AlternativeRadio

At first blush, it seems like a dream job and a great way to make money. You always wanted to be your own boss. You’re free and independent. You work where and when you want. It could be a side job giving you that extra income you need. The gig economy has exploded in recent years. But it’s not all that its cranked out to be. Workers are vulnerable. There are no benefits. Some workers wind up working for peanuts. With no regular income, the gig economy can be stressful especially if you have a crisis. What are the ins and outs of gig economics? Recorded at the University of Oregon.

"Azadi!"—Urdu for "Freedom!"—is the slogan of the freedom struggle in Kashmir against Indian occupation. Abroad, New Delhi promotes itself as the world’s largest democracy. At home, the picture is quite different. India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the BJP, led by Narendra Modi espouses Hindutva, Hindu nationalism. It promotes Islamophobia and stifles dissent. What it wants from largely Muslim Kashmir is submission. To ensure that it has deployed hundreds of thousands of troops making the Himalayan region the most densely militarized zone on earth. Kashmir is an unresolved issue dating back to the partition of India in 1947. For decades Kashmiris have been in revolt against Indian rule. Many tens of thousands have been killed. Many more have been displaced. What do Kashmiris want? Azadi. Interviewed by David Barsamian.

Many believe that sports are apolitical and neutral. But it isn’t. Sports are intricately enmeshed within the larger societal context. Some athletes speak out. Muhammad Ali in 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, refused to be inducted into the military, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” He was widely condemned. He lost, at the peak of his career, his world championship crown and was banned from boxing for three years. More recently NBA superstar LeBron James was told by Laura Ingraham of Fox to “shut up and dribble” and not talk about politics. James observed, "The best thing she did was help me create more awareness…about social injustice." Another example was NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s simple act of “taking a knee.” It became a symbol of resistance to America’s racial inequality.

Afghanistan, land of the Afghans, more than two millennia ago, this may surprise you, was a major center of Buddhism. Situated on the fabled Silk Road this mountainous landlocked country has an old and rich history and culture with great poets like Raabia Balkhi, Khushal Khattak, and most renowned of all, Rumi. Afghanistan has been called “the graveyard of empires.” Just ask the British, the Russians and the Americans. Today, it is ruled by the Taliban, notorious for their rigid brand of Islam. The situation in the country is bleak. It is under sanctions. Hunger and poverty are widespread. Violence, though reduced, continues. Education for girls is limited. Ahmed Rashid, author of the bestseller Taliban warns, “Unless the Taliban are prepared to moderate their policies Afghanistan will remain the fulcrum of unrest and turbulence in Central Asia for years to come.” Interviewed by David Barsamian. Recorded at KGNU.

Resistance. How does one move from a position of dissent to resistance, direct action? As a political tactic resistance requires careful thought and must be freely undertaken. Practitioners include most famously Gandhi and Dr. King. It can come with a price. Both Gandhi and King were assassinated. Dolores Huerta, a major organizer and leader of farmworkers was arrested more than 20 times. John Lewis, the civil rights icon was severely beaten. What forms should resistance take? There is no one size fits all answer. Take Thoreau. He was opposed to the U.S. war on Mexico. He refused to pay taxes and went to jail. During the Vietnam War resistance took the form of men refusing to fight. Today young people in Extinction Rebellion and the Sunrise Movement, engage in resistance defending our planet against destructive corporations and the states that enable them.

The realities of India are in sharp contrast with the image it projects internationally. For example, you probably haven’t heard of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the RSS. It is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary organization. The RSS, with its millions of members, exerts enormous influence and power in India. Its political party is the BJP, the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organizations called the Sangh Parivar, which has a presence in all facets of Indian society. It promotes a Hindu supremacist ideology that is intolerant of India’s minority communities, especially Muslims. India, particularly under the current regime of Narendra Modi is in Arundhati Roy’s words “a dangerous place” where “a deeply flawed, fragile democracy has transitioned– openly and brazenly–into a criminal, Hindu-fascist enterprise.”

Our planet and humankind are in danger. The warnings coming from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres could not be more unambiguous. He says we are heading “towards an unlivable world. We are on a fast track to climate disaster. Major cities under water. Unprecedented heatwaves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals. This is not fiction or exaggeration,” he continues. “It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5-degree limit agreed in Paris. If you care about justice, and our children’s future, I am appealing directly to you. Climate promises and plans must be turned into reality and action, now. It is time to stop burning our planet, and start investing in the abundant renewable energy all around us.”

Capitalism, COVID & the climate crisis are interconnected. Capitalism careens from one disaster to another. Its inequalities are grotesque. The pandemic is likely to take on new forms in the future. The climate emergency is all too obvious. The latest IPCC report, the UN agency on climate, makes for sobering reading. It warns that dire impacts from climate change will arrive sooner than many expect. The co-chair of the working group behind the report said, "Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible.” Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said some governments and businesses were “lying” in claiming to be on track for 1.5C. He warned: “Some government and business leaders are saying one thing – but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic.”

These are difficult times for public education. It is under political attack by what noted educator and scholar Henry Giroux calls the "apostles of authoritarianism." He says, "Public schools, more than ever, are subject to the toxic forces of privatization and mindless standardized curricula while teachers are de-skilled and subject to intolerable labor conditions, not unlike Walmart workers. Unfortunately, public and higher education now mimic a business culture run by a managerial army of bureaucrats, more suited to work as accountants in pencil factories than in schools. At the same time, all levels of education are under attack by right-wing politicians who are censoring history, forbidding discussions about racism, eliminating tenure, and imposing enormous restrictions on teacher autonomy."

The conventional view of U.S. wars follows a formulaic line: We are innocent victims of unprovoked attacks. The sleeping giant wakes and reluctantly goes to fight. All military action is imbued with benevolent intentions: human rights, democracy, and liberty. There are parades and flag-waving. Solemn ceremonies and gun salutes at funerals honor the fallen. But who asks for what and for whom were they killed? Who benefits? Weapons manufacturers and mercenary contractors make out like bandits. That's a taboo subject. Resources? Empire expansion? Don't go there. Stick to patriotism. You can mouth the typical prattle of they died for freedom. The Afghan war is Operation Enduring Freedom. And war crimes? That's what they do, not us. Tribunals? Same deal: for them. Wars are packaged and sold just like any other commodity. Propaganda is skillfully used to win over the population. Recorded at Boston University on Armistice Day.