This is part III of our interview series based on the recently released book -The CIA on Campus: Essays on Academic Freedom and the National Security State, edited by Dr. Philip Zwerling.

Professor Roberto Gonzalez joins us to discuss the high school “Spy Camp� program as part of a pilot grant from the US Office of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to create an “Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence� (IC Center) with the goal to increase the pool of future applicants for careers in the US intelligence community such as the CIA, FBI and DIA. He explains the intentions behind the program being consciously directed at schools in low income regions and where minority students are the majority. Dr. Gonzalez talks about the ethical implications of involving universities with intelligence agencies like CIA, intellectual and moral dilemmas caused by militarized culture, the highly troubling cloak of secrecy surrounding scholarships provided to target students, the impact of funding and grants on university and college educators and administrators and more!

Roberto J. Gonzalez is an associate professor of anthropology at San Jose State University whose work focuses upon the relationship between humans and their environment; science, technology, and society; militarism and culture; and anthropological ethics. He has published four books: Zapotec Science: Farming and Food in the Northern Sierra of Oaxaca, Anthropologists in the Public Sphere: Speaking Out on War, Peace, and American Power, American Counterinsurgency: Human Science and the Human Terrain, and Militarizing Culture: Essays on the Warfare State.

Here is our guest Professor Roberto Gonzalez unplugged!

Interview with Roberto Gonzalez [ 52:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Our Boiling Frogs Show is now officially a weekly-based Podcast interview series. The interviews will be posted every Friday afternoon. Our upcoming guests: Mizgin Yilmaz, Kristina Borjesson, Mark Klein, Pepe Escobar, and Russ Baker. We are scheduling several other exciting and informative interviews; stay tuned.

We have an updated version of Joe Lauria’s FROM FLATBUSH TO THE STREETS OF KANDAHAR here. My site statistics report says it’s been widely clicked-upon & downloaded, so check it out if you haven’t read this solid piece, and go back and re-read it if you’ve read the original piece and want more!

Noteworthy Stories & Links

Welcome Comrade Maobama

Pepe Escobar has a two-part series on Obama’s China Visit at Asia Times. For those of you who may not know; I happen to be a big fan of Mr. Escobar, his solid track record in investigative journalism, his bold and witty writing style, and his untainted and independent stand when it comes to real reporting. When you get a chance check out ‘The Best of Pepe Escobar’ at Asia Times . Here is his part I:

Welcome Comrade Maobama, Part I

As mentioned above, last week we interviewed Mr. Escobar, and will publish the interview in about 4 weeks. 

Lobbyists Boldly Craft & Insert Provisions to the House Bill

As the numbers and actions of sold out spineless representatives in Congress increase, the lobby industry’s takeover of Congress and our legislation gets bolder and bolder. Here is a recent example presented by the Sunlight Foundation:

More than a dozen lawmakers inserted statements supporting a biotechnology provision added to the House health care bill that was crafted by lobbyists for the biotechnology firm Genentech.

Wait a minute before you start waving the ‘oh the shameless Republicans,’ or ‘sold out spineless Democrats’ flag, because this ain’t partisan, as most significant problems rotting our nation are not:

The Genentech lobbyists crafted two statements — one for Democrats and one for Republicans — for lawmakers to insert into the Congressional Record. The collection of lawmakers is very bipartisan with ten Republicans and eight Democrats issuing near identical statements. (One Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler, inserted the Republican statement.)

As for the implications? Here is a sound, important, but still micro-level conclusion on implications being cited by several sites and forums: Read more È