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Empire Files

192 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 663 ratings

The podcast version of a documentary & interview series on war and inequality from the heart of Empire hosted by Abby Martin. Empire Files is donor-funded, independent and add free. Help keep us going by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/empirefiles.
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Episodes

Episode 94 - Abby Martin: Abolish the Supreme Court!

November 06, 2020 06:18 - 9 minutes - 21.6 MB

What's the solution to this far-right Supreme Court steamrolled over the feckless Democrats? Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles // https://twitter.com/AbbyMartin LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles MERCH // https://empirefiles.store

Episode 93 - Afghanistan War Exposed: An Imperial Conspiracy

June 26, 2020 21:32 - 36 minutes - 83.8 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80's through today's senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it's time to #EndTheForeverWar. Listen to Abby's interview with Afghanistan combat veteran for more information about the senseless Forever War: https://soundcloud.com/empire-files/episode-92-the-forever-war-part-i-f...

Episode 92 - The Forever War // Part I - From The Killing Fields

May 18, 2020 21:14 - 25 minutes - 57.4 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Marine Corps infantryman turned anti-war activist tells Abby Martin the hidden reality of the endless Afghanistan War. FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles MERCH // https://empirefiles.store MUSIC by Anahedron // https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tmcVmN1xcrQerZLzrYTP0 // https://twitter.com/anahedron

Episode 91 - US Empire Exploits COVID-19 For More War

April 08, 2020 01:27 - 16 minutes - 37.8 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin breaks down all the hidden acts of US foreign policy aggression under the cover of the COVID19 pandemic. FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles MERCH // https://empirefiles.store MUSIC by Anahedron // https://open.spotify.com/artist/3tmcVmN1xcrQerZLzrYTP0 // https://twitter.com/anahedron

Episode 90 - COVID19, US Empire & Biden v. Bernie

March 24, 2020 01:52 - 2 hours - 312 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin and Mike Prysner discuss the pandemic, how it's being used by the US Empire, and the developments in the Democratic Primary (including Biden missing, Bernie leading, Tulsi's endorsement, Warren's Super PAC & Yang's new job). Use code SOLIDARITY to get 25% off Empire Files t-shirts: https://empirefiles.store Use code LOCKDOWN for 50% off Gaza Fights For Freedom rental: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/gazaf...

Episode 89 - Abby Martin Sues Georgia Over Israel Loyalty Oath Law [Press Conference & Interviews]

February 12, 2020 07:14 - 20 minutes - 46.9 MB

On Feb. 10, Abby Martin filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a Georgia law requiring all independent contractors to sign a pro-Israel pledge, promising to not participate or advocate the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israeli crimes. Abby is working with two renowned civil rights organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF). FULL LEGAL COMPLAINT // http://bit.ly/2tPYjyc OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE ...

Episode 88 - Homelessness Can Be Eradicated - Fight Big Real Estate with Nithya Raman

February 12, 2020 06:57 - 30 minutes - 69.7 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin meets with Nithya Raman, progressive candidate for LA City Council in District 4, about her campaign to end homelessness in the nation's epicenter and how local politicians refuse to take easy actions to eradicate the phenomenon–but refuse to in the interests of big real estate developers. LA's City Council election is Super Tuesday, March 3rd, the same day as the Democratic Party primary. Learn more...

Episode 87 - Abby Martin on Biden: The Sexist the Media Ignores

February 12, 2020 06:51 - 20 minutes - 47 MB

Watch the full livestream by becoming a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin discusses with Mike Prysner the long history of misogyny by Joe Biden, as the media focuses all its attention on the absurd accusation that Bernie Sanders is a sexist. FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles // https://twitter.com/AbbyMartin IG // https://www.instagram.com/empirefiles LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles MERCH // https://empirefiles.store

Episode 86 - The Plot to Attack Iran - Myths, Oil & Revolution

January 13, 2020 03:21 - 53 minutes - 123 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin sits down with Dan Kovalik, human rights attorney and author of the book "The Plot to Attack Iran," to discuss the context to Trump's recent attacks, the most common myths about the country, and the history of US plots. FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles // https://twitter.com/AbbyMartin LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles MERCH // https://empirefiles.store BUY THE BOOK // https://...

Episode 85 - Abby Martin & Lowkey: A Deeper Look at the UK Election

December 23, 2019 20:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin is joined by legendary British-Iraqi rapper and political activist Lowkey. They discuss the recent election loss by Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party but go beyond the headlines, discussing the legacy of the British Empire, neoliberal austerity, how the military and intelligence agencies interfered in the elections, the role of Israel, and the lessons the Bernie Sanders movement can learn from the lef...

Episode 84 - Chris Hedges & Abby Martin: No Way Out Through Elections

December 03, 2019 17:39 - 28 minutes - 65.6 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Chris Hedges to discuss the ignored reality behind Trump, the bipartisan road from neoliberalism to fascism, how the Democratic elite are an institution of corporate power, and how there's no way out through the #2020election without destroying the system. FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/ChrisLynnHedges // https://twitter.com/EmpireFiles // ht...

Episode 83 - Abby Martin & Richard Wolff Discuss Socialism in 2019

August 28, 2019 05:01 - 29 minutes - 67.2 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles Abby Martin sits down with renowned Marxist Economist Richard Wolff to discuss the growing popularity of socialism under Trump and its historical roots in America, misconceptions about Russia and China’s economic success and Marx’s theory of alienation and monopoly capitalism. [[ Watch Abby's first interview with Richard Wolff in 2016: "Marxism 101" https://youtu.be/6P97r9Ci5Kg ]] FOLLOW // https://twitter.com/E...

Episode 82 - “United States” to Imperial America: Our Hidden Empire

July 29, 2019 14:05 - 40 minutes - 91.7 MB

Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles The global expanse of US military bases is well-known; but it's actual territorial empire is largely hidden. The true map of America is not taught in our schools. Abby Martin interviews history Professor Daniel Immerwahr about his new book, 'How To Hide An Empire,' where he documents the story of our "Greater United States." FOLLOW // Daniel Immerwahr @dimmerwahr BUY 'How To Hide An Empire': https://us.macmill...

Episode 81 - Giants: Who Really Rules The World?

April 15, 2019 03:26 - 31 minutes - 71.4 MB

Abby Martin sits down with Peter Phillips, former director of Project Censored and professor of Political Sociology at Sonoma State University. His new book “Giants: The Global Power Elite” details the 17 transnational investment firms which control over $50 trillion in wealth—and how they are kept in power by their activists, facilitators and protectors. “Giants” is available at Seven Stories Press: https://www.projectcensored.org/product/giants-the-global-power-elite/ Keep Empire Files ...

Episode 80 - NSA Whistleblower: Government Collecting Everything You Do

April 02, 2019 14:35 - 29 minutes - 67.1 MB

Abby Martin interviews former Technical Director of the National Security Agency, Bill Binney, who blew the whistle on warrantless spying years before Edward Snowden released the evidence. They discuss the US empire's mass surveillance program and dangers of the Intelligence Industrial Complex. Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreon: www.patreon.com/empirefiles FOLLOW // @EmpireFiles // @AbbyMartin LIKE // www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles

Episode 79 - An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup

March 05, 2019 23:24 - 42 minutes - 97.6 MB

On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela and uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas. Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreon: www.patreon.com/empirefiles GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/keep-empire-files-going FOLLOW // @EmpireFiles // @AbbyMartin LIKE // www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles

Episode 78 - Democrats Praise War Criminal Mattis

March 04, 2019 02:15 - 4 minutes - 9.89 MB

With General “Mad Dog” Mattis out of the White House, he’s been praised by liberal media and politicians. Abby Martin shows who he really is, and what his resignation means for the war machine. Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreon: www.patreon.com/empirefiles GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/keep-empire-files-going FOLLOW // @EmpireFiles // @AbbyMartin LIKE // www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles

Episode 77 - Trump's Syria Deception

March 01, 2019 23:05 - 13 minutes - 31.8 MB

In Part II of our series Trump Expanding the Empire, Abby Martin addresses the surprise order from Trump that he was "ending the war" in Syria. Having drastically escalated the war in Syria and Iraq, find out what's behind the supposed troop withdrawal and the hidden facts in the policies. Transcript & Links: https://bit.ly/2sphM4r Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreon: www.patreon.com/empirefiles GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/keep-empire-files-going FOLLOW // @EmpireFiles // ...

Episode 76 - Trump is Expanding the US Empire

February 28, 2019 19:13 - 17 minutes - 39.3 MB

In the first installment of this multi-part series, Trump Expanding the Empire, Abby Martin debunks the notion that Trump is an anti-interventionist president, outlining his first two years of aggressive foreign policy that has expanded US wars and occupations. From the biggest military budget in history, to removing its restrictions to “bomb the hell out of” Iraq and Syria, to ramping-up brutal economic sanctions, to becoming America's 'Arms Salesman-In-Chief.' Transcript & Links: https://...

Episode 75 - Randy Credico Exclusive Tell-All with Abby Martin on Wikileaks & Roger Stone

February 27, 2019 02:19 - 48 minutes - 112 MB

In this exclusive extended interview, Randy Credico tells his side of the story on his role in the Russia investigation, his upcoming interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and true nature of his relationship with Trump campaign advisor Roger Stone. With never before revealed details about Roger Stone and the Mueller investigation, Credico details his long-standing ties to the political operative and answers the hard questions about his alleged coordination with Wikileaks. The inter...

Episode 74 - Why America? Mass Shootings & White Nationalism Share Roots

February 26, 2019 23:27 - 52 minutes - 120 MB

Since October 2017, America experienced three of the deadliest mass shootings in modern history. This epidemic coincides with a frightening resurgence of white nationalism. Sometimes the two trends overlap. But why here? Both phenomena can be explained by a common historical thread—to unravel it Abby Martin sits down with indigenous scholar Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to discuss her latest book “Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment”. Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreo...

Episode 73 - Leftist Debunks John Oliver's Venezuela Episode

February 26, 2019 01:20 - 46 minutes - 107 MB

The week of Venezuela's presidential election, John Oliver dedicated an ENTIRE episode of his HBO show "Last Week Tonight" to the country—full of distortions and highly misleading to progressive-minded people. Responding to Oliver's major points, Empire Files producer Mike Prysner walks us through the most glaring omissions and misrepresentations. This video response is an essential guide for progressives to understand the reality in Venezuela, the most common myths used to discredit the ...

Episode 72 - Abby Martin with Ahed Tamimi, a Spirit That Can't Be Jailed

February 25, 2019 05:18 - 19 minutes - 44.9 MB

Recently, the struggle for Palestinian human rights gained international attention surrounding a new icon of resistance--16 year old Ahed Tamimi. While in the West Bank in late 2016, Abby Martin interviewed Ahed Tamimi about her hardships and aspirations living under occupation and it becomes clear why her subjugators are trying to silence her voice. Her brother Waad and father Bassem also talk about their experiences with Israeli soldiers harassing their village and targeting their family. ...

Episode 71 - Hidden Assassinations Behind US-Colombia Trade Agreement

February 25, 2019 05:13 - 18 minutes - 42.5 MB

In 2017, murders of social leaders, union organizers and indigenous activists in Colombia hit a new high since the historic peace agreement. Abby Martin goes to Colombia to document the increasingly deadly situation for human rights activists. Hear from an Afro-Colombian union leader under threat of assassination, and how the US Empire created this epidemic today. Keep Empire Files independent and ad-free! Patreon: www.patreon.com/empirefiles GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/keep-empire-files-go...

Episode 70 - Abby Martin on Front Lines of US Drug War in Colombia

February 25, 2019 05:01 - 28 minutes - 66 MB

On October 5, 2017, police opened fire on unarmed farmers in Tumaco, Colombia. Eight were killed, with dozens more shot. The massacre was part of a crackdown on coca farmers in the "War On Drugs" despite an agreement for crop substitution--and amidst new threats from Trump, ordering the government to use more force or face consequences. The Empire Files goes on-the-ground to investigate the massacre, interviewing witnesses and casualties. Abby Martin visits recently-destroyed farms, uses h...

Episode 69 - The Hidden War on Trans Rights

December 07, 2018 03:39 - 21 minutes - 48.7 MB

In 2016, more than 50 bills were introduced in Congress targeting Trans people. Since Trump took office, dozens of pieces of landmark legislation have been cancelled, severely rolling back Trans rights. To explore this wide-ranging assault, Abby Martin speaks with two leading voices and activists in the Trans community: Chase Strangio, attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, and Jennicet Gutiérrez, founding member of La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement. Keep Empire Files i...

Episode 68 - Life Sentences for Charity Work - Free the Holy Land 5!

December 07, 2018 03:31 - 24 minutes - 54.9 MB

The Holy Land Foundation Five are Palestinian political prisoners sentenced up to upwards of 65 years in US prison for providing aid to refugees. Although no proof exists for the organization providing support for terrorism, it was targeted in the Bush administration's post-9/11 dragnet, setting an alarming precedent for activists in the US. Abby Martin sits down with an expert on the case, Miko Peled, to learn more about this little-known case. Miko Peled is an Israeli-born activist for P...

Episode 67 - ‘In The Lobby’ to On The Committees—How Lobbyists Took Over Congress

November 29, 2018 03:31 - 25 minutes - 57.9 MB

There are 26 registered lobbyists for every elected representative on the hill, with experts suggesting the true amount is closer to 100,000. Yet transparency laws that people believe help combat this system of pay-to-play politics have been weaponized against them to further cement corporate control. Congressional researcher James D’Angelo argues how the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, which opened up politicians voting records–has only helped special interests and corporations. K...

Episode 66 - USA vs. DPRK: Ignoring History Paves Way to Disaster

November 29, 2018 02:36 - 32 minutes - 74 MB

On top of overtly genocidal threats, the Trump Administration has announced new terms: that they "will never accept a nuclear North Korea." But, the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea already has nuclear weapons. Does that mean a war is imminent? While the bipartisan warmongering is receiving no push-back from the mainstream media, Abby Martin interviews Tim Shorrock--journalist and expert on US-Korea relations--to learn what is left out of the debate and the potential cost of a new war. ...

Episode 64 - What the Russian Revolution Proved Possible

December 19, 2017 19:33 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB

Nov. 7, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the seizure of power by workers and peasants in the Russian Revolution, regarded as the most world-altering event in the history of civilization. To understand the context of this first socialist experiment, how it happened and what caused the many problems it faced, Abby Martin sits down with Brian Becker, long-time socialist organizer and co-author of the new book “Storming the Gates: How the Russian Revolution Changed the World.” FOLLOW // tw...

Episode 63 - Trump Expands Police-State Crackdown on the Left

December 19, 2017 19:33 - 25 minutes - 23 MB

At Trump's inauguration, around 200 protesters and journalists were mass arrested and now face up to 70 years in prison on baseless charges. Many other legal assaults on civil liberties are in the works around the country, from treating anti-fascists as "domestic terrorists", to legislation protecting drivers who run over peaceful marchers. To explore what this means for U.S. activists today, Abby Martin sits down with constitutional rights lawyer Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, head of the Partner...

Episode 62 - Decentralized Disaster Relief Fills Void

December 19, 2017 19:33 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MB

After uncovering total failure by the U.S. government to meet the needs of communities suffering in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Abby Martin meets the people who filled the void. Speaking with volunteers who mobilized from out-of-state, to community leaders who organized relief efforts, this final installment of the Empire Files' investigation shows how people came together to replace the failures of the system. Featuring interviews with anarchist Scott Crow of the Common Ground Collecti...

Episode 61 - The Sacrifice Zones of Hurricane Harvey

December 19, 2017 19:33 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB

In this second installment of special coverage Hurricane Harvey's aftermath, Abby Martin explores how the petrochemical industry dominates the city and why its low-income, Black and Latino areas are in the highest-risk areas for flooding and pollution, earning them the name "sacrifice zones." Abby explores Houston's unique lack of zoning and regulations that maximized the impact of the storm, the "fence-line communities" deliberately put in harm's way, inhumane treatment of incarcerated pe...

Episode 60 - After Hurricane Harvey, Abandoned Community Takes Charge

December 19, 2017 19:33 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

After a flurry of media attention, the devastation in Houston, Texas from Hurricane Harvey faded from public view. But after unprecedented floods and widespread destruction, the story is far from over. In Part 1 of her investigation, Abby Martin travels to Houston one month later, and visits one of the most devastated neighborhoods. Victims there give harrowing testimony about nearly drowning and having zero assistance to this day from local or state officials. This first installment reve...

Episode 59 - Rosa Clemente & Abby Martin - No Savior in 2020

December 19, 2017 19:21 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MB

Renowned Afro-Latinx activist and scholar Rosa Clemente sits down with Abby Martin to discuss her experiences running for Vice President, organizing under Obama versus under Trump, advice for new activists, identity politics and more. In the face of a resurgent far-right movement, backed by unleashed reactionary state forces, Clemente gives valuable insight into the challenges, strategies and tactics for a new era of organizing. FOLLOW // twitter.com/empirefiles LIKE // https://www.faceb...

Episode 58 - Israelis Speak Candidly to Abby Martin About Palestinians

December 19, 2017 19:15 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MB

On the streets of Jerusalem, Abby Martin interviews Jewish Israeli citizens from all walks of life. In several candid interviews, disturbing comments reveal commonly-held views about Palestinians and their future in the region. Israeli-born human rights activist and anti-Zionist, Ronnie Barkan, explains why these attitudes dominate Israeli society. FOLLOW // twitter.com/empirefiles LIKE // https://www.facebook.com/TheEmpireFiles

Episode 57 - Why Socialism Keeps Winning in Venezuela

December 19, 2017 19:14 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MB

On October 15, Venezuelans went to the polls for its gubernatorial election. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela won 18 out of 23 states. It was a resounding democratic defeat for the opposition movement, the US Empire and corporate media, all which have asserted for months that the Maduro government is so unpopular that foreign-led regime change was needed. In Caracas, Venezuela, Abby Martin sat down with Professor Chris Gilbert to understand why the Chavez movement remains so strong...

Episode 56 - American Revolution Waged For Slavery — Professor Gerald Horne

December 19, 2017 19:13 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MB

Abby Martin interviews Professor Gerald Horne about the the real story behind the creation of the United States in 1776, providing a new, accurate narrative about defending slavery rather than "freedom and democracy." From the Boston Tea Party, through the Civil War and the history of the KKK, Horne explains the racist roots of today's resurgence of white supremacists. Dr. Gerald Horne is the Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and is the author of ov...

Episode 55 - Hidden US War in Colombia: 50 Years of Atrocities & Impunity

December 19, 2017 19:07 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

Colombia and Venezuela: two neighboring countries that receive extremely different treatment by the US Empire and the mass media. While Colombia is known for one of the worst human rights records in the world, it remains a top recipient of US military aid and enjoys uncritical press coverage in Western media. To explain the 50+ year history of US intervention and human rights reality in Colombia, Abby Martin interviews human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, who has done extensive work in Latin...

Episode 54 - Peter Joseph: Eviscerating Capitalism & Building New Alternatives

December 19, 2017 19:07 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

Peter Joseph is the founder of the Zeitgeist Movement, a grassroots, worldwide organization that advocates an alternative economic system based on sustainability, cooperation and human need. His most recent book, ‘The New Human Rights Movement,’ delivers a startling exposé about the violent oppression that defines our economic order, while issuing an urgent call for global activism to unite to replace it. Abby Martin sits down with Joseph to talk about the contradictions and crises of capital...

Episode 53 - Venezuela's Constituent Assembly: Dictatorship or Democracy?

December 19, 2017 18:57 - 24 minutes - 22 MB

On July 30th, Venezuelans elected a people's body called the "Constituent Assembly." The Empire Files was on-the-ground in the weeks prior. U.S. politicians, press and opposition in Venezuela called the process a "coup" and further proof they need foreign regime-change intervention. Abby Martin addresses the criticisms with Head of the Presidential Commission to oversee the Constituent Assembly process, Elias Jaua, speaks to supporters and participants of the Assembly, interviews historian ...

Episode 52 - Inside Venezuela's Markets: Propaganda vs. Reality

December 19, 2017 18:52 - 20 minutes - 19 MB

Abby Martin talks to Venezuelans on the streets of Caracas and investigates the main claim that there's no free press, and that there is no food in the supermarkets. Using hidden cameras, she takes you through local grocery stores and the underground black market currency exchange, the main source of inflation in the country. Abby sits down with economist Pasqualina Curzio to learn more about the nature of the black market and chronic shortages of goods. Knowing that world leaders are calli...

Episode 51 - Abby Martin Meets the Venezuelan Opposition

December 19, 2017 18:52 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB

Abby Martin goes on the deadly front lines of the anti government protests in Venezuela and follows the evolution of a typical guarimba—or opposition barricade. She explains what the targets from the opposition reveal about the nature of the movement and breaks down the reality of the death toll that has rocked the nation since the unrest began, and how a lynch mob campaign came after her and the Empire Files team for reporting these facts. Hearing from peaceful opposition marchers, to Chav...

Episode 50 - How Empires Gutted the Philippines: A Brief History

December 19, 2017 18:47 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MB

In this sequel to The Empire Files’ report on trafficked Filipina domestic workers, Damayan’s Linda Oalican provides a deeper context to the epidemic of human trafficking by guiding us through the history of colonialism, resistance and US domination of the islands. From the centuries of Spanish rule and decades of US brutality, through the evisceration of the Philippine economy, this episode is a must-watch primer on why human beings are now the nation’s top export. LISTEN TO PART I: http...

Episode 49 - Modern-Day Slave Trade by Human Rights Diplomats

December 19, 2017 18:44 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MB

Human trafficking is a hidden industry that brings in $150 billion in illegal profits every year. In the United States, tens of thousands are trafficked annually—the biggest clients being major hotel chains and foreign diplomats. The Philippines is one of the largest labor exporters in the world. 6,000 Filipinos—mostly women—leave the country every single day to work, because of mass unemployment and poverty. Tricked by placement agencies, thousands end up living as virtual slaves. Damayan...

Episode 48 - Privacy, Control & the Darknet – Alex Winter with Abby Martin

December 19, 2017 18:37 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB

Out of the periphery of most online users, there’s a vast, hidden space used by people who want to remain anonymous, which filmmaker Alex Winter explores in his documentary Deep Web. The film focuses on the Silk Road, a black market hosted on the Darknet using bitcoin cryptocurrency, and the trial of Ross Ulbricht, who was given a double life sentence without the possibility of parole for creating and hosting the site. Abby Martin and Alex Winter discuss more about the Deep Web, the Drug War...

Episode 47 - How the GOP Uses "Voter Fraud" to Steal Votes

December 19, 2017 18:36 - 27 minutes - 25 MB

With all the discussion of the contentious 2016 election, the most shocking fact is often ignored: that millions of people had their votes stolen through malicious, means. The Republican Party is currently working to purge millions more voters leading up to the 2018 election. To explain this major attack on our supposed democratic process, Abby Martin interviews investigative reporter Greg Palast, who has done the most extensive work uncovering this massive disenfranchisement campaign. FOL...

Episode 46 - Israeli Military Rule Jails All Activism in Palestine

December 19, 2017 18:30 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is an internationally-recognized human rights crime—but those being impacted are harshly punished for not only acts of resistance, but even mere advocacy for their rights. Getting detailed facts about Israel’s imposition of Military Law in the West Bank, Abby Martin visits the the Ramallah offices of Addameer—the most prominent prisoners’ rights organizations in Palestine—for a shocking investigation into the use of Israeli jails and arbitrary laws as a ...

Episode 45 - How Black Lives Don't Matter in Israel

December 19, 2017 18:22 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MB

While the Israeli state espouses multiculturalism and diversity, it oppresses not just the Palestinian population, but also any Black person within its borders. From warehousing African asylum seekers in giant prison camps, to criminalizing and carrying out eugenics programs against its Ethiopian Jewish citizens, Israel’s treatment of Black people reveals that the Zionist project is not just about Jewish supremacy, but also white supremacy. In this on-the-ground investigation, Abby Martin ...

Episode 44 - The Sikh Experience in America

December 19, 2017 17:54 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MB

People of the Sikh faith, commonly mistaken for both Muslims and Hindus, are frequent targets of bigoted hate crimes—in fact, the first victim of post-9/11 hate crimes was a Sikh man. In 2016, attacks against Muslims—and people perceived to be Muslims, in particular Sikhs—has reached an all-time high. With 70% of Americans not able to properly identify the Sikh community, Abby Martin visits a place of worship to learn about their experience in the United States and who they are as a people....

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