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UCLA Witchhunt Commences
GUESTS: Saree Makdisi, Professor of English, Sondra Hale, Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies, Vinay Lal, Assoc Prof of History and Chair, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, at UCLA

About 30 UCLA professors has been targeted by an alumni association headed by former UCLA campus Republican leader Andrew Jones. Jones is targeting those professors he deems as “radical.” He’s named them “The Dirty Thirty.” In a move that attracted much media attention, Jones is offering up to 100 dollars for the lectures notes, tapes, and distributed class materials of these professors. In response, three members of the year old alumni association’s advisory board have resigned including former Republican representative James Rogan. UCLA administrators plan to alert students that selling course materials without the instructor’s consent is a violation of university policy regarding copyrights. Meanwhile this morning, the LA Times published an editorial saying, “Somehow [UCLA] managed to graduate a bunch of students – Jones and fellow members of the Bruin Alumni Assn. – who can’t make a coherent argument.” Jones’ tactics have been likened to that of a witch hunt. “Any sober, concerned citizen would look at this and see right through it as a reactionary form of McCarthyism,” said Peter McLaren, the highest ranked of the so-called Dirty Thirty. I’m pleased to have in studio with me, three other members of this esteemed list.

Black Commentator
GUEST: Glen Ford, co-publisher of The Black Commentator

The Black Commentator is an online political magazine bringing you commentary, analysis and investigation from a black perspective. Today’s commentary is about Harold Ford Jr.

The Black Commentator is online at www.blackcommentator.com.

Will Iran be Next?
GUEST: Simin Royanian, Economist and Co-founderWomen for Peace and Justice in Iran

Iran has resumed its nuclear research program, saying it wants to pursue peaceful nuclear energy options. An unnamed U.S. official denounced Iran as a threat to regional and global peace. Vice President Dick Cheney said on CNBC regarding Iran, “No President should ever take a military option off the table. Let’s leave it there.” Iran is the world’s fourth largest exporter of crude oil and the second largest producer for OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Iran has started to transfer its foreign accounts to banks in South East Asia in order to ensure their security. Meanwhile, the head of Russia’s atomic energy agency said that Iran is ready for discussions on a proposal to conduct Iran’s uranium enrichment in Russia. It seems as though the US and EU have backed the Russian proposal as a way out of the deadlock.

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“Iran encompasses some of the most critical geography in the world … Iran’s oil deposits are important to the long term health of the world economy.” — Ronald Reagan, November 13, 1986.