Old Mole Variety Hour

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News, Views, Reviews, and Interviews

 

Every Monday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

A program of social and political commentary from a socialist-feminist, anti-racist and anti-colonial point of view.

The Old Mole burrows down to the roots of the great issues of our time – the struggles of ordinary people for democratic and sustainable ways of life.  The Mole goes where corporate media fear to tread, supporting grassroots challenges to top-down authority and giving voice to movements that shake the foundations of an unjust society.  The Moles' perspective is democratic, anti-capitalist, feminist, anti-colonial and anti-racist.  We count Karl Marx as a friend but are open to other voices from the left. The show includes analyses of global politics and economics, local grassroots activism, segments on the Left & the Law, and reviews of films, books, music, and theater. 

Contributors include: Julian Ankney, Larry Bowlden, Joe Clement, Norm Diamond, Kevin Foster, Jan Haaken, Desiree Hellegers, Patricia Kullberg, Luisa Martinez, Laurie Mercier, Denise Morris, Bill Resnick, Victoria Saucedo, Sophie Smith, Mike Snedecker, Roben White, Matt Witt

Here is why we call this show "The Old Mole"

For individual segments and more content: View more Old Mole content

Check out our Program Blog

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Our theme song is the traditional "Mole in the Ground," sometimes performed by Clayton & Ernie, sometimes by Joe Clement,  and sometimes blended with other versions, like the one by dj/rupture, sung by Sindhu Zagoren on the album Special Gunpowder, or Blind Boy Paxton  

Our graphic lettering is by Charlie Ertola. Host portraits by Clayton Morgareidge.
 

You can leave comments for the Moles at  oldmolevarietyhour @ gmail.com or by clicking on the comment section for any of our audio pieces.  

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KBOO Stream 1
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Current

The Legal Case for Genocide

Airs at: Mon, 02/05/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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In December 2023, residents of Gaza and two nongovernmental human rights organizations filed a lawsuit in a federal court in California arguing that the US federal government has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by failing to intervene in Israel’s recent actions in Gaz... Read more

Transit Equity

Airs at: Mon, 02/05/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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Why is comprehensive build-out of public transit necessary to improve our heath, stop global warming, enable poor people to find work and meet friends, and reduce taxes. And can it be done? Bill Resnick talks to Liam Crisan, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Studies ... Read more

Clean & Safe: A Dirty and Dangerous Contract for Portland

Airs at: Mon, 02/05/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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  Clean & Safe: A Dirty and Dangerous Contract for Portland: Every year, Downtown Clean & Safe receives over $5 million to provide “enhanced services” to 213 blocks of Portland’s Central City. Yet below the surface of this seemingly benign contract lie threats to public tr... Read more

Old Mole Variety Hour for February 5, 2024

Airs at: Mon, 02/05/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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  Jon Nelson hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments: The Legal Case for Genocide: In December 2023, residents of Gaza and two nongovernmental human rights organizations filed a lawsuit in a federal court in California arguing that the US... Read more

Old Mole Variety Hour for January 29, 2024

Airs at: Mon, 01/29/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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  Silhouette of Godzilla looming over silhouette of Broadway bridge against a rainbow background. Image by Mark Nerys. Used with permission. Norm Diamond hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments: Zionism Was Not the Only Alternative! There... Read more

War and Coloniality in Arab Cinema

Airs at: Mon, 01/29/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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There is a rich history of filmmaking in the Middle East, including a growing number of women filmmakers.  Jan Haaken talks with Professor Yasmeen Hanoosh about the course Hanoosh is teaching this term at Portland State University titled “War and Coloniality in Arab Cinema.... Read more

Zionism Was Not the Only Alternative!

Airs at: Mon, 01/29/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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There was another prominent movement among oppressed Jews in the Russian Empire and Eastern Europe: The Bund. Sharon Rudahl is the author of a new graphic history of The Bund. Norm Diamond talks with her about that working class socialist organization, its commitment to the... Read more

Heaven and Earth

Airs at: Mon, 01/29/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
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Book Mole Larry Bowlden reviews James McBride’s 2023 novel,The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, which, he argues, deserves all the wonderful press it has gotten. The love and cooperation between poor Jews and Blacks in a small town in Pennsylvania is the backbone of story, a... Read more

Plutocrats for Portland

Airs at: Mon, 01/29/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Produced for Old Mole Variety Hour
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  Why do we hear so much about the supposed failures of recent progressive reforms in Portland?  Why does there seem to be so much panic about downtown?  Local organizer and activist Hyung Nam explains how Trump-era tax breaks have further incentivized the wealthiest devel... Read more

Old Mole Variety Hour for January 22, 2024

Airs at: Mon, 01/22/2024 at 9:00am - 10:00am
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    On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court released its Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, now overturned by the 2022 Dobbs decision.  This episode of the Old Mole looks at the history of abortion access in Portland and at the broader context of reproductive j... Read more