The HBO documentary THE SWAMP (2020) follows three "maverick" Republican congressmen who seek to fulfil Donald Trump's promise to "drain the swamp," even if that means alienating their party leaders. But what you really need to know about this documentary is that the main one is Matt Gaetz, and he is a huge doofus. PLUS: thoughts on Canada Day, Alex Gibney's Agents of Chaos, and a look back at the media coverage of the War in Iraq.

Michael and Us

#248 - Enemy at the Gaetz

This  week on the Global Research News Hour, on the 20th anniversary of the launching of the war on Afghanistan, we will probe the dynamics of the relationship between the US and Afghanistan, and the look ahead to what it will mean in the larger cold war with Russia and China..
Our first guest Retired Professor of Geography John Ryan will speak about his visit there in 1978, how the Islamic extremist threat  was actually manufactured by the US and how the recent withdrawal of US forces was a result of their 20 year occupation. Next we’ll hear from international economist Professor Rodrique Tremblay about the failure of the US mission and the consequences for the recent Democratic president who ended it. Finally, Professor Michel Chossudovsky comes on to the show explaining that the withdrawal of US soldiers is not the fundamental defeat it appears to be.

Defeat or Victory? The War on Afghanistan (2001-2021)

IATSE one of the largest unions in the country has authorized a strike if talks with management fall through. What does that mean for you and your little shows?

MERCH
poddamnamerica.bigcartel.com

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YAHTZEE w/ Neda Davarpanah & Kate Zasowski

(Patreon-only Rose McGowan interview here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rose-mcgowan-57953217)
Labor journalists Alex Press (https://twitter.com/alexnpress) & Jonah Furman (https://twitter.com/JonahFurman) discuss the labor movement, strikes, John Deere and what it has to do with Alec Baldwin's deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Alex Press is a writer and editor at Jacobin Magazine, whose latest article is "Halyna Hutchins’s Death on the Set of Rust Was 'Not a Freak Accident'."Jonah Furman is a labor movement organizer and writer for Labor Notes (https://twitter.com/labornotes), the media and organizing project that since 1979 has amplified the voice of workers and labor militants. He is also a frequent contributor to The Intercept.

Alec Baldwin Shooting 'NOT a Freak Accident' With Alex Press & Jonah Furman

Ghosts ghosts ghosts!

FOR THE FULL EPISODE SUPPORT THE SHOW @ PATREON.COM/PODDAMNAMERICA

TEASER - Just Ghost Talk w/ Bryn Nieboer

Neil Vallelly on his book "Futilitarianism: Neoliberalism and the Production of Uselessness" from MIT Press.

https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/futilitarianism

The futilitarian condition / Neil Vallelly

The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power. For the first time in history the working class seized and held state power. What was the experience of the Soviet Union? How did it change global politics in the 20th century? What did socialism achieve and what caused the Soviet Union to fall in 1991?

In Part 1, we explore the socialist revolution that brought the Soviet Union into existence and the civil war that immediately followed. Millions died defending the new country, defeating the counter-revolution but then facing the enormous task of rebuilding a nation devastated by war.

Watch the NEW video edition of “The Real Story” on BreakThrough News!

In the first part of this series, Brian is joined by Carlos Martinez, author of “The End of the Beginning: Lessons of the Soviet Collapse,” co-founder of the No Cold War Campaign, and editor of the political analysis site Invent-The-Future.org.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram.  We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you  consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more  are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union -- Lessons for Socialists

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how workers are bearing the deadly  brunt of the devastating tornadoes that ripped across the country. They also cover new revelations about US war crimes in Syria, a military coverup on the Jan. 6 attack, an extradition ruling against heroic journalist Julian Assange, the courageous hunger strike of women in ICE detention in Louisiana, and more.

The following articles are referenced in today's episode:

Tornado Left Deadly Path of Destruction up to 250 Miles Long in Kentucky, Five Other States
https://www.wsj.com/articles/rescuers-search-for-those-missing-after-destructive-tornadoes-in-kentucky-illinois-11639325118

Civilian Deaths Mounted as Secret Unit Pounded ISIS
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/12/us/civilian-deaths-war-isis.html

Starbucks workers win historic first union: “If we can do this here, you can do this too”
https://www.liberationnews.org/starbucks-workers-win-historic-first-union-if-we-can-do-this-here-you-can-do-this-too/

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Capitalism and Imperialism: A Global System of Death

Writer David Dayen on his article "The Great Escape" for The American Prospect, and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen picks egg over chicken.

https://prospect.org/labor/great-escape-why-workers-quitting-pandemic-trauma/

Why workers quit working / David Dayen

Brett & Bryan are backing feeling good saying “fuck walmart”
// Bryans weird therapy experience // 15 days into not smoking // Doing the underground thing while wanting success // Nervous that your therapist is homophobic // Turning homophobic if the boss made you hire a gay guy // NPR people are my natural enemy // The definition of tokenism // The democrats are as bad as possible // Getting a fever from eating ass //    
 
Buffalo worker blasts 'union-busting' Starbucks as results at 1 cafe are challenged
https://yhoo.it/3yxC6Sp
@SBWorkersUnited
// Closed down one location // Stuffing the ballots // Hiring people who are anti-union // Overstaffing to make things unsafe for workers // Swearing to never drink Starbucks again // Trying to “divest” // Feels good saying “fuck walmart” // Target vs Walmart memes //
 
Dollar General is putting workers' safety at risk, Labor Department says
https://cnn.it/3F3miJn
 
 Street Fight Mail - P.O Box 82306 Columbus, OH 43202
Street Fight Radio Call In Show - (614) 655-3887

Union Busters

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how Joe Manchin took his war on workers to new lows over the weekend as he announced on Fox News that he was pulling out of negotiations with the White House over the “Build Back Better” social programs. But these negotiations have long been a farce. From the beginning, Biden pursued a ridiculous strategy, praising Manchin in public instead of building pressure and offering concession after concession. Now the situation has reached an impasse that only mass struggle can break.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Why workers quit working / David Dayen

This Is Hell!

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