Joe Biden Mulls Student Loan Cancellation as Tough Midterms Loom

Melissa Lucio and Gender Injustice, The OAS and Oppression of Haiti, How Identity Politics Is Used By Elites

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Hannah Dickinson, professor and organizer with Geneva Women’s Assembly in Geneva, NY and Managing Editor of Breaking The Chains Magazine to discuss the case of Melissa Lucio and the years of abuse she endured that contributed to her prosecution in the death of her daughter, the lack of evidence for the claim that she abused and killed her daughter and the abuses endured by working and poor women in the criminal justice system, the unique criminalization of mothers in cases of abuse that are not exercised against fathers and other men, and what the next step looks like after the stay in execution and the possibility of justice.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Jemima Pierre, Haiti/Americas Coordinator for the Black Alliance for Peace to discuss the history of the Organization of American States as the US ministry of colonies in Haiti, OAS interference in Haitian elections and the organization;s role in legitimizing illegitimate and undemocratic elections, the role that so-called humanitarian aid plays in regime change abroad and why the presence of so many so-called aid groups actually serves to keep Haiti impoverished, and what the outlook is like for Haiti as the US continues to uphold Ariel Henry as prime minister.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown. Author of Reconsidering Reparations and the new book, Elite Capture, How The Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else) to discuss how identity politics and the ideas of the Combahee River Collective have been captured and misused by elites to consolidate their power and silo political action to an identitarian basis, how elite capture of identity politics has given rise to right-wing backlash against a mangled idea of identity politics that removes the class aspect that was originally included, and what identity politics can contribute to popular grassroots organizing.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Ted Rall, award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and author of the graphic novel, "The Stringer," to discuss the dilemma that Joe Biden faces as he faces a tough midterm election and his hesitancy to cancel student loan debt, the absurdity of making the student loan question one of personal responsibility despite the fact that a college education and loans have become necessary in today’s economy, how likely the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is to escalate into nuclear war, and why the escalating tensions between Russia and the US are the result of US and NATO aggression.

We'd love to get your feedback at [e-mail]

The views and opinions expressed in this programme are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.