Unauthorized Disclosure

Please enjoy free access to a full and uncut episode of the Unauthorized Disclosure weekly podcast typically available for only subscribers.   Ben Norton, editor for Multipolarista, returns to the podcast to discuss the United States-backed coups and lawfare in Peru and Argentina. Peru President Pedro Castillo, who came from a background as an indigenous peasant, was removed from power by the right-wing legislature and arrested. A show trial was held, and he has been sentenced to 18 months of "preventative detention."   In Argentina, Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was barred by the judiciary from running for president again. The political charge against her bears a lot of similarity to the political charge that was leveled by the right-wing in Brazil against President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.   Ben challenges several misconceptions about Castillo and the coup in Peru while also recounting events that led up to the third impeachment against him that created the conditions for his removal. He also highlights how the US ambassador to Peru was in the CIA. While providing an overview of recent events in Argentina, Ben details the extent to which oligarchs in the country hold influence over the judiciary.

Todd Miller is a journalist and editor for The Border Chronicle, who lives in Tucson, Arizona. He consistently has documented life at the United States-Mexico border. And he returns to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast this week. Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola talk with Todd about how President Joe Biden's Justice Department is fighting for a Trump-era border policy, progress on the "smart" border wall, and "wall sickness"—the psychological impact that people living in communities near the border experience.

NOTE: This interview was not produced as part of the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast, but it is shared here to help give Stefania and her book some additional exposure. Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi partnered with WikiLeaks and covered military reports on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars and US diplomatic cables related to Italy and the Vatican. She met WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange multiple times. She saw firsthand how WikiLeaks worked on publications, even as the United States government ramped up its efforts to target and suppress the media organization.    Now, the English-translation of Stefania's book, "Secret Power: WikiLeaks and Its Enemies," is out from Pluto Press, and she joins Shadowproof's Kevin Gosztola to discuss this chronicle centered on her time as a media partner. The book also details her efforts to pursue freedom of information lawsuits against the US, United Kingdom, Sweden, and Australia for denying her access to documents related to the prosecution of Assange.   Stefania kindly endorsed Kevin's forthcoming book on the Assange case, and Kevin is pleased to be able to show his support for Stefania's work and share this interview.

Joshua Frank, journalist and co-editor of CounterPunch, joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast to discuss his book, Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America. It examines the Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington state and all the dangers that the site poses to humanity, despite the fact that numerous whistleblowers have risked their lives to warn us of potential catastrophes.   ***ENJOY THE INTERVIEW? Become a subscriber at TheDissenter.org***   In the interview, Joshua recounts the role that Hanford played in the development of the US atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He describes how Hanford is part of the "permanent disaster economy" and the corruption that surrounds the US Energy Department's contracts for cleanup and maintenance of the nuclear site.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK, recently co-authored the book, "War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict," and is touring the United States. She joined the "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast to discuss the missile incident in Poland and obstacles to pursuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.   ***BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Go to TheDissenter.org*** Later in the interview, Medea highlights the work that CODEPINK did on COP27, the climate conference which was held in Egypt. They challenged Egypt's repression and jailing of activists of like Alaa Abd El-Fattah and urged world leaders to pay more attention to how wars fuel climate change. She also addresses how the Biden administration has continued to invoke "state-sponsored terrorism" to strangle Cuba and why that must end.

Carey Shenkman is a constitutional lawyer and recognized expert on the United States Espionage Act. He joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast this week to discuss the book A Century of Repression: The Espionage Act and Freedom of the Press, which he co-authored with Ralph Engelman.   ***BECOME A SUBSCRIBER: Go to TheDissenter.org*** Co-host Kevin Gosztola asks Carey to outline the origins of the Espionage Act and how President Woodrow Wilson's administration developed it as a tool that could suppress antiwar dissent, labor organizers, and socialist and communist groups.

Hadas Thier is an activist and socialist in New York and the author of A People’s Guide to Capitalism: An Introduction to Marxist Economics. She is a regular contributor to Jacobin Magazine, and Hadas recently wrote a feature story for In These Times magazine called, "A Left Answer To Inflation." ***BECOME A SUBSCRIBER. Go to TheDissenter.org. *** Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola welcomed Hadas to the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss inflation and what working class people should support as a response to rising prices. Hadas outlined the ways that inflation is the site of class conflict and how it is used as a tool by wealthy executives and ruling elites to suppress labor organizing.

Asa Winstanley, associate editor for Electronic Intifada and co-host of the website's podcast, appeared on "Unauthorized Disclosure" to discuss The Labour Files, a bombshell documentary series from Al Jazeera English based on an unprecedented leak of files from within the UK's Labour Party. Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola pay particular attention to the second part of the series that delves into the manner in which Labour Party officials manufactured an "antisemitism crisis" and weaponized the issue to purge the party of left-leaning members, including Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Jewish members who oppose Israeli apartheid against Palestinians. The documentary series that outlines clear corruption has been virtually ignored by the British establishment media. The Labour Party is hoping the series just fades away. By highlighting a few clips and highlighting some of the damning revelations in the Labour Files, we are doing what little we can do to challenge the media blackout. For more from Asa, subscribe to his newsletter.

Zoe Alexandra is a journalist for People's Dispatch, who has been in Brazil covering the elections, including the race between far-right Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro and leftist former Brazil President Lula da Silva.   In this free edition of the show, Zoe shares her insights on the election results in Brazil and other developments in Latin America, including renewed resistance among leaders to US meddling in their countries. *FOR FULL EPISODES, subscribe at TheDissenter.org

Jared Ware, journalist and co-host of the "Millennials Are Killing Capitalism" podcast, stops by the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss a major prison strike that unfolded in state facilities throughout Alabama over the past week.   ***For as little as $3/month, get access to all the full episodes and premium content from the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast. Subscribe and get a free trial: https://thedissenter.org/subscribe-to... ***    We begin with an overview of the strike, which was on its fifth day when the interview was recorded. Jared describes why the work stoppages were organized now and what the response of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has been to the organized prisoners.   Jared outlines the demands of prisoners, including a call to release prisoners who should be eligible for parole but have been denied.  Prison authorities have tried several tactics to break the strike. Meals have been degrading. Lead organizers have been assaulted and thrown in solitary. Prisoners have been moved between facilities to act as scabs and help authorities break the strike. Visitations have been canceled for the weekend.   Yet the strike pushed onward into the weekend, and you can follow updates on Twitter from Jared @jaybeware