Robert Scheer talks with Daniel Ellsberg, and tackles The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America. Robert Scheer’s work has been praised by Gore Vidal, Susan Sontag, and Joan Didion, who deems him “one of the best reporters of our time.” Now Scheer brings a lifetime of wisdom and experience to one of the most overlooked and dangerous issues of our time: the destructive influence of American’s military-industrial complex.

In THE PORNOGRAPHY OF POWER, Scheer examines the expansion of our military presence throughout the world, our insane nuclear strategy, the immorality of corporations profiting in Iraq, and the arrogance of our foreign policy. For the past year we have heard our presidential candidates splitting hairs over how to allocate a fraction of our national budget to education and health care programs while billions of dollars in discretionary defense spending remains shrouded in mystery. Scheer’s blistering indictment may well help finally change the terms of this debate. At a time when many are exploiting fears of terrorist attacks and only a few national leaders are wiling to advocate cuts in defense spending, nuclear disarmament, and restrained use of American force, Robert Scheer has written a manifesto for enlightened reform. The Pentagon Papers DANIEL ELLSBERG joins Scheer this evening for a rousing discussion of our destructive military-industrial complex. $5 tickets at Cody’s, or free with the purchase of this new book. 7:30 PM at First Congregational Church of Berkeley (2345 Channing Way at Dana)