TVO Big Ideas, Nov 8, 2008: Ronald Wright on American identity

TVO Big Ideas, November 8, 2008: Ronald Wright on American identity



Ronald Wright, the author of What Is America?: A Short History of the New World Order, examines the dichotomy between "America's ideals and the realities". Wright discusses how such conflicts as those between Native Americans and the Europeans who came to settle the new world have shaped the American identity.



For more information on this episode, including information on the guests and various other resources and links, visit the episode webpage:

http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?bi?1226178000000



-----



Note: This is an iPod video podcast that is available for free download from the website. Quality is good. Audio podcast (mp3 format) is also available for free download.



Type: MP4 file

Size: 78MB

Runtime: 00:34:53

Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 320x240

Audio: AAC 32000Hz mono 48Kbps



Download this episode using the attached torrent file or download it directly using this link:

http://feeds.tvo.org/~r/tvo{spam link removed}sVideo/~5/LwXqr45gztU/BI_Full_20081108_834105_RonaldWright_320x240_304k.mp4



You can also watch a flash video of this lecture through your web-browser here:

http://www.tvo.org/TVO/WebObjects/TVO.woa?videoid?24641619001



-----Resources and links to related material



1) TVO Allan Gregg in Conversation, March 20, 2009: Ronald Wright - What is America?:

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4879253/TVO_-_Allan_Gregg_in_Conversation__March_20__2009__Ronald_Wright



Book Review @ www.straight.com: Ronald Wright - What Is America?: A Short History of the New World Order

http://www.straight.com/article-158331/profiles-ronald-wright



2) Noam Chomsky - American Imperialism - April 25, 2008

https://onebigtorrent.org/torrents/5736/Noam-Chomsky--American-Imperialism--25-04-2008--Godcanjudgeme



Noam Chomsky - Edward Said Memorial Lecture: The Unipolar Moment and the Culture of Imperialism - December 03, 2009

https://onebigtorrent.org/torrents/7490/Noam-Chomsky--Edward-Said-Memorial-Lecture--09-12-03--GCJM



3) Read Arthur Silber's superb 10 part series,Over the World to get a sober, non-mythologized history and thorough analysis, backed solidly by facts, of American foreign-policy and its long, bloody and brutal track-record of vicious military intervention against one country after country in pursuit of what has always been its primary goals, i.e., hegemony and global dominance, despite the soaring rhetoric and ideological cover used to justify those military interventions, i.e., "bringing freedom and democracy", "humanitarian intervention" and other such easily disproved nonsense.



Part I:Is the Democrats' War, Too



Part II:the Stories We Tell Matter So Much



Part III:Open Door to Worldwide Hegemony



Part IV:"Splendid People" Set Out for Empire



Part V:Global Empire of Bases

Ah, Democracy...Ah, Peace



Part VI:Interventionism -- A Disastrous Policy Supported by Indefensible Ideas



Part VII:Mythology of the "Good Guy" American



Part VIII:History -- Religion, the Progressives, Empire and the Drug War



Part IX:Elites Who Rule Us



-----



TVO - Big Ideas



TELEVISION FOR PASSIONATE THINKERS















BIG IDEAS, now in its eighth season, has an increasingly loyal following, exemplified by viewers such as Brian, Gillian and Gary. The program started in a late, late-night time slot with - among other offerings - the literary lectures by Robert Adams. It is now an established part of our weekend schedule, airing at 4pm on Saturday, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday, also at 4:00 pm. As TVO's educational mandate grew, so did the concept for BIG IDEAS, explains producer Wodek Szemberg: "We have recognized from the passionate viewer response that there was a real niche for this kind of unapologetically intellectual programming." BIG IDEAS podcasts are among the most popular TVO web offerings.



"BIG IDEAS is a showcase of ideas that shape our public debates. At their best the lectures featured on the program expose us to the differing ways of defining what matters and how that affects our understanding of the world as it is and as it is likely to be," adds Szemberg. "Each age has a set of questions by which it defines itself. If, 50 years from now, someone came across a list of BIG IDEAS shows, they would have a pretty good idea of what people thought about and debated in the early 2000s."



By nature of its lecture format, pacing and inquisitive approach, it is the antithesis of the prevailing sound-bite television norm. Engaging, articulate speakers stand behind lecterns across the province addressing audiences - a stark, on-air aesthetic running counter to fast edits and whizzy sound effects. The simple, bold concept, a victory of substance over style, has found an appreciative following. The success of this public television offering is testimony to our viewers need for nothing but intelligent discussion with perhaps a dash of personality and humour. At a time when much television programming induces in many viewers feelings of guilt, BIG IDEAS is as guilt-free television experience as it is possible to imagine.



BIG IDEAS offers a variety of thought-provoking topics which range across politics, culture, economics, art history, science.... The program has introduced Ontario viewers to the impressive brainpower of people like Niall Ferguson on American empire, Daniel Libeskind on architecture, Robert Fisk on the Middle East, George Steiner on the demise of literacy, Camille Paglia on aesthetic education, Tariq Ramadan on being a Western Muslim, Noam Chomsky on U.S. politics, Leon Kass on dying, Janice Stein on accountability and governance.



The public face of the program is Andrew Moodie, who assumed the hosting duties for BIG IDEAS on January 7, 2006. You may recognize him as one of the three jurors who helped us to come up with the 10 finalists in 2005's Best Lecturer Competition, or you may know him as a gifted actor and playwright.



TVO's Big Ideas website:

http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?{spam link removed}s