Qunicy, MA - Monday afternoon, October 4th, CyberstationUSA launched "The Cohen Side" with host David Cohen.  The show takes a clear lean toward the left and adopt's Cohen's progressive values.   

The show format highlights a weekly topical focus with a crossfire style debate with regular conservative contributor, Chuck Morse (of The Fairness Doctrine also on CyberStationUSA.com).  Morse comes at the issues from the right and provides the counter punch to all things Democratic, Liberal. or progressive.

Cohen will have guests from both the left and the right to help illuminate the most pressing issues of the day. 

The Monday time slot will also allow the format to focus on the Sunday talk shows, as well as a review of the past weeks' cable punditry wars with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill O'Reily, Glenn Beck and others.  The program is playing on the innovative upstart station - CyberStationUSA.com invites you to join in for the hour from 12-1pm and e-mail or tweet your comments and questions to cohenside@gmail.com or via twitter @TheCohenSide.  Our call in number is 617-328-3526.

- Jon Stewart on Glenn Beck's Soros Rant
- Need to Know:  Must See Videos
- Christine O'Donell & Friends (Video)
- Angle, Miller, DeMint, Tancredo (Video)
- Stephen Colbert's "Fear for All"
- Colbert Report Week Recap Video 11/1
- Monty Python "Bring Out Your Dead!"

From Matt Bai, NY Times -
What’s different about this moment is the emergence of a political culture — on blogs and Twitter and cable television — that so loudly and readily reinforces the dark visions of political extremists, often for profit or political gain.
 
It wasn’t clear Saturday whether the alleged shooter in Tucson was motivated by any real political philosophy or by voices in his head, or perhaps by both. But it’s hard not to think he was at least partly influenced by a debate that often seems to conflate philosophical disagreement with some kind of political Armageddon.

The problem here doesn’t lie with the activists like most of those who populate the Tea Parties, ordinary citizens who are doing what citizens are supposed to do — engaging in a conversation about the direction of the country. Rather, the problem would seem to rest with the political leaders who pander to the margins of the margins, employing whatever words seem likely to win them contributions or TV time, with little regard for the consequences.

It’s not that such leaders are necessarily trying to incite violence or hysteria; in fact, they’re not. It’s more that they are so caught up in a culture of hyperbole, so amused with their own verbal flourishes and the ensuing applause, that — like the bloggers and TV hosts to which they cater — they seem to lose their hold on the power of words.

Serendipitously, but sadly, our topic leading up to this week's show was already going to be the still real plight ot GLBT youth in schools and by extension really, all students of difference.  Of course this past week saw a brand new incident of bullying and hazing in our public schools - in Needham, MA.  But Needham does not really deserve the harsh spotlight.  The cycle of bullying and hazing the rears its ugly head regularly in schools is our own fault.

   Any society that pays lip-service to civility in its public discourse and gets enjoyment from highlighting difference deserves these episodes - especially ones that end in parents and students wanting to simply brush the events under the rug so we can learn from them at a more convenient time.  The only convenient time people - is the present.

   Routinely, our culture puts an emphaisis on standardized tests and not on character development.  As a teacher of eight year, I can tell you from first hand experience, that this message gets through loud and clear to students.  As I always say, x+y=z in both math and life.  If you put in x amount of time on y issue, you will get z as a result.  Not enough time spent on examinging behavior and difference leads to fear of the other and turing a blind eye to its ramifications.  How else can we explain, in the latest episode, the coach knowing about the practice of leading girls around by a leash and the fact that parents cared more about winning then focusing on having woman paid more respect in their town.