Power Play in Israel; West vs China Belt Road; Georgia Voter Suppression

Political Misfits

New voter suppression laws are passed in Georgia and the Derek Chauvin trial gets underway. How can we organize to put an end to white supremacy?
Mitchell Plitnick, political analyst, writer, president of ReThinking Foreign Policy and co-author the new book “Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics,” tells us about about the various parties jockeying for power in Israel after last week’s elections, how these coalitions are being negotiated, what role can the Joint List can play in these, and how the right wing parties are permanently entrenching themselves in Israel’s politics. We also talk about China and Iran signing a security and economic cooperation agreement, and how this could allow Iran some breathing room amid international sanctions.
John Ross, author, economist, and senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute at Renmin University of China, talks to us about President Biden suggesting that “democratic countries” should put together a global infrastructure investment plan to rival China’s Belt and Road initiative, what these projects actually entail, how they compare with western efforts, and how this fits into ever growing tensions with China.
Ra Shad Frazier Gaines, founder and chair of both the Black Caucus of the Young Democrats of America and Black Progressives, and Dr. Sharon Anderson, attorney, business consultant, former law school professor/lecturer at Howard Law, and CEO and founder of KCG Consulting Services, both join us in a conversation about the new voter suppression laws in Georgia, how this constitutes a human rights violation, the role of black churches and HBCUs in building movements, and the difficulties in building coalitions with white progressives. We also talk about the Derek Chauvin trial and the uphill battle of achieving justice considering the long history of white supremacy in the U.S.
In our Miss the Press segment, hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber talk about the gun control debate popping up again on Sunday shows, the predictable debate between Democrats and Republicans, and Dana Bash’s interview with Antony Blinken on how and when the US intends to punish its enemies.
The Misfits also talk about a recent mass shooting in Baltimore, COVID vaccines and intellectual property, and Pete Buttigieg’s mileage tax.