
Democracy Now! Audio Democracy Now! 2025-12-02 Tuesday
6 snips
Dec 2, 2025 David Cole, a Georgetown law professor and former ACLU legal director, discusses potential war crimes linked to U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, warning against the militarization of policy. Zohran Mamdani, the progressive mayor-elect of NYC, joins striking Starbucks workers, spotlighting corporate greed and labor violations while promising to advocate for workers' rights. Journalist Stephen Thrasher reports on the devastating global impacts of U.S. funding cuts to AIDS and LGBTQ+ health programs, highlighting challenges in Uganda and beyond.
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Refuse Unlawful Orders
- Military personnel must refuse orders that are unlawful, because following orders is no defense to a war crime.
- David Cole highlights elected officials' duty to tell service members they can and must refuse illegal orders.
Pretext For Wider Military Action
- The
Pardons Undercut Rule Of Law
- Trump’s pardons and commutations, including freeing a convicted drug-trafficking ex-president, contrast with lethal force against untried fishermen and reveal political motives.
- David Cole says this misuse of pardon power erodes checks and rewards loyalists, undermining rule of law.





