Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, protests have been raging across the United States since the police killing of George Floyd. Dallas, Texas-based activist Tiffney Billions, who previously appeared on the program to discuss the police killings of Botham Jean and Atatiana Jefferson, joins us to discuss the protest both in Dallas and across the world. We also discuss the recent news story of a machete-wielding white man who attack protesters in Dallas only a few days ago. Moreover, Tiffney gives her thoughts on what can be done to bring about change, the misuse of MLK by anti-protest sentiments in the country, her thoughts on Antifa, and much, much more.

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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JOSEPH FLATLEY

On this edition of Parallax Views, Austin Hayden of the co-host of Owls at Dawn and Show Me the Meaning podcasts joins us to discuss Isiah Medina's Inventing the Future: A Cinematic Adaptation, an experimental, avante-garde documentary that Austin helped produce. Based on the book of the same name by scholar Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, Inventing the Future explores the possibilities of a post-capitalist. future.

Srnicek and Williams' critique the limits of leftist movements confining themselves to what they call the "folk politics" of the 1960s, and argue for going through capitalism as a means to reach news modes of being and an eventual post-capitalist society. Isiah's documentary details this premise as well as dealing with Nick and Alex's demands for full automation, universal basic income, and a rejection of the traditional Protestant work ethic. Austin and I discuss all of this as well as the cinematic aspects of the documentary, German filmmaker Werner Herzog's idea of capturing an "ecstatic truth" in the cinematic form, Jean Luc Goddard, the meaning of freedom and liberty, Japan and neoliberalism, and much, much more. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, in light of the recent death of George Floyd and the intense protests against police brutality and racism that followed it we take a look back at the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. with author and historian Stuart Wexler. Stuart, is the co-author, alongside Stuart Wexler, of Killing King: Racial Terrorists, James Earl Ray, and the Plot to Assassinate Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee the civil right leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot on the second floor of the Lorraine Motel by James Earl Ray. Ray fled the scene before eventually being caught two months later on June 8, 1968 at London Heathrow Airport. On his 41st birthday, March 10, 1969 he confessed to the assassination of MLK, Jr. Ray, who had a history of felonious conduct, was promptly convicted and sentenced to 99 years in prison for his crime. On April 23rd 1998, a 70 year old Ray finally perished at Columbia National Hospital from complications of hepatitis C.

But is that the end of the story? In the 1970s The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) argued that, while Ray was the assassin, that there was "a likelihood" that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy, although not one involving the federal government. Additionally, James Earl Ray spent the years after making his confession claiming that he was not, in fact, behind the assassination of the beloved civil rights leader and referenced a conspiracy involving a character he only referred to as "Raul". Meanwhile, William Pepper, an attorney, activist, and friend of MLK, went on to famously argue for Ray's innocence and that King's execution was an "Act of State" implicating federal government alphabet soup agencies like the CIA and FBI. Pepper even went on to represent the King family in a wrongful death suit case after the death of Ray that centered on the accusation of government culpability in the assassination.

Wexler and Hancock take a very different view of the assassination of Pepper and other who, perhaps not without reason in light of the FBI's verified COINTELPRO operations against the Civil Rights, harbor suspicions against the federal government in regards to the King assassination. Moreover, they do not argue for the innocence of James Earl Ray. They do, however, agree with the assessment of the HSCA that the King assassination was the likely result of a conspiracy.

In Killing King: Racial Terrorists, James Earl Ray, and the Plot to Assassinate Martin Luther King Jr., Wexler and Hancock make the case that King's execution was the result of a plot by white supremacist terrorists seeking to use racial terrorism as a mean by which to ignite race war. These terrorists, they argue, were driven by a strange and esoteric racist religious theology that believed in the necessity of an apocalyptic racial holy war that would leave only the white man left standing. Moreover, Wexler and Hancock claim that this network of white supremacist extremists were likely involved in other incidents of racial terror throughout the 20th century including the Mississippi Burning and the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

In this fascinating conversation, Wexler joins us in his second appearance on the program to layout the hypothesis found in James Earl Ray, and the Plot to Assassinate Martin Luther King Jr., taking us on a journey through a labyrinth of figures and organization such as the KKK, the Dixie Mafia, segregationist attorney who advocated for racial terrorism, and others whom he believes coalesced into a loose network that brought about waves of racist violence in the 20th century including the assassination of America's most beloved Civil Right leader. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, since the outcome of the 2016 election the American media new cycle has often been all about, "Russia! Russia! Russia!" But what is Russia beyond the stereotypical American caricature of the sneaky nation that's been plotting against the U.S. since the Cold War? Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog to provide a view of Russia divorced from both uncritical romanticism or full-on demonization. Sean explains how he became interested in Russia as well as discussing with J.G. and Casey the American perception of Russia and the reality of Russia. We also hone in on hot topics related to Russia like Vladimir Putin, Russiagate, Aleksander Dugin, and much, much more. Additionally, Sean fills us in on a documentary project he is working on and fills us in on the experience of people who lived in the Soviet Union.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, A.M. Gittlitz of the Antifada podcast joins us to discuss his new book I Want to Believe: Posadism, UFOs, and Apocalypse Communism (Pluto Press, 2020). For the uninitiated Posadamism is most popularly known as a strange online meme of a nihilistic and ironic bent that references communism, nuclear war, dolphins, and UFOs. If that sounds weird, well, the true story of J. Poasadas, the 20th century Argentinian communist from which the meme gets its name, is perhaps even more bizarre. It's a story of spies, lies, and, yes, communists UFO hunters that features appearances from historical figures from the controversial Argentian authoritarian leader Juan Perón to Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Even Leon Trotsky manages to show up in A.M.'s historical overview of J. Posadas' life and times!

But why has this unusual, marginal figure within communist thought become a popular meme with alienated youths with far left-wing tendencies? A.M. tries to answer that in I Want to Believe as well and the answer may surprise. We discuss all this as well as SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), Carl Sagan, futurism, and much, much more on this wild edition of Parallax Views!

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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On this edition of Parallax Views, the tech world, as represented by Silicon Valley, is often portrayed as being full of visonary disruptors like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel who will, through the big-brained ingenuity, solve the greatest conundrums facing society in the 21st century. Software developer Wendy Liu went into the world of tech with rose-colored glasses as a self-described "STEMlord" who believe 110% in the Silicon Valley mindset. But as time went on she became disillusioned and eventually began questioning some of the biggest sacred cows related to tech world optimism. Recently Wendy outlined her story in the new book Abolish Silicon Valley: How to Liberate Technology from Capitalism. Wendy joins us to discuss how she went from wearing rose-colored glasses when it came to Silicon Valley's techno-optimist capitalism to questioning whether the tech world really is the 21st century's savior. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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On this edition of Parallax Views, Robin Syndey has been acting since her childhood and has appeared in all kinds of media including the Nickelodeon kids TV series Drake & Josh, the long running soap opera ER, and the National Lampoon comedy Cattle Call, but she is perhaps best known for having achieved the relatively elusive status of horror movie known as the "Scream Queen". Scream Queens have been a pop culture trope since the early days of Hollywood when Fay Wray shrieked in terror as she was whisked away by the mighty King Kong (1993). From Janet Leigh in PSYCHO (1960) to her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis in John Carptner's Halloween (1978) and its sequels, the image of the Scream Queen has left a lasting impression on the popular culture landscape that carries on to this very day. Truth be told, however, the pantheon of Scream Queens is actually a somewhat exclusive club, but Robin Sydney has more than earned the moniker

Robin's status as a "Scream Queen" is no doubt in large part due to her longstanding relationship with Charles Band's Full Moon Features, an independent movie studio specializing in her horror, fantasy, and sci-fi romps. Since starring as the female lead opposite a maniacal killer cookie voiced by Gary Busey in the notorious horror/comedy romp THE GINGERDEAD MAN (2005), Robin has appeared in a number of Full Moon efforts including THE HAUNTED CASINO, SKULLHEADS, and the outrageous, 8-movies-and-counting EVIL BONG franchise to name but a few. And outside of Full Moon Features Robin has appeared in such chillers as the the psychological serial killer thriller THE LOST (2006) and the cheeky witchcraft-themed splatter-punk feature WICKED LAKE (2008).

Most recently, Robin has resumed her work with Full Moon Features by way of her participation in a new series of mashed-up/remixed movies following the exploit of social distancing duo Barbie (Cody Renee Cameron) and Kendra (Robin Sydney) as they attempt to stave off boredom during the coronavirus pandemic. The first movie, Corona Zombies, was produced and released just weeks after coronavirus made lockdowns and social distancing the New Normal across the world. Yes, that's right, Full Moon Features, under the ever creative guidance of its head honcho Charles Band, found a way to continue making movies through the pandemic. And now Full Moon has followed up Corona Zombies with the timely Barbie and Kendra Save The Tiger King.

Robin joins us to discuss these two new movies that some have jokingly referred to as "Corona-sploitation" as well as various thought and stories from career as an actress. Ever wondered what it's like to work with Hollywood eccentrics like Gary Busey or Andy Dick? Or asked yourself, "What's it like filming a nude scene? Is it uncomfortable?" Scream Queen Robin Sydney tells all in this wide-ranging and fascinating conversation. Oh, and there's even a surprise cameo from a special guest courtesy of Robin a bit later on in the conversation. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

Note: Lengthy intro for the horror newbies. Interview starts at 10:44.

 

VIDEO VERSION OF THIS EDITION OF PARALLAX VIEWS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE AT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24uUIfwywjo

 

WATCH
BARBIE AND KENDRA
SAVE
TIGER KING
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AVAILABLE
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FULL MOON FEATURES

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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On this edition of Parallax Views, Lyta Gold, Amusements and Managing Editor of Current Affairs magazine, joins us to discuss her recent op-ed on the media reaction to Tara Reade's sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden entitled "The Attacks on Tara Reade are Unbelievable Bullshit". Current Affairs was one of the early outlets to take Reade's allegations seriously, but Lyta's op-ed is not simply a defense of those who believe Reade. It is also a critique of some of the most prominent pushback against Reade's allegations. In this conversation Lyta expands on her case for why Reade should be taken seriously. And we also take a few detours along the way to discuss gender issues, feminism, masculinity, and other hot topics. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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On this edition of Parallax Views, Douglas Valentine, author of the groundbreaking book The Phoenix Program, joins us in light of the republication of his book TDY to discuss covert operations, the CIA, the Vietnam War, and more. In this conversation, however, we take a more philosophical turn as Douglas and I attempt to answer the question "How did we get here" in regards to living in an age where secrecy, surveillance, terror, and fear seem to reign supreme in our society. In doing so Douglas and I consult the work of the French theorist Guy Debord of the Situationist International and author of The Society of the Spectacle. In this regard, Douglas makes special reference to Debord's observation that, ""Secrecy dominates this world, and foremost as the secret of domination." All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

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FAILED STATE UPDATE
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On this edition of Parallax Views, Academy Award winning actress Jane Fonda made news recently for endorsing endorsing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' bid for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination ahead of the 2020 Election. And with this news came a ghost that has been haunting Fonda for decades: the accusation that the Hollywood star betrayed American troops in the Vietnam War. In the waning years of that conflict Fonda became an outspoken antiwar activist whose efforts culminated in an infamous visit to Vietnam's capitol, Hanoi, that remains a point of heated controversy for many Americans. During this trip the actress cavorted with the Vietnamese, was granted a  tour of POW camps, and participated in broadcasts from Radio Hanoi pleading with U.S. servicemen to stop the bombings. As a result, Fonda gained the scorn-ridden nickname "Hanoi Jane" and the ire of many Americans, including Vietnam War veterans, who've come to see her as a traitor to the U.S. states military and its troops.

Dr. Jerry Lembcke, a retired professor of Sociology at Holy Cross College and a Vietnam War Veteran himself, however, controversially argues that there's a gap between Jane Fonda the human being and what he argues is the myth of Hanoi Jane is his book Hanoi Jane: War, Sex, and Fantasies of Betrayal (University of Massachusetts Press; 2010). Furthermore, Lembcke has made the case that the story of the traitorous Hanoi Jane is but one piece of a broader American mythology pertaining to the Vietnam War. Specifically, Lembcke persuasively questioned the popular notion that veterans returning from the war were spat upon by disrespectful antiwar protesters in his meticulously researched The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam (NYU Press; 1998). If Lembcke is correct, why do such myths arise and what purpose do they serve for America's collective psyche?

Jerry Lembecke joins us to on this edition of the program to answer those questions and lay out what he considers the myths of the Vietnam War in what is sure to be one of the most thought-provoking and controversial conversations featured on Parallax Views to date. Additionally, Jerry tells us about his experience in Vietnam and what drove him to investigate these matters. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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