As neoliberalism tightens its grip

June 24

GUEST: Aldo Madariaga, assistant professor of political science at the Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago de Chile, associate researcher of the Center for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies, and author of "Neoliberal Resilience," talks about the dangers to democracy that this economic system poses. 

Neoliberal Resilience | Princeton University Press

Aldo put together the pieces of neoliberalism for our listeners. It is an evolving concept, like a boa constrictor always tightening its grip. One might call it Capitalism, but it is more than that. Neoliberalism knows no boundaries when it comes to making a profit. It is the triumph of philosophy over our more common emotions like empathy and the need for justice. 

How societies get taken over by neoliberalism is a worthwhile exploration. So to is the end result of such societies. When the very rich take over all decision making, there is usually a revolt from the workers. That revolt is often co-opted by the billionaire class, that ends up funding racist demagogues as a way to hold onto their riches. Perhaps our fears of Trump are misdirected. It is leaders like Clinton and Obama who have actually paved the way for the collapse of our democracy. 

Trump is replaceable, but our broken system is not. When enough people lose faith, our government will fall, along with both its corporate run political parties. I think we came much closer to that point on January 6. And that seminal moment will come again, as neoliberalism tightens its grip a little bit more. 

Human beings yearning for freedom

June 17

GUEST: Raz, artist, researcher and recent Palestinian immigrant to the US, talks about her family's history in the West Bank and Jordan, as well as the new links she has established with local human rights organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and Mideast Crisis. 
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRGbOxHAhwo

Raz gives a good speech, full of reason as well as emotion. Why should Palestinians in their diaspora be scattered to the ends of the earth because Jewish supremacists insist on having the Holy Land all to themselves? Haven't the people of the world decided that apartheid is a crime? That the settlement of land occupied by a foreign country during war is illegal? And when will Palestinians be counted as human beings with the same rights as everyone else?

Politically, Raz has come to join local organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace - Hudson Valley and Middle East Crisis. Recently she spoke at a Black Lives rally, comparing the racism that exists in the US to racism in Palestine. She described the many similarities of the struggle, from police violence to economic oppression. And she asked the question that we have all been wondering about. Will America's waking up to racial injustice here at home spread to their perceptions about Palestine? For the first time, advocating for Palestinian rights is not being seen as antisemitic, but as a human yearning for freedom. 

https://hudsonvalleybds.org/

https://mideastcrisis.org/

https://jvphudsonvalley.blogspot.com

He never uttered the word apartheid

For anyone familiar with Israel's treatment of Palestinians, there isn't really much new. The Israeli Army is bulldozing houses in the West Bank so that more Jewish settlers can move in. This "ethnic cleansing" is done so that new immigrants from Brooklyn with the right religion can replace Palestinians. 

Then there are the attacks on mosques using teargas and rubber bullets. There are the shootings and crippling of protesters determined to save their farms and homes. Or the beating and incarceration of children. We have seen it all before, like an old documentary film on Kristallnacht. 

The people of Gaza have endured much more: the genocidal attack on their schools, hospitals, power plants, and sewage systems. Israeli military assaults on Gaza always kill lots of children, hundreds in fact. The ultimate aim of the Israeli Army is extermination, and each new bloodbath tests the boundaries of what Israel can get away with.

What is new about Israel's murderous behavior is that more Americans are finally becoming aware of our country's role in perpetuating this carnage. The US protects Israel from the condemnation of the rest of the world at the UN. When it comes to more bombs, missiles and planes, the US is always there to arm and fund the monstrous Israeli war machine. And most of our Congress is simply paid off by the Israel Lobby. Our "progressive" Rep. Delgado, for example, rakes in $30,000 per year from the Lobby and has never uttered the word apartheid. 

Fred

Imbecilic tweets from the most dangerous man in the world

June 10

GUEST: Luma Nichol, writer, LGBTQI activist and Co-founder of the United Front Against Fascism (UFAF) that was organized to counter White Aryan Resistance, the Populist Party, and Aryan Nations in the Northwest, talks about today's anarchist movement.

Are today’s anarchists movement builders?

What if when the fascists come, there is nobody in the streets to fight back? That is not a question that you will find in our neoliberal media, which never wants our activism to go beyond the safe confines of our voting booths. Let the two party system and our Constitution deal with the far right when it raises its ugly head. 

Of course, history is full of examples of what happens when countries leave the protection of democracy up to their corrupt politicians and far right military. The January 6 assault on Congress is a case in point. The assault was planned and promoted by Trump and the Republican Party. And all efforts to protect the Congress were delayed by some top generals at the Pentagon. It was a dry run of an American coupe, only nobody in our media will describe it that way. 

Most lacking was any response in the streets by a unified antifascist movement, determined to protect our democracy from being overrun. Luma and I talked about how right wing racists were defeated in the Northwest. The Nazis and the Aryan Nation were met by even larger crowds of antiracist protesters, and their drive to organize in this region of the country was finally defeated. 

After orchestrating any number of coups in foreign countries, the US seems to be completely ignorant about how democracies get overthrown. Had key members of Congress been captured, Trump would have declared martial law and called on the US military to restore order. The vote count would never have been completed, and we would still be getting imbecilic tweets from the most dangerous man in the world. 

Arguably our most redeeming quality

June 3

GUESTS: Anna Shah, attorney and co-founder of Vaccine Appointment Assistance and Heidi Harrison, community activist and advocate, talk about obstacles to getting COVID shots into low income communities. 

Less likely to get the vaccine in low-income communities

Anna, Heidi and I talked about access to COVID 19 vaccine and why communities of color were initially left out. We covered the usual reasons, less internet connection and less free time or flexibility at work to get a shot. 

Of course, we looked at distrust in African American neighborhoods too. Blacks have a long history of being used in less than ethical studies. Why would this be any different?

We didn't cover conspiracy theories about an overreaching government or a profit obsessed pharmaceutical industry. Anna and Heidi both focused on what was more destructive to the health of minority populations. And the conspiracy theories they encountered there were based on a documented history of being treated like guinea pigs by white scientists in the past. 

We also left out the fact that both Anna and Heidi identify as people of color themselves. Neither saw their volunteer work as racially motivated, but as human response to those in danger. Perhaps our current plague reinforces that life affirming will to serve others in time of need, arguably our most redeeming quality. When COVID has passed, we should all sit down and read The Plague by Albert Camus.