Misfits Bob Schlehuber and Jamarl Thomas have strong words for anyone trying to lay the blame for this catastrophe anywhere outside the US, and on anyone not in power. Our capitalist system has brought us to this moment, and our leaders in both parties have perpetuated it, to their own gain and the loss of tens of millions. And the same people who profit from this system through every disaster will ensure that the face of the “opposition” in America is Joe Biden. When will we learn, and when will we act?
Ruth Hopkins, Dakota/Lakota Sioux writer & journalist, joined the Misfits to discuss the relief the government is providing to native communities during the pandemic and some of the unique challenges to responding to the pandemic on reservations. Indian health services are chronically underfunded, she says, and that exacerbates the difficulties in responding to this pandemic. The sheer distances between food sources, clinics and other necessary services and goods providers make limiting travel very difficult on rural reservations. Hopkins spoke on the importance of protecting native elders and how tribal leaders have stepped up to respond to the pandemic and hold the line on tribal rights. She also gave us an update on pipeline projects in Indian Country and the intersection of energy, sovereignty, and health.
Alex Vitale, a sociology professor and author of the recent book “The End of Policing,” spoke with the Misfits about bail reform efforts in the US and the challenges they face, as well as whether the Democrats will attempt to bench Joe Biden before the convention. They also discussed crackdowns on coronavirus whistleblowers not in China, but right here in the US, and how the US’ imperial ambitions don’t translate into care for the actual individuals involved in its wars. The three discussed what drives over-policing in the US, the lack of trust between Americans and their leaders, and what can be done to build connections and galvanize communities to expect and demand better.
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