Colombia National Strike; Cuba and Ecosocialism; Illinois Policing Bill

Angela Arias-Zapata, a PhD Candidate in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University whose work focuses on Colombia and how colonial notions of nature and racial difference shape its narrative infrastructure and social movements, talks to us about renewed protests and a general strike that began July 20 across Colombia as the government presented a revised tax reform bill, whether this version of the bill addresses the issues in the original one, and how the government has responded to the claims by the people on the street. We also talk about a wave of arrests over an attack on president Duque’s helicopter and how the FARC and Venezuela prove to be convenient scapegoats, and how Colombian ex-military personnel end up doing mercenary work around the world.

David Schwartzman, Professor emeritus at Howard University, activist, former candidate for the DC Statehood Green Party, member of Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America, and co-author of the book “The Earth Is Not for Sale,” joins us to to talk about what we can learn from Cuba in regards to energy consumption, ecosocialism, and the concept of economic de-growth, which is gaining importance as we face the devastating consequences that economies hell-bent on growth have had on the environment globally. We also talk about how the U.S. has tacked on even more sanctions on Cuba, how the playbook in the U.S. relationship with the country has not changed from a policy of confrontation over decades, and the importance of working toward a normalization in relations with Cuba.

Sharon Anderson, Attorney and business consultant, former law school professor and lecturer at Howard Law, and the CEO and Founder of KCG Consulting Services talks to us about Illinois becoming the first state in the U.S. to ban police from lying or using deceptive tactics while interrogating minors, why this should be expanded to the remaining 49 states, and the legacy of lives destroyed by convictions reached through false confessions. We also talk about the mounting legal troubles faced by Trump associates, and the fight in congress over the Jan. 6 Commission.