In this special interview, Alex Teich sits down with Shane Sullivan -- local comrade and researcher for InSightCrime.org -- to discuss organized crime in Latin America, the political corruption that enables it, and the ways in which crime has been organized (and legalized) in the United States. They consider how these factors affecting the global South have influenced the on-going protests in Colombia, and reflect on militarized authoritarianism at home and abroad.

Suggested Reading: Articles written by Shane Sullivan on InSight Crime MS-13: The Making of America's Most Notorious Gang by Steven Dudley

[Recorded by Pete Ivanecky on May 19, 2021]

This Weekly Update is FREE for the people. Subscribe to our Patreon for more exclusive content!

Aaron, Alex, and Pete analyze the historical context, modern parallels, and discourse surrounding Israel's latest surge of violence against the Palestinian people. We also take care of some housekeeping, including information about our new Patreon tier system and scheduling updates.

Suggested Viewing Gaza Fights For Freedom directed by Abby Martin

Aaron is joined by journalist and author Ryan Grim to discuss Biden's first hundred days in office, what he's accomplished (and has yet to accomplish), and what we can expect from his administration in the future.

They also dive into Ryan's book, We've Got People, to cover a brief history of grassroots and labor organizing in the United States, the relationship between electoralism and social movements, and the times and places such movements have intersected with the Democratic party... for better or worse.

What power does the left have under a Biden presidency, and where can it be found?

Suggested Reading: We've Got People by Ryan Grim

Suggested Listening: Deconstructed with Ryan Grim (via The Intercept)

PLANTING THE SEED: Conversations with DSA - Episode III

In this edition of Planting the Seed, Aaron welcomes Atlanta organizers Kelsea B. and Jasmine B. of DARC (Defund APD, Refund Communities) to discuss the group's origins, the origins and history of policing, gentrification, and the state of policing in Atlanta: APD's tactics, and the tactics needed to dismantle them.

How do capitalists define "crime" as a social construct, and how can we protect our communities from the injustices of capitalism?

Suggested Reading: Despite opposition, HB 286 moves through state legislature (Mainline Zine)

Follow @DARCATL on Twitter, and visit VoteRogelio.com and donate to Rogelio Arcila's campaign for Atlanta City Council District 4!

As we return to our regularly scheduled programming, Aaron (@thotteusstevens) sits down with Jamie Peck (@jamie_elizabeth) -- writer, organizer, and co-host of The Antifada -- for a long-awaited interview about everyone's favorite letters of the alphabet: DSA, AOC, CIA, PSL, NPR, etc.

Along the way, they provide a primer on dual power: what it is, how we build to it, and whether or not it's possible in the United States. They also discuss the founding principles of a communist party, new horizons in leftist media, new challenges in police abolition, what comes next, and _what is to be done. _

How did we get so fucked up, and how do we unfuck the world?

Suggested Reading: When the Wave Crashes by Jamie Peck (Commune) Everyday Ruptures: Putting Basebuilding on a Revolutionary Path by Teresa Kalisz (Regeneration)

Suggested Listening: The Antifada, Ep 138 - Spring Break Forever w/ Jake Flores

UNLOCKED FOR THE PEOPLE!

Aaron (@thotteusstevens), Alex (@ArtieBucco69), and Pete (@mistakewizard) crack open the news of the week, including commentary on Amazon workers' efforts to unionize, Major League Baseball pulling the All-Star Game out of Atlanta, Matt Gaetz under investigation for sex trafficking, and marijuana legalization in New York.

[Opening music by John Pierce]

THIS BONUS EPISODE IS FREE FOR THE PEOPLE!

In this week's Update, Aaron Thorpe (@thotteusstevens) and Alex Teich (@ArtieBucco69) sit down with local comrade and organizer Anna T. (@docfission) to hear her reactions to the violent hate crime that claimed the lives of eight people, including six Asian women, in Atlanta last week. They also discuss growing up in Georgia, organizing within (and without) the AAPI community, the impact of imperialism upon domestic expressions of racism, and the limitations of hashtag campaigns.

Listen to Anna's recent appearance on Hot Girl Agenda and support the good work being done by NAPAWF!

Later in the show, Pete (@mistakewizard) joins Aaron and Alex to crack open a bag of 'bears to cover the following topics:

• The Snyder Cut
• What is a "Jeremy" lighter?
• Biden's Big Fall
• Weed purges in the White House
• Prince Philip: Lookin' Good!
• Meditations on our gerontocracy

In this episode recorded on International Sex Workers Rights Day (3/3), Aaron (@posadist_trapgd) invites leftist organizers and the hosts of Hot Girl Agenda, Rara Imler (@islandgoth) and Yesi Padilla (@StolenVelour_), to discuss their podcast, the state of sex work on the left and the place of sex work within a socialist society, restorative justice and the nature of forgiveness, organizing as femmes of color, community protection, and more! They also discuss the "New Sincerity" in left media, and how their show fits into the growing wave of leftist content breaking the cynical, white-male-dominated mold.

Subscribe to Hot Girl Agenda on Patreon!

Suggested Viewing: "Born In Flames" (Directed by Lizzie Borden, 1983)