Episode

4/30 How Mexican Elites Weaponized Covid-19 Against AMLO w/ Kurt Hackbarth

April 30, 2020

Michael Brooks hosts Kurt Hackbarth (@KurtHackbarth) of Jacobin to discuss his latest piece, “Never Let a Pandemic Go to Waste,” on how Mexican elites have used the pandemic to thwart President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s (AMLO’s) efforts to govern as an economic populist.

On today’s show: Brian Williams segment on Trump’s nervous breakdown gives Trump a nervous breakdown. Trump’s “Lyin’ Brian Williams” tweet.

Kurt Hackbarth (@KurtHackbarth) of Jacobin joins Michael to discuss his latest piece, “Never Let a Pandemic Go to Waste.” After running and winning on an anti-corruption, anti-drug war, economically populist platform, AMLO has faced substantial challenges from right-wing forces both foreign and domestic. Now, in the wake of Covid-19, elites are doing everything they can to use the crisis to discredit and undermine him. Hackbarth provides context for the critiques being made of AMLO’s Covid-19 response, as well as what he’s done right, and the dirty tricks the corporate media is using to attack him.

On the fun half: Amazon, Instacart and other essential workers planning huge labor action on May 1 (don’t cross the picket line!). A national rent strike is also coming; learn more at housingjusticeforall.org. Trump says virus will go away, wants to see the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium with fans. Trump says virus will go away: “It’s gonna go.” Fox & Friends debate restriction rollbacks and those vulnerable, callous Kilmeade suggests Ainsley is overreacting. Karen Pence explains why Mike Pence didn’t wear a mask, says he gets tested often and Mayo Clinic didn’t tell him. Secret Marxist Jim Cramer asks Nancy Pelosi what she will do to help people who’ve lost their jobs, Pelosi emits Biden-esque string of pablum. Andrew Cuomo uses masks sent to Albany to construct art mural instead of distributing them. Ben Shapiro says we’re making “actuarial deductions” about Covid, a senior’s life is worth less than a child’s.

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