Clearing the FOG with co-hosts Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese

As 2019 comes to a close and we enter a new decade, we look back at the major events and issues that shaped the year with Chris Hedges. We discuss the rise of the Right, in part due to the weaknesses of the Left, what the Sanders campaign means for activism and achieving meaningful social change and whether or not the United States is ready for a massive uprising against neo-liberalism, as is happening around the world. The next decade will be a time when major crises such as the climate, wealth inequality and militarism are devastating. At some point, a spark will be lit in the US, but in the current environment, that is likely to result in greater movement to the right unless we prepare now to build power on the left. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_29_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:23am EDT

The United Nations Conference of Parties, COP25, climate meetings to continue working on the Paris Climate Agreement ended recently. They took place in Madrid Spain rather than Chile because of popular uprisings against neoliberalism in Chile. We speak with Anne Petermann of the Global Justice Ecology Project. Petermann has been attending the COP meetings since the early 2000s. Her organization chose to stay in Chile. We speak with her about what is going on there and about the COP meetings - whether they are effective or not - and what people need to be doing to deal with the climate crisis effectively. Petermann explains why many of the 'solutions' being put forward are false and harmful paths. We also provide current news and analysis.

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_22_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:24pm EDT

On December 12, Jeremy Corbyn, head of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, suffered a great defeat as the conservative Boris Johnson became the new prime minister with a gain of 47 new seats. Labour lost 59 seats. After years of austerity, including cuts to the National Health Service, Corbyn offered a strong manifesto outlining his program for change. We speak with Dr. Leo Panitch, a professor who has studied the Labour Party and left politics since the 1970s. Panitch explains what happened in the UK election and what it potentially means for Senator Sanders' run for president in the United States. He also speaks more broadly about what the left needs to do to build power to the point of having the capability of instituting a progressive platform. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org. 

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_16_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:36pm EDT

Native Americans and allies recently commemorated the 50th Annual National Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. Next year will be the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims landing as part of the European colonization of North America, which led to land theft and massacres of the Indigenous Peoples living there. We speak with Jean-Luc Pierite of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe who currently resides in Boston about the National Day of Mourning and some of the ways European colonization and the genocide that resulted from it are ongoing. Pierite describes efforts he is involved in such as community programs, reenactments, and legislation and the solidarity that is building worldwide. He emphasizes the necessity of oppressed peoples' voices being at the center of the struggle to decolonize the United States and bring about reparations. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_9_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:07pm EDT

This week, Latin American countries allied with the United States are meeting in Colombia to invoke a post-World War II treaty, the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, TIAR in Spanish, which would permit military intervention in Venezuela. This comes as the US-appointed coup-leader Juan Guaido faces the end of his term as president of the Venezuelan National Assembly and all efforts to install him as the president of Venezuela have failed. We speak with William Camacaro, a Venezuelan activist living in the United States, about the impact of TIAR and what people in the United States can do to stop US interference in Venezuela. We also discuss what is happening in the region as the United States loses control. Plus, we provide current news and analysis. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_2_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:40pm EDT

As an independent journalist, Alison Weir went on her own to see what was happening during the Second Intifada (uprising) in Occupied Palestine. What she found was the complete opposite of what was being reported in the corporate media. Upon her return, she founded "If Americans Knew" and has been covering Occupied Palestine and the Israeli state in a fact-based way ever since. We speak with Weir about the extent of US support for the Israeli State, the most prominent misconceptions being pedaled in the United States and the reality Palestinians experience. She also describes how to reach people in the United States who are misinformed and what we can do to end the injustice.

Direct download: CtF_Show_11_25_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:55am EDT

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a long history of monitoring, infiltrating and entrapping activists and social movements engaged in First Amendment activity. A new report by Rights and Dissent's legal counsel Chip Gibbons details some of these activities over the past decade. The report covers FBI surveillance from Occupy to racial justice movements, and from those who work to abolish ICE to peace activists. We speak with Gibbons about the history of the FBI, why it is not structured to be held accountable and how it fits into the whole practice of state surveillance. We also discuss how the FBI interferes with protected First Amendment rights and what people can do to stop these repressive practices. For more information, visit www.PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_Show_11_18_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 2:30am EDT

Revolts are arising all around the world and it can be hard to keep track of them. We speak with Andre Vltchek, a photographer, writer and documentarian who travels all over to cover world events. He brings a deeper understanding of the conditions that have given rise to the protests, the historical context of those conditions and outside forces that may be influencing them. We discuss Lebanon, a very complex situation where basic social services have broken down but there are also western interests; Hong Kong, China, and the Uyghurs, which are completely propagandized in the United States; and Chile, where people are facing violent state repression and a deeply neoliberal government that has existed since the US-led coup by General Pinochet in 1973. Vltchek provides incredible insights and information. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_Show_11_11_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 2:50am EDT

From November 22 to 24, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, founded in 1973, will be relaunching itself in Chicago, IL. A major part of the conference will be focused on work to create community control of the police to end racist, violent and murderous police actions. We speak with Frank Chapman, who has been with the alliance from the start and who is involved in the work in Chicago to create a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). They have legislation in the city government. Chapman speaks about how they have made so much progress to this goal in Chicago, what potential it will unleash for transformative change and how it ties into the long struggle for black liberation and against fascism.

Visit PopularResistance.org for more information

Direct download: Ctf_Show_11_04_2019.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 7:49pm EDT

Latin America is in a revolt against neoliberalism and the austerity measures that go with it. Ecuador and Chile have had mass protests in recent weeks. Bolivia re-elected President Morales, who has put anti-neoliberal policies in place in his previous three terms. Argentina defeated its neoliberal president, Macri, in the recent election and Hondurans are mobilizing to defeat their current president. We speak with Camilo Mejia about Nicaragua where the US had a failed coup attempt last year and is continuing to try to overthrow President Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista Movement. Mejia helps us recognize the similar tactics being used in each of these countries and describes the real economic alternative that Nicaragua offers to the world, an alternative the capitalists don't want people to be aware of.

Direct download: CtF_Show_10_28_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT

President Trump recently announced he was withdrawing US troops from northeastern Syria where they had fought and imprisoned ISIS members with the Kurds. This move gave the green light for Turkey to invade and try to push the Kurds out ostensibly to replace them with the three million Syrian refugees from the western region currently living in Turkey. Democrats and Republicans are criticizing Trump for withdrawing and abandoning the Kurds. This has created a dilemma for peace activists - should the troops stay or go? We speak with Ajamu Baraka of Black Alliance for Peace who has spent time in the Middle East, most recently in Syria, to clarify what is going on and how best to advocate for peace in the region.

Clearing the FOG is a project of PopularResistance.org.

Direct download: CtF_show_10_21_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:33pm EDT

President Lenin Moreno restored neo-liberalism to Ecuador, accepting a $4.2 billion dollar loan from the US-dominated International Monetary Fund that required measures call 'structural adjustments'. These included putting austerity in place in order to repay the loan. When Moreno announced Decree 883, or "The [Austerity] Package," on October 4, the country erupted in a general strike with mass protests in many cities. Moreno imposed a national emergency, fled to the coast and sent police and troops to repress the protests. At least ten people died and thousands were injured. We speak with Wellington Echegaray, an Ecuadorian living in the United States, about the protests and about the history of political instability and difficult living conditions that led to this uprising.

Direct download: CtF_Show_10_14_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:35pm EDT

In 2015, under great pressure from a broad media justice movement, the FCC passed Net Neutrality policies that guaranteed the universal right to go where users want to go on the Internet. In 2017, the Trump FCC under Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai moved quickly to repeal Net Neutrality. The movement responded with several tactics to win Net Neutrality back. One of those was a challenge in court, Mozilla v FCC. Last week, the court finally announced its decision. We speak with Craig Aaron of Free Press about that decision. While the court did not restore Net Neutrality, it did open the doors for the movement to use other tactics to achieve a free Internet. Aaron describes what those are and the bigger picture of an Internet for everyone.

Direct download: CtF_Show_10_7_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:06am EDT

As the United Nations wraps up its General Assembly session, we speak with Bahman Azad, a professor who heads the United States Peace Council, about the unprecedented steps the Trump administration took to restrict visiting diplomats and heads of state from attending or from speaking outside the UN during their stay. We discuss the current state of the world, the harmful impacts of US imperialism, and powerful global institutions such as the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. As the world shifts to one where there are many dominating countries, how will that impact US foreign policy and our chances of creating a more peaceful, just and livable future? We also discuss 'Ukrainegate' in-depth and other current events.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_9_30_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:49pm EDT

Customs and Border Protection is in the news with the recent article in the New York Times on the lowered morale among CBP officers. Much of it stems from public opposition to the detention and separation of families and mistreatment of adults and children, whether it be crowded cells with unsanitary conditions and inadequate food or sexual and physical abuse of children and deaths. Immigrant detention is being compared to concentration camps. We speak with Jenn Budd, a former CBP officer turned whistleblower, who speaks about the reality of CBP from the inadequate training to the compromising and corruption of officers, from the misogyny to the racism and what happens to officers who speak out. Budd describes the dysfunctional culture of the CBP in detail and shares her wisdom on whether or not CBP should continue to exist.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_WBAI_9_23_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 3:09pm EDT

Ireland has been a neutral nation since the 1930s, meaning it doesn't join military alliances and under numerous treaties is not supposed to assist other countries in military endeavors. However, the United States regularly violates Irish neutrality by flying troops, weapons and military supplies through Shannon Airport. We speak with Tarak Kauff, Ken Mayers and Ellen Davidson, all members of Veterans for Peace, about an action Tarak and Ken took in March to protest the US' violations. They were arrested and held in jail for 12 days for a minor offense and since then have had their passports seized and are not allowed to leave Ireland. It could be many years before they face trial. Listen to their story and what their current walk across Ireland to raise awareness of Ireland's participation in wars.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_9_16_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 9:37pm EDT

On March 30 2018, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip started a weekly peaceful protest they call "The Great March of Return." The purpose was to go to the wall separating them from their previous homes and demonstrate their desire to return. The response by the state of Israel has been violent and intense, killing 210 demonstrators and wounding more than 7,400. Although they were blocked from entering Gaza, Abby Martin and Mike Prysner of Empire Files were able to obtain high-quality video footage of the frontlines and interviews of people involved in the weekly actions. We speak with Abby Martin about their new documentary, "Gaza Fights for Freedom," and the severe conditions under which Palestinians live. Martin and Prysner show the reality that is not portrayed in most media today.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_9_9_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:04pm EDT

Residents of Newark New Jersey learned last year that their water was poisoned with high levels of lead, something the government failed to inform them about even though it knew about it in June 2017. When people learned of the problem, the government first denied it and then tried to blame homeowners and downplayed the severity of the impacts. Then, the city offered half-hearted solutions. We speak with Anthony Diaz, a long time organizer in Newark, who co-founded the Newark Water Coalition. They recently had a successful direct action and won an important victory, but there is still more to do. Diaz explains what is going on and offers advice for others who may face similar struggles. 

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_9_2_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:44pm EDT

Wildfires are raging around the world, creating a negative feedback loop for the climate by releasing greenhouse gases and destroying the forests' capacity to sequester carbon. The United States is on track to be the biggest producer of oil and gas in the 2020's. According to Global Witness, seven of the top ten producers of new fossil fuels are states in the US, with Texas producing nearly four times more than Canada and almost ten times more than Russia. Democratic Party leadership is preventing a presidential debate on climate and is suppressing efforts to develop a Green New Deal. Scientists say that we don't have any time left to take action on the climate. We should have made changes decades ago. In response, climate activism is escalating. We speak with Greg Schwedock of the Extinction Rebellion in New York City about actions being planned this fall and the current political environment.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_8_26_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 7:44pm EDT

Protests have been escalating in Hong Kong this year with tens of thousands of people taking the streets and aggressive actions such as occupying the airport and attacking journalists. What started in April as opposition to an extradition law has erupted into a 'pro-democracy' and racist anti-China movement that is supported by the US corporate media and members of Congress. It has the markings of a color revolution. We speak with author and activist K. J. Noh about the protests - who is behind them and what they want - and about Hong Kong's relationship to China. He describes the ways that China differs from traditional western politics and development. As China rises, it is critical to understand these differences and how they impact the shifting global power dynamics.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_8_19_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:20am EDT

In a textbook United States regime change operation, wealthy businessmen manufactured a revolution in Hawai'i and executed a coup d'état in 1893. The Queen of the Hawai'ian Kingdom surrendered the administration of the country, but never its sovereignty. A Hawai'ian Kingdom government continues to operate to this day and is working to regain its sovereignty. We speak with Hawai'ian Kingdom Foreign Minister Leon Siu about the story of Hawai'i's struggle for independence and the broken promises of the US government over the past century. This struggle is escalating through the current protests at Mauna Kea and has big plans in store this fall. We discuss where people in the US can learn more and how to support the Hawai'ian independence movement.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_8_12_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 4:14pm EDT

The United States has long considered itself to be above the law, and it has gotten away with it by manufacturing public support for its actions, no matter how heinous, through the myths that we are better than everyone else and that we mean well even when things don't work out. Roberto Sirvent and Danny Haiphong's new book busts through these myths and shows why all of the problems of today are consistent with the history of what "America" has always been. Every chapter exposes truths and raises questions about who we really are. We can only live up to the values we claim to support if we understand these hard truths and recognize that to fix anything, we must fix everything. While it sounds daunting, the world is changing and this book provides essential knowledge for a path to a better place.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

 

Direct download: CtF_show_8_5_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:52pm EDT

Puerto Ricans have suffered over the past several years from deep debt, a faltering economy and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Struggling to hold on, the final straw came when hundreds of chats between the Governor and other officials were published showing their blatant disregard for the living and the thousands who died after Maria. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have mobilized to demand the Governor's resignation. We speak with Natasha Bannan, a lawyer who lives in Puerto Rico and is active in the protests about the corruption and subversion of democracy behind this mass uprising, what the people want and how activists can support Puerto Ricans.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_7_22_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 9:08am EDT

"The Earth Is Not For Sale." That is the title of David Schwartzman's new book, written with his son Peter. Both are environmental scientists who have worked on climate change issues for a long time. Schwartzman says the problem is that right now the earth is for sale and it shouldn't be. He discusses what he calls "militarized fossil capitalism," and  explains why it is a fundamental problem driving the climate crisis. Schwartzman outlines the possible scenarios for the future, what needs to be done to have a chance for a positive outcome (he believes that is still possible) and how we get there. We also cover recent news and actions.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_7_15_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:35am EDT

It wasn't always a crime to cross the border, but now it is not only a crime but we are also housing immigrants in concentration camps under severe conditions and prosecuting those who try to assist them. As awareness of the inhumanity of immigration policy in the United States grows, people are taking action to change it. We speak with immigration attorney Heather Benno about how the laws have changed (hint: it started way before Trump) and practical advice for immigrants and human rights advocates about how to handle ICE raids, plus information about upcoming actions. Being a human and seeking asylum are not crimes.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_7_8_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:18am EDT

Venezuela used to be an "oil republic," which made oil executives from the United States and the wealthy class in Venezuela very rich. That lasted until the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998 when the Bolivarian Process began and oil profits were used to provide for basic needs of all the people. Ever since then, the US and its allies have used everything they have to overthrow the revolution, but like Cuba, the people have resisted, despite great suffering being inflicted on them, and the US has failed. We speak with Dan Kovalik about his newest book, "The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela" and the tremendous resistance of the Venezuelan people. We also cover some recent news and have a tribute to Bruce Dixon, co-founder and editor of Black Agenda Report, who died last week of cancer.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_7_1_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:16pm EDT

The United States has been waging an economic war against Iran ever since the Iranian Revolution overthrew the US-backed brutal shah in 1979, but that war has escalated recently with the US-imposed oil embargo. Oil is a major source of revenue for Iran. Add to that the US pulling out of the nuclear agreement, the attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran shooting down a US drone, and we are extremely close to a hot war that would destabilize the entire Middle East. We speak with Patrick Hiller, a conflict resolution expert who traveled to Iran with us earlier this year, about just how dangerous the current situation is, what the potential consequences are and what we can do to reconcile the hostilities. We also cover recent news and analyses.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_6_24_19full.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:15pm EDT

The United States has been waging an economic war against Iran ever since the Iranian Revolution overthrew the US-backed brutal shah in 1979, but that war has escalated recently with the US-imposed oil embargo. Oil is a major source of revenue for Iran. Add to that the US pulling out of the nuclear agreement, the attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran shooting down a US drone, and we are extremely close to a hot war that would destabilize the entire Middle East. We speak with Patrick Hiller, a conflict resolution expert who traveled to Iran with us earlier this year, about just how dangerous the current situation is, what the potential consequences are and what we can do to reconcile the hostilities. We also cover recent news and analyses.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_6_24_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:24pm EDT

Canada issued a report two weeks ago on thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) calling them victims of Canadian Genocide and connecting a root cause to colonization, racism, and sexism. This report came after decades of pressure by families of the victims and validates what indigenous communities have been reporting as a major problem. We speak with Annita Lucchesi (Cheyenne), a founder of the MMIW Database, who organizes to track these cases, raise their visibility and change policy throughout the Americas. She recently started the Sovereign Bodies Institute. as a home for the database. Lucchesi discusses what it will take to protect indigenous women and girls and how everyone can play a role in this movement.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_6_17_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:55pm EDT

The Trump administration designated Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela as a "Troika of Tyranny" and has been ratcheting up pressure on all three countries through economic blockades, creating dissent and covert attacks. This includes manipulating popular opinion in the US to demonize them and build support for intervention. All three countries have in common that they are resisting US domination. Recently, President Trump announced a travel ban to Cuba, which will curtail the possibility of people being able to visit and see for themselves that things are not as they have been told by the media. We speak with Netfa Freeman, who just spent two weeks in Cuba and who has done Cuba solidarity work since the early 1990's, about the situation there, how the US is interfering and what Cubans are doing to resist.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_6_10_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:13pm EDT

Each new report indicates the need to take urgent action on the climate crisis. The impacts in the US so far this year are already devastating - much of the farmland in the Midwest is still unsuitable for planting because of flooding and severe storms. In the European Union, climate was a major factor in the parliamentary elections with Green Party candidates surging toward the top in many countries. Will there be a similar awakening in the United States? We speak with Howie Hawkins, the person who brought the Green New Deal to the US and who recently announced that he is seeking the Green Party nomination for president, about the details of the eco-socialist Green New Deal he proposes and how to win it.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_6_3_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:03pm EDT

According to the director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Renata Dwan, the risk of nuclear war is the highest it has been since World War II. Last year, seven plow shares activists entered the Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia to protest the Trident submarine, calling it "the world's deadliest nuclear weapon," to bring attention to this risk. They poured blood on it and beat on it with hammers to symbolize the biblical statement, to "beat swords into plow shares." We speak with four of the seven, the other three are in prison, about why they took this action, how it connects to the triple evils identified by Martin Luther King of "racism, extreme materialism, and militarism," and what can be done to stop this threat.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_5_27_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 9:56am EDT

For 37 days, from April 10 to May 16, activists calling themselves the Embassy Protection Collective stayed at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC 24/7 to prevent the United States from perpetuating its coup attempt and violating the Vienna Convention by turning the embassy over to the US-supported coup leader, Juan Guaido. The activists, including the show hosts, were there with the permission and support of the elected government of Venezuela. The United States government used everything it could to force the activists out, including cutting off access to food, electricity and water and surrounding the embassy with violent fascists. Adrienne Pine, a professor of anthropology who has studied the coup in Honduras and who was an Embassy Protector until the end, joins us to discuss what happened, what it was like and what comes next.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_5_20_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 9:42pm EDT

On March 18, opposition leader Juan Guaido's people took over the Venezuelan consulate in New York  City and the military attaché office in Washington, DC. They announced they will take over the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, DC next. Activists, with permission of the legitimate Venezuelan government, have been staying at the embassy 24/7 for over two weeks now to protect it from opposition people entering. They may attempt to do so as soon as April 25. The US is setting a new precedent by failing a coup attempt but pretending it succeeded and turning assets over to the opposition anyway. We speak with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE PINK, who is staying with us in the embassy.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_4_22_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:58am EDT

In the middle of the last century, there was a large and secure working class. Then, changes to the tax structure distributed more and more of the wealth to the richest and hollowed out the middle class. Now, levels of inequality in the United States are unsustainable as the top one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) has wealth equal to the bottom 80%. Momentum is growing to make the tax system more fair at both the state and federal levels. We speak with Sam Pizzigati about the history of taxes and what policies are currently being proposed.

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And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_4_15_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:03am EDT

On April 4, 2019, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers met in Washington, DC to celebrate its 70th anniversary. While both parties in Congress applauded NATO, peace and justice activists held a week of action in protest, disrupting meetings, shutting down an entrance to the State Department and taking the streets. Activists are trying to expose the truth about NATO as an institution founded to prevent the rise of left movements, protect capitalism and provide cover for illegal wars. We speak with Yves Engler, a Montreal-based author and activist, about the history of NATO and why it's time to abolish it.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_4_8_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:09am EDT

Julian Assange, the editor of Wikileaks, a media outlet for information provided by whistleblowers, has been in confinement in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for almost seven years and is experiencing increasingly harsh treatment. Chelsea Manning, who leaked information to Wikileaks and spent seven years in prison for it, is back in prison for her refusal to testify against Assange in a secret court. We speak with Joe Lauria of Consortium News about why Assange and Manning are sacrificing so much to protect our right to know what our governments are doing, the historical significance of their deeds and what we must do to support them.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_4_1_19Full.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 4:35pm EDT

The United States and its allies are waging a long term battle for Venezuela's abundant resources, which include oil, gas, gold, diamonds and minerals. The Venezuelan government, through the Bolivarian Process, is trying to use those resources to meet the needs of its people for housing, education, health care, food and more. We speak with Paul Dobson, a resident of Venezuela and journalist, about how Venezuelans are organized to resist the escalating attacks by the US and its allies and how US efforts are backfiring by consolidating support for the democratically-elected President, Nicolás Maduro.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_3_25_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:47am EDT

Through a series of mergers, pesticide companies are consolidating, taking over seed companies and pushing genetically-engineered foods. Companies such as Monsanto, now merged with Bayer, and Dow and Dupont, which have merged, are chemical companies with a long history of producing toxic chemicals, including chemical weapons used in warfare. We speak with Mitchel Cohen and Robin Esser, authors of "The fight Against Monsanto’s Roundup: The Politics of Pesticides," who spoke about the corruption and health impacts of pesticides as well as the connections to imperialism and colonialism.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_3_22_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 4:35pm EDT

In a new report, "Dreams Deferred: How Enriching the 1% Widens the Racial Wealth Divide," researchers at the Institute for Policy Studies outline how the racial wealth gap has widened over the past thirty years and how this fits the long term pattern of systemic racism. We speak with one of the authors, Sabrina Terry, about the findings in the report and recommendations for closing the wealth divide. We report live from Caracas, Venezuela where the United States is continuing its aggressive efforts at regime change.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_3_11_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 12:48am EDT

The United States has a long history of interfering in Iranian politics. Perhaps the most famous is the coup of the democratically-elected prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 followed by the re-installation of the US-friendly brutal shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since the revolution in 1979, which overthrew the shah and put in place a representative theocratic government, the US has sanctioned Iran and both supported and threatened military attacks. Now, in addition to increased sanctions, Iranians are banned from traveling to the US and US citizens have great difficulty getting visas to visit Iran. We spent nine days in Iran and bring you this interview with Dr. Foad Izadi, a professor who teaches American Studies at the University of Tehran about the impacts of the sanctions, their state of democracy and how Iranian students view the US and Iran.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_3_4_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 10:44am EDT

After years of corruption and neglect of the Haitian people, a popular revolt is demanding the current president's resignation. The US-led attempted coup in Venezuela played a role in sparking the protests as the Haitian government sided with the US in voting to recognize Juan Guaido, the fake president over President Maduro, the democratically-elected president. Haiti and Venezuela share a history of interconnected revolution and mutual aid since 1804. We interview Kim Ives, an editor of Haiti Liberté, who has been covering Haiti for decades, about the protests and the bigger picture of imperialism. We also report live from Tehran, Iran where we are on a peace delegation.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_show_2_25_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 4:36pm EDT

Progressives have been trying to make the Democratic Party move to the left and adopt their agenda since Senator Bernie Sanders started running for president in 2015. Like the many who have tried before them, they have failed. We speak with Nick Brana, the former national political outreach director for the Sanders campaign and a co-founder of Our Revolution who was on the inside of that effort, about what happened when they tried, where the party is now and what he sees as a path forward to build political power on the left.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_2_18_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:00pm EDT

The climate crisis is no longer an abstract concept, it is here and it is getting worse. Each new report finds the temperatures are getting hotter, the ice is melting faster and the seas are rising, not to mention the storms, fires and droughts. In his new book, "The End of Ice," Dahr Jamail takes us on  tour to the places where the impacts of climate disruption are evident. And he takes us on a tour of his personal journey through grief to acceptance and even hope. Jamail shows us the reality of the climate crisis and offers advice for how to relate to it in a meaningful way.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_2_11_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:12pm EDT

On January 23 2019, Juan Guaidó, the current president of the defunct Venezuelan National Assembly, pronounced himself the president of the country. The United States, Canada, the European Union and a few Latin American countries immediately recognized him, while Russia, China, Mexico and many other countries support the democratically-elected current president, Nicolas Maduro. How did this relatively unknown man who barely won his race for the assembly rise to the position of fake president? We discuss that and more with Dan Cohen of The Grayzone Project.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn.

Direct download: CtF_Show_2_4_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 7:18pm EDT

The Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) movement of workers in France just completed its eleventh act this past weekend. They are revolting against neoliberalism and austerity and rule by and for the wealthy. There are many similarities to the Yellow Vest movement and the Occupy movement. We speak with Lola Girerd, a post-doctoral student in Paris who is participating in and studying the Yellow Vests, about what the protests are like, what they are about and how the Macron government is responding to them. We also discuss recent news, including mass climate actions, strikes and the US-led coup in Venezuela.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_1_28_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 7:57pm EDT

The case of Mumia Abu Jamal, who was framed with the murder of a police officer, has had some important breakthroughs in the last month including allowing him appeal rights and the finding of six previously undisclosed boxes of evidence in his case. This could result in the dismissal of his case and release from prison after 37 years. We talk with Rachel Wolkenstein, who has served as an attorney and advocate for Mumia since 1990. Wolkenstein explains the significance of his case in the context of racist police enforcement, mass incarceration, the myths of US justice and legal lynching and describes evidence showing Mumia was framed because of his political activism. She argues that Mumia will only get justice if a mass movement demands it.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_1_21_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 8:54pm EDT

The Wet'suwet'en Nation, which has never ceded its territory, has been working to stop a number of pipelines that Canada wants to build through their territory for the past ten years. This struggle came to a head last week when Canadian police violated their agreement with the Gidumt'en Clan by using violence to remove their blockade and arrest fourteen members. We speak with Jennifer Wickham, who is a member of the Gidumt'en Clan, about what is happening in this pivotal fight to protect the land, water and earth and what can be done to support the Wet'suwet'en People.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_1_14_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 6:18pm EDT

The United States military is building another base on Okinawa in an environmentally-sensitive area, on top of the second most diverse coral reef in the world, against the will of Okinawans who have been protesting every day for over 1,600 days. There are many reasons why this base should not be built. We discuss those with Robert Kajiwara, a Hawaiian-Okinawan human rights activist, as well as why he traveled to Washington, DC and new developments in the struggle to regain Hawaiian sovereignty. And we cover news and upcoming actions.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_1_7_19.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 5:57pm EDT

The Green New Deal, a plan to transform the economy to one based on clean, renewable energy sources and other measures to adapt to the climate crisis and protect human rights, gained widespread attention in 2018. We speak with Howie Hawkins from New York, who brought the concept of the Green New Deal to the United States, about what the plan involves, where it is now and what it will take to win it. Hawkins, a long time activist, unionist and political candidate, also puts this struggle in the context of political history and the role of third parties.

Subscribe to Clearing the FOG on Patreon and receive our bonus show, Thinking it Through, plus Clearing the FOG totes, water bottles and T shirts. Visit Patreon.com/ClearingtheFOG.

And visit the new Popular Resistance Podcast Network at www.PopularResistance.org/prpn/

Direct download: CtF_Show_12_31_18.mp3
Category:News Commentary -- posted at: 11:49am EDT

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