VIDEO: Buzzanco on WMNF talking about Russia invasion of Ukraine
Yesterday, Bob joined WMNF news in Tampa to discuss #NATO, Russia and Ukraine. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOidO5uGwyM&t=1246s
Making a Killing: Corporate Arms Makers and Ukraine with William Hartung
In December, the Pentagon got a $768 billion budget approved, despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the aim to counter China and build Ukraine’s military strength. This has been a bonanza for arms makers like Raytheon, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Northrup Gruman.
Listen in: apple.co/3qn4ELx
Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes popped the champagne open when saying “…[W]e are seeing, I would say, opportunities for international sales. We just have to look to last week where we saw the drone attack in the UAE, which have attacked some of their other facilities. And of course, the tensions in Eastern Europe, the tensions in the South China Sea, all of those things are putting pressure on some of the defense spending over there. So I fully expect we’re going to see some benefit from it.”
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we saw a spike in these companies’ stock prices.
In our latest episode, we talk about arms manufacturers with William Hartung of the Quincy Institute. We discuss how the war in Ukraine, potential conflict in the South China Sea and wars in Yemen and other parts of the world are critical to their business model. We also talk about how the bureaucracy of the Pentagon and Washington D.C. gives these companies so much influence.
Deep Background on Ukraine and Russia
This week, Russia invaded the Ukraine sparking the largest land assault on the European continent since World War Two. The markets went into turmoil. The price of oil and gas went up. Political and media establishments scrambled to act on what’s next. Biden moved 7000 US troops to the Polish-Ukrainian border and NATO is expected to send more troops. In cities across Russia, antiwar protestors took to the streets to protest Vladimir Putin’s war with over 2000 being arrested. Finally, the Biden administration and allies have begun a sanctions war against Russia’s people, it’s elite institutions and Putin himself.
Listen in: https://apple.co/3sn9w4T
In our latest episode, we go deep into the history of the Ukraine-Russian conflict and the bipartisan involvement by the U.S. ruling class. We discuss the break up of the Soviet Union, the expansion of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO), the role of the 1999 war in Kosovo in all of this and the Russian invasion of the former Soviet republic of Georgia in 2008. Most importantly, we talk about how U.S. foreign policy has sought to contain Russia and wield economic and political influence over Europe and the former Soviet republics.
March 4th in Oakland: “From Activist to Terrorist” Ft. Jake Conroy
Our first in person event! We’re excited to co-host our comrade and frequent guest Jake Conroy, aka the “Cranky Vegan,” in Oakland, CA on March 4th.
Climate justice organizers are the Bay Area is going to be hosting a series of talks and trainings this year focused on effective campaigns and bold action for climate justice.
The first talk will feature long time animal rights organizer and former political prisoner Jake Conroy. RSVP and join us.
RSVP Here: https://bit.ly/3hooDEV
WHERE: The Studio. 1601 18th St. Oakland CA.
WHEN: Friday, March 4th. Doors open at 630pm, talk starts at 7pm sharp.
DONATIONS: Much appreciated. $5-$15 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds.
The Freedom Convoy, the Left and the Canadian State w/ Prof. Roberta Lexier and organizer James Hutt
For a month, a group of truckers, anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and various elements of Canada’s far right occupied the streets around Canada’s capital in Ottawa. They’ve also occupied border crossings between Canada and the U.S. The so-called “Freedom Convoy” has demanded everything from an end to vaccine mandates and mask mandates to the jailing of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They’ve targeted Canada’s liberal ruling class, but have disrupted and harassed the lives of Ottawa residents. Police and the Conservative Party either have stood by or been in active support
Listen in: https://apple.co/3IcjStP
This past week, Trudeau declared a state of emergency not seen since unrest in Quebec in the 1970s. The police first cleared the trucker blockade on the Ambassador Bridge. And then police moved in to clear the truckers occupation of Wellington Street resulting in 100 arrests.
Collin College strikes again! Dr. Michael Phillips, award-winning scholar, fired!
Another professor from Collin College has been fired in retaliation for speaking out against President Neil Matkin’s continued rejection of their First Amendment rights and their concern for safety on campus.
Listen in: https://apple.co/34ItAFq
Michael Philips has now been fired along with Suzanne Stateler Jones, Audra Heaslip, and Lora Burnett, all in violation of their First Amendment righs. Philips first was reprimanded by Collin College for being active in a campaign to remove Confederate statues in Dallas in 2017.
Winter in America
Gil Scott-Heron said: “Turn around, turn around, turn around, And you may come full circle, And be new here again”
Listen In: https://apple.co/3FJgxAZ
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. A year after Trump and we’re no better off than we were. As Omicron numbers soar and Wall Street bankers and coal barons continue to run the table politically, the Honorable Bob Buzzanco and the Honorable Scott Parkin look back on 2021 and talk about what 2022 might bring us.
Bob Buzzanco: Green & Red’s Best of 2021
cross-posted from Afflict the Comfortable
Green & Red had a hell of a year in 2021! It wasn’t the best of times. It was mostly the worst of times. But we did some fantastic shows.Here’s a (too long) list of some of my favorites (not really in any specific order, I just listed them as they came to mind. They’re all great!). We’ve seen a really big increase in listeners this year, so keep spreading the word about Green & Red so we’re more than the best lefty podcast people haven’t heard……
Scott’s Top Green and Red Episodes of 2021
by Scott Parkin
Turns out 2021 wasn’t much better than 2020. Pandemic. Political crisis. Economic crisis. Climate crisis. The cascading crises keep coming at us.
BUT, Bob and I did some fantastic episodes covering a span of topics from peoples’ history of the 1960s with Noam Chomsky to politics in the middle east to campaigns and struggle related to the #climatecrisis and #COP26 to a whole bunch of left wing pop culture. Plus a lot more.
We also talked a lot about how to the Democrats fail time and time again, even when in the majority and handed gifts like the ruling class turning on the GOP and the capitol riot.
I’m proud of ALL the episodes we produced and the guests we interviewed.
So here’s my end of year click bait list of my most fav Green and Red episodes:
Noam Chomsky on the 1960s and the New Left
Noam Chomsky has been cited as “America’s greatest intellectual” who “makes the powerful, as well as their liberal apologists, deeply uncomfortable.” His participation in the New Left, in both intellectual and activist circles, is part of our history.
Listen in: https://bit.ly/ChomskyGandR
Bob and Scott speak with Professor Chomsky about the history of the New Left, the anti-Vietnam movement, the Black Panthers, Feminism, the destruction of Vietnam, the Responsibility of Intellectuals and current issues including Black Lives Matter, Gaza, and woke politics on the Left.
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