Power Switch
History is always open: On the prospect of tyranny in America.
Historian Timothy Snyder examines our past (and present) for signs of tyranny in our future - from the spectacle of President Trump's seduction of the media and voters in 2016, to the ways our language and logic are already adapting to an anti-democratic reality - and calls for an intellectual defense of reason, and an IRL defense of each other while there's still time.
Timothy is author of the new book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century from Tim Duggan Books.
How American Democrats found their Russian hackers.
Live from St. Petersburg, investigative journalist Yasha Levine sorts through the murk of the DNC / hack / leak(?) story - from the still-missing proof of Russian involvement, to the very apparent signs of gross incompetence within the DNC - and warns against trusting a convenient Democratic narrative short on details.
[Some static thru the first half of this, wish we could blame Russia but looks like a WNUR problem]
Yasha wrote the article From Russia, With Panic for The Baffler.
Understanding America's role in Saudi Arabia's role in the slaughter in Yemen.
Peace activist Kathy Kelly examines the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and traces responsibility for the military war and looming famine to not only Saudi Arabia, but a deeply cynical move by the UN Security Council, and the US military-industrial complex that produces nothing but death for its victims and profits for its customers.
Kathy wrote the piece The Shame of Killing Innocent People for Common Dreams.
The past cannot be bygone: Post-war battles for land and justice in Sri Lanka.
The Oakland Institute’s Anuradha Mittal examines the failures of post-war reconciliation in Sri Lanka, as the military occupies swathes of the country's land and budget, while the Tamil minority remains displaced, or disappeared, and the the international community shelves human rights inquiries for business opportunities.
The Oakland Institute just published the report Justice Denied: A Reality Check on Resettlement, Demilitarization and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
A panoramic guide to Venezuela's economic and political crisis.
Latin America specialist Julia Buxton examines the historical and policy roots of Venezuela's current economic disaster, and explains why both the country's dysfunctional opposition and foreign attempts to challenge Chavismo not only undermine their own efforts, but destabilize and push the country further into crisis.
Julia wrote the article Situation Normal in Venezuela: All Fouled Up for NACLA Report on the Americas.
The world is a BBQ, and we are but its death sausages.
In a red hot Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen considers the world on fire - our sausages, our ground floor dwellings, our ESL teachers, our glass, our water, our men, our fish, our trash, our knowledge, our prisoners, our Indian subcontinent - and with his dying, crispy breath, gives some pretty good advice about steaming your sausages first.
