Haiti’s Moise Assassinated, and a History of Fascist Plots in the US

1934 ‘Business Plot’ strikes interesting parallels with January 6 Capitol Attack; Former exec charged in Berta Caceres murder; Canada’s blood-soaked history of genocide revealed

On this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Dr. Gabriel Rockhill, an organizer, Founding Director of the Critical Theory Workshop, and Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, to mark six months since the armed, racist mob attack against the US Capitol, pulling from the history of the 1934 ‘Business Plot’ where Wall Street and prominent US families conspired to carry out a fascist coup against the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt in an effort to roll back the New Deal. Rockhill makes note of the role of communist organizers in the anti-fascist struggle and proffers that organizers of today should take note of this history as we see similar contradictions in the ruling class in our current moment.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Vicki Cervantes, North America Coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network to discuss Roberto David Castillo being charged in conspiring in the assassination of indigenous organizer Berta Caceres, how Carceres’ killing evidence the grave human rights condition in Honduras, and prevailing questions about the possible involvement of US-backed President Juan Orlando Hernandez

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Radhika Desai, a Professor at the University of Manitoba and Director of  Geopolitical Economy Research Group to discuss the recent and ongoing discovery of the remains of hundreds of indigenous children in unmarked graves at several of Canada’s residential schools, how the discovery of the childrens’ remains defies Canada’s reputation as the kindly northern neighbor to the US, how the schools were an expression of settler colonialism and genocide against Indigenous people in Canada, and how the very use of the term “residential school” is an example of how settler colonialism distorts history, as the sites were really indoctrination/assimilation centers designed to strip Indigenous children of their language and culture, and forced labor camps where hundreds - if not thousands - of lives were taken, and survivors were left with lifelong trauma.

In the final segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Jemima Pierre, Haiti/Americas Coordinator for the Black Alliance for Peace to discuss the assassination of embattled Haitian president Jovenel Moise, the long history of US-led imperialism in the government of Haiti that every president supported, the implication on the assassination on the relationship between Haiti and Venezuela, the connection to the right-wing government in countries like the Dominican Republic to Haitian politics, what continued imperialist control of Haiti means for US influence in the Caribbean, and how this latest intervention in Haitian politics is part of the persistent Western white supremacist attack on the Black nation that fought for and won its own self-determination. 

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