Preserving America - Dr. Steven Porter

Preserving America – Democracy: the two-edged sword

billschiffler — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:01:32 +0000

There is nothing magical about any form of government. If a leader of a monarchy or a dictatorship is benevolent, intelligent, and moral, the society created can serve its people well. And, of course, if the leader is the opposite, the result is the opposite. Similarly, a democracy can produce a good life or a difficult one for its people . The great difference between a democracy and other forms of government is that in a democracy, the people of the society do not get a free ride. They are ultimately in charge of things, and in a very real sense, the life they get is the one they allow to be created. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the two-edged sword of the democracy of today’s America, and in particular, discusses the weaknesses of our government in the context of the weaknesses of our people.

Preserving America – The Unheeded Warning

billschiffler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:02 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter repeats the warning given to America which tried to alert the people of the nation to the forces which would destroy the democracy. He explains the warning, explains why it was true, and explains what the people of the nation need to do to avoid the death of the nation.

Preserving America – What Do We Do When the Government Violates the Law?

billschiffler — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:54 +0000

In recent years, in so many ways, both state and federal rulings have flaunted the laws of the land in both spirit and in letter. Unconstitutionality abounds in many federal and state court decisions. Dr. Porter discusses instances of the abuses of government which have been eroding the Constitution and our democracy. He goes on to warn of the dangers of flaunting the law by the very organ of our society to which the law is entrusted, particularly at a time when such abuses bring greater hardships upon people already weakened by a weakened economy. This is must listening for our citizens. Before beginning his discussion, Dr. Porter, as promised, brings his listeners up to date on the progress of his own campaign for Congress. Join him at this critical juncture of our nation’s history.

Preserving America – What Do We Do When the Government Violates the Law?

billschiffler — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:50 +0000

In recent years, in so many ways, both state and federal rulings have flaunted the laws of the land in both spirit and in letter. Unconstitutionality abounds in many federal and state court decisions. Dr. Porter discusses instances of the abuses of goverment which have been eroding the Constitution and our democracy. He goes on to warn of the dangers of flaunting the law by the very organ of our society to which the law is entrusted, particulary at a time when such abuses bring greater hardships upon people already weakened by a weakened economy. This is must listening for our citizens. Before beginning his discussion, Dr. Porter, as promised, brings his listeners up to date on the progress of his own campaign for Congress. Join him at this critical juncture of our nation’s history.

Preserving America – Walking the Walk

billschiffler — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:01:31 +0000

Having railed for many weeks against the dysfunction and corruption of our government and the pitifully low level of candidates for President, in this program Dr. Porter announces that he will do more than talk the talk. He will walk the walk and run for Congress in the re-districted Pennsylvania Congressional District #3. He goes through his rationale and promises to take the listener through the process of running for office. It is a unique opportunity to see how the system really works.

Preserving America – Why Is America’s Democracy Failing

billschiffler — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:01:39 +0000

Left-leaning, Right-leaning, Centrist–virtually all Americans of every political stripe are unhappy with our democracy. They do not see America any longer as a model of democratic government, and most of our citizens believe that the nation is headed in the wrong direction. Why have the people of this country allowed their treasured democracy to deteriorate as it has? It is a profoundly important question. In this program, Dr. Porter asks it and attempts to explain the answer. He also asks what can be done about it and offers three courses of action.

Preserving America – American Elections: Unfree and Unfair

billschiffler — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:01:26 +0000

If you think that America–the great bastion of freedom–has elections which are fair and free, think again. The rules which allow for gerrymandering, ballot access, and the right to speak at public forums are so crooked and so manipulated, they have made a mockery of our democracy. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the issue with facts and data rarely provided to our citizens. He will make you think twice about the corruption of our electoral process, and he will offer you courses of action by which the corruption can be stopped and a real democracy restored.

Preserving America – Once To Every Man

billschiffler — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:55:35 +0000

The failure of the so-called “super-committee” has brought our nation to the precipice of economic calamity. The lack of leadership of our President, the pitiful choices offered up by the Republican candidates opposing him, the dysfunction of our Congress, the lack of trust in our government and more have created a crossroads for our democracy. At this juncture, decisions of selflessness are needed from the various constituencies of our government. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses these choices–choices which must be made for our democracy to survive.

Preserving America – From Occupy to Change

billschiffler — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 05:01:53 +0000

Thus far, with the exception of the day the public moved some money from the big banks to local ones, the occupy Wall St. movement has contented itself with protests of little significance in terms of bringing about real change. While the movement is yet young and difficult to judge, it nonetheless has not spurred the kind of action which will bring about a more egalitarian economy and democracy. To do that, the occupiers will need to focus on specific goals and the means to accomplish those goals. In this program, Dr. Porter offers an agenda of five goals and a means of achieving them. If the American people–indeed peoples around the world–truly wish to bring about change, they will have to do in whole or part what Dr. Porter is suggesting here. Please listen to this blueprint for real change and comment on it on Dr. Porter’s Facebook page (Dr. Steven Porter). We can use webtalk radio and the social media to accomplish the results which so many millions of “common folk” seek. Let’s start here, with this program.

Preserving America – For Want of a Nail

billschiffler — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:01:50 +0000

The Republican election mantras truly reveal how phony the candidates are. On the one hand they claim to want to help small business. On the other they rail against any national health care system as being some kind of socialist government takeover. In this program, using the old saying “For Want of a Nail” Dr. Porter exposes the reality of the Republican scam as well as that of the creators of “Obama care.”
He gives real research to support his commentary–research which is almost never discussed by either a candidate or a representative of the mainstream media. If you would like the truth, and like to know the real story behind the lack of US job creation, listen to this program. If you really want to create American jobs, follow the program’s suggestions.

Preserving America – Questions I’d Like to Hear

billschiffler — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:01:48 +0000

The questions posed to our President and Presidential candidates are often shallow and rarely follow up on answers which cry out for follow-up. In this program, Dr. Porter laments this failure on the part of the news media and acts out the role of a debate moderator who actually asks important questions and actually follows up on probable answers.

Preserving America – Interview with Congressman Charles Rangel

billschiffler — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:01:10 +0000

This is a very special program. For thirty uninterrupted minutes, the Congress’s third most senior member speaks about the polarization and paralysis of government, the economy, taxes, jobs, health care, and the spirituality of the nation. It is an important slice of history at a seminal moment in the life of our nation by one of the most experienced and dedicated government officials we have. Don’t miss it.

Preserving America – Are They All Nuts?

billschiffler — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:01:35 +0000

The economic plans of all the candidates running for President are so ridiculous and so incomplete that none of them are worth presenting to the public. In this program, Dr. Porter exposes the lies of the Republicans and the ineptitude of the President in their economic pronouncements. He also suggests an alternative candidate for the Presidency in 2012.

Preserving America – And We Become Victims

billschiffler — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:57:24 +0000

The manipulation of our democracy by the powerful and privileged has made us see ourselves as victims. And so we become victims. In this program, Dr. Steven Porter discusses the ways in which Americans have been made to feel that regaining our democracy is hopeless and how we can combat that hopelessness so that we can, in the end, restore the democracy.

Preserving America – Electing a Real Democracy

billschiffler — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:59:58 +0000

Articulating the functions of government and citizen in a real democracy and articulating the characteristics needed by the elected representatives of a real democracy are not enough to achieve a real democracy. We must also state how those representatives can be elected. It is this vital piece of the puzzle which Dr. Porter discusses in this program. Together with his program, “The American Covenant” (which can be accessed on the Preserving America program archives), “Electing a Real Democracy” provides a blueprint for recapturing the constitutional dream of America and fixing the problems which America faces today.

Preserving America – The American Covenant

billschiffler — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:01:24 +0000

The conscious attempt of the American political right wing to dismantle the purposes for which the American democracy was established are discussed and opposed in this program. It is the most important discussion our nation can have at this juncture of our history.

Preserving America – Pitifully Undistinguished

billschiffler — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 05:01:39 +0000

One would think that at this critical time in our history the candidates for President would be of the highest intellectual caliber. Sadly that is not true.
On the Democratic side we have a President standing for re-election who has thus far not distinguished himself with either economic or political leadership. On the Republican side, we have a plethora of candidates whose ideas are stale and who have taken positions diametrically opposed to fact.
In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the dangers of this undistinguished field and offers positions on the issues which cry out for representation from people of greater intellect.

Preserving America – Here’s Why Not

billschiffler — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:01:56 +0000

The fixes for the healthcare, Social Security, and defense debts which are swamping our nation are really not difficult. Nor would it be difficult to give the people of this country the right to vote directly for President and Vice President. And it would not be hard to return to the tax rates of 1960 when corporations and millionaires did just fine while paying a much more equitable share of revenue than they do today.
In this program, Dr. Porter discusses our fiscal and governmental problems and their solutions in very specific terms. But he also explains why the solutions will not be applied and why he believes that America will continue its downward march from an egalitarian democracy to an oligarchy of the wealthy, a downward march which will eventually make our nation unrecognizable to its founding fathers.

Preserving America – How Green Was Our Valley

billschiffler — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:01:46 +0000

The ocsar for best picture of 1941 went to a film entitled HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY. It told of the destruction of a Welsh coal-mining town due to the forces of economic greed. We see the tragedy unfold through the eyes of the youngest son of a mining family. He witnesses the loss of his brothers’ jobs to cheaper labor, the death of his father to the unsafe practices of mining, and the eventual transformation of his town from one of green beauty to a disheveled slag heap.
Had the film been produced in our time, it could not be more relevant to the decay we see in present-day America, as the dream of an egalitarian democracy which provides for all its people turns inexorably into an oligarchy of greed and power.
America’s transformation is no accident, and in this program, Dr. Porter discusses how it has been engineered and how we might yet stop the process, reverse it, and restore the greenness of our American valley. The reversal of what is an impending tragedy which will require us to understand the mutual obligations of government and citizen–not according to political or religious ideology, but according to the words of our own Constitution.
There is no discussion more important for our nation.

Preserving America – Mud Wallowing

billschiffler — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:01:20 +0000

An enormous amount of media coverage is devoted to things which have little to do with the problems our nation faces and the solutions to those problems. The hype of Donald Trump over President Obama’s birth certificate and the endless photos of the bullet holes in the compound of Osama bin Laden are two examples. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the phenomenon and offers avenues by which we can concentrate on the important issues of the day rather than the mud wallowing.

Preserving America – The Delusion of Democracy

billschiffler — Mon, 23 May 2011 05:01:28 +0000

In this program, Dr. explains how the glorious history of America has been diverted from the expansion of universal equality to the prostitution of its democratic precepts by skewing political influence to the rich and powerful. He also suggests a way in which the true principles of the nation can be restored. It is on concepts such as these that the future of our democracy rests.

Preserving America – Color Us Demented

billschiffler — Mon, 09 May 2011 05:01:17 +0000

In this program Dr. Porter discusses how candidates deliberately misrepresent themselves during their campaigns, and how they plan to rip off the American people in their new budget battles. He also offers a 7-point plan to fix our economy and preserve our democracy. Important listening.

Preserving America – A Matter of Law

billschiffler — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:01:22 +0000

Ever since the Korean War, American Presidents have engaged the nation in military action without the proper Congressional authorization. This is an unconstitutional act and a monumentally dangerous one for the survival of our democracy. In this program, Dr. Porter speaks to the issue and to the responsibility which our presidents, Congress, and citizens have to stop the repetition of such an unlawful and harmful practice.

Preserving America – It’s Tax Time!

billschiffler — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:01:48 +0000

With humor and facts you just aren’t going to get from the corporate media, Dr. Porter reveals the Congressional conspiracy to shift the tax burden of the nation from the wealthy and corporations to the beleaguered working middle class. This is must listening–a message you need to remember come April 15th.

Preserving America – The Mission

billschiffler — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:01:04 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the mission of his program–to present the research of current events and the conclusions it leads to regardless of whether those conclusions benefit a left-leaning or right-leaning political agenda. He illustrates his mission with a compelling example of the denial of academic freedom from his own life. A program sure to fire you up.

Preserving America – Debt and Disaster. Part IV

billschiffler — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:01:52 +0000

In this, the last part of the series on the American debt, Dr. Porter unfurls facts rarely, if ever, given to the American public on who has gained and who has lost in the national economy during the last 30 years. For example, the top 1% of Americans have virtually quadrupled their wealth while the rest of the nation has remained stagnant. Moreover, it is this very top 1% which is funding the governors who now seek to deprive working men and women of collective bargaining rights. The facts will speak for themselves, and you will gain enormously by listening to them.

Preserving America – Debt and Disaster. Part III

billschiffler — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:01:59 +0000

In the third segment of the series on what is happening in states like Wisconsin and Ohio and in the Congress of the United States, Dr. Porter discusses what is the true agenda of the political right under the guise of economic reform. The gutting of workers’ rights and the injection of anti-choice religious philosophy in the name of fiscal policy is a dangerous game being played out by a complacent Congress and an unthinking public.

Preserving America – Debt and Disaster II

billschiffler — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:01:50 +0000

In this second broadcast of the series “Debt and Disaster,” Dr. Porter laments the fact that under the guise of economic responsibility, the Governor of Wisconsin is trying to eliminate the bargaining rights of unions in order to break them and the anti-choice ideologs in the House of Representatives in Washington are trying to ram an unconstitutional religious agenda down the throat of our democracy. Rather than these pitiful attempts at economic window-dressing, Dr. Porter discusses in detail a six-step process to fiscal sanity.

Preserving America – Debt and Disaster Part I

billschiffler — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 05:01:51 +0000

Congress simply hasn’t got the courage to tackle the big-ticket items. Instead, it is making cuts which are both harmful and only the equivalent of window dressing. In this program, Part I of a series, Dr. Porter gives us all a website (www.usdebtclock.org) on which we can monitor the real problems as they are occurring. He also offers a real plan of attack to solve our economic crises before our national car is driven off the cliff.

Preserving America – Antiquated Policies

billschiffler — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:01:39 +0000

Dr. Porter continues his discussion of events in the Middle East, allying them with the misrepresentations of our media with respect to war and energy policies. He offers two alternatives with regard to energy as the result of what is happening in Egypt today: one, the continuation of the antiquated actions of the past, the other a forward-looking program for the future.

Preserving America – Dangerous Alliances

billschiffler — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:01:20 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the alliances which have put America on the wrong side of history with respect to the current democratic revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Our rhetoric may say that we support the democratic ideals of oppressed peoples, but our teargas cannisters read “Made in the USA,” and when they are hurled at the victims of colonialism who now struggle to be free, they tell the real story of where America sides.

Preserving America – Where Did Our Watchdogs Go?

billschiffler — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:01:01 +0000

When all else fails, there are two institutions of last resort designed to safeguard the American democracy. They are a free press and the United States Supreme Court. But since 1976, both our media and our Supreme Court have lost the ability and the desire to protect our freedoms. In this program, Dr. Porter explains how this tragedy has occurred and what the consequences of it are likely to be. If you care at all about preserving America, this broadcast is of paramount importance.

Preserving America – State of the Union

billschiffler — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:01:24 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter speaks directly to President Obama about his State of the Union address.

Preserving America – Tuscon

billschiffler — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 05:01:36 +0000

There is a wide-spread feeling that the tragedy of Tuscon was simply the act of one deranged citizen. In this program, Dr. Porter counters that opinion with a frank discussion of the many factors which led not only to the events in Tuscon but have led to many similar events in our recent history. It is our inability to acknowledge both personal and societal pathologies, he concludes, which makes it likely that tragedies like the Tuscon massacre will continue in our democracy.

Preserving America – When Truth Stops Mattering: part 2

billschiffler — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:01:39 +0000

Concluding this two-part series, Dr. Porter continues to expose the lies of our federal government, this time regarding the origins and conduct of the war in Afghanistan. First, he recaps the crimes and cover-ups the public has endured from the JFK assassination to the disappearance of the $700 billion TARP bailout funds. Then he gives the facts behind the creation of Osama bin Laden by the US and bin Laden’s subsequent “blowback” against America, linking these events to the misrepresentations of Washington about the purpose and conduct of the present conflict in Afghanistan. Finally, he discusses the hopelessness which many Americans feel about regaining our trust in government. This is must listening for those of our citizens who truly wish to preserve the democracy we love.

Preserving America – When Truth Stops Mattering. Part 1

billschiffler — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:01:58 +0000

The stream of lies and cover-ups by the federal government over the past fifty years or so is discussed by Dr. Porter in Part 1 of a two-part series which will culminate in his next program about Afghanistan. From the magic bullet theory of the JFK assassination to the loss of virtually $700 billion in bank bailout money, the American people have been subjected to a deluge of dishonesty which, with the aid of a complicit media, has eroded the people’s respect for its government. Dr. Porter discusses the crimes committed between 1963 and the present, and in the next program will discuss the lies about Afghanistan and what we can do about them.

Preserving America – Hi, John. Hi, Mitch. It’s Time We Talked

billschiffler — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:01:32 +0000

Dr. Porter talks directly to Republican leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell about their opposition to the solution of a problem which threatens the survival of mankind.

Preserving America – Hi, Mr. President!

billschiffler — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:01:16 +0000

With humor and serious social commentary, Dr. Porter substitutes his wish list for the presents of the twelve days of Christmas with things our President and Congress might do for America in the upcoming New Year.

Preserving America – Hey, Congress! Here’s Your Assignment

billschiffler — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:01:38 +0000

As if addressing one of his classes, former Assistant Professor Dr. Steven Porter gives the United States Congress his assignment for the New Year. It contains the five pieces of legislative action which Dr. Porter considers to be of immediate significance for the nation, and it is delivered with the expertise and humor of a professional educator.

Preserving America – Beck and Call

billschiffler — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:01:07 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter takes a hard, critical look at Glenn Beck’s newest book, “Broke.”
When the ignorance of people and the power of media elevates a ‘spitoon philosopher’ to national prominence, Dr. Porter argues, it presents a great threat to the nation. Becks half-truths and self-righteous assumptions are debunked in an effort to alert the American public to the dangers of his demagoguery.

Preserving America – To Be or not To Be

billschiffler — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:01:05 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the laws which relate to assisted suicide and euthanasia. He exposes the inconsistencies of the laws from state to state and the fuzzy thinking of the US Supreme Court in its rulings on the issue. Finally, he offers a means by which the inconsistencies can be resolved so that the liberties of American citizens can be preserved.

Preserving America – Take Your Cap Off

billschiffler — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:01:20 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the impending cuts to Social Security as well as projected changes in Medicare and tax laws. He offers real solutions to preserving the Social Securty system–solutions which would save benefits, eliminate the national debt, and keep the nation solvent and constitutional.

Preserving America – American Elections: unfree and unfair

billschiffler — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:01:38 +0000

There is nothing in the US Constitution which guarantees the right of the people to vote for President or Vice President. The laws of every state make unconstitutional rulings to prevent third party candidates from getting on the ballot. The Bush v. Gore ruling of the US Supreme Court giving Bush the 2000 election was in direct violation of the Consitution. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the horrible state of American election procedures and offers suggestions which he hopes will start a Constitutional revolution to preserve our democracy.

Preserving America – The American Covenant. Part 3.

billschiffler — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:01:22 +0000

In Part 1 of the American Covenant programs, Dr. Porter discussed the obligations of our government to our citizens. In Part 2, he discussed the obligations of the citizens to the nation. Both programs are in the archived section of Preserving America.
In Part 3 of this series, Dr. Porter discusses the rights which the citizens of America have according to our Constitution. He talks about who decides those rights and how the decisions are made, and he offers the standard below as a means of determining the rights we possess.

“A participant in a true democracy should have the right to do whatever it is he or she wishes to do as long as his or her actions do not inhibit another participant from enjoying the same right where…
(a) an inhibiting consequence must derive from the act itself, not an interpretation of the act
(b) the ability to act must apply equally to qualified citizens
(c) the standard shall not extend to children, the infirm, or other participants judged by the best evidence of the day to be incapable of acting in their own best interest or in the interest of the society and thus who are not qualified to act in certain instances.
Participants acting in violation of the standard shall be restrained from those actions and shall, to whatever extent the laws provide, forfeit their right to continue to participate fully in the democracy.”

Finally, to preserve the separation of church and state contained in the words of the First Amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion,” Dr. Porter discusses the Constitutional demand that the standard above be considered apart from any religious principle.

Preserving America – The American Covenant. Part 2.

billschiffler — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 05:01:57 +0000

In this second part of the American Covenant series, Dr. Porter discusses the obligations of citizens to our representative democracy, particularly as they apply to the politics and candidates of the current election year.

Preserving America – The American Covenant. Part 1.

billschiffler — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:01:03 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the obligations of the American government as well as the rights and obligations of American citizens using the United States Constitution as his guide. In the absence of such discussions from candidates and media alike, airing this issue is of critical importance, particularly as the elections of 2010 and 2012 come upon us.

Preserving America – The Day the Earth Stood Still

billschiffler — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:01:35 +0000

Using the 1951 film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” as a reference, in this program Dr. Porter speaks passionately against the campaign rhetoric which is encouraging a pre-emptive strike–perhaps even a nuclear strike–against Iran. He points out the abject folly of such a policy and the danger being done by those who are articulating it.

Preserving America – The ASPCA and Your Pet’s Health

billschiffler — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:01:50 +0000

Dr. Porter is joined on this program by Aimee Christian of the ASPCA in a discussion of the importance of spaying and neutering your pets and in the ability of pets to bring about a spiritual growth in humans which at this point in human history is critical.

Preserving America – WWF in the Arctic

billschiffler — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Naturalist Dave Aplin joins Dr. Porter in an information-packed discussion of what is happening to the ecology of the Arctic Circle. Mr. Aplin works with the World Wildlife Fund on issues which impact the preservation of the Arctic, one of the most important regions of the planet. His expertise provides stunning details of what has already happened and what might happen to the oceans and ecology of our world. More important, however, he describes what WWF is doing to save the region from decay and to work toward the international cooperation upon which the earth’s ecology will depend. Let’s all join him.

Preserving America – Taxes and Truth

billschiffler — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:01:24 +0000

In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the real facts behind the distribution of wealth in America and realities of who pays federal income taxes. He does this to debunk the lies of commentators like Rush Limbaugh who claim that the majority of income in the U.S. is middle class income and that allowing the Bush tax breaks to the wealthy to expire will not bring much revenue into the government. He challenges Limbaugh to debate the issue publicly.