Episode 317 of RevolutionZ has as its guest Richard Solomon a grad student activist and organizer. We discuss the mindset, circumstances, and challenges faced by campus activism particularly about Palestine but more broadly as well including differences now as compared to years earlier. We consider the exemplary activist-generated "MIT Science for Genocide" report, the extensive carefully planned administrative repression against student dissent, insights on building coalitions for activism, insights on dealing dealing with widespread apathy, the importance of multi issue organizing, and the importance, of outreach and building face to face friendship and trust. 

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Episode 316 of RevoluitonZ begins with a short letter to a friend and the friend's response. The episode considers views about becoming active, online activity, today's situation's pluses and minuses and our options, and Trump's voters. Should I and you be despondent, step aside, and wait. Slow and steady patience will win the race. Or should I and you be militant, dive right in, and battle full bore? The early days will set the stage for later days. And what about Trump voters? A case for each side exists. I believe one is right and one is wrong. But which is which? My friend and I disagree. He has lots of support. I have you, I hope. 

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Episode 314 of RevolutionZ convey's an interview done before a large audience at MIT addressing the 1960s and now. What follows is a somewhat edited version of what an AI offered as a summary. 

From an unsuspecting student to a committed activist here are stories of how personal experiences and institutional dynamics paved the way for a lifetime of advocacy. From a fraternity with secrets as unsettling as bugging rooms and tapping phone calls to manipulate incoming Freshmen, to harboring fugitives and planning events and riots, plus anecdotes of intense meetings and strategic career offers, how do we deal with the moral and strategic dilemmas we face. Lessons learned from the strategic challenges faced by past and present leftist movements lead to discussing the left's "stickiness problem" and the need for the left to become more inclusive of working-class perspectives and leadership. Connecting the struggles of the 1960s with today's fight against fascism, this episode offers rich insights into the evolution of political engagement and the enduring need for viable, inclusive alternatives in our political landscape.

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Episode 315 of RevolutionZ presents a detailed, wide-ranging assessment of recent changes and coming prospects in Syria as well as beyond, including Russia, Turkey, the United States, and Israel. Joseph Dahar critically challenges the anti-imperialist perspective that too often oversimplifies regional dynamics. Can a coalition of Syrians break free from Assad, fundamentalism, and external domination to create a democratic society? Finally, I draw some unexpected lessons for the United States.

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Episode 313 of RevolutionZ continues to focus on resisting Trump and going beyond him to build better. It briefly shares feelings and fears that dog me and likely you too. It lays out three paths toward removing Trump. It offers a hypothesis about the potential impact of the first months of Trump's second administration. And it moves from the facts and the hypothesis it offers to a proposal about what we might do now. Along the way it also offers a way of thinking about Trump's voters that avoids writing them off, and a way of collectively resisting and beating Trump along with everyone who wants to resist that avoids becoming subservient to the  Democratic Party. 

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Episode 312 of RevolutionZ: I wanted to change topic but couldn't. Like it or not, Trump and Trumpism matter. They are our present and they must be stopped lest they become our future. We take up five compelling reasons to stand firm against Trump from preventing harm to fostering hope and community. To not give up. To not back down. To not stick to old ways. To find new ways. We address the logic and the dangers posed by Trump's appointees. We highlight the need to raise social costs for Trump and his elite supporters, not to change their minds, but to force them to change their agenda. We consider the role of envisioning a future that transcends pre-Trump normalcy. And we address the role of the Democratic Party, Harris's voters, Trump's voters, non voters, and left activists. Forget placing blame. Figure how to win against Trump and then beyond Trump.

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Episode 311 of RevolutionZ is not an election post-mortem. It is not about what went wrong. It is about what Trump is likely to do and what we can do to prevent his success. The episode takes up border policies, deportations, gender and reproductive rights, homelessness, healthcare, labor, ecology, repression, schools, media, military, and international relations--and a lot more. In each case, the episode considers what Trump is likely to pursue and what kinds of resistance can block his efforts. Succinct summaries are meant to assist and fuel thinking about  actions to undertake in the coming months. Put bluntly, the overarching message is that we can certainly do this, but if we don't, there will be hell to pay. Resignation and even angry by-standing are therefore not options. The kinds of activities described in the episode, however, are worthy options to consider. 

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Episode 310 of RevolutionZ asks what  drove millions of Americans to rally behind a figure as vile as Donald Trump? What attracted and held them despite so much that ought to have repulsed them? What can now stop Trump from implementing full-on fascist outcomes? Wtih Immigration policy as an example, how might activism subvert Trump's plans? And is there a way to simultaneously effectively communicate with the over half the voting electorate that supported Trump without compromising values and denying reality?

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Ep 309 of RevolutionZ offers insights from an essay by over a hundred Palestinian, Arab American, Muslim, and progressive leaders in Arizona, takes a historical detour into the emergence of Nazism in Germany and its then U.S. echoes, considers the meaning of the label shill for the Democratic Party, considers Trump's voters, and post election communications.

This is my last pre-election episode. Hopefully my next one, recorded once the tallies are tallied, will offer some comments on what happened and, dare I say it, on what (I think) is to be done.

So what am I expecting from the election? I'd rather not speculate, but if I must, I would put 40% Trump will win a very close race, 40% Harris will win a very close race, and 20% and honestly, I think maybe more than that, that Harris will win quite comfortably, at least as these things go. 

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Episode 308 of RevolutionZ has as guest Norman Solomon to talk about election 2024. Does who is in the White House matter in general, and in this election? Is there contradiction or synergy between personal conscience and the broader ethical responsibilities of electoral decisions? Is voting for Harris in swing states not only how to beat Trump but also how to advance progressive post-election prospects in coming months and years and thus compatible with conscience for organizers--or is the better choice third party voting or abstention? What are the diverse motivations and thoughts of Trump supporters? How might organizers relate effectively with Trump's half of the voting population, and, for that matter, with Harris's half. 

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