It's been a year of remarkable protest, yet very much in the tradition of centuries old struggles to reclaim the commons. Social historian Iain Boal discusses Occupy London, which has managed to avoid eviction on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral.  He connects the battles of the present with attempts to resist enclosure and reoccupy public space, from Tecumseh to anti-austerity fights in Greece.

James Baldwin gave a talk about history and human potential at the Masonic Temple in San Francisco on December 16, 1964. And the Indonesian dissident and author Pramoedya Ananta Toer spoke on KPFA in 1999 about his political activities, long incarceration, and now-legendary writing. (KPFA 60th Anniversary Special.)

Are people allowed by current governments and political systems to realize their creative and political potential? If not, why not? And how should the knowledge not of experts and elites but of ordinary folks be valued and used? Hilary Wainwright talks about democracy, political agency, and efforts to push back against top-down ways of governing.

A wealthy media magnate named Sylvio Berlusconi was first elected prime minister of Italy in 1994. What have his three stints as Italy's leader meant for democracy and dissent? Paul Ginsborg contends that Berlusconi's use of the media, of clientelism, and of notions of negative freedom has stymied meaningful popular political participation.