Black Agenda Radio - 07.23.18

Welcome to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. I’m Glen Ford, along with my co-host Nellie Bailey. Coming up: Nearly a million Black people waster away in U.S. prisons, which still house political prisoners from nearly half a century ago. Some young activists have begun a prisoner letter-writing campaign, to let them know that people on the outside are with them. And, is the current anti-Russian hysteria worse than during the cold war. We’ll ask the author of a book on the anti-Russian madness.

The Green Party has watched with interest as a number of Democrats have taken positions well to the left of Democratic Party leadership. In New York, Green Party candidate for governor, Howie Hawkins, says, if you want real social transformation, vote for the Greens. Hawkins and other Green Party members recently announced support for social ownership of the economy, a state public bank, and other radical measures. We asked Howie Hawkins what he means by “social ownership of the economy.”

Democrats and war-hawks reach for ever-higher heights of anti-Russian hysteria, ascribing nearly super-powers to Moscow and its president, Vladimir Putin. All this is déjà vu for many older Americans, who remember the Cold War days when Russians were thought to be under every bed. In a new book, Jeremy Kuzmarov and John Marciana explore the similarities, and differences between, the current anti-Russian madness and the hysteria of two generations ago. The book is titled, “The Russians are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.” Kuzmarov explains.

This past weekend, social justice activists in New York City set in motion a letter writing campaign for political prisoners. Marlene Nava Ramos is an organizer with Critical Resistance, and a doctoral candidate in sociology.