Real Sankara Hours

RSH 21 -- COVID - 19, Systemic Racism, & Capitalism Make Black America Sick (5.1.2020)

Recorded April 29, 2020. Adam and Peter interview Dr. Collette Harris (also a Stanford alum) about a terrible Van Jones op-ed, COVID-19, why capitalism is not compatible with public health, and why systemic racism is the root of Black America's health problems. 

Links:

Van Jones's op-ed on why Black people should make health and lifestyle changes to beat COVID-19: www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/opinions…ty-jones/index.html; pushback on Van Jones's op-ed: newsone.com/playlist/van-jones-…s-amid-coronavirus/ ; East Oakland hit hard by COVID-19: oaklandvoices.us/2020/04/23/map-c…ts-east-oakland/

Follow Dr. Harris on Twitter: @collette_md

Follow us on Twitter:

Adam Hudson -- @adamhudson5

Peter MGunn -- @MGunnPeter

Real Sankara Hours -- @sankarahours

Adam's SoundCloud -- @adamhudson5

Get the RSS feed from our Podbean to stay up-to-date with new episodes: realsankarahours.podbean.com/ 

RSH 19 -- Re-Open America?? (4.25.2020)

Recorded on April 23, 2020. Adam and Peter talk about why "re-opening" the American economy during the COVID-19 pandemic is a terrible idea. Then they get into the decline of oil prices, China, and Adam further explains why he thinks Black politics is dead in America. 

 

Links: 

Job growth since 2008 Great Recession wiped out in four weeks: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/16/835135924/10-years-of-spectacular-u-s-job-growth-nearly-wiped-out-in-4-weeks ; 16 million people unemployed, while U.S. stocks have their best week in 45 years: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/16-million-people-just-got-laid-off-but-us-stocks-had-their-best-week-in-45-years-2020-04-10 ; 22 million people file for unemployment within four weeks: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/16/coronavirus-unemployment-claims-numbers-190026 ; 26 million lose jobs within fives weeks, wiping out job gains since Great Recession: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/23/the-us-economy-has-now-erased-all-job-gains-since-the-great-recession.html ; most Americans support shelter-in-place orders: https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/majority-of-americans-support-stay-at-home-orders-poll-82441797557?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR1XObqIJG7lldHmE4EgSySkmFv218asbVrunOERV6kIykq1Vbtaod6ggP8 ; Biden and Trump are deadlocked in key states: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/2020-election-polls-trump-and-biden-deadlocked-in-az-fl-mi-nc-pa-wi.html ; bizarre lines from Anderson Cooper interview with Las Vegas mayor who wants to reopen casinos and ignore shelter-in-place: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/23/politics/carolyn-goodman-anderson-cooper-las-vegas/index.html ; Las Vegas workers push back on mayor's comments: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/las-vegas-workers-push-back-after-mayor-s-call-reopen-n1190036  ; Dylan Ratigan explains why oil prices have dropped to record lows on The Jimmy Dore Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1oERncbzPY ; California has "crushed the curve": https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/crushed-the-curve-researcher-says-steps-taken-in-california-have-done-more-than-flatten-the-curve/ ;  China's wet markets are not what people think they are: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/14/asia/china-wet-market-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html ; Marcus Books in Oakland: https://www.ktvu.com/news/oaklands-marcus-books-still-thrives-as-nations-oldest-black-bookstore   .   

 

Follow us on Twitter: 

Adam Hudson -- @adamhudson5 

Peter MGunn -- @MGunnPeter 

Real Sankara Hours -- @sankarahours 

Adam's SoundCloud -- https://soundcloud.com/adamhudson5 

Get the RSS feed from our Podbean to stay up-to-date with new episodes: https://realsankarahours.podbean.com/           

RSH 17 -- Towards a People's Party (4.17.2020)

The previous audio recording got messed up. It's fixed and the new one is up now and good to go! 

Recorded April 15, 2020. Real Sankara Hours has its first guests! Adam and Peter talk to Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, National Director of Move to Amend, and Nick Brana, a former Bernie staffer who now works with Movement for a People's Party, about exiting the Democratic Party and the need for a third major political party.   

Follow Kaitlin: @kaitlin_sb 

Follow Nick: @nick_brana 

Links: 

Majority of Americans support having a third political party: https://news.gallup.com/poll/244094/majority-say-third-party-needed.aspx ;  Hard Times satire on Democrats working with Coronavirus: https://thehardtimes.net/culture/moderate-democrats-suggest-working-with-coronavirus-to-find-common-ground/ ; Bernie Sanders chides his supports to vote for Joe Biden: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/492820-sanders-progressives-who-sit-on-their-hands-and-dont-support-biden-would?fbclid=IwAR19LhM3Z-YHPbKCXZQcj0NqmwQ1iEmYWRqqgcejjtSnC68lEpSe5V1FWHM ; nonvoters are mostly nonwhite, lower-income and hate the two major parties: https://theintercept.com/2020/04/09/nonvoters-are-not-privileged-they-are-largely-lower-income-non-white-and-dissatisfied-with-the-two-parties/ ; how Barack Obama pressured Democratic presidential candidates to support Joe Biden:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/obama-biden-democratic-primary.html ; Sanders campaign staffers wish he was tougher on Biden: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/10/inside-bernies-sanders-campaign-nosedive-179576 

 

Follow us on Twitter: 

Adam Hudson -- @adamhudson5 

Peter MGunn -- @MGunnPeter 

Real Sankara Hours -- @sankarahours 

Adam's SoundCloud -- https://soundcloud.com/adamhudson5 

Get the RSS feed from our Podbean to stay up-to-date with new episodes: https://realsankarahours.podbean.com/  

RSH 15 -- Bernie Sanders Post-Mortem: Worst sheepdog ever (4.10.2020)

Recorded April 8, 2020. Adam and Peter discuss Bernie Sanders suspending his presidential campaign, essentially dropping out of the race (he's still on the ballot to collect delegates). They talk about how and why the Sanders campaign lost and what lessons the Left should take away, such as building left institutions. Adam also explains why there is no Black politics in America. 

 

Links: 

Glenn Greenwald wrote a useful piece on how nonvoters are largely nonwhite, lower-income, and hate the two parties: https://theintercept.com/2020/04/09/nonvoters-are-not-privileged-they-are-largely-lower-income-non-white-and-dissatisfied-with-the-two-parties/ ; why public health rather than a police state is needed for Black people during the coronavirus pandemic: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/z3bdmx/black-people-coronavirus-police-state 

 

Follow us on Twitter:

Adam Hudson -- @adamhudson5

Peter MGunn -- @MGunnPeter

Real Sankara Hours -- @sankarahours 

 

Get the RSS feed from our Podbean to stay up-to-date with new episodes: https://realsankarahours.podbean.com/   

RSH 13 -- Biden has serious Rhodesian vibes (4.7.2020)

Recorded April 2, 2020. Adam and Peter discuss Joe Biden's odious political record and career, including his drug warrior record, how he opposed desegregation efforts, and his hawkish foreign policy record. 

Links:  

Joe Biden's record on the drug war and mass incarceration: https://theintercept.com/2019/09/17/the-untold-story-joe-biden-pushed-ronald-reagan-to-ramp-up-incarceration-not-the-other-way-around/  ; the CIA's role in creating the MFA program: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/4x3vg3/how-the-cia-turned-american-literature-into-a-content-farm  ; Joe Biden's foreign policy record: https://jacobinmag.com/2018/08/joe-biden-democratic-party-military-hawk ; Joe Biden and civil rights and desegregation: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/joe-biden-didn-t-just-compromise-segregationists-he-fought-their-n1021626 ; Joe Biden and the bankruptcy bill https://www.gq.com/story/joe-biden-bankruptcy-bill ; Glenn Greenwald interview with Liz Franczak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3VGDDErnmk 

RSH 11 Coronavirus stimulus bill is a Wall Street slush fund -- (3.31.2020)

Recorded on March 26, 2020. Adam and Peter break down the coronavirus stimulus bill and how it's a massive slush fund for Wall Street and Corporate America. They explain why the capitalist market system is flawed. 

(fact check: turns out Senator Michael Bennet deserves credit for the unemployment insurance expansion in the bill, not Bernie Sanders https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/3/bennet-unveils-sweeping-proposal-to-strengthen-unemployment-insurance-amidst-coronavirus-pandemic?mod=article_inline ) 

What's in this massive $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/25/trump-senate-coronavirus-economic-stimulus-2-trillion/ ; Biden doesn't want to fight Trump on coronavirus: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/489231-biden-i-dont-want-to-be-in-a-political-fight-with-trump-over-coronavirus; Bay Area's shelter-in-place policy: https://eastcountytoday.net/bay-area-counties-to-issue-shelter-in-place-directive-through-april-7-v2/; Boo-hoo, America loses 500,000 millionaires as a result of the pandemic: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-loses-500-000-millionaires-152034654.html ; the U.S. has the higher number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world now: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/health/usa-coronavirus-cases.html ; the Fed's quantitative easing: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/fed-announces-a-slew-of-new-programs-to-help-markets-including-open-ended-asset-purchases.html ;  https://www.vox.com/2020/3/23/21190712/federal-reserve-unlimited-quantitative-easing-coronavirus ; https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/what-is-the-fed-is-doing-to-address-coronavirus-crisis.html; Ireland nationalizes hospitals: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/26/ireland-nationalizes-hospitals-duration-coronavirus ; David Dayen's piece on the stimulus/bailout: https://prospect.org/coronavirus/unsanitized-bailouts-tradition-unlike-any-other/ Zach Carter's piece on the stimulus bailout: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/senate-democrats-donald-trump-coronavirus-bill_n_5e7b77a6c5b62a1870d62d83?5b (The Rising interviews Dayen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UVqWxAOXaE); Dylan Ratigan explains how bad the bill is on Jimmy Dore's show: https://youtu.be/4NgOQn4Asa0 ; https://youtu.be/D-7uro3A3qU ); how mortgage delinquencies could hurt servicers: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/23/coronavirus-us-potential-wave-of-mortgage-delinquencies-could-bankrupt-payment-system.html 

San Francisco supervisors push for rent and mortgage freeze: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/A-rent-and-mortgage-moratorium-can-stop-the-next-15157819.php ; the U.S. could see 30% unemployment: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-22/fed-s-bullard-says-u-s-jobless-rate-may-soar-to-30-in-2q ; Bay Area's coronavirus test site: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Bay-Area-site-for-coronavirus-test-without-15152209.php ; tubercolusis vaccine may work against coronavirus: https://neurosciencenews.com/covid-19-bcg-vmp1002-vaccine-15966/?fbclid=IwAR31sZM0u4Bc6FaLes3jn6RaFrlPBSTn_mamIa-ry2ypGFsuLkDV9vz54xM ; people "shed" coronavirus early: https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/09/people-shed-high-levels-of-coronavirus-study-finds-but-most-are-likely-not-infectious-after-recovery-begins/?fbclid=IwAR0e4PJAQmBqm-fWbEs7lAF9CFkANI3OIKkMzSFXkpqa_OKyTikqBR2Sey8; U.S. fired CDC expert in China months before pandemic: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-cdc-exclusiv-idUSKBN21910S; most Americans support Trump's handling of pandemic: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/20/poll-majority-of-americans-now-approve-of-trumps-coronavirus-management-138570; New York City landlord worth $1 billion jacks up rent 25 percent: https://gothamist.com/news/landlord-worth-1-billion-exploits-coronavirus-panic-jack-rent-25-percent; Americans expect recession: https://news.gallup.com/poll/304604/americans-increasingly-expect-economic-recession.aspx 

A bunch of Senators sold their stocks before coronavirus tanked the stock market: https://www.axios.com/richard-burr-coronavirus-stock-7bd10426-de87-43d7-9939-8241d2ab08db.html ; https://time.com/5807075/senators-sold-stock-coronavirus/ ; January and February intelligence reports warned of a likely pandemic: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/us-intelligence-reports-from-january-and-february-warned-about-a-likely-pandemic/2020/03/20/299d8cda-6ad5-11ea-b5f1-a5a804158597_story.html 

 

 

RSH 009 -- Discontents of COVID-19 and Neoliberalism (3.21.2020)

Recorded on March 19, 2020, Adam and Peter talk about COVID-19/coronavirus and how it reveals the shaky foundation of neoliberal capitalism. 

Links discussed and worth reading: 

History of 1665 bubonic plague and how social distancing helped: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/eyam-derbyshire-coronavirus-self-isolate-1665-plague ; "We Need Social Solidarity, Not Just Social Distancing" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/opinion/coronavirus-social-distancing.html ; https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-cancel-everything/607675/ ; https://twitter.com/FMH71994/status/1238378851094474752; Why social distancing this week is so important: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-one-week-enforce-social-distancing-flatten-curve-coronavirus-2020-3 ; https://twitter.com/tina_nguyen/status/1238879814863519744 testimony from woman who recovered from coronavirus: https://www.yahoo.com/news/dont-panic-says-us-woman-recovered-coronavirus-055155667.html ; https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-ten-reasons-why-you-ought-not-to-panic-132941 ; https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-what-does-social-distancing-mean/607927/ ; Canadian researchers isolate coronavirus virus: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/03/12/sunnybrook-researchers-isolate-covid-19-coronavirus.html ; Not sure if warmer weather will slow down coronavirus spread: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/warmer-weather-slow-spread-coronavirus-200310050819610.html Vietnam beating back coronavirus: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/infected-patients-vietnam-cured-coronavirus-miracle-200228035007608.html; how China beat back COVID-19: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/health/coronavirus-china-aylward.html ; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/coronavirus-facts-cure-mortality-rate-virus-covid-19-flu ; https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/11/positive-signs-for-future-of-coronavirus-in-us/ China developing a coronavirus vaccine: https://nypost.com/2020/03/10/coronavirus-vaccine-could-be-ready-by-april-chinese-officials-say/ ; Stanford developed a coronavirus test: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/03/stanford-medicine-COVID-19-test-now-in-use.html ; https://twitter.com/binraccooon/status/1238228742624948224; Drive-through COVID-19 testing in South Korea: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/13/815441078/south-koreas-drive-through-testing-for-coronavirus-is-fast-and-free ; https://medium.com/@ariadnelabs/social-distancing-this-is-not-a-snow-day-ac21d7fa78b4 ; Trump's management is to blame for coronavirus crisis in the United States: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/07/trump-coronavirus-management-style-123465 ; re-infection seem to stem from faulty tests: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/487436-can-you-get-coronavirus-twice ; https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca ; Spain nationalizes hospitals https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-spain-nationalises-private-hospitals-emergency-covid-19-lockdown-2020-3; Japan's effective flu drug: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-says-china; Cuba producing treatments for COVID-19: https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/BioCubaFarma-Guarantees-Production-of-Drugs-for-COVID-19-20200315-0008.html ; https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/despite-u-s-blockade-cuban-pharma-industry-producing-needed-covid-19-medicines/ ; 99% people who died of COVID-19 had other illnesses: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-18/99-of-those-who-died-from-virus-had-other-illness-italy-says ; at least 20 COVID-19 vaccines are in development: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/20/who-officials-say-at-least-20-coronavirus-vaccines-are-in-development-in-global-race-for-cure.html ; COVID-19 vaccine test already underway in the U.S.: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-16/coronavirus-vaccine-test-opens-as-us-volunteer-gets-1st-shot ; some scientists question the bats-in-Chinese-wet-markets origin theory of COVID-19; some say it's human activity: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/health/coronavirus-human-actions-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0xWmdp833lcNqdBTrT6mV_034C8-6oOV49ledF5JSxOY1G1iDYFyh7zS8, or it could be a combination of two viruses: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-origins-genome-analysis-covid19-data-science-bats-pangolins ; China's (unconfirmed) allegation of U.S. origin: https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/china-locked-in-hybrid-war-with-us/ ; lockdown is hurting live entertainment: https://brokeassstuart.com/2020/03/10/coronavirus-cancellations-financially-devastating-for-sf-performers-and-nightlife/; Senate Republican leadership is pushing through a mass surveillance reauthorization bill: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/16/senate-leadership-pushing-through-dangerous-surveillance-bill-americans-are-focused; Hong Kong doctors (Adam said doctors in China but they're actually in Hong Kong) say COVID-19 can hurt lung function after recovery: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-recovery-damage-lung-function-gasping-air-hong-kong-doctors-2020-3; good article on how the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the need for a new economic system: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2020/03/coronavirus-crisis-economic-collapse-capitalism; how Big Pharma will profit from COVID-19: https://theintercept.com/2020/03/13/big-pharma-drug-pricing-coronavirus-profits/    

And yes, a Black man helped created Jack Daniels whiskey: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/dining/jack-daniels-whiskey-nearis-green-slave.html   

Follow us on Twitter: 

Adam Hudson - @adamhudson5 

Peter MGunn - @MGunnPeter 

Real Sankara Hours - @sankarahours 

This is a free episode. If you like what you hear, become a Patron so you can get bonus content, i.e., our Real Sankara After Hours episodes. 

RSH 007 -- The Life and Legacy of Tupac Shakur (3.16.2020)

Recorded on March 11, 2020, Adam and Peter discuss the cultural legacy and impact of rapper Tupac Shakur. 

Links discussed: 

The full DJ Vlad interview with Ayanna Jackson, the woman who accused Tupac Shakur of sexual assault https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CVBOv9O1GA 

 

Follow us on Twitter: 

Adam Hudson - @adamhudson5 

Peter MGunn - @MGunnPeter 

Real Sankara Hours - @sankarahours 

This is a free episode. If you like what you hear, become a Patron so you can get bonus content, i.e., our Real Sankara After Hours episodes.    

 

005 -- Post-Super-Tuesday Postmortem

Recorded the Thursday (March 5) after Super Tuesday, Adam and Peter give an analysis of Super Tuesday, the likelihood of a brokered convention, the need for an alternative political party and vision, white liberal paternalism and white fragility, and the class divides among progressives. 

Here are some links on Warren's appeal to mostly professional managerial class people: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/3/21162527/what-happened-to-elizabeth-warren; https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/3/10/21169166/elizabeth-warren-working-class-women 

Follow us on Twitter: 

Adam Hudson - @adamhudson5 

Peter MGunn - @MGunnPeter 

Real Sankara Hours - @sankarahours 

This is a free episode. If you like what you hear, become a Patron so you can get bonus content, i.e., our Real Sankara After Hours episodes.   

003 -- South Carolina, Democratic Party afraid of Sanders, the real Thomas Sankara (3.2.20)

*Note*: This episode was recorded two days before Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary. 

Peter gives a breakdown of South Carolina. Adam discusses how the Democratic Party establishment is willing to risk party damage, and potentially another four years of Donald Trump, in order to stop Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination. The guys give a brief breakdown about the life and importance of Thomas Sankara.