Tuesday, February 26, 2019
The Greencast - February 26, 2019 - Hands Off Venezuela
Show Notes: I’m back! Relaunching the show as a proper podcast with actual commentary from me, this time. Comments are open!
Subscribe in your favorite podcast app: https://anchor.fm/greencast/
Show Links:
Theme Music: Passage, by Lee Rosevere http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/
Jill Stein at Hands Off Venezuela https://www.facebook.com/drjillstein/videos/424065811667237/
Jorge Arreaza on Democracy Now https://www.democracynow.org/2019/2/25/the_coup_has_failed_now_the
Trump: We’re Too Far Along
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/
Petition for Marco Rubio’s Resignation
https://www.change.org/p/us-congress-marco-rubio-demand-for-resignation-due-to-promotion-of-violence
Subscribe (RSS) | Subscribe (Podcast) | Download MP3
Monday, February 18, 2019
Trump is a symptom
Liberals: yeah, I've heard your critique that "socialism will not rid us of Trump." (Since you seem to need to remind me of it constantly, I've heard it a bunch.)
Here's the problem with your criticism: Trump is a symptom.
If you don't address the underlying problem - which modern American liberalism never does, and apparently never will - more Trumps (spread across the paper-thin US political divide) are inevitable.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Where was the outrage?
People: Trump's choice of Eliott Abrams to be his administration's point man on Venezuela isn't a "blunder."
This will not come back around to bite him on the ass.
Where was the mass outrage when Abrams praised US-trained murder squads and the massacre of subsistence farmers and peasants in El Salvador in 1982?
Right, nowhere. Americans don't give two shits about the global south unless we can demonize them for coming here and "committing crime" and "selling drugs." Never mind the facts.
Where was the mass outrage when Bush pardoned Abrams for lying to Congress over his role in Iran-Contra?
Precisely nowhere.
Where was the mass outrage when, as a key architect of the Iraq war, every. single. lie. Abrams came up with to justify that war was proven false?
Nowhere at all.
Picking a convicted-but-pardoned war criminal was hardly a blunder.
It plays right into Americans' racism and apathy, and it'll probably work out just fine for the Trump administration.
Freedom is something special...
You really need this in your earholes right now...
"Music feels so special / Freedom is something special / Can you feel it?"
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6mThjPiwVU[/embed]
"Music feels so special / Freedom is something special / Can you feel it?"
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6mThjPiwVU[/embed]
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
So, this happened...
Okay so, I’m sitting with the bloody buggery git on the flight back home and predictably, he wants to pester me every five minutes.
I get this. I know the man, I married the man, he is who he is. Okay, fine.
So, I’m waiting for him to get it out of his system before I put on my headphones and zone out for the flight. (I hate flying.)
“Honey, I love you.”
I love you, too.
“Honey, do you want the red pillow or the blue one?” (It’s purple, but whatever.)
I don’t care. Whichever you want is fine.
“But do you have a preference for either color?”
(I take the “blue” pillow or this will go on for several more minutes.)
“Do you want to buy any snacks from the snack cart?”
No snacks, I’m fine.
“I still love you.”
Oh, thank god, I was beginning to worry. You hadn’t said anything in whole minutes.
...we do several more minutes of our usual Laurel and Hardy act, and he settles down to grade papers.
“How do you spell... what’s the word?”
I have no idea.
“You know, that thing you did when you were younger.”
Metabolize nutrients? I have no idea what you mean.
(We spend several more minutes until finally his spelling crisis is averted. I tentatively dive into a podcast — last week’s Macbreak Weekly, if you care. Flight attendant comes by with drink service. Back to my podcast.)
“Honey! Honey!”
...yes?
“I still love you.”
Oh, thank god. (Back to headphones.)
“Honey? Honey! HONEY!!”
...yes?
“How do I airdrop these files to you?”
(Tech support hilarity ensues. We get papers transferred to me, and I ask if I can go back to my podcast so I can zone out and try to ignore the fact that we’re hurtling through the sky in a 17,000 lb tube of fiery death.)
“Honey? Honey! HONEY!!!”
...yes?
“Are you listening to a podcast?”
...I loathe you right now. ?
Him: <evil grin> ?
I get this. I know the man, I married the man, he is who he is. Okay, fine.
So, I’m waiting for him to get it out of his system before I put on my headphones and zone out for the flight. (I hate flying.)
“Honey, I love you.”
I love you, too.
“Honey, do you want the red pillow or the blue one?” (It’s purple, but whatever.)
I don’t care. Whichever you want is fine.
“But do you have a preference for either color?”
(I take the “blue” pillow or this will go on for several more minutes.)
“Do you want to buy any snacks from the snack cart?”
No snacks, I’m fine.
“I still love you.”
Oh, thank god, I was beginning to worry. You hadn’t said anything in whole minutes.
...we do several more minutes of our usual Laurel and Hardy act, and he settles down to grade papers.
“How do you spell... what’s the word?”
I have no idea.
“You know, that thing you did when you were younger.”
Metabolize nutrients? I have no idea what you mean.
(We spend several more minutes until finally his spelling crisis is averted. I tentatively dive into a podcast — last week’s Macbreak Weekly, if you care. Flight attendant comes by with drink service. Back to my podcast.)
“Honey! Honey!”
...yes?
“I still love you.”
Oh, thank god. (Back to headphones.)
“Honey? Honey! HONEY!!”
...yes?
“How do I airdrop these files to you?”
(Tech support hilarity ensues. We get papers transferred to me, and I ask if I can go back to my podcast so I can zone out and try to ignore the fact that we’re hurtling through the sky in a 17,000 lb tube of fiery death.)
“Honey? Honey! HONEY!!!”
...yes?
“Are you listening to a podcast?”
...I loathe you right now. ?
Him: <evil grin> ?
Monday, February 11, 2019
This is what you’re supporting
The right-wing “pro-democracy” opposition we’ve been supporting for the better part of two decades has burned multiple people alive.
This is what you’re supporting when you claim you want to “help” the people of Venezuela by supporting this shit.
https://twitter.com/drjillstein/status/1095003456572657665?s=21
Content warnings: torture, violence.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13206
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13170
https://www.rt.com/news/389579-venezuela-protester-burnt-alive/
This is what you’re supporting when you claim you want to “help” the people of Venezuela by supporting this shit.
"Democracy champion" Guaido has deleted tweets showing him leading one of the violent "guarimba" street riots that plagued #Venezuela starting in 2014, in which armed right-wing extremists burned public buildings & lynched both police officers & civilians.
https://twitter.com/drjillstein/status/1095003456572657665?s=21
Content warnings: torture, violence.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13206
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13170
https://www.rt.com/news/389579-venezuela-protester-burnt-alive/
Saturday, February 9, 2019
One Million and Counting
Jill Stein, via Twitter:
Pompeo's "Hezbollah in #Venezuela" is like the new "Iraq did 9/11", but way crazier. Who still believes a thing NeoCons say after they lied us into disastrous regime change wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya & more?
NEVER FORGET: their lies have killed 1M people & counting!
https://twitter.com/drjillstein/status/1094271599308607488?s=21
Pompeo's "Hezbollah in #Venezuela" is like the new "Iraq did 9/11", but way crazier. Who still believes a thing NeoCons say after they lied us into disastrous regime change wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya & more?
NEVER FORGET: their lies have killed 1M people & counting!
https://twitter.com/drjillstein/status/1094271599308607488?s=21
Friday, February 8, 2019
No, PayGo is not about fiscal responsibility.
No, folks, PayGo is not the Speaker being fiscally responsible. That’s the lie they’d like you to believe. Speaker Pelosi can get around PayGo and pass any budget bill she wants, simply by using the emergency provision. Declare it an emergency budget proposal, and PayGo is irrelevant.
It’s a rule change, not a federal law. The next House session can suspend PayGo, or adopt new rules with a simple majority. Republicans have done this several times.
The only Constitutional requirement is that the House adopts its rules, or the Senate adopts its rules with a simple majority of the quorum present. Speaker Pelosi could suspend PayGo tomorrow with half the caucus present, provided it was a simple majority of the votes present at the time.
PayGo has nothing to do with “fiscal responsibility.” Not one thing.
PayGo is a poison pill to kill Medicare for All, and any other progressive legislation that would upset Speaker Pelosi’s meal ticket in the health insurance industry. That’s all it’s for.
It’s a rule change, not a federal law. The next House session can suspend PayGo, or adopt new rules with a simple majority. Republicans have done this several times.
The only Constitutional requirement is that the House adopts its rules, or the Senate adopts its rules with a simple majority of the quorum present. Speaker Pelosi could suspend PayGo tomorrow with half the caucus present, provided it was a simple majority of the votes present at the time.
PayGo has nothing to do with “fiscal responsibility.” Not one thing.
PayGo is a poison pill to kill Medicare for All, and any other progressive legislation that would upset Speaker Pelosi’s meal ticket in the health insurance industry. That’s all it’s for.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
The US is orchestrating a coup in Venezuela
From the Santa Clara Green Party:
The US is orchestrating a coup in Venezuela to remove the twice democratically elected socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power and seize control of the country's oil resources (the largest in the world) and gold reserves.
The US and its allies (among them Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Sweden, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile) have recognized Juan Guaido, the President of the National Assembly and leader of the opposition, as the legitimate acting president of Venezuela.
They imposed additional economical sanctions on Venezuela while freezing the country's assets abroad in an effort to further destabilize the socialist regime and topple Maduro. At the same time, the EU, Canada and some Latin countries are calling for new elections and pushing the Military - that is still supporting President Maduro - to cooperate with the opposition to allow the passage of humanitarian aid.
Maduro is resisting, calling this offer and the sanctions an excuse to start an invasion. Meanwhile, the US is mobilizing its armed forces for a possible military intervention.
This scenario, now supported by the EU, follows a pattern of other coups the US has orchestrated in Latin America throughout the 20th century to overthrow democratically elected left-wing regimes and take over their natural resources: Guatemala in 1954, Brazil in 1964, Chile in 1973, Argentina in 1976, and many more.
https://mailchi.mp/77d771f7381a/gpscc-jan19-newsletter-712445?e=3a349e277f
The US is orchestrating a coup in Venezuela to remove the twice democratically elected socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power and seize control of the country's oil resources (the largest in the world) and gold reserves.
The US and its allies (among them Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Sweden, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile) have recognized Juan Guaido, the President of the National Assembly and leader of the opposition, as the legitimate acting president of Venezuela.
They imposed additional economical sanctions on Venezuela while freezing the country's assets abroad in an effort to further destabilize the socialist regime and topple Maduro. At the same time, the EU, Canada and some Latin countries are calling for new elections and pushing the Military - that is still supporting President Maduro - to cooperate with the opposition to allow the passage of humanitarian aid.
Maduro is resisting, calling this offer and the sanctions an excuse to start an invasion. Meanwhile, the US is mobilizing its armed forces for a possible military intervention.
This scenario, now supported by the EU, follows a pattern of other coups the US has orchestrated in Latin America throughout the 20th century to overthrow democratically elected left-wing regimes and take over their natural resources: Guatemala in 1954, Brazil in 1964, Chile in 1973, Argentina in 1976, and many more.
https://mailchi.mp/77d771f7381a/gpscc-jan19-newsletter-712445?e=3a349e277f
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Champagne Boycott?
The demand from pro-Israel advocates for boycott consistency has little to do with a belief in the need for ethical purity in all matters. Rather, it’s another attempt at deflection.
Much easier to talk about “hypocrisy” from BDS supporters than have to defend home demolitions on the West Bank caused by Israel’s separate and unequal jurisdiction in the Occupied Territories. 82 homes were destroyed in 2018 alone.
Much easier to keep insisting that Israel is a liberal democracy and Jerusalem is the undivided capital of the Jewish people than discuss why 330,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem will not get to vote in Israel’s General Election in April.
Much easier to talk-up the threat of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme than acknowledge that Israel has been in possession of nuclear weapons for decades but still denies it.
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/02/why-champagne-boycotter/
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
The parties of war and Wall St
Green State of the Union 2019
https://www.facebook.com/drjillstein/videos/2703370116354866/
McCarthyism 2.0
A big salute to the millions of Americans refusing to be bullied into silence, despite the campaign to blame and shame independent voters, and the shameful new #McCarthyism2.0 that’s trying to smear voices of peace and political opposition as supposed tools of Russia. #SOTU
https://twitter.com/DrJillStein/status/1092983946063810563
Watching dude Twitter lose its collective shit...
Watching dude twitter flip the entire fuck out over being told they don't get to unilaterally order women to smile in public raises a couple of points: if it's exhausting to me, imagine how much more exhausting it is for the women who have to live with this shit every. single. day. Secondly, dudes, if you still can't see it, let's flip it around. You should totally smile. On my demand. Because I think you look more attractive when you do. So smile more. Because I want you to be pretty.
Monday, February 4, 2019
We took over from Spain and never left
You need to understand that colonialism in Latin America has never ended. They want you to break it up, into individual incidents, and the will of some "mistaken" Presidents because if you see the whole picture - it's clear we took over from Spain & never left.
https://mobile.twitter.com/EIWBM_Cat/status/1092639856709324801
The question of whether or not Maduro is good or bad...
The question of whether or not Maduro is good or bad is an intentional misdirection. The point is this: the US has no right to be staging a coup in Latin America, period, let alone for the purpose of stealing Venezuelan resources under the guise of "fostering democracy."
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/04/world/americas/venezuela-support-maduro-guaido.html
By Weakening Capitalism at Home
From Capitalism and Theory, by Michael Kidron. Excellent book. Go check it out now at Haymarket Books.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)