Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

  On this edition of Parallax Views, the rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has proven a controversial figure within the hip hop scene. A master troll within the hip hop community, Tekashi69 became famouse after his sleeper hit track "Hummo" which features members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods appeared in the music video for it. Tekashi would then become even more infamous when his NTG associates were busted for multiple offenses and went on trial. Tekashi himself got in trouble and eventually acted as a witness against the Nine Trey Bloods during the trial. This has led some to speculate Tekashi (real name Daniel Hernandez) was "a fed all along". But our guest, Casey Gane-McCalla, also known as the rapper "The Mighty Casey" and the author of Inside the CIA's Secret War Inside Jamaica, believes that Kristian Kruz aka CEO Kris is the more insidious player in the case. According to Gane, Kruz was heavily involved in trafficking the dangerous drug fentanyl while simultaneously acting as an informant for the feds.   As of August 2nd, 2020 Tekashi69's house arrest will come to an end. Report are flooding in that Tekashi 6ix9ine is currently afraid that he lacks protection after his house arrest is over. Casey and I go over Tekashi's history, from his prior offenses (including a charge involving sexual misconduct against a minor) to his current predicament and what the whole case says about our current justice system. Additionally, Casey tells us about the new Amazon documentary series The Last Narc concerning the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA agent Enrique `Kiki" Camarena that contains explosive allegations against CIA officer Félix Rodríguez. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

  On this edition of Parallax Views, are the West's humanitarian interventions (or humanitarian wars) really waged for humanitarian purposes? Or is that just an Orwellian façade to cover-up for more strategic interests at play? Our guest labor and human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, author of No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests, makes the case the the latter is closer to the truth. We delve into: - The history of "humanitarian interventions" by the West from the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia to the U.S.-backed overthrow of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya and the destruction it wrought. - When could the case be made for humantarian intervention? - King Leopold II and the massacre in the Congo - South African apartheid, the U.S., and Cuba - The Kurds and Turkey -The ideas of pro-interventionist Samantha Powers and how Dan takes them on in the book And much, much more Book Description for Dan Kovalik's No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests:   "Kovalik helps cut through the Orwellian lies and dissembling which make so-called 'humanitarian' intervention possible." —Oliver Stone     War is the fount of all the worst human rights violations―including genocide―and not its cure. This undeniable truth, which the framers of the UN Charter understood so well, is lost in today’s obsession with the oxymoron known as “humanitarian" intervention.   No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests sets out to reclaim the original intent of the Charter founders to end the scourge of war on the heels of the devastation wrought by WWII. The book begins with a short history of the West’s development as built upon the mass plunder of the Global South, genocide and slavery, and challenges the prevailing notion that the West is uniquely poised to enforce human rights through force.   This book also goes through recent “humanitarian" interventions carried out by the Western powers against poorer nations (e.g., in the DRC, Congo, and Iraq) and shows how these have only created greater human rights problems – including genocide – than they purported to stop or prevent.   No More War reminds the reader of the key lessons of Nuremberg – that war is the primary scourge of the world, the root of all the evils which international law seeks to prevent and eradicate, and which must be prevented. The reader is then taken through the UN Charter and other human rights instruments and their emphasis on the prevention of aggressive war.

  On this edition of Parallax Views, modern wars in which the U.S. and Western powers invade nations like Iraq and Afghanistan are often waged under the pretext of being necessary "humanitarian interventions". Pro-peace activists and critics of U.S. foreign policy have long argued, however, that claims of "humanitarian intervention" are cover for more sinister motivations From this perspective, U.S. wars are fought for control of resources or for strategic reasons related to the maintenance of Western powers on the geopolitical "Grand Chessboard".   For example, many antiwar activists who marched in opposition to George W. Bush's 2003 invasion of Iraq would chant, "No More Wars for Oil!" In other words, the activists believed that war was not fought over WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) or to liberate the Iraqi people, but instead that the invasion was a way to secure resources. The invocation of "humanitarian intervention" in this context, activists claimed, was nothing more than a cynical ruse.   Dr. Philip Cunliffe, a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, however, takes a different, and perhaps even more provocative, approach to critiquing U.S. foreign policy. In his book Cosmopolitan Dystopia: International Intervention and the Failure of the West, Cunliffe wills himself to take the claims of humanitarian interventionists at face value rather than questioning whether they have ulterior motives. In taking this tact he argues that humanitarian intervention, however nobly conceived, has led to a dystopian scenario of "Forever Wars" that have caused more harm than good. Put another way, Cunliffe chooses to question the proposed logic of humanitarian intervention itself and uses examples like the fallout from the U.S.-backed overthrow of Muammar al-Gaddafi in Libya (which has led to the unintended consequence, or "blowback", of sexual slavery and human trafficking making a comeback in the region) to make his case.   Although Cunliffe's argument is controversial, and perhaps even unnerving, it does provide an alternative way of looking at Western wars in the 21st century. As always we attempted to hear our guest out rather than have a shouting match. With that in mind this episode is sure to stir the pot in regards to international relations discussion, but Parallax Views is all about providing listeners with an unconventional viewpoint they may have not considered before. And it is our belief that this conversation with Dr. Cunliffe will certainly provide that in spades.   Also be sure to check out Dr. Cunliffe's podcast Aufhebunga Bunga.

  On this edition of Parallax Views, the Troubled Teen Industry offers parents a way to "fix" their rambunctious children by sending them to schools and programs that specialize in tough love behavior modification. It turns out, however, that the Troubled Teen Industry appears to do more harm than good, leaving a trail of destruction and abuse in it's wake. Jack Hodgson, the filmmaker behind the upcoming Emancipated: A Troubled Teen Documentary, joins us to discuss the harrowing story of this abusive industry.   Among the topics discussed: - What the troubled teen industry is; how children get taken away by the industry - WWASP and CEDU programs; the relationship between these programs and the violent cult Synanon founded by Charles Dietrich and claiming to help heroin addicts - The experiences of the teens sent to these programs - Whistleblowers within the troubled teen industry - And much, much more.

  On this edition of Parallax Views, an excerpt from our Patreon program The Week That Was in which we celebrate the life and times of radio host Michael Brooks (1983-2020) of The Michael Brooks Show and The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder. J.G. shares a Michael story or two (Michael was on Parallax Views on three separate occassions) as well as explaining Michael's desire to lift others up using the rising popularity he experienced as a media personality. RIP Michael Brooks   Full Episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39705881

  On this edition of Parallax Views, the coal industry may be dying, but the business refuses to go without taking others down with it. Case in point with the Appalachia regions of Amerca, which is simultaneously bombabrded with propaganda from the coal industry and fed false promises by the fracking industry. In the new documentary Hard Road of Hope, activist and artist Eleanor Goldfield examines the exploitation of West Virginia by these corporate interests and the fight that across that cuts across lines of race, class, and gender against those interests. In this conversation we discuss: - The West Virginia Mine Wars, 20th century fights against labor exploitation and SCABs, and how those fights relate to today's stuggles in Appalachian region of the United States - Coal company corruption in West Virginia, fracking, the poisoning of water supplies and the effect on the community - Talking to people from different cultures as an activist - The propaganda used against the populace, coal company front groups like Friends of Coal, fear of the Left - Indigenous struggle, solidarity, and much, much more

  Mickey Huff of the media watchdog/media literacy group Project Censored returns to Parallax Views for a video chat about the project's latest works including the e-book compilation Censored News on Policing and Prisons and the documentary The United State of Distraction: Fighting the Fake News Invasion.   Links: https://www.projectcensored.org/ https://www.projectcensored.org/united-states-of-distraction-fighting-the-fake-news-invasion/ https://www.projectcensored.org/product/censored-news-on-policing-and-prisons-e-book/ https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

  This is a repost Parallax Views Ep. 5 featuring Michael Brooks (1983-2020). The loss of Michael Brooks has hit a number of us very hard. As such I feel the need to repost this classic episode. This was recorded before I was technically proficient (which is to say that my audio comes in on one end and Michael's audio comes in on the other end; this caused problems for some listeners; but I am unable to remaster the episode). Ep. 5: Michael Brooks on Leftism, Humor, the Intellectual Dork Web, and Illicit History June 10, 2018 On this edition of Parallax Views I speak with Michael Brooks of The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder and The Michael Brooks Show about leftist politics, the power of humor, and the Intellectual Dork Web... er... "Intellectual Dark Web", and his Illicit History podcast series. We start the discussion by delving into how Michael Brooks got into leftist politics. Then we transition into how Michael's show follows in the long tradition of left-wing comedy. We talk a bit about the importance of humor in getting out a political message and building a viable social movement. This leads into Michael's hilarious "Nation of Islam Obama" impersonations and a wider discussion of the Obama Presidency, Obama's likable personality, and having a measured left-wing critique of the Democratic Party. From there we delve into the rise of the so-called Intellectual Dark Web, or, as I like to call it, the Intellectual Dork Web. We discuss all the usual players like Sam Harris, Charles Murray, and the lobster man himself, Jordan Peterson and following the money trail behind these characters while still debating their ideas. This opens us up for a discussion of the late great sociologist Zygmunt Bauman in contrast to Jordan Peterson. We also take some time to discuss Michael's excellent Illicit History podcast series. This series deals with little dealt with history from perspectives that often go unconsidered. Interview subject for the series have included Dr. Christopher Ryan, author of Sex at Dawn, and Silicon Valley critic The Baffler's Corey Pein, author of Live Work Work Die: A Journey Into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley. We wrap up by talking about Michael's love of rap and hip hop and why in the world he isn't a fan of political rap king Immortal Technique. All this and more on this fun, thoughtful edition of Parallax Views.

  On this edition of Parallax VIews, fake news has been thrown about by both Republicans and Democrats since the 2016 election, but what does it mean? Nolan Higdon of Project Censored joins us to discuss his new book The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education. We begin how discussing how the term "fake news" gained popularity, how "fake news" is a reality beyond being a meme turned into a cultural phenomena thanks to Donald Trump, and the PropOrNot "fake news" list that targeted a number of left-wing websites, like Counterpunch and the Black Agenda Report, as Russian propaganda and why such lists are dangerous. We then move on to discussing what fake news is in the context that Nolan uses it, his books non-partisan, broad approach to the topic, and historical examples of fake news like the proto-tabloid penny press (and the story of Christopher Columbus!?). In addition we also talk about:   - The necessity of a free press for a healthy, functionining democracy - The Daily Show's , the proble of satirical news like Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver, The Daily Show w/ Trevor Noah, and Full Frontal w/ Samantha Bee - Corporate media's pro wrestling representation of politics; former WCW executive Eric Bischoff's TedX Talk on how political media mirror the dynamics of pro wrestling storytelling; the problems arising from a media ecosystem that runs off a narrow Red Vs. Blue dichotomy - Why we need critical media literacy if we hope to maintain a healthy democracy - The danger of looking towards Silicon Valley to solve the problem of fake news - TV personalities (talking heads?) vs journalists; news consumers being unable to distinguish between op-ed and hard-nosed reporting - Combat TV news and sensationalism; the media ecosystem focusing on sensationalism rather than policy and keeping voters informed - The media ecosystem's potential role in the rise of phenomena like Trumpism, Brexit, and right-wing populism etc. - Nolan's experiences teaching young people about fake news and critical media literacy  

On this edition of Parallax Views, in these trying, some would say quasi-apocalyptic, times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government jackboot coming down on citizens and activists the sci-fi genre seems like it could provide a lot of escapism. However, literary trends in sci-fi have moved towards a darker view of the future. Cynicism within literature has come to be seen as more "authentic". But what about sci-fi that envision utopias rather than dystopias? That's where author Brian M. Lewis's Farima:  An Afrofuturist Sci-Fi Adventure (The Homo Maximus Saga Book 1) comes into play. In this novel, his literary debut, Lewis provides readers with a vision of the future that, rather than drowning in pessimistic vision of post-apocalyptic dreariness, tries to imagine a world different than our own. In a words, Farima bravely bravely bucks the dystopian literary trends by imagining a better future through the lens of Afrofutursim and Solarpunk aesthetics that envisions a truly future with a truly progressive government. Brian Lewis joins us to tell us about the book, his views on technology and blockchain, Octavia Butler, the Black Panther movie, the COVID-19 pandemic, BLM and the recent Orwellian disappearing of protesters in Portland, and much, much more. Synopsis for Farima by Brian M. Lewis: "The Founder of a nation hides a destructive secret, From a collective of scientists building disruptive technology, While an enemy from the past hides in plain sight as he plots to destroy them all. Dr. Natia Greenheart has brought together the most advanced team of scientists in all of New Manden. They've built many things, but nothing as disruptive as Homo Maximus. When complete, this breakthrough will offer effective immortality - for free. However, a series of unfortunate attacks forces Natia and her team to travel to a private man-made island to finish the work. Yet when they get there, Natia soon realizes that the island holds many secrets that could cost her and her team their lives. Natia will have to overcome sabotage, deception and the threat of death to not only complete the project but save a young nation from destruction." SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWS ON PATREON! FOR BONUS CONTENT AND ARCHIVED EPISODES!