Unauthorized Disclosure

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola are joined by filmmaker Josh Fox to discuss the coronavirus pandemic in the context of of the climate emergency we all face.

Josh is the director of "Gasland," "Gasland: Part II," and "How To Let Go Of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change." He collaborated on a documentary on resistance at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline that was called "Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock."

He currently hosts a show called "Staying Home."

In this interview with Josh, he talks about President Donald Trump's administration and the accelerated environmental deregulation occurring during the coronavirus pandemic.

He describes how COVID-19 showed the climate is making us sick and by going on lockdown lives were saved.

Later in the interview, Josh discusses what needs to happen in communities around the world after the outbreak. Kevin and Josh also have a bit of a debate on the documentary, "Planet Of The Humans."

Josh led a campaign that removed the film from Films For Action, which was a distributor for the documentary.

Direct download: UD_JoshFox_4_24_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:58am EDT

In this episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Ajit Singh, a lawyer and journalist. He recently had two articles published at the Grayzone and the Monthly Review on China's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. He tweets at @ajitxsingh.

For the Grayzone, Ajit highlighted how the United States pushed a conspiracy related to China's coronavirus death toll in order to deflect attention away from the failures of President Donald Trump's administration.

Ajit compared the response of China to the United States response in an article for the Monthly Review that was published on March 30. He contended COVID-19 has exposed the "bankruptcy of neoliberalism."

"After being demonized by the U.S. establishment as it came to grips with a previously unknown pathogen, China, led by its robust state institutions, has contained the virus with decisive measures and emerged as the global leader in providing medical aid and expertise to countries around the world," Singh recounted.  

"Meanwhile, having squandered the months to prepare bought by China’s disciplined approach, the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic has been woefully inadequate. Relying on the whims of the private sector and 'free market,' the U.S. is now suffering from the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world—with infections per capita currently six times greater than China."

Singh concluded, "In the wealthiest country in the world, families are pleading for donations to cover obscene coronavirus treatment costs while doctors and nurses are forced to wear garbage bags to protect themselves and patients amid widespread shortages of basic medical supplies."

During the interview, Singh unpacks much of the disinformation around China's response and discusses why the United States government feels so threatened.

Direct download: S7E14edit.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:14am EDT

For this week's "Unauthorized Disclosure" weekly podcast, Charles Derber, an activist and sociologist at Boston College, talks with Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola about responses to the coronavirus outbreak and how those responses further expose the nature of the United States' capitalist system.

Charles begins by sharing his personal experience with his students, who he is teaching through virtual classes. He describes what he believes younger generations are going through.

Rania asks Charles whether the pandemic may significantly alter the structure of the economy in the United States.

Later in the conversation, Kevin asks Charles about the frontline workers, who are part of "essential services." They explore the question of who deserves safety and who does not deserve safety and the ways in which people are coming to realize society does not value these lives. 

Direct download: UDinterviewcharlesderber.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43am EDT

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