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The Brian Lehrer Show

Tuesday, October 07, 2008
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    Security Blanket

    As the post-bailout economy takes hold, everyday spending choices are being questioned, but so are the fundamental precepts of American-style capitalism. Plus, the ins and outs of Obama and McCain's Social Security plans.

    This Friday's Wiki-produced 30 Issues in 30 Days segment is on Oil and Alternative Energy.
    Help produce it here!

The End of Capitalism?

Zachary Karabell, president of independent consulting firm River Twice Research, discusses whether the current fiscal crisis is a sign of the end of capitalism as we know it.

Read Karabell's recent Wall Street Journal article on the end of the capitalist era.

Wall Street Blame Game

Joe Nocera, business columnist for the New York Times and author of the Executive Suite blog discusses the state of the stock market and the Capitol Hill testimony of Lehman CEO Richard Fuld.

What do you think? What should Richard Fuld do with his $250 million dollars? Vent below!

Monetary Influence

Joan Goldwasser, senior reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance discusses how the current economy is affecting major decisions consumers are having to make every day.

30 Issues: Sense of Entitlement - Social Security and Medicare

The third rail may be issue number one this election. How will the economy affect Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs? How much fixing do they need? Peter Diamond, economics professor at MIT and co-author of Saving Social Security: A Balanced Approach, looks at the state of Social Security and the changes the program has seen over the past eight years.

Then, Mike Tanner, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and Mark Weisbrot, co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research take a look at McCain and Obama’s plans for Social Security and Medicare.

Then, a call for those of you near retirement or thinking about retirement who may be changing your plans in the current economic climate. Are you delaying retirement? Working part-time? Comment below!

Uncommon Indicators

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The Brian Lehrer Show wants to hear how the economy is affecting the little things in your daily life. Share your stories and photos of the downturn.

Cast your vote for our video contest semi-finalists.

The Rocky Road Ahead

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Ray Young, the chief financial officer of General Motors, talks about GM’s bankruptcy.

Then, Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, and Greg Williams, former owner of the recently closed Huntington Chevrolet in Huntington Station, NY., discusses the effect GM’s bankruptcy has had on dealerships and their employees.

Tweet If You Use Twitter

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Farhad Manjoo, Slate's technology columnist and the author of True Enough: Learning To Live in a Post-Fact Society talks about what Twitter means and how different groups use it.

What's your take on Twitter? How do you use it? Comment below!

Don't Say That, Literally

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John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island")

What would be on your list of banned words or phrases? Comment below!

From Denmark with Love

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Jesper Grunwald, senior managing editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, talks about the Danish economy, biking to work, and why the Danes are allegedly the happiest people in the world.

Squatting, Then and Now

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As former squats in the East Village make the transition to coops, making homes from abandoned housing is again an issue. Andrew Reicher executive director of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, Frank Morales an Episcopal priest involved in East Village/Lower East Side squatting and homelessness activism since the late '70s, and Rob Robinson, a leader of the Housing Campaign of Picture the Homeless, discuss the return of squatting.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

Check out some recent video clips of interviews with guests and Brian Lehrer's weekly Web video picks.