By Any Means Necessary

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda to discuss a plane crash involving the private plane of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin outside of Moscow, why reports about the death of Prigozhin may be premature considering a similar incident in 2019, and what might happen to the Wagner Group in the aftermath of this crash as it continues to deal with the aftermath of the aborted mutiny in Russia.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Martín Varese, social media manager with People’s Dispatch and sociologist to discuss the election of Bernardo Arévalo in Guatemala’s runoff presidential election, why his victory is significant considering Guatemala’s historical position in imperialism, the victory of right-wing libertarian Javier Milei in Argentina’s presidential primaries and how his victory is in part a response to the economic crisis imposed on the country by the IMF, and how recent elections in Latin America are likely to affect the broader geopolitics of the region.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Brianna Griffith, journalist with Liberation News to discuss the takeover of the Houston Independent School District by the state of Texas, how the groundwork for this takeover was laid years before it happened and what changes the state is making, how these changes will serve to disenfranchise voters in the school district and introduce more policing and surveillance in schools, how this fits into broader debates about education taking place all over the country, and how communities are fighting back against this takeover.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Radhika Desai, a Professor at the University of Manitoba, Director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group, and author of Capitalism, Coronavirus and War: A Geopolitical Economy to discuss the recently concluded BRICS summit in South Africa and the expansion of the group with the admission of six countries, how the economic bloc could affect the dollar system if it were to attempt to implement its own currency, why BRICS has the potential to upend the financial system and implement a more productive economic model, and US imperialism is unlikely to go down without lashing out at the emergence of a new system.

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

Catch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Keyanna Jones, organizer with Community Movement Builders to discuss the ongoing struggle by organizers against the building of Cop City in Atlanta to put the public funding for the project up to a vote, how Atlanta officials are employing a tactic often associated with voter suppression to attempt to invalidate the referendum and how activists are fighting back against those tactics, and how the movement against Cop City has relied on the power of community organizing after being ignored by politicians.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by journalist and author Dan Lazare to discuss the upcoming Republican presidential primary debate and what effect it could have on the race, why the debate is likely to be all about Trump despite his decision to skip the debate as candidates attempt to out-Trump him, how divisions within the Republican Party over the January 6th assault on the Capitol could present a challenge to the fundamental aspects of democracy, and why the Democrats running Joe Biden represents a failure to challenge that idea and to present a platform that could win an election.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear to discuss the planned release of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear site which could begin as soon as this week, how this is likely to increase the presence of radioactive materials in the ocean in the region and all across the Pacific Ocean, how the Japanese government could have avoided releasing this wastewater and why it is not, and how other instances of nuclear waste contaminating the environments have often gone unpunished.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Jalil Muntaqim, an activist, former political prisoner and Black Panther and author of ‘We Are Our Own Liberators’ to discuss the roots of Black August and the anniversary of the death of George Jackson, how Black August represents resistance to the reality of mass incarceration and structural racism which continue to affect the lives of Black Americans today, and why activists continue to struggle for the release of political prisoners.

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

Catch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Amanda Yee, host of the Radio Free Amanda podcast to discuss the weaponization of the Foreign Agents Registration Act against activists and organizations in the US which oppose US foreign policy, how FARA is selectively enforced and not used against organizations which advocate for US allies, and why the US is interested in this selective enforcement and why only a movement can defend against red scare campaigns.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Brian Mier, co-editor of Brasil Wire and author of Year of Lead: Washington, Wall Street and the New Imperialism in Brazil to discuss the testimony of João Pedro Stedile before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry investigating the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Brazil, why the Brazilian right-wing has launched this investigation into the MST, and why the commission has failed to substantiate many of the accusations that the Brazilian right-wing uses to attack the MST.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by technologist Chris Garaffa, co-host of the CovertAction Bulletin podcast to discuss X, the site formerly known as Twitter, testing a verification process that would require users to take a picture of a government ID and why many are pointing out the danger of identity theft in that process, a group of online advertisers using their data to push opposition to a bill in California which would require companies to delete all data on individuals upon request, and a vulnerability in some DNA testing databases that allows police to access genetic information of users without their consent.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Esther Iverem, artist, author, independent journalist, and host and producer of On The Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation’s Capital, which you can listen to both as a podcast and on Pacifica Radio to discuss the indictment of Donald Trump, Joe Biden reportedly comparing the Maui wildfires to a small kitchen fire in his Delaware home while speaking to victims of the wildfires, and a report on the number of casualties in the conflict in Ukraine and the US role in stoking the conflict further.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace to discuss the stalling of Ukraine’s counteroffensive and how the US and NATO have perpetuated the conflict and stoked further casualties, why a peace movement outside of the two-party system in the US must push for peace and an end to US support for the conflict, and how waning support for continued US aid to Ukraine highlights the disconnect between the Biden administration’s priorities and the priorities of the American people.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by independent journalist, writer and researcher Denis Rogatyuk to discuss the results of the presidential elections in Ecuador and the apparent advancement of Citizen Revolution Movement candidate Luisa Gonzalez and National Democratic Action candidate Daniel Noboa, what Gonzalez has said about the potential involvement of former president Rafael Correa in the government should she be elected, and how the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio has already shaped the election and how it may continue to shape the runoff election.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran to discuss the 70th anniversary of the 1953 US-and-UK-orchestrated coup against the elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh, why the UK was interested in overthrowing Mosaddegh after he nationalized Iran’s oil industry and how the US came around to supporting the coup, and how the long-term effects of the 1953 coup and the 1979 revolution have gone to damage US interests in the region.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Richard Becker, author of “Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire” to discuss the anniversary of the Taliban* taking power again in Afghanistan and what Afghanistan was like before the Taliban* came to power the first time, how the US has historically supported or orchestrated the overthrow of governments in west and south Asia and all over the world, how the US deploying 3,000 troops to the Persian Gulf is likely to escalate tensions with Iran, and how the US is continuing to escalate global tensions all over the world.

* Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Dr. Wilmer Leon, co-host of The Critical Hour to discuss how the US attempts to project imperial power abroad is failing to hide serious signs of decline all over the world, why Washington’s attempts to suppress sovereignty on the African continent are now falling short and what has changed in the global political arena, and how the conflict in Niger symbolizes a conflict between US power and movements for sovereignty that could escalate into military action.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by independent journalist, writer and researcher Denis Rogatyuk to discuss the upcoming presidential elections in Ecuador and why they are happening now, who is running in the elections and how their platforms stack up against the current government of Lenin Moreno and issues in the country, how the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio has affected the campaign and heightened the issue of violence in the campaign, and what the prospects are for a return of the Citizen Revolution Movement’s return to government.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Miguel Garcia of the ANTICONQUISTA Collective, also the host and creator of the Sports as a Weapon podcast to discuss a petition filed by former NFL player Michael Oher alleging that central elements of the supposed adoption story made famous by the movie “The Blindside” are not true and that he did not receive royalties from the profits made by the movie, how these accusations exemplify the exploitation of athletes in the NFL by many different actors, and Cuba’s little league team playing in the Little League World Series for the first time.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Ted Rall, co-host of The Final Countdown to discuss ongoing investigations into corruption involving Hunter Biden and how they may affect the 2024 presidential election, a report detailing that the US intelligence community is assessing that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will likely fail to achieve its goal of taking Crimea, and why it is mathematically impossible for one person’s decision to vote for a third party presidential candidate will change the result of the presidential election.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Anthony Rogers Wright, Director of Environmental Justice with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest to discuss a victory in a lawsuit in Montana brought by 16 young residents of the state claiming the promotion of the extraction of fossil fuels violates their rights to a clean environment, the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act and why its provisions were not enough to amount to a real challenge to climate change, and why Joe Biden’s claim that he has “practically” claimed a climate emergency is seen as absurd by many climate activists.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by John Ross, the senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China and author of the book, “China's Great Road: Lessons for Marxist Theory and Socialist Practices” to discuss Joe Biden’s comments calling China’s economy a “ticking time bomb,” why these comments do not have a basis in reality and why China is much better off economically than many countries in the west, and why these kinds of comments from US officials are accepted as fact in the west as a result of the propaganda campaign against China.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Sohrob Aslamy, a doctoral candidate at Syracuse University to discuss the two-year anniversary of the Taliban* coming back to power in Afghanistan and how life has changed since, how the US imposition of sanctions and freezing of Afghanistan's assets has impoverished many in the country, the historic role of the US and the west in supporting groups like the Taliban, and why the US continues to impose sanctions on the country even after its occupation of Afghanistan has ended.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie discuss the ongoing tensions in west Africa as ECOWAS considers a military intervention in Niger to remove the country’s military takeover government, the role that ECOWAS plays in west Africa and how it mirrors the actions of other bodies like the Organization of American States, how social movements on the African continent are reacting to the threat of military intervention, and how Black radicals in the US should orient themselves toward this crisis and toward US imperialism.

* Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Kim Keenan of the Keenan Firm, Former General Counsel for the NAACP, and Adjunct Professor at George Washington University Law School to discuss the indictment of Donald Trump on charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, how this latest indictment may not be likely to unseat Trump from his commanding lead in the Republican nomination for president, and what the leeway given to Trump has highlighted about the racial and class character of the legal system.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Noelani Ahia, a Kanaka Maoli activist to discuss the devastating fires in Maui and how US colonialism and exploitation in Hawaii have contributed to the ongoing crisis, how the economic practices on the island stripped Hawaii and its people of its resources and destroyed its environment, and how the lack of response from Joe Biden has encapsulated the colonialism the US continues to practice in Hawaii.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Kameron Hurt, an organizer with the International People’s Assembly to discuss efforts to take Cuba off of the US state sponsors of terror list, the purpose behind placing Cuba back on this list and how it works to continue US imperialism in the Americas, and why the US placing Cuba on this list not only does not reflect global opinions on Cuba but is in conflict with them.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Rachel Hu, organizer and co-host of the CovertAction Bulletin Podcast to discuss a recent rally in New York City demanding that BlackRock cancel its holdings in the foreign debt of Zambia, the indictment of Donald Trump in Georgia, and why the potential political crisis that could come from this indictment demonstrates the bankruptcy of both parties and the need for social movements.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by Ari Paul, Contributing Writer to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting to discuss a police raid on the Marion County Record publisher and editor and how that raid may have been connected to a document that was not even published, how this raid fits into broader issues between local media and local officials and how media is able to be censored outside of major media markets, and how journalists should respond to these attacks on journalism and highlight the growing threat of censorship.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, Co-Founder of Popular Resistance and Director of the Health Over Profit for Everyone Campaign to discuss rising cases of COVID in the US and how a new variant has become dominant in the US and other countries, how this surge may vary from past surges because the infrastructure meant to contain the spread of the disease has been largely dismantled, and how the government response to the pandemic has intensified calls for community-based health interventions and an overhaul of the healthcare system.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by technologist Chris Garaffa, co-host of the CovertAction Bulletin podcast to discuss the climate impacts of the training and use of artificial intelligence models as a result of the amount of energy needed to run them, the use of self-driving cars in San Francisco and local authorities’ authorization of their use as taxis despite opposition from the public and emergency services, Zoom clarifying its terms of service on its policy about training artificial intelligence models with user meetings, and US spy agencies sharing more information with the private sector as part of the National Intelligence Strategy.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Dr. Jared Ball, a father, husband, Professor of Africana Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, the curator of imixwhatilike.org and author of the book, “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power” to discuss the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of Hip-Hop and how the infrastructure of the capitalist system have shaped the genre, why right-wing politics contrary to the working class and anti-police brutality origins of the genre have taken hold of many popular rappers and how that demonstrates a hollowing-out of the genre, and how the conditions responsible for creating Hip-Hop and other genres continue to intensify.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by to discuss Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of the Pan-African News Wire to discuss the role that ECOWAS has played in western neocolonial ambitions in west Africa, how the bloc is continuing to serve as a tool for intervention in Niger as it continues its sanctions on the country and has threatened military intervention, and how popular movements in Niger and in west Africa are fighting back against ECOWAS and against neocolonialism.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Natalia Marques, writer and organizer from New York City to discuss New York City Mayor Eric Adam’s claims that there is no more room in the city in response to the crisis of crowding in the city’s shelter system caused by right-wing governors sending migrants to New York, why these migrants and other homeless people in the city are living in such crowded conditions in one of the most wealthy cities in the world, and why Eric Adams is only the latest figurehead in a political system that refuses to house people and fund the necessities of life.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie feature a commentary from Mumia Abu-Jamal on the movement for Black liberation against mass incarceration and police terror and how repression has de-radicalized these movements.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Daryle Lamont Jenkins, Executive Director of One People’s Project to discuss the sixth anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and why many activists urge resistance against the ongoing organizing of the right-wing, the conviction of Patriot Front members, how the right-wing is attempting to use lawsuits against antifascist organizers, and reports about the presence of radical right-wing group members in the US military and the military’s political character.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

Catch us at at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by journalist Waqas Ahmed to discuss reports that the US pressured Pakistan officials to remove former Prime Minister Imran Khan over his neutrality on the conflict in Ukraine, how this may explain the silence from the US on the actions of the Pakistani military following Khan’s removal, and why the US would be so hellbent on “correcting” Pakistan’s neutrality.

In the second segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Martín Varese, social media manager with People’s Dispatch and sociologist to discuss the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio as the country prepares for elections, how this assassination is connected to a larger crisis of violence in Ecuador and how that crisis is connected to neoliberal policies, how this assassination and the assassinations of other officials in Ecuador may impact the election and how the response from the government could impact the people of the country, and why grassroots movements may end up paying the price of this assassination should the government respond with repression.

In the third segment, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Miguel Garcia of the ANTICONQUISTA Collective, also the host and creator of the Sports as a Weapon podcast to discuss the suspension of former Team USA snowboard coach Peter Foley over sexual misconduct and sex trafficking accusations, an interview with Oakland Athletics’ Spanish-language broadcaster Amaury Pi-González criticizing owner John Fisher’s plans to move the team to Las Vegas, and players and coaches of the Nigeria women’s national football team calling out the disparities in resources between their team and the resources that the US and European teams receive.

Later in the show, Sean and Jacquie are joined by Eugene Puryear, co- host of Freedom Side Live on Breakthrough News and author of the book Shackled and Chained: Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America to discuss a New York Times article attempting to characterize pro-peace groups in the US as “stooges” of China and how it demonstrates the lasting legacy of the red scare, the takeover in Niger and why the narrative that the government is allowing “Russian colonialism” is paternalistic, and the role of Mohamed Bazoum in impoverishing Niger and allowing US and French troops to operate in the country.

We'd love to get your feedback at [email protected]

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.