History

Mini Doc: Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam – Martin Luther King

Mini Doc: Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam – Martin Luther King

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we republish his speech, Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam. King’s speech broadened the scope of the Civil Rights Movement to include economic and global justice, linking the fight against racism to opposition to war and militarism.

King criticized the U.S. government for prioritizing military spending over addressing domestic poverty and inequality. He famously argued, “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

The Corporate Coup Against FDR – Jonathan M. Katz Pt. 2/2
|

The Corporate Coup Against FDR – Jonathan M. Katz Pt. 2/2

In part two, journalist Jonathan M. Katz discusses the financial elite and fascist sympathizers who were conspiring to undo FDR’s economic reforms in what is known as the foiled Business Plot of 1933. Retired U.S. Marine General Smedley Butler, who outed the coup plotters in Special House committee hearings in 1934, subsequently published War is a Racket, a pamphlet critiquing the monied interests behind America’s imperial war machine. Katz describes Butler’s transformation from “racketeer for capitalism” to anti-war critic and underscores the political salience of working-class issues in the Great Depression’s aftermath, as demonstrated in the Bonus March of 1932 and in FDR’s New Deal.

Gangsters of Capitalism – Jonathan M. Katz Pt. 1/2

Gangsters of Capitalism – Jonathan M. Katz Pt. 1/2

U.S. interventions at the turn of the 20th century were numerous and widespread, including bloody operations in Cuba against the Spanish and then against the Cubans themselves, in northern China against the Boxer Rebellion, and most notably, the Balangiga massacre on the island of Samar in the Philippines. General Smedley Butler, a decorated U.S. marine, was stationed on all these fronts and was subsequently involved in invasions of Mexico, Nicaragua, and Haiti in 1915. Jonathan M. Katz, author of Gangsters of Capitalism, recounts the story of Butler and how he ultimately turned against the American war machine, describing himself as “a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism,” who had propped up the pillaging of Latin America by monopolists and bankers such as J.P. Morgan. 

Reagan, the Media and the United States of Amnesia – “The Reagans” part 5/5
| |

Reagan, the Media and the United States of Amnesia – “The Reagans” part 5/5

Reagan created the model for Trump. Reagan flipped the media industrial complex in America on its head and was not just a hero to the Republican Party; he was a hero to American media. Matt Trynauer, director of the documentary series “The Reagans,” joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news. This interview was originally published on March 31, 2021.

Capitalocene: How Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis – Jason W. Moore pt 1/2
| | |

Capitalocene: How Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis – Jason W. Moore pt 1/2

The current climate crisis emerged out of a specific set of historical and economic factors which have maintained capitalist accumulation and class inequalities to this day. Jason W. Moore, geographer and Professor of Sociology at Binghamton University, explains how the development of capitalism fueled European colonialism and Western imperialism, resulting in a novel form of climate destruction.

The Assertion of Popular Power: A Climate Movement Imperative – Jason W. Moore pt 2/2
| | |

The Assertion of Popular Power: A Climate Movement Imperative – Jason W. Moore pt 2/2

In part 2, historian and geographer Jason W. Moore explains why climate and revolutionary struggles must understand capitalist dynamics and deploy a language of universal class solidarity to overthrow transnational power structures perpetuating the climate crisis.

Ronald Reagan: “Small Government” a Smoke Screen for Racism and Smashing Unions – and Host, Paul Jay (pt 4/5)
|

Ronald Reagan: “Small Government” a Smoke Screen for Racism and Smashing Unions – and Host, Paul Jay (pt 4/5)

One of Reagan’s geniuses was to convince people to vote against their own self-interest. In the name of lower taxes and the Cold War, he expanded investment in “defense” systems that benefited the oligarchs who brought him to power. Matt Tyrnauer, director of “The Reagans” on Showtime, joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news. This interview was originally published on February 17, 2021.

How Israel Maintains Its Colonial Occupation – Walid Habbas pt 1/2
|

How Israel Maintains Its Colonial Occupation – Walid Habbas pt 1/2

Israel has expanded its role as an occupying power in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip by building illegal settlements, establishing practices of indirect colonial management founded on military proclamations, and imposing checkpoints and blockades to control the livelihood of Palestinians since 1967 in particular. Walid Habbas, researcher at the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies (MADAR), zooms out from the current atrocities and applies a bird’s eye view to flesh out the dynamics of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories. Besides military deployments enforcing the occupation, Walid delves into Israel’s control of Palestinian industry and the various forms of economic dependency that emerge from it.

Ronald Reagan: The Face of Racism & the Military-Industrial Complex – Matt Tyrnauer (pt 2/5)
|

Ronald Reagan: The Face of Racism & the Military-Industrial Complex – Matt Tyrnauer (pt 2/5)

Reagan understood the American psyche from within it. He used his acting skills to sell right-wing “dog whistles” and militarism. Matt Tyrnauer, director of “The Reagans”, on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay. This interview was originally published on January 29, 2021.

End of content

End of content