Ep. 56: Rest in Power Aaron Bushnell, Voting "Uncommitted" in Michigan, and More

We open our show with the breaking news on Aaron Bushnell's extreme and fatal act of protest against the genocide in Gaza. Aaron, a U.S. Air Force veteran, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy. We talk about the historical context of self- immolation as a protest tactic, the thoroughly American response by law enforcement, and how the corporate media has shamefully attempted to dismiss and downplay Aaron's actions with allusions to mental illness and suicide prevention. As Aaron said, "This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal."

 

We are then joined by Norah to talk about a people's win in Chicago and a historic rebuke in Wisconsin against gerrymandering. In more disturbing news, the onslaught against queer rights continues- from Dex Benedict, a non-binary teenager in Oklahoma, being beaten to death in a high school bathroom to the continued 'machine gun' pace of anti-trans legislation across the country and the west more broadly.

 

We close with a discussion on Alexei Navalny. The media have been quick to canonize Navalny as a principled critic of Putin who was (likely) assassinated. We ask, whose saint is this? Navalny held ethno-nationalist views and palled around with Neo-Nazis. We ask why the media has buried his toxic views while ignoring principled left-wing critics of Putin's regime.

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

After Setting Himself on Fire, US Airman Aaron Bushnell Dies Declaring 'Free Palestine' 
https://www.commondreams.org/news/aaron-bushnell

 

Mayor Johnson, City Of Chicago Sues Oil And Gas Companies For Climate Deception
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2024/february/---mayor-johnson--city-of-chicago-sues-oil-and-gas-companies-for.html

 

Michigan’s “Uncommitted” Campaign Is Challenging Biden. It Could Also Save Him.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/michigan-uncommitted-biden-gaza-democrats/

 

Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/25/wisconsin-new-voting-maps-gerrymandering-republicans-democrats

 

Alexei Navalny Was Ultra-Right Nationalist Who Compared Muslims to Cockroaches
https://medium.com/@matthew.puddister/alexei-navalny-was-an-ultra-right-nationalist-who-compared-muslims-to-cockroaches-1864e0cda000