1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: You were listening to Waiting on Reparations production of I 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Yeah, oh all right, let's get it. It's dope. 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: If you've got a problem with set down South, chilling 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: at the bottom of the map, lone Wolf find them 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: following the pack got opinions and I got a lot 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: of raps talking, a lot of crap, smoke a little good. 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: I don't like the scrap, but I wish you, nigger, 8 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: would I a messing with the cap. I don't even 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: think I could, just a young black man, and I'm 10 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: living like I should. Spike Lee said, you need to 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: do the right thing. I'm fly. I don't even need 12 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: the right wing. This next episode so exciting. Come a 13 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: little close. Let me tell you where it might bring 14 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: the rest of piece to gift the gap. He's just 15 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: the beast I missed the past. Yeah, looking for truth 16 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: for ever, chasing truly yours with love. Waiting a reparations, Yeah, yeah, 17 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: Waiting a reparations huh An you weary? Almost a year 18 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: of being hunker down, and they can in my abdomen, 19 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: perpetually talking out a nagging Nazi are leaving me needling 20 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: on the crusted till the harsh a bit of funding 21 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: out now that they're fucked around, go down that out there. 22 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: But he knew what was the fuss about. But what 23 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: about the fuss one that if I wondered how money 24 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: allowed the possibility that could be a mother. Now that 25 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: I've become function now enough to draw to run it down, 26 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: but still it struck me as a cluster fucking silvery 27 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: shut it down at his until I saw the ultra 28 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: sound a little paul a thumb pronounced a little hard, 29 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: the thumping. Wow, it was all of a sudden. My 30 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: practically struck the ground as a sudden. They really loved 31 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: to chat. I'm like a franca. We are waiting on reparations, 32 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: hurry up. I thought it was funny, like TikTok. That 33 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: was like it was a guy with all these words 34 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: on paper, and it was like drawing a line from 35 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: like you know, oh, black lives matter, Like, Oh, we're 36 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: gonna devote running right now, We're gonna skip voting rights. 37 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: And it's like going all around the page. Oh we're 38 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: gonna skip hate crimes bill. No, no, we're not gonna 39 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: do reparations up squiggle squiggle, like just going all the 40 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: way on the page and then it finally landed on 41 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: oh making Juneteenth a holiday like avoiding all other material 42 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: forms of uplift four black people going straight towards making 43 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: a federal holiday, which like I had a dove Juneteenth. 44 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: I'm glad that people are, you know, becoming more aware 45 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 1: of it. Yeah, I mean the sentiment, the sentiment is good. Priorities. 46 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: You know, there's levels to the show. Give us the 47 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: ship and give us our You can't do that just yet. 48 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: You can't rush into that. You gotta make sure that 49 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: cartoon characters are voiced by the proper races first and 50 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: then So how are you doing great? I mean stream 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: amounts of pain and my knees and my hips and 52 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: my everything from jumping around and just kicking high kicking 53 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: and flailing at l Roco Lounge and Savannah the Half 54 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: as the music event over the weekend. Yeah, we had 55 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: ourselves a little show over the weekend. It was is 56 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: pretty fly. I mean we were backed a capacity a 57 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: couple of times. Um, you were great, Yeah, I was great. 58 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: It was rock star ship. I had a blast and 59 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: it was dope because Mariah was performing with like her 60 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: shirt like up on the on the belly, like like 61 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: the pregnant belly never Okay, is this the day? I've 62 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: never talked about this on the podcast it but so 63 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: for listeners that don't follow me on social media, I 64 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: am seven months pregnant and so this is my first 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: show in a year and a half as well as 66 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: like rocking pretty like pretty like legit baby bomp going 67 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: on um And it's funny. It's funny because I posted 68 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: the video of it like on social media, and like 69 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: I got like both people are like, oh yeah, ask 70 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: for me. But then like some of my constituents got 71 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: like it started getting shared by like people like voters 72 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: and people who were like getting mad, like oh so 73 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: this is what you do with your time and and 74 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: it's like, yo, nigga, Like if I posted a video 75 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: a picture of me like a u G a football 76 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: game or like go into church with my family, recreational 77 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: you know, activities that anybody does, like oh that's wholesome 78 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: and sweet. But I absolutely believe that it was something 79 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: about like policing women's bodies and like just not being 80 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: not doing traditional recreation like for fun, I get on 81 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: stage and jump up and down and like whatever. It 82 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: would not have been the big deal that it turned 83 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: out to be. But we had a really interesting standards 84 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: just like you know, And this actually inflects a lot 85 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: of what I like when I see people like in 86 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: like Rocana's mentions on Twitter, like fuck you fight harder 87 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: for Medicare for all and ship like as a fallow politician, 88 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: I mean, like their jobs are harder than money. They 89 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: get paid more so like you bring them home, but 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: also their people, and like they deserve joy and without joy, 91 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: like it's impossible to continue doing your job. Like if 92 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: you never have any fun or do anything nice for yourself, 93 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna kill yourself, bro, And you know, end of 94 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: the day, Like I was just very unfothered, like yeah whatever, 95 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: I'm having fun. Sometimes it was funny when I when 96 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: I got home that night or no, not even when 97 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: I got home. I think it was the very next day, 98 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: Like Sunday was the BT Awards. Yeah, Cardi b I 99 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: guess showed off a new pregnancy via performance and then 100 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 1: she had the body suit in the belly was exposed 101 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: and I was like, man, we did that ship last night? 102 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah we aready yeah sucking fun YEAD follower you 103 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: post her but yeah, no, Savannah was a great time. 104 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: Roca was actually the last place I played. Yeah, the 105 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: pandemic hit. Yeah, well I think you've had a show 106 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: since then. But it was fun. I had a black 107 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: It was hella hot though, Like it was how and 108 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: that humidity down there. I mean, we in Gloridia, so 109 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: I thought it was like, oh, it's just be honest 110 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: with Georgia. Georgia's Georgia. No cement is different by the 111 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: middle of and by the beach different. By the middle 112 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: of my set. I was half naked and sweating like 113 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: buckets all over the stage. It was but it was 114 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: fun though, Like I mean, it just reminded me of 115 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: how much I love performing. Today, we're gonna be following 116 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: a couple of stories that we've had our minds on 117 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: for the last few days or weeks, but just never 118 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: really had the opportunity to uh develop a full episode about. 119 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: But some stuff that we wanted to chat about. So 120 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about today. So we'll be you know, 121 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: paying our respects to Gift of Gabs as well as 122 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,679 Speaker 1: Mike Gravel who both passed away last week. Uh, talking 123 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: a little bit about um whistle blowers Chelsea Manning and 124 00:06:54,240 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: her recent like controversy with um investigative journalists Kent clippings Time, 125 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: which gave rise to a disrap which is very We're 126 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: gonna get a little bit of our reaction to the 127 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: Tom McDonald track Snowflake, amongst other things. And as guest today, 128 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: don't we Yes, we're We're closed it out with the 129 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: conversation with Jonathan Bailey UM, a labor organizer at Amazon 130 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: as well as former candidate for New York City Council 131 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: in district who talks gonna talk to us a little 132 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: bit about what's been happening in New York post um 133 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: Democratic primary, as well as just a really fan like 134 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: just fascinating dude with lots to say about a lot, 135 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: so stove to have him on. Yeah, we're gonna get 136 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: to all that and more after the jump. Did you 137 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: get a chance to listen to the new Time Other 138 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: Creator album? I did? I did, and I enjoyed it, 139 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: but like it, like it felt very much like a 140 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: continuation to me of like the trajectory he has been on. 141 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: I didn't feel like shocked by it the way that 142 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,239 Speaker 1: like his early music versus like his mid career music, 143 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: if you could say the transition between like Yonkers to 144 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: like flower Boy was very like, oh my god, what 145 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: is happening? Like I feel like he's just like further 146 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: evolving within his flower Boy stage. And now for me, 147 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: is definitely one of those albums where it's like I 148 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: dig it and I can appreciate the artistry behind it, 149 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: but it's not it's not my jam, yeah, but I 150 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: mean yeah, and you can recognize like, like oh that 151 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: the skilled artistry without like your favorite thing exactly. I 152 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: definitely have two brains about it because it's like, on 153 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: one hand, on my producer brain, I'm like, man, he 154 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: really you know, or the production on this ship is crazy. 155 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: And I felt the same way with flower Boy. I 156 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: was like, oh man, he he knocked it out the 157 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: park with this. I don't think he produced all of 158 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: this new one, but I'm still, you know, like appreciating 159 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: it from a sonic level. It's like, yo, this ship knocks. 160 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: I like this. But then the rapper part of me 161 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: is like, no, man, you know, it's just you know, 162 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: I I much more listening to the raps more than 163 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: I am the beats personally, So it's like when a 164 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: rapper isn't necessarily capturing my attention it's kind of hard 165 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: for me to get into the rest of it, but 166 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: there are some definite standout tracks, And I mean, I 167 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: I enjoyed it, you know, It's not like I didn't 168 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: like it, but I don't know if I ever listened 169 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: to it again. Yeah, I enjoyed it. I kind of 170 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 1: put it on in the background on the drive in 171 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: Savannah and back. But I definitely want to give it 172 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: like a like a more thorough listen, just for more 173 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: of the lyricism, you know, like sometimes when you put 174 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: the beats on, maybe put an album on and like 175 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: the beats kind of just like flow calmly under the 176 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: surface of your consciousness that you're just like washing addition 177 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: or whatever. And then sometimes you listen to it, you're like, oh, ship, 178 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: that's sucking metaphors hilarious or whatever. And so so Tyler 179 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: is an artist who I will definitely give that third 180 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: listen to you if you have to get kind of 181 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,719 Speaker 1: respect for his experimentation in his audacity. Um, whereas a 182 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 1: lot of artists I might like hear them once and 183 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: be like, nah, that in't and just like you move in. 184 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:21,839 Speaker 1: So if you have to give it a letter grade 185 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: off of the first two listens though, because I listened 186 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: to it. Nah see, I don't okay anything. I mean, 187 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: I don't think it's a letter grade. It's yeah, I 188 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: would I would say I would give it a beer 189 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: B minus. Yeah, yeah, somewhere somewhere in there. So while 190 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: new music was getting born last week, we also lost 191 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: to UM two figures both in the world of politics 192 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: and hip hop that has been very influential to their 193 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: respectives fears. UM get mc Gift of Gab from Black 194 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: Alicias as well as former U S Senator from Alaska 195 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 1: who represented Alaska as a Democrat from one Mike Gravel, 196 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: who had become someone of an Internet celebrity for his 197 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: presidential run an initiative just being really iconic through the 198 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: decades for his anti war stances and his no Fox 199 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: gift in attitude towards central status quo UM over the 200 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: course of his career. So we're gonna talk a little 201 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: bit about Senator Gravel first, and then turned to pay 202 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: some homage to Gift of Gab as well. But UM, 203 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: as I said, Um, Senator Gravel, he represented Alaska and 204 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: the gat really famous for reading the Pentagon papers in 205 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: the Congressional record. UM so there's like forty I think 206 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: forty one of the seven thousand page leaked document that 207 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: sort of um got into the Defense Department's history um 208 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,199 Speaker 1: of the country's early involvement in Vietnam reveal able to 209 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: like fucking war crimes and ship like when everyone else 210 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: wanted to sweep that on the rug, he stood up 211 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: there and did did this one man filibuster um to 212 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: protest um Vietnam by like kind of dragon folks for 213 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: all the heinous, uh, heinous crimes against humanity that were 214 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: happening over there on papers. It was like pretty much 215 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: like a historical recounting of the US is the US's 216 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: involvement in Vietnam, So pretty much it exposed that like 217 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: every step of the way that the government was lying 218 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: about like every action. And to an addition to being 219 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: a friend of pacifism, the peace peace movement, also a 220 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: friend of the environment, but dumping back to you know, 221 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: this anti war sentiment for which he was famed. I 222 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: mean a lot of my understanding of Vietnam, Vietnam and 223 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: why it was Horseship comes from like cinema, Like I 224 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,199 Speaker 1: just remember things like fucking Forrest Gump, etcetera, and then 225 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: nowadays reading up on the ways that Vietnam was a 226 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: catalyst for like anti military and like an internationalist sentiment 227 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: amoung people like the Black pan There's who were getting 228 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: sent to go fight and die for a war that 229 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: like didn't make any sense to them. They're like, we 230 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 1: have more in common with the Vietnamese than we do 231 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: the the white men that are sending us to go 232 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: kill all of them. Um, and so I wanted to 233 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 1: briefly discuss another really interesting portrayal of um the Vietnam 234 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: War in the song Uncommon Valor and Vietnam Story by 235 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: Dead Eye Mind Tricks and with Vinnie pas and Are 236 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: the Rugged Man pay This portrait of life as an 237 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: American soldier in Vietnama In Vietnam, Vinnie's versus more critical 238 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: of of war, conveying his inner conflict with committing war crimes. 239 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: And then in r A's verse, he trays the perspective 240 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: of soldier who enjoys the violence the drugs of Vietnamese women, 241 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: but who comes home to have two children who are 242 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: born disabilities as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange. 243 00:13:55,160 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: Let's give that a lesson, real President, he doesn't, So Yeah, 244 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: it's Um, this track is it's really you know, heavily 245 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: inspired by you as you were talking about cinema and 246 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: works of fiction and stuff like that. It's like heavily 247 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: inspired by Vietnam movies. You know. There's uh, there's a 248 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: little bit of the Deer Hunter in there. There's definitely 249 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: some Platoon allegories. Um. Yeah, I mean this is it's 250 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: a classic Jedi mind trick song. It's super haunting. Yeah, 251 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: and it's very nuanced. I mean between the two the 252 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: two seemingly contrasting perspectives and the two different verses, but 253 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: then the fact that even at the end, the guy 254 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: that enjoys war, that like loves killing people, loves getting 255 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: like pussy or like whatever. Um, you know he he 256 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: I guess, Like you know, it's the middle of combat 257 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: and he gets hitting the chest with a bullet and 258 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,119 Speaker 1: he like she starts having a flashback she was childhood, 259 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: starts having this like epiphany of like, uh, Muslims and 260 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: Jews and Christians and black wives and Asians all people 261 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: like you know, and piece together in this moment where 262 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: he's like, you know, I guess and like shock. Um. 263 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: And then ultimately even if he's like Oh yeah, war, 264 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: it's cool. Whatever he like ends up being impacted by it. Um. 265 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: I think it's like very real. Like a lot of 266 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: people who go to war and like I don't see 267 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: anything wrong with it and think it's fine, but ultimately 268 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: come home and they are suffering the PTSD physical um 269 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: ailments as a result, your ailments that their children can 270 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: sometimes um get and like you, no one can actually 271 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: escape the horrors of war ultimately, um, even if like 272 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: they aren't, they don't feel that internal conflict while they're 273 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: in the battlefield about like what they're actually doing out there. 274 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: So I thought that was like really profound, um, but 275 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: that they they capture that perspective. So jumping back to Senator, 276 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: you know he knew, but he knew the ship. He 277 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: was against war through and through throughout his career. He 278 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: launched his quest for the two eight Democratic presidential nomination 279 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: as a staunch critic of the Iraq war. UM. And 280 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: you know he on the debate stage just gave these 281 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: fiery comments um at the debates in the forums, just 282 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: like against war, against keeping our troops in Iraq, um, 283 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: you know, against nuclearism. Might have seen the clip because 284 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: it's gone viral, sense but there's a clip of him 285 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: during the debate in two thousand seven or eight says 286 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: up against like Hillary, and they're asking him, you know 287 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: which one of the candidates worries you in terms of 288 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: the topic was about the US striking first or making 289 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: like a preemptive nuclear And they're like, you know what 290 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: worries you about these candidates? And he was like, well, 291 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: I mean, to be honest with you, I'm worried about 292 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: all of them. Yeah. Yeah, And he like points him out, 293 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: like yeah, all these centrists over here. UM. At one 294 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,439 Speaker 1: point another pres in the same debate or earlier debate, UM, 295 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: he like straight up confronted Obama like tell me, Barrock, 296 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: who do you want a knuke? Like like just no 297 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: Fox given Um. And interestingly, so he ran for president 298 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: again in UM qualified for the first debate, but the 299 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: d NZ changed their rules such that they kept him 300 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 1: out of it, though they later changed the rules again 301 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: to ensure that Mike Bloomberg was able to get in them. 302 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: So shout out to the d m C for being 303 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: an inherently democratic institution. But UM, his campaign in run 304 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,479 Speaker 1: by like two teenagers who just like cranked out fire 305 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: memes about Gravel's leftist um anti military stances, which frequently 306 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: went viral, which didn't help build the senator's profile among 307 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: the energy younger generations who may not have been as 308 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: politicy conscious during his two thousand eight run, or who 309 00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: were aware of his earlier activism. I didn't know about 310 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: Pentagon paper Ship until I started to sing as memes 311 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: on Instagram and was like, Yo, who the fuck is 312 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: this guy? I gave him my five bucks or something. Um, So, 313 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: once you know it's clear that I wasn't gonna get 314 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: the nod um, Gravel and the teens then mobilize their 315 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: Internet cloud to launch the Gravel Institude, which is a 316 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: left wing response to YouTube propaganda machines like prog. You 317 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: we've mentioned that, Yeah, they put out tons of dove 318 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: videos about leftism, about socialism, about just like you know, 319 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: in the same say, like just to combat the very 320 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,959 Speaker 1: pervasive like you know, because the YouTube algorithms like oh, 321 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: just keep recommending videos, are going to the videos the 322 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: next time you down, you're going down the rabbit hole 323 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: and you're watching this thing about how I don't know, 324 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: fucking critical race theory and bullshit, or like they're kind 325 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: of going a bit nuts recently for so bragger you 326 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: that you know, they put out these political videos and 327 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: stuff like that, and they've got these funny animations with 328 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: them that's like really like like it's aimed for children 329 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: and almost like schoolhouse rocks. Sometimes people will use yeah, 330 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: and um, I mean some of the videos that they've 331 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: been releasing of late, Like I'm not even exaggerating when 332 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: I say some of like they had one that was 333 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: damn near pro slavery, you know what I mean. It 334 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: was talking about I was talking about the Brown Revolution 335 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: like it was a bad thing and shop. So I mean, 336 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: they they they're definitely doing their part to radicalize people. 337 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: So things like the Gravel Institute having more stuff like that, 338 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: you know, more media campaigns like that, I think is 339 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: valuable in combating some of that stuff. Because this right ship, 340 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: it's real ship. So shouts out to Senator Gravel r 341 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: I P. I feel like, if to honors memory, if 342 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: you're so inclined, go watch first of all, go watch 343 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: some of their videos that are really good. If you 344 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: like them, go subscribe on Patreon kicking like five bucks 345 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 1: a month because because like like Pregger, you like, those 346 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: motherfuckers are like funded by the fucking brothers, like they 347 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: have like on hand millions of dollars that they're exposure 348 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: all of these right wingers do, like all you know, 349 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: all these right wing pundits and right wing media ecosystems, 350 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: it's all funded by right wing billionaires. You know, you 351 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: would think with all the rich motherfucker's who are quote 352 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: unquote progressive or liberal or whatever, that you know, the 353 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 1: left would have its own funding for endeavors like this, 354 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: but they don't. Yeah, but all we have is the grassroots. 355 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: So you know, go check out their videos on YouTube. 356 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: If you like them, go, you know, become a patron 357 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 1: on Patreon. Keep his work alive because definitely, without the 358 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: Gravel Institute, the you know gen Z, even millennials like 359 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: would not even know about this man and his like 360 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: very admirable, you know, he's like his amazing career and 361 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:49,719 Speaker 1: so that's one way you can keep his memory alive. 362 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: But unfortunately he was not the only legend that we 363 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: lost last week. Um, the hip hop community suffered. You 364 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 1: get another crushing blow with the death of Bacleft just 365 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: Blacklicious mc Gift of Gab who was born by the 366 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: name Timothy Parker Uh born in San Sacramento. Um, one 367 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: of the sharpest lay assists in the game. Um yeah, 368 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: it goes without saying, Gift to Gab, you know, one 369 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: of the one of the goats, and and I mean 370 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, heads are saying that before he passed, So 371 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: he was a really spectacular MC. Yeah. So several of 372 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: their um, you know albums were very celebrated, from Night 373 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: Sandy nine and I A two thousand two's Blazing Arrow 374 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: for which people may remember. I think that was Alphabet 375 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: and Robots was on that one. Um. Most recently, Black 376 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: Licious is putting the finishing touches on the sequel to 377 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: their two thousand fifteen album at Monty Volume one, Athlete, 378 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: titled of Monty Volume Two. Hopefully we'll get to hear 379 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: that um soon, I don't know what. I don't know 380 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 1: where they were at in the production of it when 381 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: Gift of Gab passed. But for today, we wanted to 382 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,160 Speaker 1: take a quick look back at the Monty Volume one, 383 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: particularly this song Black, which is a fucking banger if 384 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: you ask me, I just sucking love this song. It's 385 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: so good, original black white, original man of expand in 386 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: his own image. Hole. Yeah, so pretty much he's just like, 387 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm blacker than this, I'm blacker than that. 388 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:21,919 Speaker 1: I think it's interesting that he's like a black than Atlanta, 389 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: living in close proximity Atlanta and people that knowing that 390 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:26,959 Speaker 1: it occupies the place in the public consciousness of like 391 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: black Mecca, while knowing at the same time, like the 392 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: gentrification that's happening there. The way that the blackness leadership class. 393 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: You know that neo liberals like Teach he lends bottoms. 394 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,199 Speaker 1: Their mayor as well as the whole city council are 395 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: like legislating ways that like doom a lot of damage 396 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: to black people. Um the way that the Civil Rights 397 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 1: movement era of leadership kind of abdicated there, I don't say, 398 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: responsibility to bring to raise up new leaders and so 399 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: there's like this um this gap generationally and like black 400 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,679 Speaker 1: leadership in Atlanta where you have like the Niece Kings 401 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: and Andrew Youngs and the John Lewis Is and then 402 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: there's just like the next generation down you don't have 403 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 1: anyone because they all did their ship and they were 404 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: like I and I'm out, and so like this is 405 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: a lot of like it's I just like I thought 406 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 1: it was really funny that it's the first thing that 407 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: comes comes out in the very first verse, because like 408 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: when you get down into the net Deegridy of Atlanta, 409 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: it's actually deeply problematic and not just like this black 410 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: oasis that everyone wants to pretend it is. It's a 411 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: lot better than some places. I go there and I'm like, shit, black, 412 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: Like in Athens, black people don't have anything nice like 413 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: at all. So I go to Atlanta. I'm like, oh, 414 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 1: black people have some nice things, like what they all got, 415 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: like bars that are nice that you get to go to, 416 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,959 Speaker 1: and like you don't get kicked out for wearing like 417 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: you know, sucking based in basketball happened? What? Um? But yeah, 418 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 1: he goes through talking about black people in this black 419 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: and the lady shouts out, Marcus Garvey shuts out for 420 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: I just teachers shouts out, rows apart shouts had a 421 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: lot of black political like years and black nationalism broadly. Um, 422 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: and yeah, it's just a banger. What was your first 423 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: exposure to Black Alicious? Oh it was absolutely Aphi bet Aerobics. 424 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: I feel like that was such a before going viral 425 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: was a thing. I feel like that was a viral 426 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: hit of just like the novelty of it. Yeah, I mean, 427 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: it's hard for me to even the first thing that 428 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: I heard. I remember, should I remember the year? It 429 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: was like two thousand two, I want to say. My 430 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: older brother put me onto it. He was like, yeah, 431 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: you check this out, and I remember hearing it and 432 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: then not even like really checking for their music for 433 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 1: like a few years after that, just remembering that song 434 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: and not even knowing the MCS name. I thought his 435 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 1: name was Black Alicious. I didn't know it was a group, 436 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So that like la later on, 437 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,400 Speaker 1: you know, I think it was like when I really 438 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: started getting into like you know, making music and booking 439 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: shows and stuff like that, that I started actually meeting 440 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: people who knew him personally, you know what I'm saying. 441 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 1: And so then that's when I started like taking more 442 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: of an interest in his work as an m C, 443 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 1: and I started went back and checked out their stuff. 444 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: It's it sucks, you know. I feel like the past 445 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: two years, you know, we've just been you know, we've 446 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: been losing grades left and right, you know, and and 447 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: not even you know, it never ends, Yeah, it never ends. 448 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: All right, Well, we got next Ken Clippenstein and uh 449 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: this this tract that was released against him. So it's 450 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 1: kind of it's kind of dipping our toes into Twitter 451 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: drama somewhat, but has real world implications for like, you know, um, 452 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: the relationship between people who work for the States and 453 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: the higher and high up capacities where they have access 454 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,879 Speaker 1: to document to you know, confidential or classified information, and 455 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 1: their relationship with investigative journalists and like, you know, what 456 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:48,360 Speaker 1: is their role, responsibility or the morality of leaking, etcetera. 457 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: I think comes into play with this a little bit. 458 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: So get me to read this part. Sure, yeah, okay. 459 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: So Ken Clampenstein is an investigative journalist formerly of the 460 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: Nation and now he's with the Intercept. He's a famous 461 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 1: for giving voice for whistleblowers to the military and big 462 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,879 Speaker 1: corporations like Amazon. For example, when Amazon denied allegations that 463 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 1: workers were pissing in bottles because they were under such 464 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: pressure to meet shipping quotas, can obtain internal Amazon documents 465 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: from which higher ups acknowledge and discussed the realities that 466 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: the workers were pissing in bottles. So he totally owned 467 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: those motherfucker's on that. He's also famed for famed on 468 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: Twitter for trolling politicians. For example, he recently tricked the 469 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: scandal ridden Matt Gates into retweeting an image of Lee 470 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,399 Speaker 1: Harvey Oswald and military gears saying thank you for your service. 471 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: This in turn caused Matt Gates to, uh, you know, 472 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: he retweeted it unknowingly, and then um, I think Candice 473 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: Owens and some other conservatives started getting on them and 474 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: they were like, oh, how disrespectful is it if you 475 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: left this photos, Like they're completely unaware that Lee Harvey 476 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: Oswald was a marine and you know, just just masterclass 477 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: level troll ship. So the intercept past this podcast called 478 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: You Constructed, they had Chelsea Manning on to discuss life 479 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: in prison and leaking and just sort of her life 480 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 1: now that she's out. She got her sentence commuted. She 481 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: was sentence well, first of all, so she was detained 482 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: in two thousand eleven for thinking evidence of US war crimes, 483 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: was sentence. The thirty five years in prison Harry sentence 484 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: got commuted by President Obama. She went back to jail 485 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: I think in two thousands seventeen for like refusal to 486 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 1: testify in court or some ship, and then got let 487 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: out again. Um. During COVID, so she's like pretty newly 488 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: out of prison. Um. And so they had a chat 489 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: on the intercepts deconstructed podcasts and UM. Interestingly, like Julian Assange, 490 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 1: Stins got pissed that she's seeming that Manning seemingly threw 491 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: her fellow whistleblower under the bus. Um. I listened. I 492 00:27:55,119 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 1: listened to the podcast like talking at you got talking 493 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: about like because I mean, Julian Osange is you know, 494 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: he's one of for me, He's like, uh, peculiar character 495 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: because like, on one hand, it's like I appreciate the 496 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 1: wiki leaks exposing the war crimes that happened during the 497 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,640 Speaker 1: Iraq War. But then on the other hand, he liked 498 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:22,920 Speaker 1: very clearly seems like a Trump supporter and you know 499 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 1: what I mean. So it's like I don't know why 500 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: those two things can't both be true and both exists, 501 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. And it's like, hey, it 502 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 1: was cool to be exposed that, But also I don't 503 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 1: funk with him because he's on some weird Trump ship 504 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: and that's I think what the what the ira was 505 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: of like sort of casting somewhat you know, side eye 506 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: on him for that stuff. But some people really affirmed that, 507 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: like he's a hero for Wiki leaks and fuck you. 508 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: I guess Chelsea, Like, I don't know how someone could 509 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: tell someone that went to prison for bringing truth to 510 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: lie about US war crimes, you know, uh got out 511 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: and transitioned. Uh. You know, it's like a like not 512 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: only battling the PTSD of being in prison, but just 513 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: like living discriminate, you know, the discrimination she must face 514 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: as a trans woman, etcetera. And it would be like 515 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: fuck you because you don't like my favorite whistle blower. 516 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: It's really weird. Well, I mean, Julian Osange has like 517 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: this weird sort of like cult like internet cult thing 518 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 1: built around him. So I think it might just be 519 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: a little bit of For so long, the people who 520 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: have really been speaking out about like, oh they don't 521 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: like Julian Assange has mainly been lips, you know what 522 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: I mean, because of the Hillary Clinton stuff. So I 523 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: think for such a long time, it's it's very easy 524 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,719 Speaker 1: to be like dismissed libs who don't like Julian Sage, 525 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: but then to hear coming from Chelsea Batting's mouth is like, 526 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: I don't really fun. I think it's like a hard 527 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: thing for them to kind of come to terms with, 528 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: like can't compute why does she not like him? To 529 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: malfunctioning systems failing you know. So this whole conversation gave 530 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: rise to this disk track against clin clipping side here 531 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: to paint a picture of an alternate dimension where Julian 532 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: assans just being showered with affection and can fucking clipping 533 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: Stein's and infinite detention. It was kind of cringe e. 534 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Most of it doesn't even rhyme. I don't know. I 535 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: don't funk with this content wise, it's just yeah, it's 536 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: I I don't understand the purpose of this at all, Like, 537 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: of all the issues you could raise up, of all 538 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: the injustices happening in the world of kids, ain't gonna 539 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: fucking clean drinking water, Nigga is getting shot by the military, 540 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: and mind mar fucking Yeah, you're making a diss song 541 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: for investigative journalists, like a rap song, like yeah, man, 542 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: like this this corny, Man, it's not even as corny 543 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: as it's gonna get on the show today because oh no, no, no, 544 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: we're on a roll today, like like today are our 545 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: music discussion stuff? Is like we got like some wax 546 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,440 Speaker 1: stuff for you. Like, So this next one, we're gonna 547 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: talk about this song. We're a little we're three weeks 548 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: late on it, but we had better ship to do. 549 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 1: But um, it's the song by this rapper Tom McDonald 550 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 1: track called Snowflake. Now before we check this out, just 551 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: to give you a little rundown. Tom McDonald is a 552 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: Canadian rapper and singer and former professional wrestler, and he 553 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: kind of roasted prominence back in when he dropped the 554 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: song called White Boy, which he was pretty much kind 555 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: of going over the grievances that the straight white this 556 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: man was an endangered species and all societies against them 557 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: and they can't say what they want and they're taking 558 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: our stuff and yetta, YadA, all of that stuff. But 559 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: it ended up becoming kind of a hit low key 560 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: with the Maga crowd. And uh, he had been around 561 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 1: for a bit, I had, you know, as far as 562 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: like being like an underground artist. I had seen some 563 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: of his I'd come across some of his stuff in 564 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: the past. But once he dropped that white Boy thing, 565 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: and the Maga crowd kind of started gravitating, gravitating towards it, 566 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: just like all the other right, wing drifters. He kind 567 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: of discovered that that was going to be his niche. 568 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 1: So he continued on the you know, subsequent years, dropping 569 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: track after track in that vein, and during he dropped 570 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: the singles I Don't Care and Coronavirus, the ladder of 571 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: which was written about the COVID nineteen pandemic um. It 572 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: was criticized for factual and accuracies, misleading versus week analysis, 573 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: you know, just like pretty much rap propaganda. But you know, 574 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: in the vein of like white Boy frat Wrap, So 575 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: three weeks ago, you know, he released what is now 576 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: a viral hit, which is a Snowflake, and you know, 577 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: it's been out for three weeks. It already has eight 578 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: million lessons and the maga's are in love with this ship. 579 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: Let's check out a little bit. If a member cooks terrible, 580 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: the racist it probably used to say to encourage immigration, 581 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: just saying all the contradictions, mcy. You know who hates 582 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: a member cut the most Americans? Triggle? So what do 583 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: you what do you think about that? I mean, I 584 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: guess I like predate with just as almost much as 585 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: much like skepticism and contempt of like rap music made 586 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: in good faith in the sense of like coming from 587 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: an authentic place within black culture. Um, that is still 588 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: harmful to black people, I think. I mean a lot 589 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: of the stuff he's talking about harmful to black people 590 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 1: for sure. A lot of people. I mean, there's I 591 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: can name other artists that are doing it on purpose, 592 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: you know, that are just kind of like reiterating tropes 593 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 1: that are common within the fair that are still you know, 594 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: not uh, they're not uplifting to to the culture, to 595 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: the community. UM. I think that it's it's obviously like 596 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 1: a gimmick of like, oh, I'm going to be controversial 597 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: in order to get clicks and so but with with that, 598 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,919 Speaker 1: I just don't feel very impressed. I'm just like, that's 599 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 1: it's that's low hanging fruit, my dude. Well, actually, he's 600 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:28,680 Speaker 1: actually like the a culmination of what's been a trend 601 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 1: for like the last five years, which has been especially 602 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,800 Speaker 1: like on the underground, which is like racist white dudes 603 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:41,720 Speaker 1: who aren't really like that talented at anything, like musically, 604 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: So they start rapping and it's like they wrapped, but 605 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: they're they're like completely like right wing, you know what 606 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: I'm saying, And that's actually like becoming like a thing 607 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: like its own genre. Now, the video for this thing, 608 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 1: you know its it features you know, him walking on 609 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 1: you know, a makeshift protests set and you know he 610 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: complains about BLM is the terrorist and you know, we 611 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,359 Speaker 1: can't say what we want and YadA YadA. It also 612 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:18,360 Speaker 1: features an appearance by a YouTube star, Blair White. I 613 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: don't know what's the best way to describe Blair White. 614 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: Blair White, Yeah, I think she's the trans kind of 615 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,640 Speaker 1: Owens and that like she's she's trans woman that's very 616 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 1: hot and like and like uses her identity as a 617 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: weapon against or against trans people, like, oh, I'm not 618 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 1: like other trans people. I don't actually want rights or like, 619 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:40,439 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's very bizarre. Well, I mean she's 620 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,239 Speaker 1: kind of like the alt rights token trans. So like 621 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: if if like if if one of them, if you 622 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: call one of them out on saying some hateful shit 623 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: about trans people, then she's like their cover of like no, 624 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 1: but I like Blair White, and she says they're evil too, 625 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,240 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So that's like the purpose 626 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: that she serves in the right wing media system ecosystem. 627 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: But I mean, just her featuring in this video, you 628 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: know what I mean, like if there was any doubt 629 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: that that uh Tom mcdonald'sgrift there and is kind of 630 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 1: riding a wave, um her her featuring in the videos 631 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:21,919 Speaker 1: like the clear cut stamp that that's that's the line, 632 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: the vein that he's in, you know what I mean, 633 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 1: it's like a human dog whistle. Yeah, exactly, exactly so 634 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: so that we're not going to turn to our conversation 635 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 1: with Jonathan Bailey, UM super inspiring organizer out of New 636 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: York City, Queens specifically, was listening to what he has 637 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: to say about organizing up in Queens and the results 638 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 1: of the mayoral election both there end up in Buffalo, 639 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:48,919 Speaker 1: where they elected the first socialist UH of a major 640 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 1: American city in sixty years. We'll be right back with 641 00:36:51,800 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 1: that interview after the jump. We're here with Amazonian's United 642 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 1: co founder, former co chair of the Queen's branch of 643 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 1: the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, an alumnus 644 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: of the two thousand eighteen campaign for Alexandria Castio Cortes, 645 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: and former candidate for New York City Council in District 646 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 1: twenty six. Jonathan Bailey. Wow, you have such a resume. 647 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 1: Holy hell, Um, so we're gonna talk about the outcomes 648 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:28,480 Speaker 1: the New York elections, both mayoral some city council races. Um, 649 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,359 Speaker 1: maybe briefly talk about the victory of Buffalo Socialist mayor 650 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: Electonia Walton, as well as Jonathan's labor organizing and other 651 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: struggles that he has taken on in his activism. So, Jonathan, 652 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: thank you for being here with us today. How you doing. Hey, 653 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: I am so excited to be here. Um. Actually, okay, 654 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 1: So I had to tell you, uh um. I like 655 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 1: like when I saw you on Twitter, I was like, 656 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:57,799 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, it's that lady who like was riding 657 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 1: the bike and flipping off that one too. Oh I knew, 658 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: I knew. I knew right away. I was like, is 659 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 1: that lady with the row who's like it's blowing in 660 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: her hair? Like I knew, Like and then she like 661 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 1: swore in on Malcolm X's biography. I know exactly who 662 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: that is. Like, I was so funny, well ship, well 663 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: that is hilarious. It was the whole thing. It was 664 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: a whole thing. And then all you did you were 665 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,880 Speaker 1: just like in my comments like, oh, come on your podcast, 666 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: like you know, and I was like, oh my god, 667 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: this guy's is so cool, Like, holy shit, I was 668 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: excited to have you. I was like, oh ship, oh ship, 669 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: she doesn't even know. I'm gonna slide in and I'm 670 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: gonna just be her friend and she's not gonna even 671 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: know that I've been geeking out about, like about the 672 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,880 Speaker 1: ship that you all have been involved with, Like, oh 673 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 1: my god, and talk with us. Yeahs, So tell us 674 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 1: a little bit more about yourself. How did you get 675 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 1: into labor organizing? And I'm particularly curious how that, if 676 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:06,439 Speaker 1: at all, influence your decision to run for city council. Yeah, well, 677 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 1: like I mean, for me, like I can to activism, 678 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: like I'm sure like a lot of black collaboration activists, 679 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 1: like I experienced, like you know, like I was homeless 680 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 1: during my early adult years, you know, the during the 681 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:29,400 Speaker 1: Great Recession. You know. Um, actually, like a lot of 682 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:32,279 Speaker 1: people don't realize this, but it's actually a majority of 683 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:38,800 Speaker 1: like uh, like a majority of um black boys that 684 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:42,320 Speaker 1: are in like the foster care system or like go 685 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: through adoption. Like literally a majority of us end up 686 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: homeless h during like our like very early adult years, um, 687 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: which I like actually found out much later. But like 688 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sure during the Great Recession. Um that 689 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 1: was like that was just like a ton of us. 690 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: So like that's kind of like that's kind of how 691 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 1: I started off my like young adulthood, and like that 692 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 1: exposed me to like a lot of a lot of 693 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: stuff with police and um, you know that led me 694 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 1: like trying to figure out, okay, like how do we 695 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 1: do something about this? You know, which of course led 696 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:25,279 Speaker 1: me to like you know, the Civil rights era, uh 697 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: to like the Black panthers, Uh, you know, through like 698 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: maoism and socialism and like figuring out, okay, like what 699 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 1: types of politics actually lead to like liberation from police 700 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 1: violence and you know, what are the different ways that 701 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: that we can fight? Um? Was that a gradual Was 702 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,280 Speaker 1: it a gradual thing or was there like a specific 703 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 1: moment that kind of that you think, Okay, yeah, this 704 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 1: is what I'm gonna start doing now because this stuff 705 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:56,600 Speaker 1: is messed up. Well, so, like I mean, like for me, 706 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: it was like a bit gradual. I guess, well, because 707 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 1: like I'm on at the point now where like my 708 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 1: entire life is kind of like wrapped around Um, I'm sorry, 709 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:13,720 Speaker 1: hold up one moment I just realized, Um, hold I'm sorry. 710 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, so like I mean, like oh, I was saying, 711 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: like I like, I'm kind of now at a point 712 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,719 Speaker 1: where like a lot, like all of my life is 713 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: kind of like built around like activist stuff, and like 714 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 1: I mean that that's like a process you know. Um, 715 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,680 Speaker 1: but like I still actually like didn't It's not like 716 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,080 Speaker 1: that I wanted to be like an activist or do 717 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:44,279 Speaker 1: like political stuff. I actually actually wanted to be a 718 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: ballroom dancer. Yeah. That's like I, um, I was going 719 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 1: to school for uh uh like music ad while also 720 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: um like pursuing like a career within thin ballroom because 721 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 1: I was like, no, that's what I want to do 722 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: with my life, thank you, thank you. UM. The thing is, though, 723 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 1: the World Dance Sport Federation UM ended up deciding that 724 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:15,000 Speaker 1: it wanted to take over the world of hip hop 725 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:19,479 Speaker 1: you know, like like this yeah, like a multibillion dollar 726 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:24,279 Speaker 1: industry like born out of the African diaspora. Uh you know, 727 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,440 Speaker 1: like and I mean a lot of people don't know 728 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 1: this because it's basically like what like country music is 729 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: to Black America, UM, like ballroom dance is to like 730 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:43,520 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know like that like to like dance, 731 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:47,160 Speaker 1: you know. Yeah, yeah, like a lot of people don't 732 00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:51,399 Speaker 1: know that like basically all of like ballroom dances come 733 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:56,879 Speaker 1: out of African diaspora. It's like yeah, it's like yeah, 734 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,880 Speaker 1: it's like three of them that don't like if you 735 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 1: look in like in like the Latin dances like like 736 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 1: cha cha, Samba, ramba, um pasto comes out of out 737 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 1: of Europe, you know, posito blay um uh, and and 738 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 1: then jive as well is like is Black American. But 739 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: like all of those, all of those dances but one 740 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: come out of African diaspora, and even within like ballroom 741 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: like fox starting quickstep come out of Black America um uh. 742 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,000 Speaker 1: And it's only like it's only like waltz and like 743 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:36,279 Speaker 1: Tano comes out of uh out of Latin America. But 744 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: you know, like foxtrot, like can you can trace the 745 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:45,400 Speaker 1: origins of foxtrot back to um when uh, when like 746 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:51,000 Speaker 1: dancing was outlawed on like slave plantations? Um yeah yeah, 747 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:53,720 Speaker 1: like you know the like the passing of the feet 748 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:59,000 Speaker 1: um uh is like in foxtrot like that you can 749 00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 1: trace back to uh. You know like like the way 750 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:07,600 Speaker 1: that dancing was outlawed like how it was like um 751 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: like how those like laws were like codified because like 752 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:14,680 Speaker 1: dancing at the time then was like to find is 753 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: like crossing of like the feet and the knees and 754 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: so like like like yeah, like our ancestors just being 755 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:27,479 Speaker 1: petty as fun. You're like, okay, you know we're gonna 756 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 1: do We're gonna pass then the feet. Um. So like 757 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,279 Speaker 1: I mean you can you can like trace like these 758 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:37,680 Speaker 1: these movements like all throughout like you know, like really 759 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:41,319 Speaker 1: far back through our history here, like and so it's 760 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,040 Speaker 1: like really cool, right, but like the thing is like 761 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 1: you would not know any of that, right, So like 762 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 1: there's all these I never I never learned any of that. Yeah, 763 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 1: I know. It's super weird and it's super odd, and 764 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 1: it's like how like basically the way that like uh 765 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,320 Speaker 1: like country music, like people don't like really think or 766 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:04,560 Speaker 1: like you know, it's not really part of the like 767 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:09,880 Speaker 1: I know, are like American consciousness that it's you know, 768 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:14,360 Speaker 1: originates in Black America. But like that's that's uh, that's ballroom. 769 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:17,240 Speaker 1: It's it's very much like barn out of African Aspara 770 00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:23,080 Speaker 1: and the the Imperial Society of Dance yeah literally has 771 00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:27,839 Speaker 1: the name Imperial within it um. But really yeah, yeah, 772 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: that's yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, that's not it. That's not 773 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 1: what we want. But the thing is, it's like a 774 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:40,120 Speaker 1: very old like institution, right and and it's it's it's 775 00:45:40,160 --> 00:45:44,319 Speaker 1: like it's I feel like like for anybody who has 776 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:48,080 Speaker 1: just like an ounce of like awareness within them, they 777 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:54,080 Speaker 1: realize how like like uncomfy it is, right, Like I mean, 778 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: at the very least, like you named your like organization, 779 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:02,279 Speaker 1: you put imperial in then aime. Anyways, anyways, so like 780 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 1: when the World Dance Sport Federation um, you know, turned 781 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 1: its sights to like hip hop um. Like you know, 782 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:15,719 Speaker 1: my partner and I we were like we were we 783 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:19,840 Speaker 1: were bolden out spoken in the injustice of it, because 784 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:26,360 Speaker 1: obviously it's like continuing a trend of imperialism, of cultural 785 00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:31,360 Speaker 1: appropriation that has happened for you know, a hundred years again, 786 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,160 Speaker 1: shifting a multibillion dollar industry out of the hands of 787 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,560 Speaker 1: the stewards of it, of that of that art form, 788 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:41,120 Speaker 1: of the people who like give rise to it and 789 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:44,279 Speaker 1: have like and and who who have and you know, 790 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 1: have been been stewards of the art form um into 791 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 1: the hands of like folks who have been colonizing uh 792 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:55,120 Speaker 1: you know, art forms out of the African diaspora for 793 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 1: a hundred years, and so like we were like, okay, 794 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: we're the only people that I know, like you can 795 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 1: see it and we'll like be able to call it out. 796 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,320 Speaker 1: And so like we went super hard. We were valiant, 797 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,719 Speaker 1: but it definitely made it like like right afterwards, like 798 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:18,759 Speaker 1: our our like results and competition just tanked like just 799 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 1: like just compute yeah, yeah, like this is how they 800 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:28,440 Speaker 1: gonna be like that, how they go hey, like they're 801 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,680 Speaker 1: like they spoke out against our you know, cultural appropriation 802 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:36,520 Speaker 1: and we went um. So like in ballroom, your results 803 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:39,280 Speaker 1: don't really shift around that much because it's like based 804 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:44,960 Speaker 1: upon motor programs, right, Like your motor programs don't change 805 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:49,000 Speaker 1: like that much. You know, like good day and bad 806 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:54,239 Speaker 1: day is like like two maybe three different like three placements. 807 00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:58,640 Speaker 1: But like we went from like this this one competition. 808 00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:01,400 Speaker 1: I remember we were third like the year before, like 809 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:06,080 Speaker 1: uh second or third, and like that like next year 810 00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:09,520 Speaker 1: right after we were like going hard, we like we 811 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,000 Speaker 1: were like second to last. We didn't make it out 812 00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: of the quarterfinal, we didn't make it to the semifinal, 813 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:18,000 Speaker 1: not to mention the final, Like it was like very 814 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:21,319 Speaker 1: very like clear, like oh you know, and so we're 815 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,680 Speaker 1: like we're just kind of looking at this and we're like, Okay, um, 816 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:29,680 Speaker 1: you know, a career of like fighting for the type 817 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:31,440 Speaker 1: of change that we want to see in the world 818 00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:36,720 Speaker 1: isn't really compatible with like with you know, a career 819 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:42,080 Speaker 1: within uh, you know, the dance industry. And so we 820 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: were like, okay, we should like probably like figure out 821 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:49,840 Speaker 1: more stuff to do with our lives, and so like, 822 00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:53,720 Speaker 1: I don't know, like after that time, we like really 823 00:48:54,080 --> 00:48:56,959 Speaker 1: I think, you know, dove in a lot more within 824 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:00,680 Speaker 1: our activism. You know, we had more time on our hands. 825 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:08,480 Speaker 1: Excuse me, um and uh yeah, I'm coming down, like 826 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:14,520 Speaker 1: coming back from having a cold, um uh uh but 827 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:20,360 Speaker 1: um yeah, So yeah, we had more time on our hands, 828 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 1: and certainly you know, engaged in a lot more activism 829 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:27,520 Speaker 1: and kind of explored some like different things that we uh, 830 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:30,040 Speaker 1: you know, we're like trying to figure out, you know, 831 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,480 Speaker 1: what things we wanted to pursue. But yeah, that's that 832 00:49:33,640 --> 00:49:36,080 Speaker 1: really like cleared a lot of time to be doing 833 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:38,719 Speaker 1: a lot more activism. So when I say that I 834 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:41,279 Speaker 1: didn't mean to like be an activist, I really mean, 835 00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:45,200 Speaker 1: like I didn't like this wasn't a thing, but it 836 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:49,080 Speaker 1: became a thing by like the situation you know, um 837 00:49:49,960 --> 00:49:54,480 Speaker 1: uh kind of uh not having you know what when 838 00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:57,560 Speaker 1: like the door closes to what you've been trying to 839 00:49:57,680 --> 00:50:00,840 Speaker 1: do with your life, you know it. It definitely is 840 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:04,960 Speaker 1: itself like a radicalizing thing, you know. Um. And so 841 00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:07,960 Speaker 1: like a lot of like the politics were there and 842 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:12,240 Speaker 1: um you know now like the politics and the time 843 00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:16,719 Speaker 1: are like are aligned. And so you know, we've been 844 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:21,200 Speaker 1: particularly involved with like you know, fighting issues around like policing, 845 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: um you know, uh, issues around like uh you know, 846 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: our car soil system within the US, um, you know, 847 00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:34,880 Speaker 1: issues around like gentrification quite a bit, um you know 848 00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:40,319 Speaker 1: it being New York and everything, um, as well as um, 849 00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:44,759 Speaker 1: you know, like labor issues because you know, um you 850 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:49,400 Speaker 1: know uh like liberate liberation kind of starts with us 851 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:51,960 Speaker 1: being able to keep a few more dollars in our pockets. 852 00:50:53,680 --> 00:50:58,160 Speaker 1: So June was the election day and Amazon Prime Day 853 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:00,600 Speaker 1: and you were running and represent the district where Amazon 854 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:03,759 Speaker 1: HQ resides. So it talks a bit about some of 855 00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:07,759 Speaker 1: your experiences. Okay, first of all, Like first of all, 856 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:11,959 Speaker 1: like come on, like come on Internet, Like if there's 857 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:16,399 Speaker 1: something that's like novel is fun, like you yeah, come 858 00:51:16,440 --> 00:51:20,160 Speaker 1: on people. Yeah where are you Internet? Like seriously, Yeah, 859 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:26,120 Speaker 1: that's let's boost the labor organizer at Amazon who's trying 860 00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:29,400 Speaker 1: to run in the district where Amazon Q two is 861 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 1: kidding me this okay, but like get this for like 862 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:37,680 Speaker 1: a total media like freeze out right because like I mean, 863 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,400 Speaker 1: like it's not just that it was the district. Like 864 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:45,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, so that fight made the cover of the 865 00:51:45,160 --> 00:51:47,840 Speaker 1: New York Times, right, it's like one of the biggest 866 00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:52,560 Speaker 1: housing fights within our lifetime, like legit, and like like 867 00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:56,000 Speaker 1: the the cover photo on the New York Times is 868 00:51:56,160 --> 00:52:01,120 Speaker 1: me holding a sign like saying no handouts for Yeah. No, no, seriously, 869 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,480 Speaker 1: I am on the cover of the New York Times 870 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,319 Speaker 1: for that fight. Um because like I was like somebody 871 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:09,480 Speaker 1: saying that fight you're talking about like the city or 872 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:11,120 Speaker 1: state of New York cutting deals to the Amazon to 873 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:14,879 Speaker 1: try to track there. Yeah there there okay, yeah yeah, 874 00:52:14,960 --> 00:52:17,320 Speaker 1: yeah no get this. Like I was involved with the 875 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:23,840 Speaker 1: city council race um uh back inen, like we were 876 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:26,960 Speaker 1: like we noticed there were like a lot of projects 877 00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:30,920 Speaker 1: being passed right that were like gentrifying the area and 878 00:52:31,080 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 1: like so as like kind of uh as kind of 879 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:37,520 Speaker 1: like a campaign against it. You know, there was somebody 880 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,399 Speaker 1: who like you know it was in the area who 881 00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:42,880 Speaker 1: like wanted to run for city council. And I mean 882 00:52:42,960 --> 00:52:45,239 Speaker 1: it was like a long shot and like you know, 883 00:52:45,400 --> 00:52:48,040 Speaker 1: there wasn't really a chance of winning. But like, um, 884 00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:52,520 Speaker 1: you know he like spoke out against like gentrification, um 885 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:57,520 Speaker 1: you know uh, and you know, like it made sense 886 00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:00,520 Speaker 1: as like another component to like this campaigning to fight 887 00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:04,440 Speaker 1: a lot of developments that were coming up. Um. And 888 00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:07,880 Speaker 1: so like like me and some there's like there was 889 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:10,480 Speaker 1: actually like a lot of anarchists in the area that 890 00:53:10,760 --> 00:53:15,680 Speaker 1: like you know we're fighting um uh like you know, 891 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 1: fighting like different developments that were coming up. And yeah, 892 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:21,600 Speaker 1: so like we we made like a whole thing of it. 893 00:53:21,880 --> 00:53:24,920 Speaker 1: And I mean, of course, like you know, uh, like 894 00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:27,800 Speaker 1: we lost or that the candidate actually just kind of 895 00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:31,680 Speaker 1: dropped out. Uh. And then like and then like weeks later, 896 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,399 Speaker 1: the current council member wrote a letter to like Jeff 897 00:53:36,440 --> 00:53:40,239 Speaker 1: Bezos saying please please please bring Amazon EACHQ two here 898 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:44,600 Speaker 1: right right right? Oh no, no no, And then like 899 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:51,439 Speaker 1: fast forward, um, you know a year and a half, um, 900 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:56,120 Speaker 1: and um you know, Amazon like has announced that they're 901 00:53:56,160 --> 00:53:58,960 Speaker 1: coming into the district and I'm like looking at this 902 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:01,600 Speaker 1: stuff and I'm like, home, my gosh, Like the city 903 00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:06,439 Speaker 1: council member Legit wrote Jeff Bezos like a month didn't 904 00:54:06,480 --> 00:54:08,560 Speaker 1: even just like vote yes on the proposal. They were 905 00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:11,960 Speaker 1: like yeah, look in the boots, yeah yeah, yeah. And 906 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:16,120 Speaker 1: I was like this happened weeks after like like our 907 00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:18,879 Speaker 1: candidate dropped out of the race, and I'm just like, oh, 908 00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:21,640 Speaker 1: my gosh. But like, you know, we've like jumped in 909 00:54:21,800 --> 00:54:26,200 Speaker 1: hard in that fight. Um uh. Queen's d S a 910 00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:30,920 Speaker 1: housing working group like really threw down. Um. And you know, 911 00:54:31,120 --> 00:54:34,560 Speaker 1: lots of other groups in the in the community as well, 912 00:54:34,680 --> 00:54:37,600 Speaker 1: like you know, like really threw down, and like you know, 913 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:42,120 Speaker 1: all together are like collective efforts. You know, we're able 914 00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:47,320 Speaker 1: to to uh to sway the situation, which is like 915 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:50,279 Speaker 1: super dope and like yeah and Legit like you know, 916 00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:53,960 Speaker 1: it obviously wasn't like Jonathan defeated Amazon on HQ two, 917 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:58,920 Speaker 1: But I gotta be on the the well, I gotta 918 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,480 Speaker 1: be on the front page of the New York Times 919 00:55:02,560 --> 00:55:06,880 Speaker 1: for it, and um so like so like like I 920 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:10,279 Speaker 1: know that, like and im like I've like talked to 921 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:12,920 Speaker 1: like some journalists from the New York Times because like 922 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 1: you know, like I know things have been I mean, 923 00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:20,160 Speaker 1: in case you haven't noticed, things have been fucking crazy 924 00:55:20,239 --> 00:55:24,400 Speaker 1: in Queens, Okay, right, like they have been crazy. Um, 925 00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:26,799 Speaker 1: there's been so many things going on here and I've 926 00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:28,759 Speaker 1: been involved with like a lot of it, and so 927 00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:33,239 Speaker 1: like when like like I'm like, okay, come on y'all, 928 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:37,399 Speaker 1: like this city Council raise like like you know, I'm 929 00:55:37,480 --> 00:55:41,279 Speaker 1: a co founder of amazonic. Yeah, I'm like, come on, 930 00:55:41,719 --> 00:55:44,600 Speaker 1: like and that's why I'm also like Internet where you at? 931 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:49,200 Speaker 1: Like this novel, Like this is legit novel, Like if 932 00:55:49,320 --> 00:55:51,400 Speaker 1: you don't have to like you don't have to like 933 00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:57,040 Speaker 1: care maybe specifically or even like know what my politics are, 934 00:55:57,120 --> 00:56:00,799 Speaker 1: even like just the novelty of it alone is hilarious. 935 00:56:01,040 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: Like it's a joke, you know. I'm like, but like 936 00:56:04,680 --> 00:56:10,319 Speaker 1: I know, we were pretty successfully frozen out, like um yeah, 937 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:14,920 Speaker 1: like nobody nobody wanted to talk about about this, Like 938 00:56:15,280 --> 00:56:18,239 Speaker 1: I know that that and that actually honestly gets kind 939 00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:21,640 Speaker 1: of to the broader like like uh kind of political 940 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:24,760 Speaker 1: issues and barriers that we met in our race, because 941 00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:28,640 Speaker 1: like I don't know, there's a bazillion reasons to talk 942 00:56:28,680 --> 00:56:31,080 Speaker 1: about it, even if it's just for memes, because it's 943 00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:36,080 Speaker 1: mad hilarious, you know. Um, but like uh we were 944 00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:39,520 Speaker 1: like frozen out just because of like the way that 945 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:44,239 Speaker 1: it like kind of the like the political significance. I mean, 946 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:47,840 Speaker 1: like like I'm I've been very very clear that like 947 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:53,120 Speaker 1: I'm a socialist, you know, I'm like I'm I'm not 948 00:56:53,600 --> 00:56:56,439 Speaker 1: uh here like for social democracy, I want to see 949 00:56:56,480 --> 00:57:00,960 Speaker 1: working people be like liberated all the way. Like you know, workers, 950 00:57:01,160 --> 00:57:04,759 Speaker 1: workers have build the world, and um, you know we 951 00:57:04,960 --> 00:57:08,800 Speaker 1: we we deserve to lead it, you know. Um, And 952 00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:14,200 Speaker 1: like like there's still not a very like clear understanding 953 00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:19,880 Speaker 1: of like the difference between like uh like progressives and 954 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:23,240 Speaker 1: like and socialists. You know, Like I always try to 955 00:57:23,320 --> 00:57:27,040 Speaker 1: tell people like hey, like progressives they like organize people 956 00:57:27,200 --> 00:57:29,640 Speaker 1: to ask people with power to give us stuff, where 957 00:57:29,640 --> 00:57:33,360 Speaker 1: a socialists we organize in such a way in which 958 00:57:33,400 --> 00:57:35,480 Speaker 1: we have power and then we just flex it, you know, 959 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:39,280 Speaker 1: and like like people would be like okay, like you know, 960 00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:43,919 Speaker 1: but like the folks with the power understand these power 961 00:57:44,040 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 1: dynamics better than we as like working people do right now. Um, 962 00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:51,680 Speaker 1: And so it's like really easy to like clamp down 963 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:57,160 Speaker 1: on folks like like me without like people really having 964 00:57:57,240 --> 00:58:01,760 Speaker 1: an understanding of like the political significance of it. Um. 965 00:58:02,200 --> 00:58:05,960 Speaker 1: And so if if you know, um, folks like me 966 00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:08,200 Speaker 1: and kind of just go off and say, Okay, I'm 967 00:58:08,240 --> 00:58:12,920 Speaker 1: gonna fight it, whether I have the support or not, um, 968 00:58:13,280 --> 00:58:19,840 Speaker 1: it can end up being disappointing. Yeah, if you talk 969 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:23,600 Speaker 1: to them about like what socialism means in municipal politics, 970 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:26,760 Speaker 1: which the question I often ask myself as well, you know, 971 00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:30,840 Speaker 1: not having the the resources or the authority of the 972 00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:33,440 Speaker 1: federal government to do these like broad restructurings we all 973 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:36,520 Speaker 1: hope and imagine would happen um with that sort of 974 00:58:36,880 --> 00:58:39,080 Speaker 1: Um yeah, with that sort of authority, but you know, 975 00:58:39,160 --> 00:58:41,160 Speaker 1: there are things you still can do at the municipal level. 976 00:58:41,200 --> 00:58:45,520 Speaker 1: And I was also really curious, um about what anti colonialism, 977 00:58:46,040 --> 00:58:48,439 Speaker 1: like how that intersects with municipal politics for you, because 978 00:58:48,480 --> 00:58:50,480 Speaker 1: that's actually something I hadn't thought about. I mean, like, 979 00:58:50,720 --> 00:58:53,040 Speaker 1: you know, I it's something like I'm down for, but 980 00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:55,400 Speaker 1: like in terms of how that translates into policy is 981 00:58:55,440 --> 00:58:56,920 Speaker 1: something I'm still trying to figure out. It's not all 982 00:58:56,960 --> 00:59:00,440 Speaker 1: like official. So for you, UM, how do you see 983 00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:05,320 Speaker 1: those two intersecting in the way the possibilities of municipal politics? Um? Yeah, 984 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:08,480 Speaker 1: I know, that's so dope. It's a stop that we're 985 00:59:08,560 --> 00:59:11,520 Speaker 1: here right now having this conversation together. By the way, 986 00:59:12,320 --> 00:59:15,320 Speaker 1: I'm just like, oh nope, things happened so right for 987 00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:20,680 Speaker 1: my life. Uh like I don't know, okay, So like 988 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, I'd be interested actually to hear like 989 00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:28,280 Speaker 1: what you think about this, but um like so like 990 00:59:28,600 --> 00:59:34,880 Speaker 1: um uh, I'm like trying to remember now like Huey 991 00:59:34,920 --> 00:59:38,400 Speaker 1: and Newton like uh kind of like specified the ideas 992 00:59:38,480 --> 00:59:44,800 Speaker 1: around like uh like international Uh you know, uh what 993 00:59:45,040 --> 00:59:47,520 Speaker 1: what what? What did? When did he call it? Like 994 00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:50,120 Speaker 1: I'm literally reading the Himpie Pano and Reader right now, 995 00:59:50,160 --> 00:59:52,960 Speaker 1: and I'm really ashamed that I can't remember maybe I 996 00:59:53,080 --> 00:59:55,560 Speaker 1: got to that part of the book yet, like uh 997 00:59:55,920 --> 01:00:00,560 Speaker 1: you know, like having him like uh, communities like around 998 01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:06,000 Speaker 1: the world sharing this like this international project you know, 999 01:00:06,800 --> 01:00:11,640 Speaker 1: um international communalism something like that. I can't remember the 1000 01:00:11,760 --> 01:00:14,880 Speaker 1: name of it. So like when I uh, when I 1001 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:17,240 Speaker 1: first heard it, and I haven't like I haven't done 1002 01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:20,360 Speaker 1: it nearly as much reading as I should have about it, 1003 01:00:20,640 --> 01:00:22,360 Speaker 1: but I like did a while ago. And when I 1004 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:24,720 Speaker 1: heard that, I just like was so like oh yeah, 1005 01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:28,200 Speaker 1: like that makes so much sense from like the Black 1006 01:00:28,240 --> 01:00:33,640 Speaker 1: American perspective because like like we are, like we we 1007 01:00:33,760 --> 01:00:38,560 Speaker 1: have a national identity in relationships specifically to the struggle 1008 01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:44,440 Speaker 1: against white supremacy. Like you know, um, like black America 1009 01:00:44,800 --> 01:00:47,680 Speaker 1: is you know, it's it's a capital B because it's 1010 01:00:47,680 --> 01:00:52,960 Speaker 1: a national identity. Um. Uh there is like this national 1011 01:00:53,040 --> 01:00:56,840 Speaker 1: identity that his um arisen out of the struggle and 1012 01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:02,760 Speaker 1: fight against white supremacy. Um. Like uh, every everything from 1013 01:01:02,920 --> 01:01:06,440 Speaker 1: like there's a Brazilian cultural markers that are built out 1014 01:01:06,520 --> 01:01:11,040 Speaker 1: of that fight to recreate a sense of identity, uh 1015 01:01:11,600 --> 01:01:15,360 Speaker 1: you know, um, to replace the one that has been 1016 01:01:15,440 --> 01:01:19,040 Speaker 1: stolen from us, and so like like that, like all 1017 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:22,120 Speaker 1: of those things are like so clear to me, and 1018 01:01:22,240 --> 01:01:25,440 Speaker 1: it's clear like the ways in which we exist also 1019 01:01:25,960 --> 01:01:29,280 Speaker 1: as like a national identity without like you know, an 1020 01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:32,600 Speaker 1: Asian like without or without a state, you know, um, 1021 01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:36,960 Speaker 1: and how we exist within communities across the US, and 1022 01:01:37,160 --> 01:01:42,360 Speaker 1: like how those communities are are colonized and colonial violence 1023 01:01:42,480 --> 01:01:46,320 Speaker 1: is executed on them through the form of of policing, 1024 01:01:46,520 --> 01:01:50,440 Speaker 1: you know, and so like whether um, you know, we 1025 01:01:50,600 --> 01:01:55,560 Speaker 1: might not experience the same type of colonialism that is 1026 01:01:55,680 --> 01:02:01,960 Speaker 1: exercised on UM nations. Uh internationally, you know, we're not 1027 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:06,840 Speaker 1: we're not colonized on like on you know, nation state borders, 1028 01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:10,240 Speaker 1: but on like you know, the borders of redlining. But 1029 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:14,200 Speaker 1: like you know, whether it's militarized police or like the 1030 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:18,479 Speaker 1: regular military, it's like the same people with the same 1031 01:02:18,960 --> 01:02:22,400 Speaker 1: with the same fucking gear like you know, uh like 1032 01:02:22,680 --> 01:02:27,320 Speaker 1: turning that that like that uh force like that colonial 1033 01:02:27,560 --> 01:02:31,280 Speaker 1: violence force on on on us. And then so like 1034 01:02:31,520 --> 01:02:34,240 Speaker 1: for me, it's like really easy just to think about, 1035 01:02:34,360 --> 01:02:38,680 Speaker 1: Like colonialism is just like a phenomenon of like you know, 1036 01:02:38,840 --> 01:02:44,200 Speaker 1: groups of people trying to exercise dominion over over others 1037 01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:48,000 Speaker 1: based upon some facet of their identity, whether that border 1038 01:02:48,160 --> 01:02:55,560 Speaker 1: is drawn uh geographically or racially or on gender or um, 1039 01:02:56,280 --> 01:03:00,520 Speaker 1: you know, on on sexual identity. Like it's all just 1040 01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:06,080 Speaker 1: colonialism and it totally makes sense. Yeah, no, absolutely, Yeah. 1041 01:03:06,080 --> 01:03:07,440 Speaker 1: I had never thought a butt it like that. Like 1042 01:03:07,560 --> 01:03:10,600 Speaker 1: fighting back like against like you know, militarized placing or 1043 01:03:10,600 --> 01:03:12,960 Speaker 1: policing in general, was like, oh, yeah, that's a colonial project. 1044 01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:15,840 Speaker 1: Or like labor exploitation, like oh that's colonial project, Like 1045 01:03:15,880 --> 01:03:18,280 Speaker 1: who is doing you know who colonized subject for the 1046 01:03:18,320 --> 01:03:20,880 Speaker 1: ones who are getting my labor exploited? So like that 1047 01:03:21,200 --> 01:03:23,280 Speaker 1: is that there's the length there it is right there. 1048 01:03:23,320 --> 01:03:27,040 Speaker 1: So yeah, actually that is super helpful to think about. Yeah, um, 1049 01:03:27,240 --> 01:03:29,040 Speaker 1: we're actually really that time. So I wanted to ask 1050 01:03:29,080 --> 01:03:33,520 Speaker 1: you one last question about the mayor's races, both y'all's 1051 01:03:34,120 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 1: in New York City and then one that turned out, 1052 01:03:36,520 --> 01:03:40,080 Speaker 1: in my opinion a little bit better, um in up 1053 01:03:40,120 --> 01:03:43,320 Speaker 1: in Buffalo, you know, north of you all. So what 1054 01:03:43,440 --> 01:03:45,680 Speaker 1: are your reactions to both how things shook out in 1055 01:03:46,040 --> 01:03:50,080 Speaker 1: UM in the Big Apple and the election of India 1056 01:03:50,120 --> 01:03:53,600 Speaker 1: Walton to what she won the primary for the Democratic 1057 01:03:53,600 --> 01:03:57,720 Speaker 1: primary for UM mayor up in Buffalo, which I think 1058 01:03:57,960 --> 01:04:00,000 Speaker 1: my understanding is that it's perceived is like more concern 1059 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:02,600 Speaker 1: have it of upstate but like surprise, surprise, bitch, we 1060 01:04:02,640 --> 01:04:07,280 Speaker 1: gotta fucking socialism. But yeah, what are your thoughts on 1061 01:04:07,400 --> 01:04:09,120 Speaker 1: both of those? Uh? But the way both of those 1062 01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:14,240 Speaker 1: races shook out, well, I mean the New York uh 1063 01:04:14,920 --> 01:04:20,400 Speaker 1: like mayor the primary is like sad and stupid, UM 1064 01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:24,480 Speaker 1: And I mean, okay, so part of it, though, I 1065 01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:29,360 Speaker 1: think it's really important to like acknowledge the role that 1066 01:04:30,040 --> 01:04:35,960 Speaker 1: UM uh that like the nonprofit industrial complex and like 1067 01:04:36,160 --> 01:04:41,640 Speaker 1: with it the specific characteristics of our like professional managerial 1068 01:04:41,840 --> 01:04:48,880 Speaker 1: class UM here in New York exercises over um over 1069 01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:54,000 Speaker 1: electoral politics. UM. It's like that as a thing here 1070 01:04:54,040 --> 01:04:58,320 Speaker 1: in New York is very different than most places. UM. 1071 01:04:59,600 --> 01:05:01,960 Speaker 1: The reason and why, like we have like so many 1072 01:05:02,080 --> 01:05:06,360 Speaker 1: progressive wins um just like right out of the bat, 1073 01:05:06,840 --> 01:05:10,440 Speaker 1: uh has a lot to do with um these like 1074 01:05:10,720 --> 01:05:17,400 Speaker 1: existing uh like power structures being able to um exert 1075 01:05:17,520 --> 01:05:24,080 Speaker 1: themselves electorally for like our our wins um and UM. 1076 01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:27,720 Speaker 1: You know, in in the case of like the mayoral 1077 01:05:28,040 --> 01:05:32,360 Speaker 1: election here, it's just like everybody's like asleep at the wheel, 1078 01:05:32,800 --> 01:05:37,240 Speaker 1: like like we could have done something about it, you know, um, 1079 01:05:37,560 --> 01:05:41,200 Speaker 1: like socialists, especially folks who like kind of draw their 1080 01:05:41,440 --> 01:05:47,000 Speaker 1: their power um outside of like the nonprofit industrial complex. 1081 01:05:47,320 --> 01:05:50,440 Speaker 1: I mean, we certainly didn't have enough power to really 1082 01:05:50,640 --> 01:05:55,840 Speaker 1: exercise uh any any like, you know, we couldn't really 1083 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:00,080 Speaker 1: like do much um in terms of trying to to 1084 01:06:00,160 --> 01:06:03,680 Speaker 1: have any kind of outcome on the mayoral race. At 1085 01:06:03,760 --> 01:06:07,040 Speaker 1: least in my opinion, I don't think that we're really 1086 01:06:07,120 --> 01:06:10,160 Speaker 1: at the point where we could do anything but just 1087 01:06:10,280 --> 01:06:13,280 Speaker 1: kind of be like sidekicks, you know. UM. Later in 1088 01:06:13,360 --> 01:06:16,480 Speaker 1: the future, you know, hopefully we'll be able to exercise 1089 01:06:16,520 --> 01:06:21,440 Speaker 1: a lot more UM. A lot more, um, you know, influence. 1090 01:06:21,560 --> 01:06:25,600 Speaker 1: But but basically I look at like the nonprofits and 1091 01:06:25,720 --> 01:06:28,920 Speaker 1: I'm just like, yo, y'all just sleep at the wheel, um, 1092 01:06:29,680 --> 01:06:33,840 Speaker 1: because like we didn't need to have Eric Adams. It's 1093 01:06:33,880 --> 01:06:37,720 Speaker 1: just I mean, that's who we got now, because like 1094 01:06:38,240 --> 01:06:42,040 Speaker 1: you know, I mean we didn't have anything together for 1095 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:46,600 Speaker 1: like I mean what my widely ended up being the 1096 01:06:47,480 --> 01:06:51,120 Speaker 1: pick like what like a like a couple of weeks 1097 01:06:51,560 --> 01:06:55,680 Speaker 1: before you know, we're just so all over the place. Um, 1098 01:06:56,280 --> 01:07:00,920 Speaker 1: So I'm just kind of disappointed. It's just kind of sad. Um. Uh. 1099 01:07:01,960 --> 01:07:07,200 Speaker 1: I know it's it's it's hopefully our our city council 1100 01:07:07,280 --> 01:07:11,960 Speaker 1: will be uh you know, I have enough progressives and 1101 01:07:12,200 --> 01:07:15,320 Speaker 1: left us in that that you know we're able to 1102 01:07:15,440 --> 01:07:18,760 Speaker 1: at least fight whatever terrible should he's going to throw 1103 01:07:18,840 --> 01:07:21,160 Speaker 1: at us. What do you think about what happened up 1104 01:07:21,160 --> 01:07:25,200 Speaker 1: in Buffalo? Yo, it's awesome. Like I think we're all 1105 01:07:25,360 --> 01:07:28,680 Speaker 1: stoved about it, right, Like we're all like, oh ship, yeah. 1106 01:07:29,320 --> 01:07:34,200 Speaker 1: I mean like I don't know enough about like, uh, 1107 01:07:34,480 --> 01:07:39,680 Speaker 1: some of the internal dynamics of Buffalo to like be 1108 01:07:39,840 --> 01:07:43,600 Speaker 1: able to call how significant of of a win it is, 1109 01:07:44,040 --> 01:07:47,920 Speaker 1: Like I don't know, um, like to what extent, like 1110 01:07:48,480 --> 01:07:52,920 Speaker 1: uh good, like left labor stuff is like the basis 1111 01:07:53,200 --> 01:07:57,880 Speaker 1: of powered for like putting um putting her in UM. 1112 01:07:58,840 --> 01:08:00,760 Speaker 1: I mean that, Like that's the first thing that kind 1113 01:08:00,800 --> 01:08:02,920 Speaker 1: of comes to my mind, is like what is the 1114 01:08:03,040 --> 01:08:08,320 Speaker 1: relationship of like nonprofits and organized labor there and like 1115 01:08:08,520 --> 01:08:12,720 Speaker 1: as well as activists and like who exerted the most 1116 01:08:13,120 --> 01:08:17,040 Speaker 1: uh control and influence to to place her there? And 1117 01:08:17,240 --> 01:08:19,720 Speaker 1: like what is that power dynamic going to look like 1118 01:08:19,880 --> 01:08:24,600 Speaker 1: in the future. But like, I mean, come on, you know, 1119 01:08:25,280 --> 01:08:28,880 Speaker 1: like she you know, she's like hell of working class. 1120 01:08:29,120 --> 01:08:32,800 Speaker 1: Like everything about how she's like come up in uh 1121 01:08:33,200 --> 01:08:37,640 Speaker 1: within organizing and political struggle is so badass. It's just 1122 01:08:38,600 --> 01:08:42,599 Speaker 1: she's dope and it's so awesome that she's on. I think. 1123 01:08:43,000 --> 01:08:47,120 Speaker 1: I think, like I don't know anybody who's like like 1124 01:08:47,840 --> 01:08:51,280 Speaker 1: annoyed about it, because I know that they'll be like 1125 01:08:51,760 --> 01:08:54,920 Speaker 1: I know that there's gonna be like that sort of thing, 1126 01:08:55,080 --> 01:08:57,479 Speaker 1: but like I don't even care. Like it's dope, like 1127 01:08:58,120 --> 01:09:01,840 Speaker 1: like you know, hopefully hopeful, like the power of it 1128 01:09:02,120 --> 01:09:06,519 Speaker 1: is organized well enough in a way that like you know, 1129 01:09:06,920 --> 01:09:10,760 Speaker 1: results in in future winds. I feel like I feel 1130 01:09:10,800 --> 01:09:14,120 Speaker 1: like there's a lot of things that uh you know 1131 01:09:14,320 --> 01:09:16,560 Speaker 1: that here in New York that we didn't really like 1132 01:09:16,720 --> 01:09:21,080 Speaker 1: plan for for like our winds and kind of how 1133 01:09:21,400 --> 01:09:26,439 Speaker 1: power would restructure itself out after those wins. UM. And 1134 01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:29,759 Speaker 1: I really hope that they, like I know, we're looking 1135 01:09:29,960 --> 01:09:33,719 Speaker 1: and asking questions so that like they don't fall into 1136 01:09:33,840 --> 01:09:37,519 Speaker 1: some of the same pitfalls. Um. And actually, frankly, I 1137 01:09:37,600 --> 01:09:41,519 Speaker 1: don't think that anybody's really talking about that, um because, 1138 01:09:41,560 --> 01:09:44,080 Speaker 1: like I mean, most people won't talk about it because 1139 01:09:44,120 --> 01:09:48,880 Speaker 1: it talking about those things will affect your future career prospects, 1140 01:09:49,120 --> 01:09:53,479 Speaker 1: you know, I mean it's true, right like, um, But 1141 01:09:53,680 --> 01:09:56,240 Speaker 1: I really I hope that they're like thinking about that, 1142 01:09:56,560 --> 01:10:00,320 Speaker 1: because that will kind of determine, uh it's significant ends 1143 01:10:00,720 --> 01:10:04,960 Speaker 1: um for for the future. I mean like having i know, 1144 01:10:05,680 --> 01:10:10,320 Speaker 1: like having a mayor, but not necessarily like uh like 1145 01:10:10,520 --> 01:10:16,200 Speaker 1: control over the city is like like legislative um, like 1146 01:10:16,360 --> 01:10:19,120 Speaker 1: branch like you gotta have that too. Yeah. Yeah, you 1147 01:10:19,200 --> 01:10:22,680 Speaker 1: gotta you gotta, you gotta you gotta capture at all, um, 1148 01:10:23,720 --> 01:10:26,760 Speaker 1: Like I get the whole thing. Yeah yeah, Pokemon go 1149 01:10:26,920 --> 01:10:32,760 Speaker 1: to the falls. Um. Yeah. And I feel like a 1150 01:10:32,880 --> 01:10:36,439 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of like leftists outside of big cities, 1151 01:10:36,560 --> 01:10:38,640 Speaker 1: you know, we live down here in the South. So 1152 01:10:38,760 --> 01:10:40,800 Speaker 1: we look to places like New York for like where 1153 01:10:40,800 --> 01:10:43,080 Speaker 1: all the cool stuff happens with regards to like who 1154 01:10:43,160 --> 01:10:46,759 Speaker 1: can get power. But like, but in my actual experience 1155 01:10:46,840 --> 01:10:49,360 Speaker 1: is like, yeah, like in big cities, there's these huge 1156 01:10:49,360 --> 01:10:51,920 Speaker 1: political machines. You have these nonprofits that are the sleep 1157 01:10:51,960 --> 01:10:55,760 Speaker 1: of at the wheel of a very very large bus um. 1158 01:10:56,200 --> 01:10:58,120 Speaker 1: And then when you move out to places where the 1159 01:10:58,320 --> 01:11:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, the power structure is less like deeply entrenched. Uh, 1160 01:11:02,640 --> 01:11:06,479 Speaker 1: it's smaller populations um. Places like Athens, Georgia, Like we 1161 01:11:06,640 --> 01:11:08,880 Speaker 1: have like a third of our city council of socialists 1162 01:11:09,479 --> 01:11:11,720 Speaker 1: straight up because like no one was making attention to 1163 01:11:11,800 --> 01:11:14,160 Speaker 1: local politics, and so we like crept in there because 1164 01:11:14,160 --> 01:11:16,360 Speaker 1: it wasn't like New York City where it's like, oh 1165 01:11:16,479 --> 01:11:19,960 Speaker 1: my god, everyone's it's like a big, big money and 1166 01:11:20,000 --> 01:11:21,800 Speaker 1: all the ship that you have to fight against you 1167 01:11:21,800 --> 01:11:23,280 Speaker 1: don't have that. You can actually sneak in there a 1168 01:11:23,360 --> 01:11:26,880 Speaker 1: lot easier and like get it done. It's dope. No, 1169 01:11:27,160 --> 01:11:30,840 Speaker 1: it's seriously is so cool. And like I mean, I 1170 01:11:30,960 --> 01:11:33,320 Speaker 1: think in a lot of places people don't realize no, 1171 01:11:33,520 --> 01:11:36,880 Speaker 1: like you can do this, you can do this. Uh. 1172 01:11:37,000 --> 01:11:39,920 Speaker 1: In New York it's like I mean like city council 1173 01:11:40,040 --> 01:11:44,479 Speaker 1: races here. You know, if you're not dropping like two 1174 01:11:44,720 --> 01:11:49,280 Speaker 1: d thousand dollars on it, like you know really yeah yeah, 1175 01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:52,160 Speaker 1: if you're not dropping two thousand dollars on it, you 1176 01:11:52,240 --> 01:11:55,760 Speaker 1: know here, it's like you're not going to be competitive, 1177 01:11:56,040 --> 01:12:01,120 Speaker 1: you know. Um you know, Like I'm mean I heard 1178 01:12:01,240 --> 01:12:06,840 Speaker 1: somewhere that the congressional race, uh like for like Alexandria 1179 01:12:06,920 --> 01:12:11,120 Speaker 1: Kasio Cortez, you know, no kacioeen that that there are 1180 01:12:11,200 --> 01:12:16,240 Speaker 1: more voters in that race than there was in uh 1181 01:12:17,080 --> 01:12:22,439 Speaker 1: uh the Buffalo mayoral race. Like so it's like, yeah, yeah, 1182 01:12:22,520 --> 01:12:25,120 Speaker 1: it's like exactly, and that's not and that's actually worse 1183 01:12:25,240 --> 01:12:28,240 Speaker 1: kind of when you have smaller populations, you have fewer 1184 01:12:28,280 --> 01:12:29,800 Speaker 1: people you need to win in order to get in 1185 01:12:29,880 --> 01:12:32,320 Speaker 1: there and make big change. But also I think that 1186 01:12:32,560 --> 01:12:36,240 Speaker 1: that the important and interesting part is that like like 1187 01:12:36,600 --> 01:12:42,000 Speaker 1: there's uh, there's more relationships that aren't already like uh 1188 01:12:42,600 --> 01:12:46,000 Speaker 1: like structured in you know, in a way in which 1189 01:12:46,120 --> 01:12:49,559 Speaker 1: people are making decisions out of their out of their 1190 01:12:49,720 --> 01:12:54,600 Speaker 1: own personal material interests, right like um, you know, like 1191 01:12:55,040 --> 01:12:58,479 Speaker 1: for instance, here in New York, we saw this um, 1192 01:12:59,280 --> 01:13:02,040 Speaker 1: this this group that I actually like you know that 1193 01:13:02,479 --> 01:13:04,760 Speaker 1: as far as nonprofits go, I like a lot more 1194 01:13:05,200 --> 01:13:11,160 Speaker 1: um uh um the like that that just did stuff 1195 01:13:11,200 --> 01:13:14,960 Speaker 1: around like you know, fighting our carceol system, right. Um. 1196 01:13:15,400 --> 01:13:19,120 Speaker 1: But you know there was this uh state assembly race 1197 01:13:19,320 --> 01:13:23,160 Speaker 1: that they just didn't get involved in when um, you 1198 01:13:23,240 --> 01:13:26,720 Speaker 1: know when our our branch are like Queen's d s 1199 01:13:26,800 --> 01:13:31,120 Speaker 1: A was like challenging a state assembly member that you 1200 01:13:31,200 --> 01:13:34,800 Speaker 1: know took police money that you know, like was just 1201 01:13:35,280 --> 01:13:38,320 Speaker 1: not fighting on like these super important issues. And it's 1202 01:13:38,400 --> 01:13:41,160 Speaker 1: like it's their bread and butter stuff as a nonprofit, 1203 01:13:41,240 --> 01:13:44,960 Speaker 1: and we're like, hey, y'all gonna like y'all gonna pull up, 1204 01:13:45,120 --> 01:13:47,240 Speaker 1: are we gonna do this or not? You know, and 1205 01:13:47,439 --> 01:13:50,600 Speaker 1: like they just were like nah. And and it's like 1206 01:13:50,760 --> 01:13:56,320 Speaker 1: people don't don't realize the significance of uh of like 1207 01:13:56,560 --> 01:13:59,800 Speaker 1: these types of institutions like just kind of bailing on 1208 01:14:00,040 --> 01:14:04,040 Speaker 1: the fight. Like first of all, people don't understand, you know, 1209 01:14:04,120 --> 01:14:08,120 Speaker 1: they don't understand why that happens. They don't people don't 1210 01:14:08,200 --> 01:14:11,680 Speaker 1: understand the way that the nonprofit industrial complex exists as 1211 01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:16,360 Speaker 1: like a periphery of of like the Democratic Party establishment, 1212 01:14:16,800 --> 01:14:19,839 Speaker 1: you know, And so folks will go from like talking 1213 01:14:20,240 --> 01:14:23,280 Speaker 1: you know, people can literally say abolish the police and 1214 01:14:23,360 --> 01:14:27,280 Speaker 1: then like uh then in a fight where like you know, 1215 01:14:28,040 --> 01:14:31,559 Speaker 1: they're like it's not even like hardcore, it's just about like, hey, 1216 01:14:31,760 --> 01:14:33,960 Speaker 1: let's like win a little bit of change. You know, 1217 01:14:34,120 --> 01:14:36,800 Speaker 1: they'll be like, uh no, you know, we say that, 1218 01:14:37,120 --> 01:14:39,679 Speaker 1: but like I'm not sure of like we're gonna fight 1219 01:14:39,840 --> 01:14:42,920 Speaker 1: for it. You know, like that might not be a 1220 01:14:43,240 --> 01:14:45,840 Speaker 1: situation that we really want to get involved, you know. 1221 01:14:45,920 --> 01:14:49,160 Speaker 1: And it's like people don't get how that warps, uh, 1222 01:14:49,600 --> 01:14:53,559 Speaker 1: the political reality of that like struggle. You know, it's 1223 01:14:53,640 --> 01:14:58,599 Speaker 1: just it's bizarre. It's super bizarre. And in New York City, gosh, 1224 01:14:58,720 --> 01:15:03,000 Speaker 1: New York City get takes care of so much of 1225 01:15:03,120 --> 01:15:07,639 Speaker 1: the work of like like providing for the people through 1226 01:15:07,760 --> 01:15:14,280 Speaker 1: nonprofit organizations and so like there's a massive web of 1227 01:15:14,479 --> 01:15:19,919 Speaker 1: like these institutions that are reliant on like state support 1228 01:15:20,520 --> 01:15:24,240 Speaker 1: and so like because of it, you have like politicians 1229 01:15:24,360 --> 01:15:29,559 Speaker 1: can like pocket fire. Um uh you know, like people 1230 01:15:29,640 --> 01:15:32,519 Speaker 1: who work for these nonprofits, right, Like I've seen it, right, 1231 01:15:32,960 --> 01:15:36,200 Speaker 1: you know. Uh, an activist that works for a nonprofit 1232 01:15:36,400 --> 01:15:40,719 Speaker 1: is like super involved with uh you know, protest against 1233 01:15:40,760 --> 01:15:44,840 Speaker 1: a certain politician and like you know suddenly next day 1234 01:15:44,920 --> 01:15:47,719 Speaker 1: they walk into work and they don't got a job anymore. 1235 01:15:48,080 --> 01:15:50,280 Speaker 1: And it's like, yeah, well because like you know, when 1236 01:15:50,320 --> 01:15:52,320 Speaker 1: you have a city like New York with you know, 1237 01:15:52,439 --> 01:15:56,080 Speaker 1: it's hundred billion dollar budget, you know like get so 1238 01:15:56,200 --> 01:15:58,960 Speaker 1: much of its work done through the nonprofits. You know, 1239 01:15:59,240 --> 01:16:03,080 Speaker 1: they act like money from from from government in order 1240 01:16:03,200 --> 01:16:06,120 Speaker 1: to like do that work. Like it becomes really easy 1241 01:16:06,240 --> 01:16:08,640 Speaker 1: for that kind of stuff to happen, whereas like in 1242 01:16:08,720 --> 01:16:14,600 Speaker 1: the city that doesn't have this like massive nonprofit industrial complex, 1243 01:16:15,120 --> 01:16:19,880 Speaker 1: where like the relationships are based just more upon the 1244 01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:23,920 Speaker 1: way that uh that like capital and like you know, 1245 01:16:24,360 --> 01:16:29,320 Speaker 1: like you know, private capitalists exert dominion over our lives um, 1246 01:16:30,000 --> 01:16:34,519 Speaker 1: and less about how like the state exerts power over 1247 01:16:34,640 --> 01:16:39,120 Speaker 1: our lives for uh you know, for capitalists. You know, 1248 01:16:39,320 --> 01:16:42,800 Speaker 1: it creates a very different political reality. As soon as 1249 01:16:42,840 --> 01:16:46,080 Speaker 1: people are like ready to rebel, like there's not this 1250 01:16:46,760 --> 01:16:51,800 Speaker 1: like vast state apparatus to like hold them in place, right, 1251 01:16:52,200 --> 01:16:55,320 Speaker 1: like their sentiments just like go all over the place, 1252 01:16:55,600 --> 01:16:59,280 Speaker 1: and like then they have like wild consequences within elections, 1253 01:16:59,800 --> 01:17:02,920 Speaker 1: uh um, which is super cool and super badass. And 1254 01:17:03,560 --> 01:17:06,160 Speaker 1: I mean all y'all who are like throwing it down 1255 01:17:06,360 --> 01:17:10,880 Speaker 1: in creating these awesome winds in other cities, even if 1256 01:17:10,920 --> 01:17:14,080 Speaker 1: they're like small cities. It's it's so cool. It's so 1257 01:17:14,320 --> 01:17:18,320 Speaker 1: cool to watch, Like I love seeing it. Like I'm like, 1258 01:17:19,000 --> 01:17:22,120 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, I don't. I don't want nobody to 1259 01:17:22,200 --> 01:17:24,360 Speaker 1: be like jealous of New York. We got our own 1260 01:17:24,479 --> 01:17:29,680 Speaker 1: like problems that create our own like political realities. You know. 1261 01:17:30,760 --> 01:17:34,000 Speaker 1: When we win here, it's it's important to like understand, 1262 01:17:34,640 --> 01:17:38,320 Speaker 1: Uh is it based upon like working class power that 1263 01:17:38,439 --> 01:17:41,960 Speaker 1: we've built or is it just based upon these already 1264 01:17:42,040 --> 01:17:46,840 Speaker 1: existing uh like professional relationships. And to what extent does 1265 01:17:46,920 --> 01:17:53,040 Speaker 1: that mean a lack of like political commitment to radical change? Right? 1266 01:17:53,479 --> 01:17:56,600 Speaker 1: Because Like I mean, I think that like in a 1267 01:17:56,680 --> 01:17:59,920 Speaker 1: lot of these other like towns, when somebody wins, it's 1268 01:18:00,160 --> 01:18:03,200 Speaker 1: for real, Like it's for real, for real. There's not 1269 01:18:03,360 --> 01:18:09,200 Speaker 1: these like weird competing internal uh like political struggles. It's 1270 01:18:09,240 --> 01:18:11,840 Speaker 1: like the people who fought for it, that's all they 1271 01:18:11,880 --> 01:18:15,519 Speaker 1: were there for. Um, they don't have like some also 1272 01:18:15,640 --> 01:18:20,120 Speaker 1: like side interest for their like for for like in 1273 01:18:20,400 --> 01:18:25,000 Speaker 1: an organization that they run. So it's like it's just 1274 01:18:25,120 --> 01:18:29,080 Speaker 1: a different type of political struggles. So yeah, y'all are badass, 1275 01:18:29,320 --> 01:18:31,439 Speaker 1: you know, keep on doing what y'all do. You know, 1276 01:18:32,439 --> 01:18:34,800 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. Yeah, and thank you so much for 1277 01:18:34,920 --> 01:18:36,920 Speaker 1: taking the time to chat with us. Definitely love to 1278 01:18:36,960 --> 01:18:40,360 Speaker 1: have you back sometime and learn more about uh ballroom 1279 01:18:40,760 --> 01:18:45,400 Speaker 1: dancing and also working in Amazon and also uh finding 1280 01:18:45,439 --> 01:18:47,479 Speaker 1: the place all these things. But yeah, thank you so 1281 01:18:47,560 --> 01:18:48,920 Speaker 1: much for your time. Can you tell the people where 1282 01:18:48,960 --> 01:18:51,880 Speaker 1: they can find you? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm 1283 01:18:51,880 --> 01:18:56,240 Speaker 1: supposed to be uh doing that. Um uh you can 1284 01:18:56,840 --> 01:19:02,160 Speaker 1: find uh me on Twitter right now. It's Jonathan for queens, 1285 01:19:02,360 --> 01:19:06,320 Speaker 1: but I will probably switch it back to John Foster 1286 01:19:06,400 --> 01:19:10,000 Speaker 1: bay um j O n f O S T B 1287 01:19:10,439 --> 01:19:14,479 Speaker 1: A I UM, And I think that I don't know, 1288 01:19:14,640 --> 01:19:17,040 Speaker 1: that's probably like the best spot to like find me 1289 01:19:17,240 --> 01:19:21,559 Speaker 1: right now. And I know yeah yeah, best of luck 1290 01:19:21,600 --> 01:19:23,320 Speaker 1: in your future endeavor and we we'll talk to you 1291 01:19:23,360 --> 01:19:26,200 Speaker 1: again one day down the road, catch up with how 1292 01:19:26,240 --> 01:19:32,360 Speaker 1: the fight's going. Thanks so much. That was Jonathan Bailey. 1293 01:19:32,479 --> 01:19:34,599 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, You guys need to go holler at 1294 01:19:34,720 --> 01:19:40,639 Speaker 1: him on Twitter. He is an infinitely interesting cat, infinitely interesting. 1295 01:19:40,720 --> 01:19:43,200 Speaker 1: Definitely gonna happen back sometimes talk more about fucking ball 1296 01:19:43,280 --> 01:19:48,160 Speaker 1: room culture. Yeah, yeah, I was not joking about that, 1297 01:19:48,280 --> 01:19:50,560 Speaker 1: Like we really like I think that that deserves a 1298 01:19:50,600 --> 01:19:52,720 Speaker 1: deep dive. I think I think we need to we 1299 01:19:52,840 --> 01:19:55,400 Speaker 1: need to look in on make it a joint about that. 1300 01:19:55,439 --> 01:19:57,559 Speaker 1: What do you say? Oh yeah for sure, But yeah, 1301 01:19:57,600 --> 01:19:59,839 Speaker 1: that's all we got for you this week. Joel smoked 1302 01:20:00,080 --> 01:20:12,120 Speaker 1: motherfucker like it ain't no thing. Ye yeah, yeah, yeah yo. 1303 01:20:12,320 --> 01:20:14,840 Speaker 1: Thank y'all for tuning in while we read the headlines. 1304 01:20:14,920 --> 01:20:16,720 Speaker 1: They don't want us moving up, so we got the 1305 01:20:16,800 --> 01:20:19,719 Speaker 1: red lines. But we'll see you next time when we casting. 1306 01:20:20,240 --> 01:20:23,240 Speaker 1: Can't wait this weeks like I'm fasting and I hate 1307 01:20:23,320 --> 01:20:25,600 Speaker 1: this sort of goodbye, but I hope you all have 1308 01:20:25,720 --> 01:20:28,519 Speaker 1: a good Fourth of July. Bake you a can't go 1309 01:20:28,720 --> 01:20:41,120 Speaker 1: order a pie and order of fries. I've done. I'm 1310 01:20:41,240 --> 01:20:49,400 Speaker 1: dope night. We are waiting on reparations. Listen to Wadding 1311 01:20:49,439 --> 01:20:52,840 Speaker 1: on Reparations on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 1312 01:20:52,960 --> 01:20:54,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.