WEBVTT - Capítulo 227: Fighting Oligarchy 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:20.200 On Saturday, April twelfth, twenty twenty five, Senator Bernie Sanders 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:24.840 and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortes held their Fighting Oligarchy Rally 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:26.439 in Los Angeles at Grand Park. 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:30.280 Senator Bernie Sanders has traveled all across the United States 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:32.920 to discuss how we move forward to take on the 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:36.000 oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:45.000 influence in this country. By the way, I'm Viosa and. 0:00:44.960 --> 0:00:51.680 I'm Mala, and you're listening to loc at Tho Radio. 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.400 Today, we'll be breaking down what we heard and what 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:57.600 we saw at the Fighting Oligarchy Rally. Before we dive 0:00:57.640 --> 0:01:01.200 into the coverage, let's define what an oligarchy is. 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:05.280 An oligarchy is what happens when a small group of 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:10.880 people have a huge and unnecessary amount of control over 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:13.840 an entire country, organization, or institution. 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.320 Some past examples of that to kind of ground the 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:23.400 times that we're living in are one Elon Musk running Doge. 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:28.720 Billionaires were front row at Trump's inauguration this past January, 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:33.800 like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and a couple others. 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:38.200 The further we get into lok Atra Radio, the more 0:01:38.240 --> 0:01:43.360 we see the importance of recording moments, events, interviews as 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:49.520 part of this audio archive. I arrived to Clodia Molina 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.720 Grand Park, which is situated right next to City Hall 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:56.240 in downtown Los Angeles. This was also the very first 0:01:56.280 --> 0:01:59.360 time that we applied for press passes. We've never done 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:03.160 that before. Anytime we've gone to cover something, it's very informal, 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:05.560 but this was the first time we went through the 0:02:05.600 --> 0:02:09.480 process because we thought this is a historical moment and 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:13.000 it was. I arrived a little after eight am, and 0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:17.600 at this time, reporters, journalists, news crews, and content creators 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:22.200 are setting up and around eight forty am the first 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:26.799 wave of people were let in. By ten am, the 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:30.680 park was pretty full, and by twelve pm there was 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:35.519 overflow into the steps of City Hall and the closed 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.120 streets surrounding the park. 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:40.280 One of the first speakers at the Fighting Oligarchy rally 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:44.720 was council member isabel Hourado, who you might recognize as 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:48.920 having done an interview on Locatho radio before she won 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:53.799 her council seat. And Isabelle, along with other local organizers, 0:02:53.880 --> 0:02:57.280 union reps, and elected officials, laid out the foundation for 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:01.359 the rally council Member Hourrado discussed how she didn't follow 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:05.200 the Democratic establishment's playbook because it wasn't designed for people 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:05.639 like me. 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:11.480 And I seem on small donor campaigns, and. 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:14.600 She also highlighted the importance of grassroots organizing, how she 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:17.160 and her campaign knocked on over one hundred and twenty 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:22.600 thousand doors, ultimately resulting in an upset and a win 0:03:22.919 --> 0:03:25.000 against a longtime incumbent. 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:29.840 Else because that's what the power of the community has. 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.480 It was so special to see council Member isab Huado 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.520 because we interviewed her, we saw the work that she 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.600 was doing, and she unseated a long time incumbent, someone 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:43.440 that has been an established elected official and was also 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:47.720 caught on the FED tapes in twenty twenty two. So 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:50.920 to see her as the opening speaker was so powerful. 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:53.680 And to know that she was a tenants rights lawyer 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:57.960 and she's for the people. She speaks like an everyday person, 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:01.120 which I think makes her so really and easy to 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.880 connect with, and that was just really great to see. 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:05.760 How did the crowd respond. 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:10.960 People were so engaged. There was a lot of clapping 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.560 and like call and response type moments. 0:04:13.320 --> 0:04:16.480 And now as we continue to fight this federal and 0:04:16.680 --> 0:04:21.440 administration who's throwing everything they can. Whether we're immigrants, we're clear, 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:24.680 we're trans because when they come after one of us, 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:26.680 they're coming after. 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:32.200 All of us. And everyone was just like vibing, Yeah, 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:36.080 they were into it. It really felt like the folks 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:39.120 who were in attendance were very passionate about being there, 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:43.240 that there was a sense of urgency, a sense that 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:47.080 they need to get up and do something. And this 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:51.440 question of well what now Trump has been elected and 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:54.799 now what and it seemed to be the question motivating 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:57.400 a lot of folks and their presence there, and more 0:04:57.440 --> 0:04:59.880 about that later. We do have some clips from the crowd. 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:03.960 As far as speakers, we also heard from council Member 0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:09.159 Oenissas Hernandez, council member for District one and a council member. 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.279 Hernandez made a point of saying that if you think 0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:15.239 you're not affected by California's progressivism, you're wrong. 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:18.440 I love this city, I was born and raised in 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:21.160 this city, and I'm right Gala City every day. 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:25.080 But if you think, but if you think. 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.560 Cala doesn't feel the impact with those policies because of 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.960 our soul called progressivism, I hate to break it to you. 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:33.680 Look around, Ask the person next to you if they 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:36.480 have a savings, Ask them if they're beret, a student debt, 0:05:36.880 --> 0:05:39.520 Ask them if they can afford rent, if they have healthcare, 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.080 if they think they'll ever to be able to buy 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:45.320 a house in this city. This administration wants you to 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:46.680 believe that the reason you can't buy. 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.800 Councilmember Hernandez also talked about building new systems and cited 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:54.200 police budgets. Forty three percent of the La city budget 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.840 is spent on police funding and two times as much 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.920 on police uniforms and the entire Youth Development department. A 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.560 Council Member Hernandez also commented on Gaza. 0:06:05.880 --> 0:06:08.799 Why is there always money to gone children in Gaza 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:10.159 but not enough to make. 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:17.000 Sure every kid has We don't have a budget crisis, 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:19.839 we have a crisis of our values, and if we're 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:23.120 serious about budding flascism, we have to dismantle the systems 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:24.240 out of holed it. 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.200 Because budgets are not neutral. Budgets are fludprints with the 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:30.040 world we are building, were stament of our values and 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.320 most importantly, it's your money. It's your money. 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.880 So Councilmember Hernandez really touched on a lot of things 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:42.520 on the minds of Angelino's the budget, the police, debt, 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:45.719 rent health insurance, and Gaza. 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:48.960 Yeah, and I think that was really notable because they're 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:52.840 from what I've seen and what I've heard, one of 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.800 the biggest frustrations from at least the people that we're 0:06:56.839 --> 0:06:59.520 in community with or that we know or that have 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:03.440 been critical the Democratic Party have been talking about their 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:08.200 lack of response or their lack of pressure when it 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:12.600 comes to Gaza and the genocide in Palestine, And so 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.600 I thought council member Unisa said an one this calling 0:07:15.640 --> 0:07:19.160 this out at the very beginning was really important because 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:23.640 even if maybe more established Dems aren't talking about it, like, 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:27.200 there's clearly some that are, and there's elected officials that 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:29.440 are doing it, and they're taking into account like the 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.640 issues that are important to their constituents. 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:34.640 And I think at this point it's there's an expectation, 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:37.880 you know, that someone in a position of power like 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.440 a city council person, make their stance on Gaza known. 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:45.520 And if you're not talking about it, it's not it's 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:48.040 not really an option anymore not to talk about it. 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.560 It's like if you're not about it, it's it's like 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:52.640 a litmus test for people now and I get it, 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:54.280 and I get it, and so I thought it was 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:57.760 really important that she brought that up pretty early on. 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:01.840 Yeah, and it's a really setting the tone I think 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:04.840 of this rally and what it's about. I think that 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:08.440 folks were really going there so to speak. When it 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.400 came to the speakers and the folks in the crowd 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:12.800 and the reasons why they were there, I think they 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:13.520 were looking for that. 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:17.320 Absolutely. There was also a Congress member that was in 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:21.160 participation that was actually from Florida, and he is first 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:25.200 gen Z member of Congress and he represents Florida's tenth district. 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:28.760 And this was my first time hearing him speak and 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.640 hearing what he was about. And something that I really 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:34.480 I jotted down when he was speaking was he said, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.559 solidary without action is just sympathy. 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:41.120 And my friends, I'm here today's to say solidarity without action. 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:47.000 It's just sympathy. Solidarity for our movement, for everybody here 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:49.600 and across the country has to be a. 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.360 Word and freaking of that word. 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.239 Today we have many organizations. 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:57.319 Failing to make sure. 0:08:57.240 --> 0:08:59.880 You don't we speak with him, don't let your solid leave. 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:01.440 It's smart without. 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:03.240 Signing up to do the next thing? Can you do 0:09:03.320 --> 0:09:03.600 that now? 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:09.800 Sampless, and he encouraged everyone to not leave the park 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:12.960 without signing up to do the next thing. In addition 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:16.720 to speakers, there were also vendors. There were also organizations 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:19.400 tabling so that you could do the next thing. And 0:09:19.440 --> 0:09:22.760 I thought that that was a really important statement because 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:26.160 so many people are asking that question, what now? And 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:29.880 this event is just one thing that you can participate in, 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:31.319 but there's still so much more to do. 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:34.440 It's a rally like this is I think meant to 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:39.640 like energize people who already are feeling anxious and who 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:42.800 already want to move on this and to make a difference. 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:47.120 And it's about pumping people up and propelling them forward 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:51.000 into action. This is not necessarily the action itself, absolutely, 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:52.840 you know it is. It's a rally, just like it 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:55.960 sounds like it's like a big pep talk. Yes, you know, 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.920 like now go out and do it. We'll be right 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:00.280 back after this break. 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:07.120 And we're back. We want to recognize that there were 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:12.280 union members and leaders that were prominently represented at this rally. 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:18.600 Some included Local seven to four ilwu Utla, and I 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:22.040 also thought this was such an important factor because it 0:10:22.360 --> 0:10:26.319 was showing us the class solidarity and really how important 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:30.680 unions are and that the Democratic Party was at one 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:34.360 point the working Class Party, and unions were so have 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.280 so much power and have historically had a lot of 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:39.720 people power. And so I thought that that was like 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:42.600 really important and like very strategic. Like I saw it. 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.080 I was like, I see what we're doing here. 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:45.360 Yeah. 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:51.079 One, I mean, the Working Families Party was heavily involved 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:54.520 in this event, was one of the organizers of the event, 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:58.160 and so it makes sense. Folks are there about very 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:05.600 like concrete issues, you know, working labor, our ability to 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.960 support ourselves and to live. I mean, it's pretty basic stuff, 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:12.360 but basic needs. It's basic needs, but it's become so 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:16.560 difficult to achieve those to make sure you're covered in 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.040 those basic areas, and it shouldn't be that way. And 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:23.000 I really felt that that energy in the crowd, you know, 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:25.840 we're just fighting. We're fighting for our lives here. 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.880 Like figuratively and literally fighting for our lives right now. Yeah, 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.760 and notably, this is also this past weekend and this 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:35.360 coming weekend is Coachella weekend. 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:37.320 Yes it is, And that also kind. 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.240 Of felt like a backdrop of what was happening, and 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:43.720 that even the type of event this was because various 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:47.839 musicians performed at the rally, and I'm not gonna lie, 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:51.920 it kind of felt like Coachella light sure, but for politics. 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:52.840 Yeah, it's political. 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:56.760 It's a political Coachella. And there were many performers. So 0:11:56.760 --> 0:11:59.640 I want to name the performers that were there. Started 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:05.000 with a gospel choir called Rai's Gospel. The Red Pairs 0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:10.959 Jeff Ross and Stock Indigo, This SUSA, Dirty Projectors, Joan Bias, 0:12:11.000 --> 0:12:16.040 Maggie Rogers, and Neil Young all performed heavy hitters. Yeah, 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:20.760 lots of representation here. And Joan Bias made this comment 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:24.320 that she thought this was like a meaningful woodstock. That 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:29.920 was the energy that she was feeling, like say, my mom. 0:12:33.160 --> 0:12:33.199 Was. 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.200 And so I loved that example because for me and 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:41.280 of course my age and my like cultural nuance is 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.160 going to be Coachella, But for someone like Joan Bias, 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:45.520 it was like, no, it was like this is the 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:46.520 woodstock for us. 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:51.480 I love that for the activists, woodstock for activists and 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.800 for just regular people and families, Like there were children there. 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:57.600 There were children there, people of all ages. Yeah, and 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:00.520 people of all abilities. What's something that I thought was, 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.040 I haven't been to a rally like this in a 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:06.679 long time, and I think going as quote press also 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:08.560 gave me access to see things that I may not 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:10.480 have been able to see if I was in the crowd. 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:13.600 And one of the things was very early on there 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:18.680 were folks of all abilities that arrived, and if you 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:22.560 were disabled or needed special accommodations, you had your own entrance, 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.480 and there was also seating and there was shade, and 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.079 I thought that that was I hadn't seen that before 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.080 at a rally, at an event like this. That's not 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.360 to say that it doesn't happen or that organizers don't 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:34.360 do that, but it was my first time seeing that, 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.120 and I thought that that was really important too, to 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:42.320 really let everyone be involved and invite everyone in and 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.480 just so like y'all can like maybe get more of 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.920 an insight into the energy. Is that I saw people 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:51.920 climbing over barricades to get closer, and I saw a 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:56.120 handful of people climbing a slide on the children's playground 0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:59.559 to get a better view of the stage. And before 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:04.880 the quote political headliners arrived to the stage or entered 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:08.880 the stage, there was musical headliner Neil Young, and he 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:12.520 was singing take America Back, and people were chanting take 0:14:12.559 --> 0:14:33.280 America Back Come, which big question mark because what does 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:35.200 that mean? Sure, of course, of course, right, but I 0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:36.360 see what they were doing. 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:40.720 Yeah, you know, this, of course is a you know, 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:45.880 it's the Dems. Yes, it's USA. It's literally USA, It's USA, 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:49.440 and so we we understand that too. And I do 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:53.440 think that it's pretty incredible. Like the way that they 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:58.040 even named this rally like fighting oligarchy. I haven't heard 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:02.040 such a straight up yeah like rally title like that. 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:05.480 I feel like usually rallies in protests unless it's like 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:09.160 issue specific, right, like this is an immigration rally, this 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:11.920 is about Gaza, this is about Palestine, this is about 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:15.880 sexual violence, this is about abortion, like issue specific, but 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:20.280 this is really specifically naming the enemy, so to speak, right, 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:25.600 and fighting fighting back and naming the enemy and oligarchy, 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:30.200 like putting that out there. Yeah, it's pretty incredible, it is. 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:32.920 Because that is not a word that I really use 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:36.280 in my day to day life. I understand what oligarchy 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.120 is as a concept, and I can see how we 0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:42.360 are becoming or already are an oligarchy, but it's not 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.800 a word that I generally use. So I feel like, 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:47.560 to your point, part of that is putting it in 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.720 the ether and putting it in everyday conversation so that 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:52.720 people understand what an oligarchy is. 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:53.440 Yeah. 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:58.760 I was even like news coverage, right, like broadcast news 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:04.240 coverage to cover the rally. Now they have reporters anchors 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:08.680 on air saying fighting oligarchy, right, even just saying it 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:12.400 on air, just reporting on it. Now everyone's hearing it. Yeah, 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:16.720 And I think it's really clever. It's very strategic. It's 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:20.240 smart the naming of the rally because it's like we're 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.840 putting the notion into people's ears. We're fighting and it's 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.080 an oligarchy. I don't know, there was just something when 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:28.760 I saw that on the news after having been there, 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.080 and then I saw this coverage Sunday the next day, 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:34.840 it just was like it just really stood out to me. 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:38.720 Yeah, you know, that's a really good point, because, yeah, 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:45.000 I'd like, how what better way to mobilize people than 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:49.440 to really like get to the core of like class struggle. Yes, 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:51.480 you know, I think a lot of what I heard 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.240 on Saturday was like, how is it beer trying to 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:57.640 divide us by race, by gender, by ethnicity, by our 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:02.000 political differences. But we're like all struggling and we're all 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:05.080 in this like class struggle, and that's what unites us. 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:08.400 And so I think like that's part of the strategy, right, 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.320 like you mentioned, is like we're going to mobilize everyone 0:17:11.359 --> 0:17:13.920 because we all have like one quote enemy and it's 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:15.800 the oligarchy, it's the billionaires. 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:19.840 Yeah, instead of a sort of a basic like, oh, 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:24.680 rally for hope, rally for change, yeah, you know, which 0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:27.560 is I think what we've heard from the Dems. Yeah, 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:30.840 for the past I don't know how many decades forever, 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.840 I think it's been very lukewarm. It's been very tepid, 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:34.560 very timid. 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:37.199 Even it's been timid, and I think that's been one 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:39.480 of the biggest critiques is like do more. 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:40.240 What are you doing? 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:42.320 Yeah, like do something? 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:42.640 Yeah. 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:44.000 So this feels like a shift. 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:44.600 It does. 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.879 It's a language shift and an energy shift, and I 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:51.840 think maybe a strategy shift. And they're they're really going 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:55.320 for it. So I hope that continues, and I hope 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.920 that the people yeah follow suit, you know. 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:02.800 And I think that but that is what I'm hopeful about, 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:07.840 is that you know, AOC and Bernie are not our representatives, right, 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:10.840 but the changes that they are trying to make. What 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.199 I'm hopeful for is like, now all the people that 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.879 heard this, Yeah, because there was a live stream also 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:19.400 and you can go back and watch it on the website, 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:23.480 on YouTube. There's multiple news outlets that were streaming it completely. 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:26.040 So regardless of where you are, I feel like this 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.919 is now a model that you can take and like 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:33.040 actually make your representative and hold them accountable, put them, 0:18:33.119 --> 0:18:36.080 take them to task, and have them like do the 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:38.400 things that you want them to do in the way 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.879 that AOC and Bernie Sanders are asking. 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:41.600 Yeah. 0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:42.200 Absolutely. 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:42.600 Now. 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:47.960 Of course, the fighting Oligarchy tour has not been without 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:51.200 its critiques. You know, there are folks of course, who 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.560 I mean. I think there's always going to be a 0:18:56.600 --> 0:18:59.240 sort of school of thought that politicians are not can't 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:01.919 save us, and so anything that's coming from the Dems 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:04.639 at all is going to have is going to be 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:07.359 tainted in that way or is never going to be enough, 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:10.760 or it's never going to be the full breath of 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:17.080 what we need to establish a democracy. Truly, but I 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:19.480 think that if they're not doing this, then what are 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:19.960 they doing. 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:22.000 Don't go away. We'll be right back. 0:19:26.680 --> 0:19:30.600 And we are back. So let's talk about the main 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:32.560 the headliners, if you will. 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:35.439 Yeah, the main event, the main event. Well, of course, 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:41.080 shout out to Congresswomen AOC. AOC was elected in twenty eighteen, 0:19:41.160 --> 0:19:44.160 sworn into office in twenty nineteen, and represents New York's 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.680 fourteenth district. I can't believe it's been so long since 0:19:47.680 --> 0:19:51.280 she got elected, I know. I mean her election was 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:54.000 like a big deal and it was top of mind, 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:58.600 and it was huge, and it's and here we are. 0:19:58.800 --> 0:19:59.000 You know. 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:00.879 Yeah, she was a I feel like, one of the 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:05.920 first wave of young progressive women that ran for office 0:20:05.960 --> 0:20:12.120 and didn't take corporate donors and ran a completely grassroots 0:20:12.119 --> 0:20:15.400 campaign and then became part of the squad which includes 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:20.800 like other progressive representatives as well. And so yeah, she 0:20:20.880 --> 0:20:24.080 has been I mean now she's been doing it for many. 0:20:23.960 --> 0:20:25.840 Years or many years. She's not new anymore. 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:29.199 With lots of critique, oh yeah, lots of lots of 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:31.119 people have their issues. 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:34.040 Oh yeah, if you know, oh yeah, and it's the 0:20:34.119 --> 0:20:38.359 critiques on AOC have range the type of range we 0:20:38.359 --> 0:20:42.320 would expect for women in the public eye. So everything 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:47.040 from her policy and her work and what she's talking 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:49.480 about and what she's trying to get done in office. 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:53.159 Her politics. Of course there's critiques on her politics, but 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.000 then on the other side, there's always been like real 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:57.760 nasty critiques on her appearance. 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:03.320 Her appearance, she's been the center of a lot of misogyny, 0:21:04.680 --> 0:21:08.680 deep fake images. She's gone through a lot of harassment 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:09.600 while being in office. 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:13.760 Yeah, and she's still fighting the fight. And when she 0:21:13.800 --> 0:21:17.080 addressed the audience, she pointed out ways that LA has 0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:20.560 been showing up in the fight against fascism, and she 0:21:20.720 --> 0:21:23.680 used this example, do have power. 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:24.240 In this moment? 0:21:24.840 --> 0:21:28.840 All of us do, and everyday people do. In fact, 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:30.720 you all showed that this week. 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:31.720 LA. 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:36.000 A few days ago, ice officials attempted to enter two 0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:44.240 la USD schools to target kids. They lied to school 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:48.160 officials and claimed that they had parents permission to get 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:49.800 to these children when they didn't. 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:55.200 But it wasn't just a lawyer or a. 0:21:55.240 --> 0:22:00.720 Judge that said no. It started with everyday people, school 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:05.160 staff and employees who spoke up when I thought something 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:09.320 was off, And it was the teacher and principles that's 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:13.720 still strong and said no to protect their kids when. 0:22:13.600 --> 0:22:16.560 It could have been easier to say yes, have a fear. 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:23.960 She gives various examples of the people groups who are 0:22:24.040 --> 0:22:29.000 targeted under the Trump administration, and folks like Mahmood Khalil, 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:32.120 Palestinian activist who was detained in New York and sent 0:22:32.320 --> 0:22:35.400 to a detention center in Louisiana. 0:22:35.640 --> 0:22:39.440 Yeah, and Macmood Khalil has gained national attention because he 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:44.240 was one of the leaders at Columbia University during the 0:22:44.520 --> 0:22:50.159 Gaza pro Palestinian encampments, and he's a Green card holder 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:53.400 as well. So the fact that he was detained has 0:22:53.800 --> 0:22:56.359 really scared people because if it can happen to a 0:22:56.480 --> 0:23:00.560 legal resident quote unquote, then it can happen to really anyone. 0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:04.760 So people have been following this case very closely, and she, 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:08.919 you know, called upon his name and called on a 0:23:08.920 --> 0:23:11.560 lot of the folks that have also been affected because 0:23:11.600 --> 0:23:12.560 of the Trump administration. 0:23:13.119 --> 0:23:16.840 The Trump administration admits that they have thrown my Mood 0:23:16.840 --> 0:23:21.280 in a cell thousands of miles away because he attended 0:23:21.359 --> 0:23:25.760 a protest and are detaining him for the content of 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:32.800 his speech and nothing more. In fact, in fact, followed 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.720 Trump's detention of someone like ma Mood Caglio for his 0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:44.119 speech is anti American and we demand his release, along 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:48.040