Hey you guys, did you hear – we’re living in a burgeoning authoritarian state! Much like we have been for the last four years! This week we discuss the delayed revelations of the punditry, what’s behind their unwillingness to state the obvious for so long, and ponder how long their clarity will last until collective amnesia kicks in again. More ominously, we examine the continued annihilation of the court system under Trump’s Roy Cohn reincarnation, Bill Barr, who is abusing his power to protect Trump’s criminal cohort – including Roger Stone and Michael Flynn -- from the prison sentences they rightfully deserve. 

We discuss Barr’s long history of institutionalized corruption (not at all a contradiction in terms) and the need to begin impeachment hearings against him right now. If Barr is not held in check, his abuses will only grow. We warned about the need to impeach Trump, including why it's necessary to damage the dictator's brand, and we're asking all Americans to call and email their leaders in the House, asking to make Barr the first impeached Attorney General in U.S. history. Find contact information for your rep here. 

Then we turn to the latest disaster that has fallen Americans who oppose being ruled by an oligarchy – Michael Bloomberg, the racist New York billionaire who thinks he can buy the election. We are joined in this discussion by Terrell Jermaine Starr, a journalist who has covered both U.S. election politics and corruption in Ukraine and other regions of the former Soviet Union. Starr, a reporter for The Root, reflects on life in New York under Bloomberg as Mayor, the perils of a political media comprised primarily of white men, the parallels between oligarchy in the former USSR and plutocracy in the U.S., and much more. 

Our discussion with Starr continues into our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher. We highly recommend you subscribe to Gaslit Nation to get access to this conversation as well as past and future bonus episodes! The mainstream media is now blocking out coverage of some presidential candidates, grossly distorting coverage of others, and leaving critical topics ignored. Remember, an informed public is a powerful public. Subscribe today and get informed not only on this week’s news but on the buried stories of the past last year and a half – and help keep us going so we can continue to speak freely!

SHOW NOTES:

Terrell Jermaine Starr’s Kickstarter Campaign for His Podcast Black Diplomats https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blackdiplomats/black-diplomats-decolonize-the-global-affairs-conversation?ref=thanks-share

Opening Clip: Elizabeth Warren Calls for Impeaching Barr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95EGVp880ko&feature=emb_title

Former Justice Dept. Lawyers Press for Barr to Step Down: https://apnews.com/e47ad98af595835b0570e6af3f278976

Marcy Wheeler on Barr’s Cover-Up: https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/02/15/the-size-of-bill-barrs-cover-up-hints-at-the-magnitude-of-what-hes-covering-up/?fbclid=IwAR2CPpTMOSZ2o27n8IlhOTr-swo0zr4pQcDmjuU-mwelc0mb4bJPBRD8gjE

Putin engineers shake-up that could keep him in power longer: https://apnews.com/e47ad98af595835b0570e6af3f278976

Don’t Stop With Donald Trump, Democrats: Impeach Attorney General Bill Barr: https://www.thedailybeast.com/dont-stop-with-donald-trump-democrats-impeach-attorney-general-bill-barr

Phono Museum Paris: http://phonomuseum.fr/