Sojourner Truth Radio: January 15, 2021 – Roundtable Discussion On Insurrection Aftermath & MLK
Today on Sojourner Truth, our weekly roundtable. Our panelists are Laura Carlsen, Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Gerald Horne.
A lot has come out since the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol, including the threat of more violence. Prior to the insurrection, an anti-tax group funded primarily by billionaires was one of the biggest backers of the Republican lawmakers who sought to overturn the US election results, according to an analysis by the Guardian. On the day of the insurrection, dozens of people on an FBI terrorist watch list were in Washington, according to The Washington Post. The majority of the watch-listed individuals in Washington that day are suspected white supremacists who had been previously entered into the national Terrorist Screening Database. Also, an Associated Press investigation has revealed that at least 21 current or former members of the U.S. military or law enforcement have been identified as being at or near the Capitol riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation but not yet named.
Joe Biden has released his economic stimulus plan. On Thursday, January 14, during an evening address from Delaware, Biden announced his COVID-19 vaccination and economic rescue legislative package. The massive $1.9 trillion proposal focuses on stimulus amid the ongoing pandemic. It would allocate more than $1 trillion of the total $1.9 trillion for direct stimulus, while $400 billion would go toward COVID-related projects, including the nationwide vaccination program, and $440 billion toward relief for communities and businesses. Biden’s plan includes direct payments of up to $1,400 to families in need, that when combined with the recent $600 stimulus payment would deliver on Biden’s pledge to pass $2,000 of direct payments.
Also, we discuss damages that Donald Trump is inflicting on his way out. On Tuesday, January 12, the Trump administration designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an Obama-era decision to remove the label. Many say this will also hinder Bidens efforts to normalize relations with the Caribbean nation, which has played a major role on the world stage in combating COVID-19. In the Middle East, Trump has given a green light for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build 800 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank. Also, in Yemen, the Trump administration has labeled the Houthi resistance movement against Saudi bombings a foreign terrorist organization. Top officials at the United Nations have warned that Yemen could be consumed by a large-scale famine because the move could effectively sever food deliveries to a country where millions are already starving.
And, we remember the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
LISTEN | January 15, 2021 – Roundtable Discussion On Insurrection Aftermath & MLK