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Feb 4, 20

This Is America #105: Between Spectacle, History, and Revolt

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Welcome, to This Is America, February 3rd, 2020.

In this episode, first we speak with folks involved in a Food Not Bombs free community grocery program in Atlanta, Georgia. We discuss how they have been targeted for harassment by both property management and the police for their organizing and how people are pushing back. Check out an article on the subject here.

We then turn towards the unfolding election spectacle and impeachment crisis, laying out just what has been happening over the past two weeks, as well as projections on what will happen during the election and what this means for the possibilities for autonomous anti-capitalist street politics.

All this and more, but first let’s get to the news.

Living and Fighting

Through an executive order, Trump has now imposed travel restrictions on a total of six more countries that have large Muslim populations which now brings the total of nations which are affected by the Muslim ban to 13, 7 of which are now countries in Africa. According to one report:

Immigrant visas are being suspended for [six countries, including] Nigeria, [as well as for people] from Sudan and Tanzania [who] will be prevented from entering the US diversity visa program, which provides green cards to immigrants. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the ban will not apply to non-immigrant travelers such as students, tourists or people visiting the US on business.

Trump has also recently pushed for a continued attack on social benefit and healthcare programs. As one report wrote:

[The] Trump administration unveiled a change in the Medicaid program that will potentially slash benefits for millions of recipients, while opening the door for a broader assault on other entitlement programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The Trump proposal would allow states to cap Medicaid spending for poor adults without children, many of whom gained coverage through the expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Moreover, Trump is calling for a series of work requirements which would remove millions from receiving health benefits, that:

if…imposed nationwide, between 1.4 million and 4 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage. The Trump administration is currently fighting numerous court battles over the work requirements.

To make matters worse, the Supreme court also just upheld a rule by the Trump administration that would make it more difficult for immigrants to receive things like Food Stamps if they were applying for a green card.

Lastly, according to the USDA, new broader restrictions on food stamps will lead to upwards of 700,000 US adults being kicked off of food stamps. According to one report:

Beginning in April, only states with an unemployment rate 20 percent above the national average will be allowed to waive work requirements. The new law also blocks states from defining boundaries of economically distressed areas, instead relying on labor market areas that are defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This will make it more difficult for people living in cities that are surrounded by wealthier counties to receive waivers.

Upcoming Events

  • February 8th: #AllOut Against the KKK in Portland, OR. More info.

  • February 9th: Austin Anarchist Bookfair. More info.
  • February 14th: Migrant Solidarity Benefit. Chicago, IL. More info.
  • February 14th: Benefit for IWW and SBC. Atlanta, GA. More info.
  • March 6th – March 15th: Appalachian Climate Action Camp. More info.
  • March 22nd: Anarchist Assembly. Caguas. More info.

  • April 9th – 12th: Conference on Jewish Anarchism. Chicago, IL. More info.
  • April 25th: Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair. Oakland, CA. More info.
  • July 3rd – 5th: Dan and Spit Antifascist Music Festival. Asheville, NC. More info.

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In search of new forms of life. It's Going Down is a digital community center and media platform featuring news, opinion, podcasts, and reporting on autonomous social movements and revolt across so-called North America from an anarchist perspective.

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