History They Don’t Want You To Know

Memorial Day was born in struggle against the Klan By Art Shields Peoples World (5/24/19) We must not forget that Memorial Day, which we celebrate on Monday, belongs to the foes of racism. The day people place flowers on the graves of fallen veterans was founded by the enemies of the Ku Klux Klan. Memorial Day belongs to the democratic traditions of the American people. It sprang out of the war against the hooded terrorists of the South who sought to re-establish slavery on American soil. American right-wingers and false patriots try to hide the real story of the birth…

BBC (4/24/19) From a US president who is turning the world upside down – with a relish for dismantling global agreements – the message is clear: it’s America first. But where does that leave old European allies? Few expect the transatlantic relationship to go back to where it was before Trump. Europe, says Angela Merkel, now has to shape its own destiny. James Naughtie explores the uncertain future for America’s friends. Link to 28-Minute Audio  

  Narcissistic political power violence & charisma. Frontline Dispatch / PBS (3/21/19) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte makes his own rules. His war on drugs has led to the deaths of thousands of alleged drug users and dealers. His violent rhetoric and rape jokes have shocked people around the world. Yet he’s hugely popular. Reporter Aurora Almendral delves into what made him the leader he is today. Her investigation starts in his hometown in the Philippines. Link to 33-Minute Audio  

  [Editor’s Note: Learn the interesting back story on how nincompoop Dan Quayle became vice president and William Barr’s role in the insurance policy for H.W. Bush. Lots of troubling history here. — Mark L. Taylor] The Thom Hartman Show (4/5/19) William Barr, Donald Trump’s attorney general has recently hidden the Mueller Report resulting in widespread criticism. But it turns out Republican Attorney Generals, like Bill Barr, have a long history of covering up republican crimes, from Nixon to Trump. Historian Lamar Waldron joins the program to expose the history of corrupt Republican politicians, conspiracies and cover-ups. Link to 21-Minute…

The public record is undeniable: Trump campaign people communicated with Russians during the campaign numerous times.  By David Corn Mother Jones (3/29/19) There has been much crowing from Trumpsters on the right and Russiagate skeptics on the left about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report. That is, the three-and-a-half-page letter Attorney General Bill Barr sent to Congress summarizing Mueller’s work. (The report itself remains secret and is reportedly over 300 pages.) Pointing to Barr’s citation of a single, partial sentence from the report (“[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government…

“Increasingly, we see that countries that have typically spoken out on behalf of Tibet are now shying away from doing so.” — Sarah Sewell, special coordinator on Tibetan issues during the Obama administration. PRI The World (3/11/19) A Tibetan flag flutters alongside a Massachusetts one and the US flag outside Boston City Hall, marking the 60 years since the Tibetan uprising in Lhasa prompted the Dalai Lama to flee his palace. A group of Tibetans and activists gathered on a frigid Friday to hoist the flag, which will fly through March 14. Lhadon Tethong held her 2-year-old son in her…

  Outlook / BBC Growing up in the United States, Silvia Foti couldn’t have been more proud of her Lithuanian heritage, in particular her grandfather. She’d been told that he was seen as a war hero and that he’d been executed at the age of 37 for standing up to the Soviet regime and trying to lead a rebellion against their occupation of Lithuania. Silvia tells Emily Webb how a chance conversation on a trip to Lithuania made her question everything she’d learnt about her past. Link to Story and 23-Minute Audio