larryvelvel's Podcast

In this installment of What The Media Doesn't Tell You, Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of MSL discusses Scooter Libby's trial, conviction, and commutation with professors Constance Rudnick and Andrej Starkis, both of MSL. During openig statements, Libby's attorney stated that Vice President Cheney would testify, yet he never did. What did Libby know about Valerie Plame that caused him to lie to the grand jury? Did Libby lie to the grand jury to keep the heat off Cheney? In addition, why did Libby receive a commutation?

To find out more listen in to this and other What The Media Doesn't Tell You program at www.velvelonmedia.com.

In this posting on www.VelvelOnNationalAffairs.com, Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of MSL discusses bribery, honesty, and the government. Velvel says you cannot separate the acts of bribing and carrying out the bribe from the constitutionally protected act of voting on the floor and the constitutionally protected reasons for the vote. Courts aught to recognize this, and that the unusual question is the need for honesty in government. But they don’t and indeed allow legalized bribery called contributions. The upshot is we have a very the dishonest government.

To read this posting and other visit www.VelvelOnNationalAffairs.com. Take a listen to the Dean's radio show What The Media Doesn't Tell You at www.mslawradio.com.

In this installment of What The Media Doesn't Tell You, Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of MSL discusses Scooter Libby; Trial, Conviction, and commutation with Professors Constance Rudnick and Andrej Starkis, both of MSL. During opening statements, Libby's attorney stated that Vice President Cheney would testify, yet he never did. What did Libby know about Valerie Plame that caused him to lie to the grand jury? Did Libby lie to the grand jury to keep the heat off Cheney? In addition, why did Libby receive a commutation?

     In a recent posting on www.VelvelOnNationalAffairs.com, Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of the Massachusetts School of Law discusses a recent federal court decision which he considers immoral.  In the case, a federal appeals court allowed the government to prevent terminally ill patients, for whom no standard treatment works, from having access to experimental drugs which are the only conceivable hope for saving their lives. Velvel says that this horrific decision stands the Constitution and our whole system of government on its head by failing to protect people from the misdeeds of government and instead allowing government to order what is in effect a death sentence for the innocent terminally ill.  Velvel compares the judges who made the decision to the proverbial German judges of the Nazi era.^*

 

Associate Dean Michael L. Coyne of the Massachusetts School of Law, in a recent article in Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly, compared the teaching methods of today’s legal education, often unfavorably, to those of medicine. In the article, Coyne took issue with the practices of legal education and requirements for ABA accreditation.

Coyne states that such practices fail to “produce graduates who, upon passing the bar exam, would be ready to contribute to their community and ‘hit the ground running.’” In suggesting reform, Coyne states that legal education should follow the model presented by medical school: “rather than reading about legal cases and discussing legal principles in an academic vacuum, they would possess a clear understanding of how these principles translate to practical application.”

To find out more visit http://www.masslawyersweekly.com/subscriber/archives_FTS.cfm?page=ma/07/7300728.htm&recID=412597&QueryText=michael%20and%20l%20and%20coyne

So – you, less developed country, want to succeed financially. You must follow the American structure. We swear it will help you. With the United States expanding its economy, Latin American countries have become a focal point to receive a financial reconstruction. The IMF and the World Bank have compelled Latin America to make structural adjustments to follow the American model. The idea is to encourage a more progressive national structure. One must ask which nations receive the benefits. Western nations receive lower costs on goods while Latin American countries watch the foundation of their primarily agricultural economy driven out by an inability to compete with the invading corporations. You decide.  

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5429171888723436873&q=thomas+bender&total=22&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1 The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

Professors Diane Sullivan and Holly Vietzke, of the Massachusetts School of Law, recently wrote an op-ed piece demanding the suspension of NFL quarterback Michael Vick after being indicted on charges of animal cruelty. This piece, published in several newspapers (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Hartford Courant, Lowell Sun, and Andover Townsman), points to the recent inconsistencies of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in his punishment of NFL players.

 

Goodell has said, “The highest standards of conduct must be met by everyone in the NFL because it is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right.” In the past, say Sullivan and Vietzke, Goodell has followed the direction given in this statement, suspending players like Tank Johnson for eight games after violating his probation on gun charges. Now, Goodell diverts from his own called “’standards of conduct.’” Vick’s ghastly acts tarnish the NFL, continued the two professors, yet has not sufficed in suspension. One is left asking whether Vick’s popularity, “sport[ing] the league's second-highest selling jersey,” has anything to do with Goodell’s decision not to suspend.

Dressing for success – who would have thought this meant leaving your culture behind.  Kenji Yoshino, author of Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights, discusses the socially created requirements minorities must meet in order to succeed in a white dominated society.  Often, African-Americans are told to suppress their “cultural affinities.” This advice creates a detrimental division within their respective cultures as one is seen as a traitor to those with the same cultural background. The ultimate choice is between a high salary and connection to one’s cultural inheritance.

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4561346624500617093&q=kenji+Yoshino&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

Do you hate me because of my freedom? Thomas Bender, author of A Nation Among Nations: America’s Place in World History, sat down with Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of the Massachusetts School of Law to discuss the reasoning for foreign hatred toward the United States. They determine that Americans are loathed simply because of an inability to listen to global concerns. American arrogance has fueled great abhorrence from other nations.  Regularly, the United States pledges to listen to global concerns from other nations; instead, it cannot remain silent long enough to hear anything but itself. If Americans stop talking and listen – for just a moment - a long list of reasons for American hatred will be realized – our freedom is not on that list. 

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5429171888723436873&q=thomas+bender&total=22&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1 The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

If a nation is interconnected to American history but the United States does not pay attention to it – does the historical interconnection actually exist? American history is seen as a one sided series of events and is often thought to neither rely nor involve any other nation. A modern example of this being Iraq. We turn on the television, pick up a paper, listen to the radio and find the number of Americans injured and killed in Iraq. On the same media outlet, the other sides’ numbers are rarely disclosed, as it is not a concern to the media’s audience. The United States needs to understand the view from its enemy’s perspective. If such a perception remains detached from American understanding, an authentic portrayal of events will be lost and history will become fictional.   

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5429171888723436873&q=thomas+bender&total=22&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1 The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

Hey Blue Collar, you are an impediment to my civil rights. The working class has become the victim of social discrimination. They are not judged because of their race, their gender, or their sexual orientation. They are being discriminated against because the color of their collar. As traditional discrimination has begun to diminish in the United States, a growing focus upon one’s socio-economic status has risen. What kind of car do you drive, what kind of watch do you wear, what country club do you belong – These questions have become the test of acceptance within America. Society forces the blue-collar worker to hide their professions – their livelihood – in order to find acceptance. More people are buying more flash to create the façade of a wealthier existence.  This development is worthy of societal focus before we leave a major part of the nation in a psychological limbo.   

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4561346624500617093&q=kenji+Yoshino&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

 

Historian and author Jean Edward Smith, in a recent op ed article in The New York Times, suggested that, “the Democrats could increase the size of [the Supreme] Court to protect liberal values if they win the presidency and Congress in 2008.” His suggestion was thereafter reviled in the letters to the editor column of the Times. Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of the Massachusetts School of Law, in a recent post on www.velvelonnationalaffairs.com, takes strong issue with the letters that blasted Smith. Those letters, said Velvel, “represent[s] historically uninformed, antichange, pro status quo conventional wisdom, an ideological genre that is all too common in this country and is used in nearly every political field.”

 

 

Read Velvel’s full post and find out more at www.velvelonnationalaffairs.com.

 

 

Is American society destined to the same fate that befell Rome? This is the question analyzed in a new book by Cullen Murphy Are We Rome? The Fall of Rome And The Fate Of America. Writing about the book, Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of the Massachusetts School of Law, focuses on the most “pertinent parallels” between the two empires.

 

One such example, according to Velvel was that “The Romans were arrogant,” much in the same way America is today. As Rome sought to export its culture and system of government so does America today – despite the fact that the recipients of such beneficence - both then and now, might not require or want such imperial assistance. As Rome expanded its military presence beyond its natural borders so does America today. The United States maintains some 700 bases oversees and countless others unknown but to Pentagon insiders. Blinded by arrogance, with a total inability to recognize the point of view of other nations, America, as Rome before it, is headed on a path to destruction.

 

Read Velvel’s full post of Murphy’s book at www.velvelonnationalaffairs.com

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For more information on Cullen Murphy and his book, Are We Rome? The Fall of Rome And The Fate Of America an outline prepared for the television show Books Of Our Time can be found at MSLAW.EDU (Under “Books Of Our Time”). In addition, the television show can be seen on both the internet and television stations such as Comcast’s CN8 and certain other stations. The show will air around September 9, 2007. Check with your local cable carrier for times and listings.

 

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Do I have to lose my cultural identity to succeed in today’s society? Kenji Yoshino, author of Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights, sat down with Dean Lawrence R. Velvel of the Massachusetts School of Law to discuss modern discrimination. The way Americans discriminate has evolved from the intolerance of the past. The traditional categorized prejudice is said to be retired, succeeded by a more conduct-based discrimination. Today’s discrimination targets all that refuse to convert to the mainstream perception of behavior. Americans seek a generic existence for those allowed to succeed in today’s society and punish individualism.

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4561346624500617093&q=kenji+Yoshino&total=5&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

 

Excuse me terrorist, why? Louise Richardson, author of What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Treat, sat down for an interview on the television show Books of Our Time with host Lawrence R. Velvel the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law to discuss the often-misunderstood ideologies held by terrorists. Richardson suggests that there are three reasons for an individual to turn to and partake in terrorist behavior. Richardson introduces the first reason: revenge. She continues by explaining the emotion in an interesting and compelling discussion to help the viewer gain a better understanding of these ominous characters.   

 

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=765018028527766833. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

What is the terrorist mindset?    Louise Richardson, author of What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat, on the television show Books of Our Time, sat down with Lawrence R. Velvel the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law to discuss a method of understanding terrorism. Richardson suggests Islamic terrorists are not becoming involved in this devastating behavior as a get-rich-quick scheme but rather a fight against “immoral aggressors.” Richardson attempts to give light to understanding why terrorists partake in such behavior—the United States having waged war on Islam.  

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=765018028527766833 The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.

 

Does high price equal high quality in health care? Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, co-author of Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results, in an interview on the television show Books of Our Time with host Lawrence R. Velvel the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law discussed the major myth of the value of modern health care. Teisberg states that health care treatments are not equal; distinguished only by cost and thus the focus on cost reduction is unfounded. Teisberg suggests a direct connection between the level of care one receives to the place of diagnosis and treatment.

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3569962409693093753. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.

 

Excuse me doctor, why is my treatment so limited? Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, co-author of Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results sat down with Lawrence R. Velvel the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law and the host of the television show Books of Our Time to discuss the medical industries view of patient care. Teisberg suggests that today's health care needs to stop focusing on the acute episodes of an illness rather the industry must focus on the entire cycle of care, from prevention to treatment. She believes that the failure to focus on the full cycle of care leads a non-progressive manner of care. 

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3569962409693093753. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes.

Why is competition in the health care system not leading to improvements? Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, co-author of the book Redefining Health Care: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results, sat down for an interview on the television program Books of Our Time with host Lawrence R. Velvel the Dean of the Massachusetts School of Law for an interesting discussion on modern health care. Teisberg suggests that the competition within the health care industry has deviated from a progressive nature. The result is the patient has fails to receive the benefit of state of the art medicine. Teisberg suggests the need for a revolution within the industry so to focus the competition within the industry on the patient's individual medical condition rather than a generic condition.

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3569962409693093753. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .

What is the consequence for being exhausted? Jeremy Schaap the author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics sat down with Michael Coyne the host of the television show Books of Our Times and the assistant dean of the Massachusetts School of Law for an interesting discussion of former Olympian Jesse Owens, his teammates, and the Olympic Committee. Schaap tells of Owens, after competing in and dominating the Olympics, forced onto a publicity circuit throughout Europe with his teammates to raise money for amateur sports. With exhaustion from recently competing in the Olympics setting in, Owens refused to go on the last leg of the fund raising trip. Schaap describes Avery Brundage's notorious character and use of power, which combined, leading to Owens' suspension from amateur sports.

 

The full interview is available at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4898435519541836359. The Massachusetts School of Law also presents information on important current affairs to the general public in television and radio broadcasts, an intellectual journal, conferences, author appearances, blogs and books. For more information visit www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .www.mslaw.edu. MSLAW podcasts are available from http://mslaw.libsyn.com/rss and videos can be found on Google video and ITunes .