How Humanity Needs To Be Rescued From Capitalism / Clara E. Mattei

On this day in rancid, ugly, horrible, putrid, rotten history . . .

On this day in 1935 – [80 years ago today] Ethiopia was invaded by the armed forces of Benito Mussolini’s Italian Fascist regime, which numbered more than a million and included fighters from Libya, Eritrea, and other client states. The invaders were equipped with the latest in modern aircraft, tanks, artillery, and poison gas. Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie, meanwhile, having foreseen the approach of war, had only managed to raise a defense force of some half-million soldiers, most of whom received little or no training. Some of the Ethiopians had vehicles and weapons that, though outmoded, were still functional -- but others had only bows, spears, and swords. They were quickly overrun, and within a few months Mussolini was acclaimed by enthusiastic crowds in Rome, having declared a new Italian empire in East Africa. The occupation lasted several years, but began losing its grip in the late 1930s as Mussolini joined forces with Nazi Germany and diverted his attention and esources toward wider wars elsewhere. Later, after regaining its independence in 1947, Ethiopia would cite a death toll of more than seven hundred thousand people.     

On this day in 1963 – [52 years ago today] Military forces in Honduras staged a violent coup d’etat just ten days before scheduled national elections. The ousted president, Ramon Villeda Morales, had pushed for democratic reforms, new labor laws, and improvements in public health, education, and infrastructure. But his agrarian measures, which included expropriation of foreign-owned agricultural land, had been criticized by business interests in the United States. Powerful right-wing elements in Honduras had not only accused him of communist sympathies, but also opposed the like-minded candidate who was widely expected to be elected to succeed him. After Villeda Morales was overthrown and exiled to Costa Rica, US president John Kennedy condemned the coup and recalled the US ambassador. But fourteen months later, Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, established new ties with the Honduran military government, which would remain in power until 1982.

Listen live tomorrow 9AM - 10AM Central on WNUR 89.3FM or stream here at thisishell.com

9:10AM - Economist John Kay proposes a new framework for a post-crisis financial system.

John is author of the new book Other People's Money: The Real Business of Finance from Public Affairs.

Here's what Chuck is reading this week to prepare for Saturday's show:

John Kay - Other People's Money: The Real Business of Finance [Public Affairs Books]

John Cassidy - Five Things Jeremy Corbyn Has Right [New Yorker]

Morten Jerven - Africa: Why Economists Get it Wrong [Zed Books]

Alice Dreger - Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science [Penguin]

Listen live tomorrow 9AM - 10:30AM Central on WNUR 89.3FM or stream here at thisishell.com

9:10 - Historian Ray Raphael explores the politics behind America's revolutionary moment.

Ray is co-author (along with Marie Raphael) of the book The Spirit of 74: How the American Revolution Began from the New Press.

9:50 -  Filmmaker Leslee Udwin follows a rape, a backlash, and a political movement in India.

Leslee is the director of the documentary India's Daughter. She'll be screening and talking about the film on Wednesday night at the Siskel Film Center. Listen live to win tickets!

Listen live tomorrow 9AM - 1PM Central on WNUR 89.3FM or stream here at thisishell.com

9:15 - Economist Michael Hudson explains how finance became capitalism's driving force.

Michael is author of the new book Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Destroy the Global Economy

10:05 - Jacobin editor Megan Erickson explores childhood in an age of austerity and division.

Megan's new book is Class War: The Privatization of Childhood from Verso Books.

11:05 - Sociologist Javier Auyero profiles daily life in Argentina's most dangerous neighborhood.

Javier is co-author (along with María Fernanda Berti) of In Harm's Way: The Dynamics of Urban Violence from Princeton University Press.

12:05 - Writer Michelle Chen looks to the present and future of digital labor organizing.

Michelle wrote the article The Unionization of Digital Media for The Nation.

12:45 - Jeff Dorchen bashes (from the left) a left-basher bashing from the left.

We're worried that many left turns puts Jeff on the right.

Here's what Chuck is reading this week to prepare for Saturday's show:

Michael Hudson - Killing the Host: How Financial Parasites and Debt Destroy the Global Economy

Megan Erickson - Class War: The Privatization of Childhood

Javier Auyero & María Fernanda Berti - In Harm's Way: The Dynamics of Urban Violence

Michelle Chen - The Unionization of Digital Media