Old Mole Variety Hour

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Coming Soon

Airs at: Mon, 07/21/2025 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Airs at: Mon, 02/02/2026 at 9:00am - 10:00am
Hosted by: 
Patricia Kullberg, Bill Resnick, Denise Morris, Frann Michel, Laurie Mercier, Joe Clement, Jan Haaken, Larry Bowlden, Jon Nelson, OldMoleVarietyHour
Produced by: 
KBOO
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Views, Reviews, and Interviews from a socialist-feminist, anti-racist and anti-colonial point of view.

 

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, Frann Michel, 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

Subscribe to our podcast (see above; search the show name on iTunes; also available on Googleplay)

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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 by clicking on the comment section for any of our audio pieces.  

Topic tags: 
Activism, Class, Race, Gender, Sexuality, Labor, Legislation, Environment/Climate, Government/Politics, Energy/Natural Resources, Economy, Law/Court/Crime, LGBTQ, Arts/Culture, Fiction, Film, Movement for Racial Justice, Indigenous, Housing/Homelessness, Health, Disability, COVID19, Education, Community Building
Streams: 
KBOO Stream 1
Program status: 
Current

Guess Who's Winning the Class War?

Airs at: Mon, 04/18/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Tom Becker reads "Class-Warfare Scorecard: guess who's winning?" Mike Whitney deflects the myth that our economic woes are due (primarily) to "credit addled shoppers going crazy at Macy's." Instead, wages have stagnated since the 1970s, money has accumulated among those... Read more

The Economics of Public Goods

Airs at: Mon, 04/18/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Martin and Bill connect the ideological, political and economic aspects of neoliberalism and talk about the obfuscation over the last 30 years of the state and public goods in the economy.   Martin Hart-Landsberg is a professor of economics at Lewis and Clark College an... Read more

Movie Moles: Atlas Shrugged

Airs at: Mon, 04/18/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Joe and Frann talk about the new film based on Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand's magnum opus and exploration of a capitalist utopia. They consider the wooden acting and painful pacing, but also the representations of business and liberal capitalist government; the fascist fant... Read more

Old Mole Variety Hour April 18th

Airs at: Mon, 04/18/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Today's show, hosted by Denise Morris, features two conversations about Ayn Rand, an interview about public goods and the economy, and the latest scores for the current class-war. For information about our theme music and our graphics, go to our main page. You can also ... Read more

The Virtue of Selfishness or The Soul of Man Under Socialism

Airs at: Mon, 04/18/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Joe and Clayton consider selfishness and altruism in the context of Ayn Rand's work. They bring in Oscar Wilde's 1891 essay "The Soul of Man Under Socialism" - which almost sounds like an essay Rand would write - as an alternative understanding of the same dynamics of a... Read more

Michael Moore in Wisconsin

Airs at: Mon, 04/11/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Last month, Michael Moore spoke to the crowd of protesters in Madison, Wisconsin, telling them "Wisconsin is not broke!"  The Old Mole presents a quick edited version.  You can find the entire speech with video at Mike's website.   Read more

Why the Deficit?

Airs at: Mon, 04/11/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Drastic cuts in public spending are being justified by pointing to the deficit, but why is there a deficit when there is so much wealth in the nation?   Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies explains in this conversation with the Old Mole's Bill Resnick.   Read more

Demonstration: Portland Rising!

Airs at: Mon, 04/11/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 Inspired by the Wisconsin protests, a coalition of Portland groups is organizing a march and rally this Saturday, April 16.  You can find details here and here.  In this segment, Bill Renick talks with three of the organizers: Greg Margolis from Jobs With Justice; Judy ... Read more

April 11 Old Mole Variety Hour

Airs at: Mon, 04/11/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
  Tom Becker hosts this show which fights back against the budget cutting, service slashing attack on government services fueled by illusions of national poverty.  The show opens with a rousing speech by Michael Moore to the protesters in Madison, and follows up with an ... Read more

About Rembetica, with Brad Duncan

Airs at: Mon, 04/11/2011 at 12:00am
Produced for:  Old Mole Variety Hour
 This segment includes some of the music called Rembetico made by Greeks in the 1920s and 30s when they were expelled from Turkey.  Our radical musicologist Brad Duncan explains its history and some of its transgressive themes in conversation with Tom Becker.  Here are l... Read more