In the aftermath of World War Two, as the United States consolidated its position as a global superpower, it was confronted with significant challenges from below and shifting political terrain — anti-colonial struggles around the world and civil rights struggles domestically. To handle both, the U.S state turned to the police, who were sent overseas to assist in counterinsurgency and brought back to quell domestic unrest. As Stuart Schrader argues, the link between foreign counterinsurgency and domestic repression casts a long shadow on the present. (Full-length interview.)

Resources:

Stuart Schrader, Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing UC Press, 2019

The post Policing and Counterinsurgency appeared first on KPFA.

In arguing for the urgency of moving from anthropocentrism toward ecocentrism, Aaron S. Allen distinguishes between environmental crises and ecological change; argues against the “balance of nature” paradigm; differentiates between strong and weak forms of sustainability; and describes the role that expressive culture and the environmental liberal arts can play in driving awareness and activism.

McDowell, Borland, Dirksen, and Tuohy, eds., Performing Environmentalisms: Expressive Culture and Ecological Change University of Illinois Press, 2021

Allen and Dawe, eds., Current Directions in Ecomusicology: Music, Culture, Nature Routledge, 2016

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Caring for the elderly and disabled is some of the most exacting and important work in any society. And in our society, such work is very poorly paid. Journalist Richard Schweid lays out how home care work came to be one of the most profitable industries in the U.S., despite the minimum wages received by workers. He discusses the brewing crisis of care work and its consequences for an aging population.

Resources:

Richard Schweid, The Caring Class: Home Health Aides in Crisis Cornell University Press, 2021

The post The Plight of Home Health Care Workers appeared first on KPFA.

Railing against capitalism is one thing; coming up with an equitable alternative is another. For many years Michael Albert has been formulating and refining his vision of a just and participatory economy. That vision includes, among other things, establishing what he calls balanced job complexes and basing income on the duration, intensity, and onerousness of socially valued labor.

Michael Albert, No Bosses: A New Economy for a Better World ZerO Books, 2021

Revolution Z: Life after Capitalism

ZNet

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Why does the United States intervene militarily around the world? Supporters might claim that the U.S. acts in the interests of national security. For critics, a likely answer would be that the country wants to exercise influence and domination over others. Journalist Andrew Cockburn, however, argues that a great number of military decisions are based on financial benefit and profiteering, including for rival bureaucracies within the military. (Full length.)

photo: Michael Afonso via Unsplash

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