

Green & Red: Podcasts for Scrappy Radicals
Green and Red
Welcome to our scrappy podcast. Bob Buzzanco and Scott Parkin co-host a regular podcast to discuss radical environmental and anti-capitalist politics with organizers, academics, artists and more.
Bob Buzzanco is a professor of history at the University of Houston. He specializes in, writes about and talks on the Vietnam War era, foreign policy, Vietnam, radical social movements, economics, and other stuff.
Scott Parkin is climate organizer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has organized campaigns against Wall Street banks, mountaintop removal coal mining and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Bob Buzzanco is a professor of history at the University of Houston. He specializes in, writes about and talks on the Vietnam War era, foreign policy, Vietnam, radical social movements, economics, and other stuff.
Scott Parkin is climate organizer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has organized campaigns against Wall Street banks, mountaintop removal coal mining and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 10, 2023 • 1h 22min
Noam Chomsky on the Coming War w/ Iraq--October 2002 from the Green & Red Archives (G&R 236)
Noam Chomsky, renowned American linguist and political activist, delivers a historically driven argument against intervention in the Middle East and exposes the deceitful narratives of the government and media leading up to the Iraq War. He discusses the influence of the military-industrial complex, questions the motives behind changes in US foreign policy, and highlights the effectiveness of fear in the war on terror. Chomsky examines the actions of the Reagan administration, the crimes of September 11th, and emphasizes the importance of critical analysis to bring about change.

Jul 3, 2023 • 1h 1min
"The Last Honest Man": The Church Committee and the U.S. Empire w/ Pulitzer-winner James Risen (G&R 235)
James Risen is a two-time Pulitzer winner and investigative journalist who's just written a great book about Senator Frank Churck, *The Last Honest Man.*
In this interview we go into detail about the impact of Vietnam on
Church's political evolution, the creation of the Church Committee, the CIA's subversion and assassinations, the role of presidents--both Democratic and GOP--in subverting foreign nations, and more.
Church is one of the more important figures in the history of American anti-Imperialism and this is a must-see/must-hear interview.
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Outro- "CIA Man" by The Fugs
Links//
+The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys—and One Senator's Fight to Save Democracy (https://bit.ly/46rgFmB)
+The Intercept: Church and State. How the Murder of a CIA Officer Was Used to Silence the Agency’s Greatest Critic. (https://bit.ly/3CTmSKo)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

Jun 26, 2023 • 40min
Power and Participation in Union Negotiations w/ author Abby Lawlor (G&R 234)
Union organizing is on the rise. Headlines regularly highlight worker organizing drives at Starbucks, Amazon and other workplaces. Bosses and politicians like Joe Biden (despite claiming to be the "most pro-union president ever") do everything they can to slow or stop organizing and strikes. To ensure strong unions, workers need to educated, organize and build power. This includes effective bargaining and contract negotiations.
We talk with author, labor attorney and organizer Abby Lawlor (@aflawlor) about efforts to democratize union negotiations and build worker power with open negotiations. She's the co-author of "Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations."
Bio//
Abby Lawlor is an attorney, organizer, and researcher based in Seattle, Washington. She is currently a legal fellow at the Public Rights Project.
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Outro- "G&R Blues" by Moody
Links//
+ Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations (https://bit.ly/3NICRRI)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

Jun 20, 2023 • 58min
Trump Was A Joke! Countering Trump's Absurdity with Satire w/ Prof. Sophia McClennen (G&R 233)
Trump’s public life has long been a target of comedians and satirists. His notorious thin skin often led to him lashing out on Twitter and Truth Social at the likes of Alec Baldwin and Seth Meyers. Like other authoritarian, or wannabe authoritarians, humor become a strategy to confront the Trump regime. As some experts say, comedy is an incredibly important method of non-violent protest and satire can be a way to energize and mobilize a mass of people resisting politicians like Trump.
In our latest, we talk with Prof. Sophia McClennen (@mcclennen65) about how comedians were able to counter Trump's absurdity with satire and humor. We also talked about how it's used to undermine authoritarians in other parts of the world. And we discussed political comedians Tina Fey, Michael Moore and Al Franken.
Bio//
Sophia A. McClennen is Director of the Center for Global Studies and Professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. She's the author of numerous books, including “Trump Was A Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’t.” She’s also a regular contributor to Salon.com
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Outro- "Green and Red Blues" by Moody
Links//
+ Prof. Sophia McClennen: https://www.sophiamcclennen.com/
+ "Trump Was a Joke How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn’t" (https://bit.ly/3qSrkXc)
+ Salon: The news media is blowing Trump coverage again (https://bit.ly/3JmC4TY)
+ Salon: Sick of Trump? Try laughing at him (https://bit.ly/3PuICng)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
+ Have you follow us on Discord yet? Just click this invite: https://discord.gg/SyUBxVNB
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

Jun 17, 2023 • 1h 7min
Remembering Daniel Ellsberg, 1931-2023 (February 2003 Speech in Houston) (G&R 232)
Today we're all saddened to hear that Daniel Ellsberg had died. Ellsberg's life is well-known, and he's one of the more important figures in the history of American dissent and radicalism.
In February 2003, Green and Red co-host Bob Buzzanco was really lucky, and honored, to host Dan Ellsberg in Houston, where he talked about the Vietnam War, nuclear weapons, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the coming war against Iraq, and he finished by talking about his case and the need for whistleblowers in government.
And so, as we remember Dan Ellsberg's magisterial contribution to the causes we care about, here are his words from 2003.
Daniel Ellsberg, Presente . . .
————————
About Daniel Ellsberg//
Daniel Ellsberg was a Marine in the 1950s, took a Ph.D. at Harvard, and then joined the RAND corporation as an analyst. In 1964, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara brought in Ellsberg as an advisor and he was assigned to study pacification in Vietnam along with the legendary General Edward Lansdale. Ellsberg concluded that the war was not going well and would continue to deteriorate with the possibility of a victory for the northern, Communist forces quite possible.
In 1967, McNamara included Ellsberg in a group he had created to do a comprehensive study of the entire history of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, a role that would lead him to become one of the more dangerous men in that era, according to US government officials.
After completing the study (in which Ellsberg didn't have a huge role) he returned back to the RAND Corporation and became immersed in antiwar work.
By 1971, with the war still going on despite significant public opposition, Ellsberg made copies of the 7000-page report, known as "The Pentagon Papers," and leaked it to the media. The Nixon administration immediately acted and charged Ellsberg with espionage, conspiracy and other crimes. The White House also tried to prevent publication of the Pentagon Papers but the Supreme Court upheld the right of the press to publish them.
By the time Ellsberg went to trial, Nixon's attempts to discredit and ruin Ellsberg--including illegal wiretapping of Ellsberg, a government break-in of his psychiatrist's office to steal his files, and an offer to the trial Judge to become director of the FBI if he found Ellsberg guilty--were so egregious that the judge threw the charges against him out.
From then on, Daniel Ellsberg was a constant presence when Americans protested against wars, nuclear power and nuclear weapons, wars and
interventions, and many other issues. His legacy as a defender of press freedom and a voice for peace and justice won't be forgotten, and we've seen his influence on the likes of Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Daniel Hale, Reality Winner, and others who've tried to warn us about the malignant actions of the state.
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Outro- "The Ballad of Daniel Ellsberg" by Rulie Garcia
Links//
+ Daniel Ellsberg, Who Leaked the Pentagon Papers, Is Dead at 92 (https://nyti.ms/3Nx0EEe)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Scott.

Jun 15, 2023 • 54min
Ukraine Update: Time to end "an unwinnable war" (G&R 231)
We got together to discuss the war in Ukraine. Currently the US is continuing to send money and military equipment to Ukraine, but conditions on the battlefield are at a stalemate, with neither side able to win the war not on the verge of surrendering either. We discussed the levels of US aid to Ukraine, in terms of money and arms. We also discussed the profits made by American military suppliers and other corporations.
Importantly we also have responded to the "NATO Left" which is shouting for more aid to Ukraine and engaging in McCarthyist attacks on people calling for negotiations to end the war, as well as pointing out the follow of self-described leftists who are pro-Russia and pro-Putin.
Finally, we discussed the scope of ruling class concern over the war--manifested in calls for talks by the likes of JCS Chair Mark Milley, the Rand Corporation, and Foreign Affairs, to name a few. And we ended by discussing the risks involved in a continued war, particularly with escalating tensions with China, and the way that spending in Ukraine has taken attention away from the myriad crises we face in the U.S.
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Outro- "No More War" by Markus K
Links//
+ CFR: How Much Aid Has the U.S. Sent Ukraine? Here Are Six Charts. (https://bit.ly/43yjccJ)
+Defense Contractor Funded Think Tanks Dominate Ukraine Debate (https://bit.ly/45TdcNo)
+ Reuters: Ukraine war, already with up to 354,000 casualties, likely to last past 2023 (https://bit.ly/3MYhESg)
+ Hartung:Congress should freeze historically high Pentagon spending (https://bit.ly/45YNuXG)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced
by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by
Moody. Editing by Scott.

Jun 12, 2023 • 57min
Why the Left Must Oppose Nuclear Power w/ Journalist Joshua Frank (G&R 230)
In our latest episode, we talk with journalist Joshua Frank (@joshua_frank) about his book, "Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America," which details the story of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State and a $677 billion environmental cleanup site. We also talk about the resurgence of nuclear power, its toxic legacy and the deadly impacts of its entire life cycle. We also discuss the left's recent embrace of it as a "renewable energy" source, how the pro-nuke leftists are doing the bidding of the nuclear industry and why the left must oppose nuclear power.
Bio//
Joshua Frank is an award-winning California-based journalist and co-editor of the political magazine CounterPunch. He is the editor and co-author of several books. Most recently, he is the author of the book "Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America" (Haymarket Books 2022).
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Outro- "We Almost Lost Detroit" by Gil Scott Heron
Links//
+Atomic Days on Haymarket (https://bit.ly/3MZ6bSC)
+The Case Against Nuclear Power (https://bit.ly/3X1XxHG)
+Counterpunch: http://CounterPunch.org
+The Pentagon Is Helping Bring the Next Generation of Nuclear Technology
to Life (https://bit.ly/43R0Ljb)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

Jun 9, 2023 • 55min
Best of G&R: Don't Mess with the Archivists! Donald Trump's Documents Troubles. (G&R 230)
With Trump's federal indictment around his hoarding of classified documents, we thought it'd be good to repost this episode from September.
Enjoy!
Donald Trump might finally be in real trouble, because of . . . archivists?
Green and Red shows the love to archivists and librarians!
We had a good discussion in this episode about the way national security documents are classified, who can see them, how they're de-classified, and Trump's theft of vital top secret documents that prompted the FBI to search Mar-a-Largo.
With the Cold War, the government, the National Security State, created a new system of classification, official secrets and surveillance. It was done to prevent spies and foreign governments from gaining access to high-level secrets and it was always used against the Left--the Rosenbergs, Daniel Ellsberg,
Julian Assange, Reality Winner, etc. It's impossible to imagine that the Americans who created this system thought that a former U.S. president would be the target of an official investigation for taking and possibly sharing such secrets with a foreign government, but here we are.
We also discussed the way that even significant segments of the GOP and conservative media--such as Bill Barr and Fox News--have been emphasizing this story and Trump's misdeeds.
And at the end we paid tribute to a legend of the Left, the late Barbara Ehrenreich.
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Links//
Can Trump Just Declare Nuclear Secrets Unclassified? (https://bit.ly/3RE0Jpj)
America’s secrets: Trump’s unprecedented disregard of norms (https://bit.ly/3LbP7aK)
G&R Links//
G&R:The Military vs. Donald J. Trump (https://apple.co/3cDUso8)
G&R: The Coup That Wasn't (https://bit.ly/RulingClassGandR)
G&R: The Capitol Hill Riots and the Ruling Class (https://bit.ly/RiotsRulingClassGandR)
G&R: Baseball and Bosses vs. the Georgia GOP (https://bit.ly/CorpResistGandR)
Follow Green and Red//
G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
Check out our rad website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
Donate to Green and Red Podcast//
Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and
Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

Jun 6, 2023 • 38min
Three Atlanta Legal Workers Arrested For Alleged "Financial Crimes" w/ CLDC's Lauren Regan (G&R 228)
Since the murder of forest defender Tortuguita last January, we've seen an escalation on the Stop Cop City by both activists and police. 34 people have been charged with "domestic terrorism." Atlanta police have cracked down on the smallest of demos resisting the project. Meanwhile, it's been revealed that Cop City would cost twice the amount originally asked for by the Atlanta Police Foundation. And 54% of Atlanta area residents oppose the project (with only 34% supporting it) in recent polls.
This past week, three members of the Atlanta Solidarity Committee were arrested for alleged "financial crimes" by the state of Georgia. The Solidarity Committee is a bail fund that exists to support people arrested for protest-related actions. They began during the 2020 uprisings after the police murder of George Floyd and have been a pillar of support through the Stop Cop City campaign. Gov. Brian Kemp, and other politicians, has portrayed the movement to stop Copy City as a criminal organization. They are now targeting the campaign's legal and bail support for "charity fraud" and "money laundering."
In our latest episode, Scott talks with Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center (@CLDC), about what's happening in Atlanta. They get into the intent of the authorities, other legal avenues they are pursuing to eradicate the Stop Cop City Movement and possible national effects.
Bio//
Lauren is the Executive Director & Senior Staff Attorney at the Civil Liberties Defense Center. She is a national expert in the defense of political activists, particularly those engaged in the climate, environmental, indigenous and animal rights movements. She is a trial lawyer who handles state and federal criminal defense, SLAPP defense, grand jury resistance, and federal civil rights litigation against police and government agencies for violating the rights of activists and organizations.
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Outro- Green and Red Blues by Moody
Links//
Civil Liberties Defense Center: https://cldc.org/staff/
Follow Green and Red//
G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
G&R's Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott
(@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac

Jun 5, 2023 • 29min
How To Blow Up A Pipeline w/ director Daniel Goldhaber (G&R 227)
"How to Blow Up a Pipeline" is an environmental-climate crisis action-thriller film. It's based on Andreas Malm's book of the same name. The New York Times called it a "cultural landmark" for its sympathetic portrayal of eco-terrorists. It deals with complex issues related to the climate crisis such as violence vs. non-violence, sabotage as self-defense and the necessity of fighting the oil industry.
In our latest, we talk with Daniel Goldhaber (@chronopictures), the director of "How to Blow Up a Pipeline. We talked to him about his motives for turning the book into a film, what messages he wanted to put across, his own views on the urgency of direct action in the fight to save the earth, the responses to the movie, past actions they considered when making the film and more.
Bio//
Daniel Goldhaber is an American director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2018, he directed Cam, a psychological horror film set in the world of webcam pornography. In 2022, he co-wrote, directed, and produced the thriller film How to Blow Up a Pipeline, based on the book of the same name by Andreas Malm.
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Outro- "Sabotage" by The Great American Beast
Links//
+ "How To Blow Up A Pipeline" by Andreas Malm (https://bit.ly/42g5JVA)
+ Daniel Goldhaber: https://www.danielgoldhaber.com/
+ A Frontline Response to Andreas Malm (https://bit.ly/3OOJLpJ)
+ “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” Movie Poses Terror Threat, Kansas City Intel Agency Claims (https://bit.ly/3C6kJe3)
Follow Green and Red//
+G&R Linktree: https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast
+Our Rad Website: https://greenandredpodcast.org/
+We're part of the Labor Podast Network:https://www.laborradionetwork.org/
Support the Green and Red Podcast//
+Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast
+Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR
This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac