US Exits Afghanistan; Back to School During COVID; California Recall; Candyman Review

US leaves Afghanistan, ending its longest war. The legacy of the occupation and what this means for the US pivot to China.

Ted Rall, award-winning political cartoonist, columnist, and author, and K.J. Noh, global justice activist, writer, teacher, and a member of Veterans for Peace, join us in conversation about the meaning of the US exit from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, and the general response by pundits and politicians in the US. We talk about the panic about the country becoming a drug production hub despite the fact that the US occupation accelerated drug production in the country, a piece on how the “US cannot be trusted anymore” after its withdrawal without taking into account the long and dismal record of US military intervention globally and the consequences and legacy it invariably leaves behind, how the withdrawal means an increasing anti-China policy, and about calls to impeach President Biden over the withdrawal. 

Joshua Harris, incoming Vice President of the Maryland NAACP, talks to us about students returning to in-person schooling in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic raging on with the Delta variant, whether safety measures will be enough to protect students, whether local governments have done a good job connecting with their communities regarding the reopening of schools, how the pandemic has shaped our approach to education, and what changes we could see in the future.

Tina-Desiree Berg, host of the podcast District 34  and reporter for Status Coup, joins hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber to talk about the rise of Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) and how mainstream media can propagate hate across the US, opponents of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California gathering enough signatures to trigger a recall election for him on September 14, and the half-hearted attempt to provide help to tenants after the eviction moratorium was struck down last week. 

Jacqui Luqman, co-host of By Any Means Necessary of Radio Sputnik, joins us to talk about the remake of the cult horror classic “Candyman,” its social critique, what it means for black filmmakers and artists, and whether it holds up to the original.  

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