In Caleb's recent article, "Fear of Russia and the Rise of 'Left Birchers,'" he opens with the following: "In being defined merely by its opponents and fixating on a fear of Russia, a large chunk of the far-left has usurped the role held by the far-right during the Cold War." Who on the far-left is this referring to and how so? He further writes, "In the 1960s, anti-communist fanatics could not really explain the ideology of Marxism, simply seeing it as 'dictatorship,' 'redistribution of wealth' or 'taking my money away.' Likewise, the new Birchers often cannot tell you what a 'fascist' is, or offer a comprehensible definition. However, these folks are happy to draw complex charts and graphs, in attempts to convince you that someone is a fascist, utilizing classic 'guilt by association.' Furthermore, much like the Birchers of Cold War era, due to some strange leaps in logic, all the 'transphobia,' 'slut-shaming,' 'mansplaining",' 'white supremacy' and 'fascism' they are opposed to is somehow being imported from Russia, directed as part of a Kremlin conspiracy to hurt the US status quo."
In his second piece, "Talk of Socialism Stirs Controversy in the US," Caleb writes, "After Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's victory, all across US media a debate about 'socialism' has taken place. Among Republicans and conservatives, alarm-bells have sounded. Ocasio-Cortez is accused of wanting to 'turn the USA into Venezuela.' Because Ocasio-Cortez has criticized capitalism, her critics equate her to Marxist-Leninists, and invoke Cold War rhetoric against her." What's wrong or problematic with these labels?
It's Friday, so it's time for my panel. We'll get into all the latest news from Sen. John McCain's announcement that he will stop treatment for the brain cancer he has been battling for over a year; Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg being granted immunity in the Cohen probe; and Fox News host Tucker Carlson discussing the alleged plight of white South African farmers on his program, prompting President Trump to tweet calls for further study. We've got that and much more!
Guests:
Caleb Maupin — Journalist and political analyst who focuses his coverage on US foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and imperialism. He has appeared on Russia Today, PressTV, TeleSur and CNN. He has reported from across the United States, as well as from Iran, the Gulf of Aden and Venezuela.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson — Political analyst, author of Why Black Lives Do Matter and host of the weekly Hutchinson Report on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles and the Pacifica Network.
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