Ep. 59: Eric Draitser on Wealth Inequality, NY Progressives Beat Amazon, & the 2nd Bernie Moment

On this edition of Parallax Views, Counterpunch Radio host and political analyst Eric Draitser (guest on episode 27) returns to the show to discuss skyrocketing wealthy inequality, New York progressives victory over Amazon HQ2, and Bernie Sanders announcement that he'll be running for President on the Democratic ticket in the 2020 election.

The conversation begins with an observation from your host that our current cultural moment feels like a nightmare that could've been written by Hunter S. Thompson. From there we delve into reports that wealth inequality is approaching levels not seen since The Great Depression. Eric and I discuss how this issue has come to the fore of mainstream discourse as well as examining former Starbucks Chairman and potential 2020 Independent Presidential candidate Howard Schultz's wanting to be referred to as a "person of means/wealth" rather than a billionaire and Kylie Jenner's claims that she her wealth is wholly self-made. Are the billionaires nervous that the 99% has had enough?

From there we dive into how the façade of neoliberalism's promises are falling away as millennials find themselves being crushed under the weight of massive student debt and the progressive awakening that it may be creating. This leads us to a discussion of the New York progressives activists who recently scored a huge victory over Amazon HQ2. Eric explains what this victory means for New York as well as what it could mean for progressive activists across the nation. Then he informs listeners of his recent interview with two activists who directly participated in the New York fight against Amazon HQ2.

From there we delve into the recent dark money funded billboard attacking Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and anti-HQ2 activists for allegedly damaging NY's economy and costing many possible jobs due to the protests forcing Amazon out. Eric points out that the billboard was bought and paid for by the insidious Trump-loving Mercer Family before going on to critique and dissect the billboard's propagandistic claims. We wrap up on this portion of the conversation by discussing how people, specifically millennials and Generation Z, aren't buying the mythologies of trickle-down economics and other American Dream-style fictions.

Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

From there we talk the announcement of Bernie Sanders running on the Democratic ticket in the 2020 Presidential election and the rise of young, energetic progressives in congress like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar. Eric points out that, contrary to the pearl-clutching of both liberal and right-wing pundits, Bernie and these young congresswoman are not radicals but reformists. He then goes on to argue that, despite this, these progressive politicians represent a threat to the status quo of corporate Democrats and the GOP alike. Additionally, Eric takes on the tenuous claim that Bernie in 2020 because the Democratic Party has moved leftward since 2016 and comment on the "Bernie Bros." slur. Moreover, he says that there is a seldom spoken of support for Bernie Sanders among People of Color, specifically women, that has been deliberately ignored by anti-Bernie Democrats.

Eric then goes on to speculate how Bernie may differentiate himself from the other potential candidates in the 2020 Presidential election. He then goes on to wonder if Bernie may take a greater focus on foreign policy and a possible antiwar stance this go-around. Eric offers that Bernie's comments on the Venezuela situation, which has drawn the ire of Florida Democrats, and his stance on Syria may be a sign that this is a direction that Bernie may be going with his campaign.

We then take a brief detour to discuss the situation in Venezuela and the effects that sanctions will have on Venezuela's civilian population. Eric argues that both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have to be extremely careful in how they deal with this matter. Afterwards, we start wrapping up the conversation by discussing how the Sanders campaign isn't about Bernie himself, but rather the energetic movement arising around him. And finally, Eric comments on the importance of truly independent alternative media and his recent blockbuster interview with Billie Winner-Davis, mother of the courageous imprisoned-whistleblower Reality Winner.

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