Voice of the People: Radio By and For the 99%

Our word of the week is “Chaos.” As the Word of Week indicates, Linda Gillison and Mark will look at the first couple of weeks of the Trump Administration, including the DOGE, the restructuring of USAID, including its funding of worldwide media, and the closing of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Then we look at the weak Democratic response to all this. We then hear an op/ed from Celia Winkler titled “the Welfare-Warfare State.” We will then hear from 3 people attending a Montanans for Palestine event. And we look at one of the primary ways the bird flu is spreading and the subsequent price gouging by the industrial egg producers. We then close with a discussion about the end of the US empire through the writings of Chris Hedges.

Linda Gillison and Mark host today's show. Our word of the week is “Missoula City Council.” After providing some introduction about Missoula, for the rest of the show we will listen to a panel presentation from January 30th by Missoula City Councillors Kristen Jordan and Daniel Carlino, entitled “Socialism in Missoula,” sponsored by the Western Montana Democratic Socialists of America.

Our word of the week is “Empire” and in the last half of the show we will hear University of Montana history professor Richard Drake share his views on the current state of the US Empire. Before that, we will look at organized workers taking strike action at Starbucks, Amazon, and the healthcare workers at the Providence hospitals in Oregon. Plus, we look at the actions of the Swedish Dockworkers Union voting to block

Linda Gillison, Soundman Jim and Mark host the show this week. Our word of the week is “H-1B Visa” and how they are affecting workers in the computer and software industries. We will then take a look at the war of words in the Trump camp over these same H-1B visas. Then we turn to H-2B visas, what the outgoing Biden Administration is doing with them and how it affects US truckers. Next, we hear DSA organizer Robbie Liben read his opinion piece on the assassination of the United Healthcare CEO and the health insurance industry. Then we look at the recent massive increase in the number of unhoused. We look at the late Jimmy Carter’s record on labor issues in his one-term as President. Finally, we discuss the failed mega-merger of grocery giants Albertsons and Kroger.

Linda Gillison, Soundman Jim and Mark explore our word of the week: “Libertarianism.” We will also take a look at what the so-called libertarian President of Argentina is doing to his nation in his first year in office. Then we discuss why the Democrats lost big time and what they could do about it. We then read the actual manifesto of Luigi Mangione and what his action may portend. Following that the Montana Supreme Court issues an important ruling on the rights of trans kids. And then we look at the deep and dark situation in Syria and the US role in funding Al-Qaeda.

Soundman Jim and Mark are joined by Sandy Burch and Chris Austin to discuss our word of the week: “Democratic Socialism.” We will discuss what it is and answer what critics say about democratic socialism. We then discuss with Sandy and Chris about their work in Montana with the Democratic Socialists of America. Finally we begin to look at the Russian missile, Oreshnik, which many commentators regard as changing military history from here on out.

Soundman Jim and Mark explore our word of the week: “Sitdown Strike.” And Jim will read an excerpt from Jeremy Brecher’s book Strike! about the first sitdown strikes by rubber workers in Akron, Ohio in 1936. And we check in on the progress made on the United Autoworkers plan to prepare unions for a 2028 general strike. We also take a look at the end of the Boeing strike. Finally, we discuss some reasons why the Democratic Party lost the elections so handily.

Linda Gillison and Mark explore our word of the week: “Fascism.” We look to the scholarship of Robert O. Paxton

Our word of the week is “Liberal Democracy.” To explore our word of the week, we first hear from Maria Bustos as she explains why the Trump-like self-described “anarcho-capitalist” Javier Millei was elected Argentina’s President late last year. Then we look at why the US Democratic Party’s pro-union electoral strategy is failing, and some reasons why many workers support Donald Trump for US President. We end the show with an update from the east coast longshore strikes.

Soundman Jim and Mark explore our word of the week: “Iran”, its history, political economy and culture. Then we cover the escalating war in the Middle East, its connection to Iran, and the escalating war against free speech in the US. We feature an interview by Dialogue Work with Col (ret.) Larry Wilkerson, and an editorial by DSA organizer Brian Myers.