakly) push back on that assertion. The Iraq War, an illegal war (and an ongoing one to this day), has never gone well unless you mean for Hailburton and other corporate interests.
So it should not have been that surprising to watch them all walk away from the Iraq War. They did it when the Democratic Party had the power to end the Iraq War. They walked away from Iraq when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. Instead of holding the Democratically controlled federal government accountable, they spent each hour defending the Democratic Party from verbal 'attacks' by Republicans.
Another horror moment that occured early on? That hideous Aimee Allison calling for copies of THE NEW YORKER to be burned. This was free speech radio and this was supposed pacifist and Green Party member Aimee Allison trying to launch book burning, call it what it was. She gave that tirade on air and did so because a cover of THE NEW YORKER offended her.
What a fake ass.
And KPFA was full of them.
FLASHPOINTS is the only program that is worth listening to on KPFA or KPFK or WBAI or KPFT or WPFW. All those of hours of programming and only five hours a week that are dedicated to telling truths.
So then I started covering other media forms including podcasts. These days, I stream YOUTUBE programs.
In 2021, the ten must-stream programs were . . .
I can hear some of you asking, "Huh?" Yes, indeed. This is the YOUTUBE program formerly known as FRED HAMPTON LEFTISTS. They really need to get their house in order. With all the recent backstage drama, the last thing they needed was a name change. If they can focus on what is taking place in the world and end their backstage bickering, that would be great and that would allow the show to be higher on my top ten list.
9) SHADOW PROOF.
Kevin Gosztova hosts this program and he covers important topics, keeps his nose down and does the work. He is not flashy and I wonder if that is part of the reason more people do not know about SHADOW PROOF? Of all the programs on my top ten list, this is the one that people are usually most unfamiliar with. That is a shame because this is one to stream if you care about whistle-blowers, justice, and the efforts of government and corporations to censor.
8) THE DIVE WITH JACKSON HINKLE.
Mr. Hinkle is a favorite of Rebecca's and for good reason, he does not pretty up the truth. If RISING and its hosts are issuing propaganda, Mr. Hinkle will step up and call it out. His allegiance in 2021 was solely to the truth. I actually wanted to write an e-mail to Jimmy Dore asking him to feature Mr. Hinkle on a program. I am sure that Mr. Dore has had Mr. Hinkle on his program but Mr. Hinkle defends Mr. Dore from multiple attacks -- usually from paid whores like Sam Seder. Just felt like it would be doing a solid for Mr. Dore to bring on Mr. Hinkle.
A number of important topics are covered by this program and a number of important voices are featured. For me, the most important is Jared Ball. Dr. Ball has long been a voice of sanity. They address multiple topics (including self-defense) and multiple age groups. This is a program to get the word out on.
6) USEFUL IDIOTS.
I do not know how to do this other than to recommend it. Katie Halper is one of the hosts. The other host? His name has been copied and pasted here when USEFUL IDIOTS is noted. But his name has never been typed at this site. A family member of the other host asked long ago, when the host was living large in Russia, asked C.I., to please not note him because the family member felt C.I. might have to rip the other host. As a result, C.I. has never said postive or negative things about this host or noted the host's name. (An interview at THIRD with a journalist did include the other host's name because the journalist cited the other host as one of his favorite journalists.) USEFUL IDIOTS was a must-stream program when it was associated with ROLLING STONE and it is even more of a must-stream now that it is on its own.
5) SABBY SABS.
I do not trust Ms. Sabbs when she is doing entertainment that goes beyond her age range. By that I mean, she did a strong dissection of SEX AND THE CITY and its hideous reboot recently. It noted problems and issues that even the harshest reviews had ignored. Praise to her for that. But apparently anything earlier than 2008 finds her on shaky ground. For example, she recently said (this past week) that THE VIEW was not a political show until recently. That is wrong. Star Jones would be the most infamous example with her war on marriage equality as she screeched that she voted Jesus when she went into the voting booth so she could not support gay people getting married. As a Jew, I am not all that familiar with Jesus Christ but I do not remember his sermon that thou shall not pleasure anyone of your same sex or marry them. Ms. Jones may know something about gay marriage, I mean, the rumor is she married a gay man who was in the closet and that is why they divorced. Whether she knew about gay marriage or not, she was a huge embarrassment. Then, following 9/11, you had their huge war on the left as they rushed to enlist up with Bully Boy Bush. It was a vicious attack and, as C.I. has noted, Barbara Walters had to show up the next day to issue an apology for an attack that never should have been launched. (Lisa Ling was on both episodes -- she did not take part in the attack and looked as if she was appalled by what her co-hosts were saying.) That included Joy Behar, Star Jones and Meredith Viera trashing Jane Fonda on air for her Vietnam activism. So, no, Ms. Sabs, THE VIEW did not recently stumble into politics. They had politics in the show all along. So it is hit or miss when she addresses entertainment. But when she addresses issues of today, she is generally more sure footed and she has enough personality to make it on my list of recommended, must-watch YOUTUBE programs.
Mr. Dore is a comic and we really need a laugh these days. He explores the absurdity and betrayal of politics and politicians. He shines a light on the rot, a much needed light. I enjoy his humor, his perspective and his call for justice. As Mike recently noted, "Jimmy Dore has been one of the best things about 2021. His show is funny and to the point and grabs up so many important issues."
Largely focused on domestic issues. Ms. Halper is energetic and curious -- two qualities that make for a great host. She often has an ecletive guest choice. I wish she would have more women on -- I wish that of all the programs on this list. I also wish she would bring Greg Goldberg back. I made a point to start streaming her regularly when she had Mr. Golberg on after I found out he was the guy who wrote "I Hate The War." I would love it if she would bring him back on for any reason at all but especially if she would bring him on to talk about that song which was the best song response to the Iraq War, to any war.
Here is a video of Mr. Golberg and the rest of the band performing "I Hate The War" live.
And here is a video of mcrtmt performing the song.
It really is a great song. C.I. used to note it every Thursday here. Sundays would be Donovan's "And The War Drags On" or Joni Mitchell's "Hejira," but Thursdays would be "I Hate The War."
2) RICHARD MEDHURST.
Mr. Medhurst has an international scope for his program. You can go through many programs on YOUTUBE and not find a single episode in a week's worth of programming that looks beyond the US. Mr. Medhurst's father is British and his mother is Syrian, both were members of various United Nations missions. He does not fall for propaganda and he is a voice that is steady and true.
1) THE CONVO COUCH.
A great show with international and national scope. Pasta Jardula and Fiorella Isabel report, they go to the places they report on, and they are not part of some echo chamber. They exist to tell what they see. And that offends a lot of people who are more interested in embracing false narratives than they are in knowing the truth. I should also mention Jonny Tsunami who is the engineer and editor and much more. For years, when I would praise WBAI's LAW AND DISORDER RADIO, I would not include Geoff Brady. That was not an intentional snub, I just knew who was on air. When LAW AND DISORDER was at its best, Mr. Brady had a great deal to do with that.
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[Ruth also covered programming for the years 2020, 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008.]