Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Downloads

Content

We begin by reading the last will and testament of Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old journalist for Al-Jazeera that was among those slain in Gaza by Israel yesterday. We then resume our Epstein coverage, including a look at his Manhattan lair and celebrity dinner guests. Then, two pieces on venture capitalists driven insane by The Computer and a story by Pamela Paul on conservative women…with careers? Stick around until the end for another Stroke of Genius and a special announcement from Chris.

Pre-order Seth Harp’s book The Fort Bragg Cartel here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/730414/the-fort-bragg-cartel-by-seth-harp/ 

And check out his book launch with TrueAnon at the Bell House this Wednesday: https://www.ticketmaster.com/an-evening-with-trueanon-and-seth-brooklyn-new-york-08-13-2025/event/300062F5CD8E3E2D

Files

Comments

Scoot

HELLO BAAAAAAABY

JD Nonce

I hope no one ever refers to my home as a ‘lair’. Definitely indicates that you’ve done something that it’s not gonna be easy to come back from

Timothy Buttons

Goodnight Chapo, I'll see you in the morning

m@tt

One day I’ll be big brained and cultured enough to understand episode artwork

Chapo Bath House

Man, you can't have a fun title and a devestating opening story

jay k.

NEW SLOP IN MY TROUGH!!

JD Nonce

That could be charming or merely goblin-esque. Like if I get high and I want to eat a whole pizza and watch the x-files but I don’t want my wife to see I might do that in my shame cave

Mac daddy

Cush on the call! I repeat, we got a Cush on the call!

peter_mcc

pamela paul is such a fascinating little specimen. like a spare laura ingalls wilder sibling sacrificed via scarlet fever for plot development but born in the modern era so zero chance of redemption.

K H

It seems like they are confusing recursive for redundant and that chatGPT wrote that article based on that misunderstood prompt.

Declan Kennedy

To repeat a joke I skeeted earlier, that Mayor Pete video had the vibe of a parent forcing their child to play with a friend's kid even though the child has told them repeatedly that the kid likes to hurt animals and set stuff on fire. Come on, kids, do it for dad. Australia looks likely to recognise Palestine next week. The hollowness of it is made pretty clear when the opposition immediately said "yeah we'll revoke that next time we win", which implies that they know that recognition won't lead to anything major that they can't easily undo.

Ben

Matt sounds great

Skitzaf Raynik

Shame cave is what I call JD’s wife’s pussy

JD Nonce

Why, what’s she got in there?

Justin Kase

Not just arresting them in the UK but also charging them with terrorism offences.

Last Years Man

Wow, Matt is sounding more and more like his old self!! His speech has gotten a lot clearer. Great to hear.

Antipaganda

Matt's cooking again! The philosophy soul chef rises!

j

Thank you.

Kollie123

Kash Patel becoming head of the FBI reminds me of that line from futurama where Farnsworth said people said the tooth fairy was just a myth but now he’s head of the FBI

Last Years Man

If you're Woodie Allen and you're still clinging to some semblance of your reputation, the ONE golden rule for your future behavior should be, "Don't get caught in a pedophile ring." He should have made it his mantra.

Antipaganda

Chris! Congratulations! Life goes on.

Jeff M

Congratulations, Chris and Molly!

Liz

Awww Chris! So very happy for you and Molly! Congratulations 🩷

drewb

Welcome to the Goon Palace

Will

TrueAnon read the entire Woody Allen letter, and the main takeaway was that Epstein was a TERRIBLE host

Kody Dennis

I always find the aggrieved leftists calling out Chapo annoying, but I am now working on a call out post demanding Will apologize for the Don Mclean slander

Travis

Felix begins speaking at 1 minute and 16 and a half seconds

Dee Rubes

Grats, Chris! Enjoy your break from chapo, and sleep.

Big-Stink

Congratulations Chris!!

christoph.s

Congratulations Chris and Molly may your baby be strong and healthy!

J Lit

Matt back for an Epstein EP, Trump president, this truly is a time loop

Tom Joad

Which episode was it that Felix mentioned Hegseth doing alcoholic math?

demonsweat

Hey Buddy, what’s that drunk monkey doing flying this plaaane?

Mugof Tea

Congratulations to Molly and Chris!

Andy Arnette

Not showing up in my feed either

Felix

Spineless government unfortunately, still better than Sir human rights lawyer Starmer 'threatening' recognition when Macron had just done it. "Oh shit we're in the symbolic weak lip service phase let me one up the frogs by offering the same thing but worse"

Seb

looks like this ep hasn’t hit the RSS feed yet. Congrats Chris and Molly!

Jim Chapman

The Shah of Iran compromised.

Brian

I think the day after trump bombed Iran

Alex C

Always a pleasure to hear from Matt

hrtzgod314

They talk about that guy at the beginning of the episode, idk who he is either though

cori

congratulations to molly and chris!!!!

Hardcore Virgin

1. Matt. Better every time I hear. Good. 2. Did ceo discover fractals? The law of nature? Our genes!

Jessica

congrats chris and molly!

Katie

Yayyy congrats Chris and Molly !

Steve D

Congrats !

Tim Cant

Gettin’ brain trust ☺️☺️☺️

Sam

I dont think the world is going crazy as much as the world is becoming more and more dominated by the Kalanick types who think every aerospace engineer is a moron for never thinking of making the whole plane out of the black box .

jer

Fuck. Matt sounds so good! 💪 Congrats Chris and Molly!

Tim O'

69 comments (nice) and no one has made a Big Beautiful Bopper joke yet (for shame)

Dylan

Those glass eyes in Epstein’s apartment are from Jimmy Saville’s collection of glass eyes that he plucked from corpses of his victims. I’m not even kidding.

Erik Bourre

Anyone having trouble ordering the fort bragg book outside of the USA?

Hot Rod

Congratulations to Chris and Molly and the incoming divine Ms. Wade. Put the registry on patreon and let the piggies buy you a car seat.

J

Had the biggest, dopiest, smile on my face after Matt first started talking lol. He sounds fantastic! Matt, the hard work is paying off ! Congrats

Hot Rod

And another round of applause for King Christman and his royal family.

Cullen S

EYOOO! Chris and wife, congratulations!! Enjoy the ride, you both will be wonderful parents ❤️😍 GIRL DADS UNITE ✊

YungCereza

That Big Bopper scene from walk hard was so fucking funny; speaking of funny, it sounds like ChatGPT is gangstalking that guy

Mike Chang

Matt sounds like he’s 100%! Had to check to make sure this wasn’t an old episode

Emily Richardson

Congrats Chris and fam! So excited for you and glad you’ll be taking an extended time off. Enjoy it!

Ali Rayray

Thanks for reading Anas' will, Will. Great to hear Matt's voice.

Tucci

Congrats Chris and Molly. This kid is gonna have great taste in music

b-rar

It's so funny how Mayor Pete's remarks with the Pod Save fellas are indistinguishable from JD Vance's on Theo Von

DT

water wet

Wyatt the Wallaby

I think everyone is being uncharitable to pete, he clearly meant you need to put your arm around israels neck and squeeze

Morgan

Congrats Chris and Molly!

Dunc

Matt sounds so good :’)

Bryan Beach

New conspiracy: May Mailman is a man. May male-man

Big Bob

Broke it at Cumming Linguist

Xio Dio

Sry Will, American Pie is a classic, it's great.

Whistle Dog

Be honest who else just found out the Big Bopper is white 🤯

Instantdumbass

Congrats Chris, making more uncles day by day.

Crisismethodactor

(Luca brasi voice) DON WADE, I HOPE IT IS A MASCULINE (woke version) CHILD AND THAT IT WILL HAVE STRONG POSTING FINGERS

Bryce

I don’t know how he does it, but I can actually feel Matt going crazy during the reading series before he even says a word.

Crisismethodactor

You’re gonna have a lot of boomers to pick from; they turn into Sarduakar whenever anyone goes “who gives a shit about the day the music died”.

Crisismethodactor

The whole letter was so veiled and passive aggressive it read like Minnesotan Mein Kampf

Crisismethodactor

Sir Starmer should do like his porcine cousins and walk into a slaughterhouse

Crisismethodactor

Two sides of the same coin, both are sponsored by BLUECHEW

Pete

Congrats Chris!! In addition to “normalizing fatherhood” I think actual parents (my daughter turned 3 yesterday) need to occasionally remind others about the utter absurdity of those who claim that there is ANY “gender erasure” (or whatever tf) going on when raising kids today. We live in Brooklyn. In the real world of hospitals, pediatricians, daycares and playgrounds, we’ve never once been told not to say ‘son’ or ‘daughter’, mommy, daddy etc. Or fill out forms that even vaguely deny or obscure the gender identity of children and parents out of deference to trans children and parents. All this posturing is to scare normies and make it easier to target trans children and parents — but it’s not real! It’s malarkey! Anyways, big love to the moms and dads out there doing their best ❤️

I.P. Freely

Don’t get high on your own AI

jjmm

God I hate the big bopper

Erik Bourre

Chris Wade. Strong seed!!

Kompy

Congratulations Chris and Molly!!

Damen Irving

The conservative women who want it all article made me realize how much I love journalism. “There’s a surging trend.” The trend: here’s three people we could think of who maybe do it.

Nathan

It’s funny how conservatives forget what they’re supposed to be conserving and just end up becoming liberals from 30 years ago. In the 90’s, there was a big controversy when Hillary said she chose to have a fulfilling career instead of sitting home baking cookies. Now, all the conservatives are that way but it’s conservative because they say mom and dad.

Wes

Vibe coding is actually a real thing and its super popular with software engineers right now

Broadway Joe

Matt doesn’t quite have the command he once had, but he sure can bring the high heat when he needs to. Also, congrats to Chris and Molly. Parenthood is uniquely wonderful and terrifying. Y’all will do great.

Nathan

Look, it was either that or another article about the pro natalism couple with the weird glasses.

Chapo Bath House

Congrats Chris and Molly! I'm sure years of shepherding the hogs will prepare you for anything

Bushwald

Chris read 12 Hours Sleep by 12 Weeks Old. It will make things much easier. Congrats!

Chapo Bath House

It's mostly for when I have seasonal depression and my studio apartment smells like 2 for $2 samosa farts, a moldy French press, cat litter and dirty sheets

Kristy Noem's Crusty Dome

They must have officially got Matt on the elusive Joe Brandon cognitive cocktail - great to see, great to hear

drunk cig

Before I listen to this show I would like to acknowledge that I am sitting here on future Chinese land

Chase

Big congrats to Chris!!

Travis

will’s take is correct

MG

Congrats Chris!

Kenneth Smith

I’m like 5 minutes in and Matt sounds better than he has in months!!

Jack Ross

we love Matt! We love Matt!

Socrates 2

Kalanick has obviously just yapped himself into a state of recursive psychosis but it is a little silly to suggest a person can't learn math and quantum physics these days outside an academic setting.

Max Lopez

Very happy to hear Matt sounding so good. Felicidades to Chris and Molly!

Doug Hamilton-Evans

Would love for you guys to have Omar El Akkad on the show to talk about his book “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”

Jacob Johnson

If someone already said this my bad wasn’t gonna scroll, “the former Breast Stephens”

Chris R

Congratulations Chris and Molly!

Carolyn

My favorite poem yet by Matt. Keep writing them I love hearing them!

Daniel Bradfield

Congratulations to Chris and Molly! Good luck to you and your lil girl

kiahl

Hell yeah, Matt is back and also, he sounds much better and more confident

Zoe

Congratulations yall!

ggmacd

Roku's Basilisk

Joey Fazzoli

I predict a classic Christman rant before the year is out

Ross McWilliams

Will miss pronounces Epstein as Eptein and calls Brett Stephens Breast Stephens.

ploob

House style🫴

Steve Bunnell

Congrats Chris! In just a few weeks you yourself will be saying "HELLO BAAAAABY!" As someone with a 2-year-old myself, Matt is correct that raising a baby isn't easy. Just know that you will almost certainly be a better parent than the moms in this week's reading series installment. Matt, you sound great! Hope you're feeling as good as you sound.

Chapo Bath House

Maxwell is either going to die, or she's going to be on Real Housewives. Not sure which one, but those are the only possible outcomes

Jocelyn Noyes

Great work, Matt. And congrats to Chris & Molly! Enjoy the you have with them, it goes by quickly(from what I’ve heard), and just think - in couple of years, you can send them to the salt mines. So they can finally earn their keep. Damn deadbeat.

Chapo Bath House

I need every tech fascist to do the end of Pi to themselves asap

Andrew

Matt sounds a little better every episode. Hope you’re doing good man.

Nicoo Güntner

Sure. By actually engaging the material looking at text books and studies, trying to solve problems yourself etc. You cannot however learn quantum mechanics or anything really by asking a sycophantic autocomplete software that parrots all your feelings right back at you if Quantum Mechanics are just like the matrix.

Rene Saller

Congratulations to Chris & Molly! Best wishes for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby girl.

TheBigAristotle

Neil DeGrasse Tyson had an episode of his podcast Star Talk at Ghislaine Maxwell's apartment. That's where Matt spotted that demonic mask with the swirly-triangle sign on the skin

TheBigAristotle

Getty Images has since deleted pictures of the mask, but still had Ghislaine, the Dalai Lama and others in the mix

K H

Matt and all the boys should learn Arabic. Supposedly it's a multidimensional language or some shit like that. Easier to speak after getting hit with the stroke gun. Also have the children only speak Arabic. No more of the devil tongue.

C

Congrats to Chris and Molly

Socrates 2

We're on the same page about that

Folks,,

That’s not what recursion is

Danny

One server, one bullet!

K H

When you're going back for seconds at the demonic orgy Chinese buffet, I think maybe some were not there for the right reasons. Like, there was a reason they didn't feed you Soon.

Elai Kehler

did that mf say fund disruption or fun disruption either is hilarious

JD Peery

Congrats Chris and Molly! Prayers up for the health of mom and baby both during and after delivery!

Shadowil

Ave God Emperor Matt

JBS

"Ride the fence" is the perfect description, thank you Felix

Digital Toemad

They got Matt on the Biden cocktail. Brother is BACK

Doug Cartel

Godspeed Matt 'sexual blackmail' seems to fit very well over 'sexual healing' (Marvin Gaye) Anyways I'm hoping the Israeli murder machine breaks soon This is like the 3rd or 4th fucking time they've invaded

Biscuit

Alhamdullilah

Sean

The Scanner Darkly music accompanying the billionaire investor rant had me cracking up

K H

We will just get a Real Housewives Deep State Pedophile edition.

K H

Fuck. That would be such an incredible episode title for something.

The Master

Vibe physics, aka estimating

The Master

I also want to point out that a really good state college can offer quantum mechanics starting at upper division undergrad courses, you do not need to be a math genius you just need to be a sicko. Regardless the uber ceo needed to be bullied more as an adult

Frankie

Awesome poem Matt! And congratulations to Chris and Molly

NikolaDemitri8784

Amphetamines + Computer = madness 1000%, as my late 20’s was a true testament to…

Son of El Topo

It just hit me that Al-Shariff describes how he was born in a refugee camp, and now he's been killed by the state that put his family there. Fuck this planet.

MKatieUltra

Someone introduced me to Lawrence Krauss at a conference against my will and he was creepy as shit, I got away as quickly as I could.

A

It's great hearing Matt Christman sounding better and better over time, wishing him and his family all the best

Gordon Schmidt

Matt is almost back at full power. The libs are fucked

NitroDickclapp III

Haha me too brother, me too. Speedballs + reddit + war history books = psych unit

NitroDickclapp III

Damn Matt sounds amazing! Way to go big guy, so good having you back 👍👍

Biscuit

Sounds like the bladerunner soundtrack tears in the rain scene

Sam

I'll sing you a song called Pamela Paul The conservative woman having it all The words are very easy to recall So you can know Pamela Paul (With apologies to Donovan)

Julian Gricksch

I want to point out that most of the time it isn't AI that is directly driving people insane. Psychosis is a symptom (of deeper rooted issues like Schizophrenia, Drugs, Depression, Stress, etc). AI is an extremely effective trigger that can activate psychosis. I think we should have some empathy for regular schmucks who get AI psychosis, as psychosis (which always sounds ridiculous when spelled out, AI or not) could happen to anyone. However, when the very people who profit from AI and the terrible effects it has on people and the environment get psychosis from it, I do think that's very funny and worthy of ridicule.

MangoWorld🥭

“It’s ironic, because you need to make strokes to make the baby..”🔥🔥

Siddhartha

Felix with that buzzer beater from half court.

MangoWorld🥭

Broh don’t mention ball it’s not the trueanon comment section

Stephen Tubbs

Man.....y'all should have read Anas al-Sharif's whole final message. Don't just cut to the end part way through. I don't even have the words to describe why that bothers me. Its not that it even eludes the point cuz it doesn't. But why gloss it. Should have read the whole thing.

Shiv

ZADDY CHRIS! Huzzah to you and the Missus! Can’t wait to your As a father of daughter era!

Derwood

I hope Matt is collecting these poems somewhere, would love to have written versions accessible to share

Connor Moloney

Glad it's not just me noticing how Matt sounds better and better! Welcome back king

Connor Moloney

Massive congratulations to Chris and Molly! Your daughter will be such a powerful child

Patrick Mc Toal

The litigation of what Anas may or may not of said vis-a-vis October 7th or Hamas or any violent resistance is so utterly grotesque, especially within the context of yanks. These fuckers were ready to kill people bc they had to wear a mask at TGI Fridays. 20 years locked inside Gaza? Cmon let’s not get crazy, terrorist!

Mark Schneider

I wish Felix would learn to correctly pronounce Ruben Gah--Llego, not "Gal-I-go"! Accent on 2nd of 3 syllables. C'mon, Felix, there are thousands of Latinos in the US (my name is actually Marco Silva), basic Spanish is not rocket science.

The wazzzzaaapp bud light dude

Mocking Gallegos is a time honored tradition across all Spanish speaking cultures. I think Felix’s autism intuitively knows this.

bryan allen

Love that Matt’s ya know good

Jon W

Chris earning the most prestigious of producers credits. Congratulations! 🎈

Doug Hamilton-Evans

And so good to hear Matt and the good news from Chris and family! There is love in the world

AB

“Vibe physics” is a track off a backpack rapper cd in 2010

N.K.

Congratulations to Chris and Molly ❤️

Matthew Dunn

Very happy for Chris and Molly, as well as for Matt who sounds great.

Kurto

Open up with the bopper and smoothly transition into genocide. Thats the chapo experience

Alex Thorne

Mf said attorney genital

Ham Stroker’s Jackula

What will said about why they’ve killed all these journalists all along haunted me.

birk

On first hearing Matt I had to double check that this wasn't an old episode I was listening too

mark kuchonowski

please tell felix to shut the fuck up when matt is talking!!!! GOD like seriously dude just shut the fuck up already

Ben Clarkson

Girlfriends and wives check real estate. It be REAL.

Mungo Franczak

Started listening to the Fort Bragg Cartel today at work. Really looking forward to Seth’s appearance next week!!

Agent Grange

It's so good hearing from our personal friend Matt Christman again. Isn't it folks?

Greasy_Jones

LLM delusion is like when you're a kid in the 90s taking online IQ tests, and guess what? You're a genius! Just give me some money and I'll send you this in-depth breakdown of your intelligence scores

danny

great episode mazeltov

Gabriel

matt sounding great

Red Vienna

Matt sounded great this episode!!

Red Vienna

Epstein’s guest parties eerily reminiscent of Steve Martin’s guest spot on 30 Rock lmfao

Laura

Congrats, Chris! That's lovely news

Laura

Angela Collier has a good episode about vibes physics. If you've never watched her channel, I recommend it (I'm not even all that interested in science, but I still enjoy her work and even manage to understand some things despite my ignorance.)

Harrison

Congrats Chris!!

Snooder87

Big balls getting his ass beat by a 15 year boy and a girl will never not be hilarious.

T

when is the video game series gonna drop?

eduard karpoev

I wish people went into religious mania rather then as Felix talks about of Wikipedia-ing to hard or ChatGPTing too much

eduard karpoev

Mr. Mailman is definitely having an affair with the nanny lets be real

Jack Sullivan

Uncle64 getting those reactions!!! 🔥 🔥 🔥

Cody Ross Rex

So Chris and Molly are just gonna sit and listen to Jessica Simpson for a year while the left flounders under Cheetocracy? BUM.

hopoffz

one day the intro song won't blow out my eardrums

Journey

It lowkey sounded like Matt said “Oaf Keepers” lmao the man is receiving visions

Matelda

Matt sounds more and more "normal" (for lack of a better word)

Brendan Palangio

Matt sounds really great in this one, I could tell he was getting a little tired by the end and stumbling a little more, but that's okay. It's a real treat to hear him, we all love him.

Brendan Palangio

It leads to madness or grad school (itself a type of madness).

Expiatory Goat

Settler Colonial Revisionist Hagiographic Rehashing-Uncle Remus Job: SHamilton the appropriation racist revisionist repugnant rap-athon'o'lies 🙄🤔: Hamilton is such anti-indigenous revisionist hagiographic claptrap---it's also a giant rehash of uncle Remus racism, but exponentially worse Just a few critical and well-documented critiques of SHamilton: An American Revisionist Hagiographic Re-Uncle Remus Job: regarding its historical inaccuracies, mythologizing of the Founding Fathers, and erasure of slavery, colonialism, and Indigenous genocide. Below is a compiled list of the issues you mentioned, along with additional critiques that scholars, historians, and activists have highlighted: 1. Misrepresentation of Hamilton as an Abolitionist The musical portrays Alexander Hamilton as morally opposed to slavery (e.g., "We’ll never be free until we end slavery!" in My Shot), but historical evidence suggests otherwise. Hamilton married into the Schuyler family, one of the largest slave-owning dynasties in New York. His father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, owned dozens of enslaved people. Hamilton himself likely owned and traded slaves—records show he purchased enslaved people for his household and facilitated transactions for others. While he occasionally criticized slavery in writing, he never took meaningful political action against it, unlike contemporaries like John Jay or the more radical abolitionists of his time. 2. Erasure of Slavery in the Narrative The musical completely sidelines the brutal reality of slavery in colonial and post-revolutionary America. The Schuylers’ enslaved laborers are never mentioned, despite their direct connection to Hamilton. The only enslaved person referenced is Sally Hemings (in What’d I Miss?), and even then, her exploitation by Jefferson is trivialized in a comedic song. 3. The Myth of the "Immigrant" Founding Fathers The musical repeatedly frames Hamilton as an "immigrant" ("Immigrants—we get the job done!"), but this is a gross distortion. Colonists were not immigrants—they were settlers who participated in dispossessing Indigenous nations and expanding a slaveholding empire. The American Revolution was not a progressive liberation struggle but a fight by wealthy white landowners to preserve and expand their own power, including slavery and westward colonial expansion. 4. The 1785 Land Ordinance & Indigenous Genocide The musical ignores Hamilton’s and Jefferson’s roles in codifying Indigenous land theft through laws like the Northwest Ordinance (1787) and policies that facilitated violent displacement. The U.S. founding was premised on genocide—Washington’s "Town Destroyer" campaigns, Jefferson’s policies of forced removal, and later Andrew Jackson’s ethnic cleansing were all extensions of this colonial project. Not a single Indigenous person appears in Hamilton, despite the fact that the Revolution directly impacted Native nations (many of whom sided with the British because they offered better protections against settler encroachment). 5. The American Revolution as a Slaveholder Rebellion The Revolution was not a radical social upheaval—it was a conservative movement to protect colonial elites’ economic interests, including slavery. The British had already begun moving toward abolition (Somerset v. Stewart in 1772 threatened slavery in England), and many American slaveowners feared British interference. Dunmore’s Proclamation (1775) offered freedom to enslaved people who joined the British, leading thousands to flee—yet the musical ignores this entirely. 6. The Aesthetic of Black Performance in Service of White Mythmaking The casting of Black and latino actors as slaveowners and colonizers has been criticized as "repackaging oppression as empowerment." Similar to Song of the South (1946), which used Black actors to sanitize slavery, Hamilton uses rap and hip-hop—genres rooted in Black resistance—to glorify slaveholders. As historian Lyra Monteiro argues, "It lets the audience feel good about history without confronting its horrors." 7. Miranda’s Selective Historical Revisions Miranda has admitted to omitting Hamilton’s worst aspects to make him more "relatable." The musical falsely implies that Hamilton supported democracy—in reality, he favored a lifelong president and Senate, distrusted the masses, and was deeply elitist. The Federalist Papers’ anti-democratic arguments are ignored, as is Hamilton’s role in the Alien and Sedition Acts, which suppressed dissent. 8. The Musical’s Neoliberal, "Great Man" Framing The story reinforces the "Great Man" theory of history, suggesting that a few exceptional individuals (rather than mass movements) drive change. It erases the working-class rebellions (e.g., Shay’s Rebellion, the Whiskey Rebellion) that actually pressured elites into concessions. The musical’s corporate-friendly, "bootstraps" narrative ("I wrote my way out") aligns with neoliberal individualism, ignoring systemic oppression. Further Reading/Sources: Lyra D. Monteiro, "Race-Conscious Casting and the Erasure of the Black Past in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton" (2016) Annette Gordon-Reed & Peter S. Onuf, "Most Blessed of the Patriarchs": Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination (on Jefferson’s hypocrisy) Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (on land ordinances & genocide) ** Gerald Horne**, *The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America* Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (on how myths of the Founding Fathers uphold racial hierarchy) I. Expanded Critiques of Hamilton’s Historical Distortions 1. Hamilton’s Ties to Slavery: More Than Complicity The Schuyler Family’s Enslaved Labor: Hamilton’s wife, Eliza Schuyler, grew up in a household that enslaved at least 30 people(records show Philip Schuyler’s estate listed 27 enslaved individuals at his death). The musical never acknowledges that Eliza’s wealth—which supported Hamilton’s career—came from enslaved labor. Hamilton’s Personal Involvement: While Hamilton occasionally criticized slavery in letters (e.g., calling it a "moral evil"), he actively participated in the system: Purchased enslaved people for his household (e.g., a woman named Peggy and her son, documented in 1797). Handled slave transactions for his in-laws (e.g., a receipt exists for Hamilton negotiating the sale of an enslaved woman for Angelica Schuyler). Opposed immediate abolition, favoring gradual emancipation to avoid economic disruption. The John Adams Contradiction: The musical mocks Adams as a buffoon ("Sit down, John, you fat mother—"), but Adams never owned slaves and quietly opposed slavery, unlike Hamilton. 2. The American Revolution as a Slaveholder Revolt British Abolitionism vs. Colonial Fears: The Somerset Case (1772) ruled slavery unsupported by English common law, terrifying Southern planters. Dunmore’s Proclamation (1775) promised freedom to enslaved people who joined the British—20,000+ fled to British lines, forming the Ethiopian Regiment. The musical erases this mass Black resistance, instead portraying the Revolution as a unified moral struggle. The Founding Fathers’ Hypocrisy: Jefferson’s Declaration originally condemned slavery, but Southern delegates demanded its removal. The Revolution intensified slavery: Cotton gin (1793) and the Louisiana Purchase (1803) expanded the slave empire. 3. Indigenous Genocide & Land Theft The 1785 Land Ordinance & Northwest Ordinance (1787): Hamilton, Jefferson, and Washington designed these laws to survey, sell, and colonize stolen Indigenous lands. The ordinances ignored existing treaties (e.g., the Fort Stanwix agreements) and paved the way for violent removal. Washington’s "Town Destroyer" Campaigns: During the Revolution, Washington ordered the total destruction of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) villages—a genocidal scorched-earth policy. Hamilton’s Role in Expansionism: As Treasury Secretary, he funded military campaigns against Native nations and backed policies forcing assimilation or displacement. 4. The Musical’s Exploitation of Black Artistry The "Black Founding Fathers" Paradox: Casting Black actors as slaveowners (e.g., Washington, Jefferson) sanitizes their crimes by divorcing them from historical reality. As historian Lyra Monteiro writes: "It’s one thing to have Black bodies playing white people, but another to have them glorify men who fought to preserve slavery." Hip-Hop as a Tool of White Mythmaking: Miranda uses rap—a genre born from Black resistance—to make colonial violence palatable. Compare to Song of the South (1946), where Black actors sang cheerful slave songs, masking brutality. II. Additional Critiques & Omissions 5. The Musical’s Neoliberal "Bootstraps" Narrative "I wrote my way out" (Hurricane) frames Hamilton’s rise as pure meritocracy, ignoring: His marriage into the Schuyler fortune (Eliza’s dowry rescued him from debt). The exploitation of enslaved labor that built the economy he thrived in. Erases Class Struggle: The musical ignores Shays’ Rebellion (1786-87), where poor farmers revolted against elite land seizures—Hamilton demanded their execution. 6. Hamilton’s Anti-Democratic Politics He Hated Democracy: Advocated for a president-for-life and Senate modeled on the British aristocracy. Wrote in Federalist No. 68 that the masses were "turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right." The Alien & Sedition Acts (1798): Hamilton supported these laws, which jailed immigrants and critics of the government. 7. The Erasure of Women’s Labor Eliza’s Real Legacy: The musical romanticizes Eliza’s "quiet" activism (Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story), but she spent decades erasing Hamilton’s scandals (e.g., the Reynolds affair). Theodosia Burr vs. Historical Reality: The musical’s Theodosia is a passive figure, but the real Theodosia Burr Sr. was a political influencer who ran Aaron Burr’s salon. III. Scholarly & Activist Perspectives Critic/Scholar Key Argument Lyra Monteiro (Rutgers) Hamilton "lets audiences celebrate diversity while ignoring white supremacy’s roots." Annette Gordon-Reed (Harvard) Jefferson’s slavery is "trivialized" by Hamilton’s comedic portrayal. Gerald Horne (Houston) The Revolution was a "counter-revolution of slavery"—a fact Hamilton obscures. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz The musical "mythologizes settler colonialism as immigrant triumph." Isabel Wilkerson Hamilton reinforces "America’s racial caste system by sanitizing its architects." IV. What Hamilton Could Have Included (But Didn’t) The Black Founding Fathers: Crispus Attucks (first martyr of the Revolution). James Armistead Lafayette (enslaved spy who helped win Yorktown). Indigenous Perspectives: Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea), the Mohawk leader who allied with the British to protect Haudenosaunee land. Mass Resistance: The New York Conspiracy of 1741 (enslaved revolt Hamilton’s father-in-law helped suppress). Final Thoughts Hamilton is a masterclass in mythmaking—using Black art to glorify white oppressors, erasing slavery and genocide, and rebranding colonialism as "immigrant hustle." As historian Gerald Horne puts it: "The Revolution was not freedom vs. tyranny—it was tyranny vs. a worse tyranny." Both Recast Oppressive Histories as Feel-Good Entertainment Song of the South (1946) Uses the affable, folksy Uncle Remus character to present the Reconstruction-era South as a place of racial harmony, sidestepping the terror of slavery’s aftermath and Jim Crow oppression. The film depicts an enslaved or recently emancipated Black man as content, cheerful, and at peace with the white plantation system — the infamous “happy slave” myth. The central song, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, became a cultural earworm, detached from its historical context and sold as wholesome Americana. Hamilton (2015) Uses a multiracial cast and rap/hip-hop performance to present a romanticized version of the Founding Fathers, sidestepping their involvement in slavery, Indigenous genocide, and colonialist expansion. Positions Hamilton as an anti-slavery immigrant hero while ignoring his entanglements with slaveholding elites and policies that harmed Indigenous nations. Musical numbers energize and charm the audience, creating an emotional connection to figures who, in reality, were complicit in systemic oppression. Parallel: In both works, art reframes history by stripping away its most violent truths, leaving audiences with a feel-good, “inspirational” takeaway that makes the historical oppressors relatable and even heroic. 2. Appropriation of Black Cultural Forms to Sanitize White Histories Song of the South The film draws on African American folk tales and dialect, filtered through white Disney writers, to create entertainment for a white audience. Black vernacular and music are appropriated without authentic agency or historical honesty. Hamilton Adopts Black musical traditions — rap, R&B, hip-hop — to narrate the stories of white (and white-identified) Founding Fathers. The people whose cultural forms power the narrative are largely absent as characters in the story itself — enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples are erased or reduced to cameos. Parallel: In both cases, African American cultural expression is used to frame and humanize the stories of white power, without giving actual narrative power to the oppressed groups whose cultures are being drawn from. 3. Mythmaking as a Form of Nationalist Propaganda Song of the South Promotes a myth of racial harmony and benevolent plantation life that supports Lost Cause nostalgia. Frames U.S. racial history in a way that reassures white audiences and neutralizes the moral urgency of historical injustice. Hamilton Promotes a meritocratic, multicultural founding myth — “immigrants, we get the job done” — that aligns with contemporary American exceptionalism. By skipping over slavery, land theft, and Indigenous genocide, it presents the American Revolution as a universally liberatory event, echoing patriotic myth. Parallel: Both works perform ideological work for the nation: they help audiences feel good about the past, smoothing over the brutality that made the present possible. 4. The “Friendly Face” of Oppression Song of the South Uncle Remus’ kindness and storytelling act as a buffer, making a violently exploitative system appear humane. The character’s warmth disarms viewers, deflecting attention from the system’s cruelty. Hamilton Charismatic performances and rapid-fire rhymes make Hamilton, Washington, and other elite colonists relatable — masking their actual political agendas and exclusions. Audiences connect with charm and wit rather than reckon with the historical record. Parallel: In both, charisma and artistry function as cover for oppressive systems — inviting emotional identification rather than critical distance. 5. Erasure Through Inclusion Song of the South “Includes” a Black character in the center of the story, but only as a servant to white children’s moral lessons. No acknowledgment of systemic oppression; Black presence exists only to affirm white innocence. Hamilton “Includes” actors of color in central roles, but their characters are elite white men in history. No acknowledgment of the voices or resistance of enslaved and Indigenous peoples; people of color are present on stage but absent in the historical truth being told. Parallel: Both works give the appearance of inclusion while structurally excluding the oppressed group’s own historical agency and narrative. Why This Parallel Matters By reframing oppressive histories into stories of harmony, heroism, and “progress,” both Song of the South and Hamiltonbecome what cultural critics call hagiographic mythmaking. They turn deeply compromised historical figures and eras into saints of a national origin story, often through the very cultural forms developed by those who suffered under the systems being celebrated. Where Song of the South was an overt product of segregation-era Hollywood, Hamilton represents a 21st-century iteration: more self-aware in style, more progressive in appearance, but still functioning to protect the national myth by replacing historical complexity with palatable entertainment. Hamilton ↔ Song of the South: Side-by-Side Parallels Theme / Function Hamilton (2015) Song of the South (1946) Parallel Effect Central Charismatic Figure Alexander Hamilton, framed as an underdog immigrant hero, portrayed by a charismatic performer (Lin-Manuel Miranda). Uncle Remus, framed as a wise, kind storyteller, portrayed by James Baskett. Both invite audience empathy for a central figure who masks the harshness of the surrounding oppressive system. Use of Black Cultural Forms Hip-hop, rap, R&B used to narrate stories of white founding elites; absence of actual enslaved voices. African American folk songs and storytelling traditions used to tell white-penned tales about the Reconstruction South. Black culture is appropriated to make white-centered narratives more vibrant and relatable, without granting agency to Black historical actors. Myth of Harmony & Progress Portrays the American Revolution as liberatory for all; erases slavery’s persistence and Indigenous genocide; promotes a meritocratic “immigrant gets the job done” ideal. Portrays post-slavery South as harmonious and friendly; erases systemic racism and violence of Reconstruction/Jim Crow. Both present an “everything is fine now” national myth that soothes rather than confronts injustice. Erasure Through Inclusion Casts actors of color as elite white historical figures; excludes depiction of enslaved and Indigenous peoples’ resistance or suffering. Centers a Black character but only in service to white children’s moral growth; no acknowledgment of racial oppression. The appearance of inclusion masks the absence of true historical representation of the oppressed. Musical Earworms to Cement Myth Catchy songs like “My Shot” and “The Room Where It Happens” make audiences emotionally invest in Founders’ heroics. “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” becomes a cultural anthem, detached from its racist historical context. Infectious music cements a feel-good association with a distorted historical narrative. Friendly Face as Shield for Oppression Charming banter and wit of characters like Hamilton, Washington, and Burr humanize them, obscuring complicity in slavery and colonial expansion. Uncle Remus’s gentle humor and kindness obscure the violence of slavery’s legacy. Likeable characters deflect critical scrutiny from the oppressive systems they inhabit. Nationalist Propaganda Function Reinforces American exceptionalism through a diverse, modernized retelling of the founding; reframes the Revolution as inclusive. Reinforces Lost Cause nostalgia by portraying the antebellum and postbellum South as racially harmonious. Both serve as “heritage” propaganda, adapted to the sensibilities of their era. Key Takeaway Song of the South was explicit in its nostalgia for the plantation myth; Hamilton is subtler, using progressive aesthetics and casting to refresh the founding myth for a modern, multicultural audience. In both, the core strategy is the same: Use music and charm—often drawn from African American cultural traditions—to repackage an oppressive historical reality into a warm, unifying national story. The parallels between Hamilton and Disney’s Song of the South (1946) are striking in how both use Black artistry to sanitize oppression, reframing violent histories as feel-good narratives. Below is a detailed breakdown of their shared tactics: 1. Using Black Performance to Whitewash Oppression Tactic Song of the South (1946) Hamilton (2015) Black Actors as Props Uncle Remus (James Baskett), a freedman, sings cheerful slave songs, masking the brutality of Reconstruction-era racism. Black and Brown actors play slaveowners (Washington, Jefferson) and colonists, rapping about "freedom" while erasing slavery. Genre as Distraction Uses animated, musical fantasy ("Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah") to make the post-Civil War South seem idyllic. Uses hip-hop—a genre rooted in Black resistance—to make colonial violence seem revolutionary. Moral Whitewashing The film’s white plantation family is kind; racism is reduced to a few "bad apples." The Founders are flawed but "visionary"; slavery is a minor footnote. Key Parallel: Both works leverage Black art forms (spirituals, hip-hop) to make white supremacy palatable. 2. Rewriting History Through "Happy" Black Voices Song of the South: Uncle Remus tells stories of Brer Rabbit, an allegory for enslaved people’s survival tactics—but the film cuts the original tales’ subversive edge, turning them into passive entertainment. The film’s tagline: "The most hilarious, heart-warming songfest ever screened!"—erasing lynchings, Black Codes, and sharecropping oppression. Hamilton: The Schuyler Sisters sing "Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now!"—ignoring that their wealth came from enslaved labor. Jefferson’s "What’d I Miss?" is a jazzy, comedic number—trivializing his rape of Sally Hemingsand his slave empire. Key Parallel: Both use Black joy/music as a smokescreen to avoid confronting systemic violence. 3. The "Magical Negro" Trope in Both Works Disney’s Version: Uncle Remus exists to heal white trauma—he comforts a white child (Johnny) with stories, never expressing his own pain. The Oscar-winning song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" reinforces the myth of the "happy slave." Miranda’s Version: The Black ensemble exists to glorify white Founders—cheering for Washington ("One Last Time"), mourning Hamilton ("Who Lives, Who Dies"). No enslaved Black characters speak, despite the real Revolution involving thousands of Black Loyalists fighting for British-promised freedom. Key Parallel: Both reduce Black characters to supporting roles in their own oppression. 4. Corporate Liberal Revisionism Issue Song of the South Hamilton Corporate Backing Disney, a media empire, profited from romanticizing slavery. Sponsored by Bank of America and American Express—institutions built on slavery/colonialism. Liberal Veneer Framed as "harmless nostalgia" by white audiences. Framed as "diverse" and "progressive" by white liberals. Historical Impact Taught generations to see slavery as benign. Teaches audiences to see colonists as "immigrants" and revolution as righteous. Key Quote: "The most effective propaganda isn’t overtly racist—it’s Hamilton, where white supremacy is repackaged as multicultural triumph." — Dr. Lyra Monteiro 5. Resistance & Backlash Parallels Song of the South: NAACP protested in 1946, calling it a "dangerous distortion of history." Disney locked the film in its vault but still profits from merch (e.g., Splash Mountain). Hamilton: Historians like Annette Gordon-Reed criticized its slavery erasure. Miranda acknowledged critiques but never changed the show’s narrative. Key Irony: Both were celebrated by white liberals as "progress" (Disney’s first Black Oscar winner; Miranda’s "diverse" casting). Conclusion: The Cycle of Revisionist Hagiography Step 1: Take a brutal history (slavery, colonization). Step 2: Recruit Black artists to make it entertaining. Step 3: Erase the victims’ pain; center the oppressors’ "complexity." Step 4: Profit, win awards, and silence dissent with claims of "artistic license." Final Thought: Hamilton is Song of the South for the 21st century—a masterpiece of propaganda that lets audiences applaud Black artistry while ignoring Black suffering. I. Side-by-Scene Comparison: Song of the South vs. Hamilton (How both works use music, Black performance, and narrative framing to sanitize oppression.) Scene/Theme Song of the South (1946) Hamilton (2015) Shared Propaganda Tactic Opening Utopia "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"—Uncle Remus sings of a "wonderful day" on a plantation, ignoring slavery’s violence. "Alexander Hamilton"—Celebrates a "scrappy immigrant" rising up, ignoring that colonists were settler-invaders. Happy music masks systemic violence. Black Labor as Passive Backdrop Black field workers sing joyfully while picking cotton—no mention of forced labor. Black ensemble plays revolutionaries chanting "Rise up!"—no mention of who was excluded from "liberty." Black performers are set dressing for white heroism. White Savior Myth Johnny’s white family is "kind" to Uncle Remus, implying slavery wasn’t so bad. Washington ("One Last Time") is framed as wise and paternal, ignoring he brutally enslaved people. Oppressors are softened; victims are erased. Comedic Minstrelsy Br’er Rabbit cartoons are Black-coded buffoonery (big lips, slapstick). Jefferson ("What’d I Miss?") is a foppish, dancing clown, ignoring he raped Sally Hemings. Racist stereotypes repackaged as "fun." Nostalgia for Oppression Film is set in post-Civil War South, romanticizing the plantation as a "simpler time." Musical glorifies 1776 as a revolutionary ideal, ignoring genocide & slavery. History is scrubbed into a feel-good fable. Black Pain as Spectacle Uncle Remus is whipped offscreen—violence hinted but never centered. John Laurens’ death ("Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us") is tragic, but his anti-slavery work is cut. Black suffering is aestheticized, not analyzed. Corporate Exploitation Disney still sells "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" merch (e.g., Splash Mountain). Hamilton is funded by Bank of America (founded on slave wealth). Oppression is monetized as "entertainment." II. How Disney & Miranda Benefit from White Liberal Guilt 1. The "Diversity Shield" Defense Disney’s Tactics: "But James Baskett was the first Black man to win an Oscar!" (Ignoring he played a stereotyped slave narrator.) "It’s just a fairy tale!" (Deflecting criticism of its Lost Cause propaganda.) Miranda’s Tactics: "But the cast is diverse!" (Ignoring they play slaveowners.) "It’s art, not a documentary!" (But it’s taught in schools as history.) Result: White liberals applaud the "progress" without addressing harm. 2. Profiting from "Woke" Branding Disney: Markets Pocahontas and Encanto as "diverse," while erasing real violence (e.g., colonization, war). Splash Mountain made $$$ off Song of the South for decades until 2023 "re-theming." Miranda: Hamilton’s $1B+ empire includes Disney+ deals, merch, and school curricula. Bank of America (a major Hamilton sponsor) was founded by slave traders. Key Quote: "White guilt is a market. Hamilton sells absolution—‘Look, Black people are rapping with Founders! We’re all good now!’" — Dr. Cornel West 3. The "Liberal Fantasy" of Colorblind History Both works push the myth that "race doesn’t matter" in history: Song of the South: "Slaves were happy! Race relations were fine!" Hamilton: "Founders were immigrants! Slavery was a sidenote!" Reality: These stories comfort white audiences by suggesting: Racism is over (Song of the South). Racism is not systemic (Hamilton). III. How to Teach These Parallels Critically Discussion Questions for Classrooms/Audiences: "Why do you think Disney and Miranda chose Black artists to tell these stories?" (Hint: Black performance disarms criticism; white audiences feel "included.") "How does Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah parallel My Shot in tone vs. historical reality?" (Both songs energize audiences while erasing oppression.) "Who benefits from calling Hamilton ‘revolutionary’ for casting Black actors as slaveowners?" (Answer: Corporations and elites, not marginalized communities.) Alternative Texts to Counter These Myths: For Song of the South: Natalie Zemon Davis’ Slaves on Screen (how films distort slavery). For Hamilton: Gerald Horne’s *The Counter-Revolution of 1776* (real history of the Revolution). Final Thought: The Cycle Continues Disney and Miranda don’t just revise history—they sell the revision. Song of the South and Hamiltonare two sides of the same coin: 1946: "Slavery was fun! Sing along!" 2015: "Colonists were cool! Rap along!" 2024: Both still make millions off sanitized oppression 1. Indigenous Erasure in Hamilton What the Musical Ignores: The American Revolution as a War for Indigenous Land The Revolution was not just about "freedom"—it was about expanding settler colonialismwest of the Appalachians. British policy (Proclamation Line of 1763) had limited white settlement, but colonists (including Washington & Jefferson) wanted to seize Native lands. The U.S. victory directly led to the Northwest Indian War (1785–1795), where Washington’s armies burned Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) villages. Hamilton’s Role in Indigenous Dispossession As Treasury Secretary, Hamilton funded military campaigns against Native nations. He helped draft the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which declared U.S. sovereignty over Indigenous lands without their consent. The 1790 Trade and Intercourse Act (which he supported) "regulated" Native land sales—meaning the U.S. government stole land through coercion and fraud. Total Absence of Indigenous Voices Not a single Native character appears in Hamilton, despite: The Oneida Nation aiding the U.S. at Valley Forge. The Cherokee and Shawnee fighting to protect their lands from settlers. Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea), the Mohawk leader who allied with the British to resist U.S. expansion. Scholarly Critique: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States) argues: "The Founding Fathers were not rebels—they were colonizers. The Revolution was a war of territorial expansion, and Hamilton whitewashes this genocide." 2. Hip-Hop’s Role: Black Art in Service of White Mythmaking Why Using Rap for Slaveowners Is Problematic Hip-Hop as a Tool of Resistance Hip-hop emerged from Black and Brown communities resisting oppression (police brutality, poverty, mass incarceration). By giving slaveowners like Jefferson and Washington rap verses, Miranda appropriates Black resistance to glorify their oppressors. The Song of the South Parallel Just as Disney used Black actors singing happy slave songs to romanticize slavery, Hamiltonuses rap to make colonialism seem "cool." As Lyra Monteiro writes: "It’s a minstrel show in reverse—Black performers entertaining white audiences by celebrating their own historical subjugators." The "Immigrants, We Get the Job Done" Myth The line (from Yorktown) equates white colonists with modern immigrants, erasing that they were settler-colonists, not marginalized people. Real immigrants (Irish, Chinese, etc.) faced exclusion acts and lynching—colonists wrote those laws. Scholarly Critique: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (Race for Profit) notes: "Miranda’s Hamilton is neoliberalism’s perfect propaganda—using Black art to sell a story of bootstraps individualism, ignoring systemic racism." 3. Hamilton’s Financial Policies: Building a Slaveholder Economy What the Musical Leaves Out The First Bank of the U.S. & Slavery Hamilton’s Bank of the United States (1791) stabilized the economy—using wealth from slavery. Southern planters used bank loans to buy more enslaved people—Hamilton knew this and never opposed it. The "Report on Manufactures" (1791) Hamilton wanted the U.S. to industrialize—but his plan relied on Southern cotton, which depended on enslaved labor. He opposed tariffs on slave-produced goods, protecting planter profits. The Whiskey Rebellion (1794) Hamilton led 13,000 troops to crush poor white farmers protesting a tax on whiskey. Shows his elitism: He believed the masses were too "unruly" for democracy. Scholarly Critique: Gerald Horne (*The Counter-Revolution of 1776*) argues: "Hamilton’s financial system was designed to enrich the slaveholding elite. His ‘genius’ was in making Northern bankers complicit in slavery’s expansion." How to Teach Hamilton Critically If using Hamilton in education, pair it with: Primary Sources: Hamilton’s letters on slavery (e.g., his 1790s transactions). Jefferson’s Notes on Virginia (racist pseudoscience justifying slavery). Indigenous Perspectives: Tecumseh’s speeches or the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. Black Resistance: David Walker’s Appeal (1829) or Denmark Vesey’s rebellion (1822). Final Quote for Reflection: "History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from. If it offends you, even better—because then you are less likely to repeat it." — Ron Chernow (ironically, Miranda’s source for Hamilton Critiques & Omissions in Hamilton 1. Erasure of Slavery and Overstating Hamilton’s Abolitionism Scholars argue that the musical inflates Hamilton’s anti-slavery credentials—labeling him a "revolutionary manumission abolitionist"—while historians point out he was more moderate in his views, and that he may have owned or traded enslaved people and aligned with slaveholders PolitiFactGoogle SitesWikipedia. The cast’s racial diversity is praised, but critics note that no slave or free Black character is given voice or identity—aside from a brief, non-speaking Sally Hemings cameo TIMEPolitiFactThe ConversationVoxWikipedia. The musical frames slavery largely as something to villainize Jefferson for, rather than showing Hamilton’s own complicity—or the broader institutional entrenchment of slavery among all Founders Cambridge University Press & AssessmentPolitiFactTIME. 2. Absence of Indigenous Perspectives & Language That Echoes Manifest Destiny The musical never addresses Native Americans, standing in for an erasure of Indigenous presence—an act some critics describe as “symbolic genocide” Cambridge University Press & AssessmentThe ConversationWikipedia. Imagery and lyrics like “we roll like Moses, claimin’ our promised land” imply a self-legitimizing narrative of conquest, reinforcing settler colonialism Cambridge University Press & AssessmentGoogle Sites. Scholars note that Hamilton’s federal power agendas had “fateful consequences” for Indigenous nations—yet the musical elides these outcomes entirely The Conversation. 3. Mythologizing Hamilton as a Meritocratic Ideal The narrative frames Hamilton’s ascent as an immigrant success story, perhaps glossing over his elite ambitions and alliances WikipediaGoogle Sites. Critics charge the musical simplifies history into a classic "Great Man" myth—elevating Hamilton while excluding voices of ordinary people, especially POC and Indigenous populations Google SitesWikipedia. This echoes a larger trend of "nationalist neoliberal multiculturalism," where identity casting substitutes for structural historical critique Cambridge University Press & AssessmentVox. 4. Portrayal of Settler Colonialism and Revolutionary Forgetfulness The show often frames the Revolution as anti-colonial, yet sidesteps the fact that colonists like Hamilton were still actively appropriating land and building exclusionary institutions The ConversationWikipedia. Even episodes like “The Room Where It Happens,” where Burr laments not being in the room, ignore that many in that room would have been served by enslaved individuals—another omission of complicity Boston University. 5. Critiques from Artists & Cultural Commentators Ishmael Reed created The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda—a satirical play in which missing historical figures confront Miranda—to call out the musical’s whitewashing of Hamilton and failure to acknowledge slaveholding history and Indigenous dispossession Wikipedia. Lyra D. Monteiro critiques the harmonious casting as masking the radical historical erasure of Black and Indigenous contributions Cambridge University Press & AssessmentVox. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed, while appreciating the musical’s artistry, notes that its dazzling surface may submerge important discussions about slavery Cherwell. Additional Points of Critique Gender imbalance: Women in the show—Eliza, Angelica, Maria Reynolds—appear in only about 14 of 46 songs and are largely defined by their relationships to men The Conversation. Omission of broader populace: The focus remains on elites—Founding Fathers—without depicting the experiences of broader groups, such as ordinary soldiers, enslaved individuals like Cato, or Black servicemen Google SitesPolitiFactSmithsonian Magazine. Deleted material: Miranda cut a "Cabinet Battle #3" song that would have presented stronger anti-slavery debate—indicating awareness but reluctance to spotlight historical complexity Wikipedia. Summary Table Critique Area Key Point Slavery & Hamilton’s role Overstated abolitionism; omission of his and other Founders’ complicity Indigenous erasure No Indigenous characters or acknowledgment of genocide Mythmaking Great-man narrative, ignoring structural oppression and colonization Settler colonial narrative Revolution framed as liberatory while ignoring land theft and genocide Artistic responses Critiques by Reed, Monteiro, Gordon-Reed highlighting omissions Gender & popular omission Women marginalized; non-elites absent from the story Context & Reflection Artistic license allows for dramatization, and Hamilton undeniably opened doors and sparked discourse—especially through its casting of people of color in Founding Father roles. But the critiques are rooted in how the musical sometimes silences or mythologizes histories central to understanding America’s foundation: slavery, Indigenous dispossession, inequality, and nuanced gender dynamics. From a scholarly angle, the show fits into a broader neoliberal multicultural model—visually inclusive but structurally simplified. As historian Joanne Freeman put it, the real Hamilton was “a mass of contradictions,” far more complex than the inspirational ideal he becomes on stage Wikipedia. The value in these critiques isn’t to delegitimize Hamilton as art, but to place it within a landscape where critical reflection is essential—especially when the original dramatically reshapes public historical memory. Hamilton and the Myth of Abolitionist Virtue Historians argue Hamilton exaggerates Alexander Hamilton’s stance on slavery. While he was involved in the New York Manumission Society, this didn’t make him a true abolitionist—he didn’t push for abolition and may have profited indirectly through slaveholding in his family. VPMBoston UniversityWikipedia The musical portrays Hamilton’s anti-slavery position mainly to contrast Jefferson, while failing to acknowledge that both Washington and Hamilton's father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, were significant slaveholders. Some historians suggest Hamilton may have owned slaves himself. TIMEVPMWikipedia The song lyrics (“We’ll never be free until we end slavery”) foreground Laurens’s abolitionism more than Hamilton’s actual record. Boston UniversityVPM Erasure of Black and Indigenous Peoples Despite its color-conscious casting, the show features virtually no Black or Indigenous characters—aside from a brief, unnamed role as Sally Hemings. This omission has been labeled “wholesale erasure” by scholars like Lyra Monteiro. VPMThe ConversationVoxWikipedia Hamilton’s policies—such as pushing for a federal army—had devastating consequences for Indigenous nations, especially in territories like Ohio and Indiana. The musical omits these implications entirely. The Conversation Artist Ishmael Reed has critiqued the erasure sharply: he argues that the show ignores the Schuyler family’s slaveholding and plays into a sanitized myth of Hamilton. TIMEWikipedia Gender Dynamics and Women’s Roles Though Hamilton features strong female characters like the Schuyler sisters, historians note the musical sidelines women by centering them around male arcs. The Bechdel Test isn’t satisfied—women appear mostly in relation to men. The Michigan DailyWikipedia The show’s narratives about Angelica—including her sacrificing love for her sister—are dramatized and simplified: historically, she had several children and eloped before she even met Hamilton. Wikipedia Settler Colonialism and Revisionist Immigrant Narrative Hamilton is portrayed as a self-made immigrant hero—but critics highlight this glosses over how founding elites, including Hamilton, benefited from settler colonialism and land dispossession of Indigenous peoples. The Michigan DailyThe Conversation The musical’s “American Dream” narrative risks “gaslighting” by shifting attention away from structural inequalities that constrained many immigrants. The Michigan Daily Artistic & Scholarly Responses Ishmael Reed’s The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda: This satirical play dramatizes figures erased from Hamilton confronting Miranda. It spotlights omissions of slaveholding, Indigenous genocide, and historical distortion. Wikipedia Historical critique: Annette Gordon-Reed appreciates the musical’s artistry but emphasizes it deserves critical scrutiny, not idolization. Harvard GazetteVPM Lyra Monteiro frames Hamilton as an example of “Founders Chic”—using diverse representation while silencing POC actors from actual revolutionary narratives. TIMEVoxThe Conversation Voices from Viewers (via Reddit) “Sally was 14 years old when Jefferson started raping her.” — A Redditor reflects on the disturbing implications of the brief portrayal of Sally Hemings as Jefferson’s letter-opener. Reddit “It feels like a punch in the gut a bit… how he glosses over his dealings in slavery…and doesn’t feature context on the Founding Fathers’ war against Native Americans.” — One fan questions whether continued support for the musical might inadvertently sustain harmful historical narratives. Reddit “As a theatre professional and Historian… the lack of acknowledgment about slavery and the overblown position of Hamilton… is a valid point of criticism.” — Another thoughtful reflection acknowledging both the musical’s importance and its critical blind spots. Reddit Summary Table Theme Critique Slavery & Hamilton Overstated abolitionism; omission of complicity and family enslavers Black & Indigenous Peoples Erasure from narrative; complicity in genocide omitted Gender Representation Women included but simplified; not central agents of change Myth of Immigrant Hero Overshadows colonial violence foundational to the Republic Artistic Responses Satirical and scholarly critiques call for deeper historical accountability Audience Reflections Viewers express complex, conflicted engagement with the work

Drew

Congrats Chris and Molly!!

Michael Miller

Let me tell you we schizophrenics are sick of these fucking posers stealing our valor— outsourcing the heavy lifting of Madness to an uncanny rendition of Timothée Chalomet if she transitioned. When Matt would talk about Epstein being a computer virus or says "All Hail the Crimson King" he is making perfect sense to me. Because I do real Schizophrenia. With my Brain. If you lack the frontal lobe capacity to bewilder the animal parts of your mind by your own devices for the sake of God Himself just keep chewing on your tounge and Go To Work. Also call your Wife back, she has important documents she needs you to sign.

Expiatory Goat

 Insidious structural slavery that's been ongoing since before the United States was declared the settler colony in its July 4 document that called Indians/indigenous, 'merciless Indian savages': . **Debt peonage** and other forms of **labor exploitation amounting to slavery** have been—and continue to be—**deeply structural** in the U.S., disproportionately targeting **non-'white' minority groups** through **legal, economic, and coercive systems** that trap workers in cycles of forced labor. Below is an in-depth breakdown: --- ### **What is Debt Peonage?** Debt peonage (or **debt bondage**) is a system where workers are **forced to labor to pay off a debt**, but the terms are manipulated so that **they can never escape**. This was historically used against **Mexican, Indigenous, Black, and Asian workers** and persists today in modern forms. #### **Key Features of Debt Peonage:** 1. **Impossible-to-Repay Debts** – Workers owe money for transportation, housing, tools, or food, but wages are so low they can never pay it off. 2. **Coercion & Violence** – Threats of deportation, physical violence, or legal punishment keep workers trapped. 3. **Legal & Economic Traps** – Laws are structured to prevent workers from escaping (e.g., contract labor laws, employer-controlled visas). --- ### **Historical Forms of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery in the U.S.** #### **1. Post-Emancipation Black & Mexican Peonage (1865–1940s)** - **Black Codes & Convict Leasing** – After slavery, Southern states passed laws forcing Black people into **"vagrancy" arrests**, then **leased them to plantations/mines** as "convict labor." - **Mexican Debt Peonage in Southwest** – After 1848 (Mexican-American War), Mexican workers were **forced into debt bondage** on railroads, mines, and farms. - Example: **Railroads & Mining Companies** would "advance" wages for transportation, then deduct costs for food/housing, ensuring workers **never earned enough to leave**. #### **2. Asian Indentured Servitude (1860s–1920s)** - **Chinese Railroad Workers** – "Credit-ticket system" forced Chinese migrants into **years of unpaid labor** to repay passage debts. - **Japanese & Filipino Farmworkers** – Labor contractors kept workers in perpetual debt through **company stores (charging inflated prices)**. #### **3. Bracero Program (1942–1964) – "Legal" Indentured Servitude** - Mexican workers were **promised fair wages** but instead: - Wages were **withheld or stolen**. - Workers charged exorbitant fees for housing/food. - **Threat of deportation** prevented complaints. #### **4. Modern-Day Debt Peonage (1980s–Present)** - **Guestworker Programs (H-2A/H-2B visas)** – Workers pay recruiters **thousands in fees**, then arrive to find: - Wages **lower than promised**. - **Passports confiscated** (preventing escape). - **Threats of blacklisting** if they complain. - **Undocumented Workers** – Many take **smuggling loans ($10,000+)** and must work **under abusive conditions** to pay it back. - **Prison Labor** – Mostly Black/Latino prisoners paid **$0.13–$1.50/hour** for forced labor (legal under 13th Amendment "exception"). --- ### **Why is This Structural?** The U.S. economy has **always relied on racialized forced labor**, enforced through: #### **1. Legal Systems Designed to Trap Workers** - **At-Will Employment** – Workers can be fired for protesting abuse. - **Visa Dependency** – H-2A, H-1B, J-1 workers **lose status if fired**, making them vulnerable. - **Criminalization of Poverty** – Undocumented workers can’t report wage theft (fear of ICE). #### **2. Economic Traps** - **Company Towns** – Workers must buy from employer-owned stores at inflated prices (common in agriculture). - **Predatory Recruitment** – Labor brokers charge migrants **illegal fees**, trapping them in debt. #### **3. State Complicity** - **ICE & Workplace Raids** – Instead of punishing **employers for wage theft**, workers are deported. - **Prison-Industrial Complex** – Police target Black/Brown communities, feeding them into **forced prison labor**. --- ### **Modern Examples of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery** | Group | Industry | Exploitation Method | |--------|------------|----------------------| | **Latino Migrants** | Agriculture, Meatpacking | Smuggling debts, wage theft, threats of deportation | | **Asian Migrants** | Nail Salons, Restaurants | Confiscated passports, 80-hour weeks for $3/hour | | **Black Americans** | Prison Labor | Forced to work for pennies (or nothing) | | **Indigenous Workers** | Oil Fields, Farming | Isolated worksites, no labor protections | --- ### **Conclusion: A Continuum of Racialized Labor Slavery** From **chattel slavery → convict leasing → debt peonage → modern guestworker programs**, the U.S. has **always reinvented forced labor** to target **non-white minorities**. Today, it hides behind: - **"At-will employment"** (you can be fired for any reason) - **"Right-to-work" laws** (undermining unions) - **"Illegal immigration" rhetoric** (scapegoating victims) **This is not accidental—it is systemic.** The U.S. economy **depends on hyper-exploitable labor**, and racial hierarchies ensure that **non-white workers bear the brunt**. The Insidious structural slavery that's been ongoing since before the United States was declared the settler colony in its July 4 document that called Indians/indigenous, 'merciless Indian savages': . **Debt peonage** and other forms of **labor exploitation amounting to slavery** have been—and continue to be—**deeply structural** in the U.S., disproportionately targeting **non-white minority groups** through **legal, economic, and coercive systems** that trap workers in cycles of forced labor. Below is an in-depth breakdown: --- ### **What is Debt Peonage?** Debt peonage (or **debt bondage**) is a system where workers are **forced to labor to pay off a debt**, but the terms are manipulated so that **they can never escape**. This was historically used against **Mexican, Indigenous, Black, and Asian workers** and persists today in modern forms. #### **Key Features of Debt Peonage:** 1. **Impossible-to-Repay Debts** – Workers owe money for transportation, housing, tools, or food, but wages are so low they can never pay it off. 2. **Coercion & Violence** – Threats of deportation, physical violence, or legal punishment keep workers trapped. 3. **Legal & Economic Traps** – Laws are structured to prevent workers from escaping (e.g., contract labor laws, employer-controlled visas). --- ### **Historical Forms of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery in the U.S.** #### **1. Post-Emancipation Black & Mexican Peonage (1865–1940s)** - **Black Codes & Convict Leasing** – After slavery, Southern states passed laws forcing Black people into **"vagrancy" arrests**, then **leased them to plantations/mines** as "convict labor." - **Mexican Debt Peonage in Southwest** – After 1848 (Mexican-American War), Mexican workers were **forced into debt bondage** on railroads, mines, and farms. - Example: **Railroads & Mining Companies** would "advance" wages for transportation, then deduct costs for food/housing, ensuring workers **never earned enough to leave**. #### **2. Asian Indentured Servitude (1860s–1920s)** - **Chinese Railroad Workers** – "Credit-ticket system" forced Chinese migrants into **years of unpaid labor** to repay passage debts. - **Japanese & Filipino Farmworkers** – Labor contractors kept workers in perpetual debt through **company stores (charging inflated prices)**. #### **3. Bracero Program (1942–1964) – "Legal" Indentured Servitude** - Mexican workers were **promised fair wages** but instead: - Wages were **withheld or stolen**. - Workers charged exorbitant fees for housing/food. - **Threat of deportation** prevented complaints. #### **4. Modern-Day Debt Peonage (1980s–Present)** - **Guestworker Programs (H-2A/H-2B visas)** – Workers pay recruiters **thousands in fees**, then arrive to find: - Wages **lower than promised**. - **Passports confiscated** (preventing escape). - **Threats of blacklisting** if they complain. - **Undocumented Workers** – Many take **smuggling loans ($10,000+)** and must work **under abusive conditions** to pay it back. - **Prison Labor** – Mostly Black/Latino prisoners paid **$0.13–$1.50/hour** for forced labor (legal under 13th Amendment "exception"). --- ### **Why is This Structural?** The U.S. economy has **always relied on racialized forced labor**, enforced through: #### **1. Legal Systems Designed to Trap Workers** - **At-Will Employment** – Workers can be fired for protesting abuse. - **Visa Dependency** – H-2A, H-1B, J-1 workers **lose status if fired**, making them vulnerable. - **Criminalization of Poverty** – Undocumented workers can’t report wage theft (fear of ICE). #### **2. Economic Traps** - **Company Towns** – Workers must buy from employer-owned stores at inflated prices (common in agriculture). - **Predatory Recruitment** – Labor brokers charge migrants **illegal fees**, trapping them in debt. #### **3. State Complicity** - **ICE & Workplace Raids** – Instead of punishing **employers for wage theft**, workers are deported. - **Prison-Industrial Complex** – Police target Black/Brown communities, feeding them into **forced prison labor**. --- ### **Modern Examples of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery** | Group | Industry | Exploitation Method | |--------|------------|----------------------| | **Latino Migrants** | Agriculture, Meatpacking | Smuggling debts, wage theft, threats of deportation | | **Asian Migrants** | Nail Salons, Restaurants | Confiscated passports, 80-hour weeks for $3/hour | | **Black Americans** | Prison Labor | Forced to work for pennies (or nothing) | | **Indigenous Workers** | Oil Fields, Farming | Isolated worksites, no labor protections | --- ### **Conclusion: A Continuum of Racialized Labor Slavery** From **chattel slavery → convict leasing → debt peonage → modern guestworker programs**, the U.S. has **always reinvented forced labor** to target **non-white minorities**. Today, it hides behind: - **"At-will employment"** (you can be fired for any reason) - **"Right-to-work" laws** (undermining unions) - **"Illegal immigration" rhetoric** (scapegoating victims) **This is not accidental—it is systemic.** The U.S. economy **depends on hyper-exploitable labor**, and racial hierarchies ensure that **non-white workers bear the brunt**. ### **Expanded Case Studies: Prison Labor, Massage Parlor Trafficking, and More Hidden Forced Labor in the U.S.** The U.S. economy continues to rely on **forced and hyper-exploited labor**, often targeting marginalized groups through **legal loopholes, systemic neglect, and outright coercion**. Below are **additional case studies** exposing modern-day slavery in: 1. **Prison Labor** (13th Amendment loophole) 2. **Massage Parlor & Nail Salon Trafficking** (Asian migrant women) 3. **Domestic Worker Exploitation** (Latina & Caribbean women) 4. **Construction & Day Labor Abuse** (Undocumented Latino workers) --- ## **1. Prison Labor: Slavery Under the 13th Amendment** **Industry**: Agriculture, manufacturing, firefighting, call centers **Workers Affected**: Mostly Black, Latino, and Indigenous incarcerated people **Exploitation Methods**: - **"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... except as punishment for a crime."** – The **13th Amendment loophole** explicitly allows slavery in prisons. - **Wages**: As low as **$0.13/hour** (Alabama, Texas) to **$1.50/hour** (California). - **Forced Labor**: Inmates **punished with solitary confinement** if they refuse to work. - **Corporate Profiteers**: - **Whole Foods, Walmart, Victoria’s Secret** – Use prison labor for cheap production. - **Starbucks** – Uses prison labor for milk production. - **BP, Chevron** – Use prison firefighters (**paid $2/day**) to combat wildfires. ### **Case Studies:** - **2020 (California Wildfires)**: Incarcerated firefighters **paid $1/hour** while risking lives. - **2022 (Alabama Prison Strike)**: Thousands of inmates **protested forced labor for $0.30/hour**. - **2023 (Louisiana)**: Angola Prison (former slave plantation) still forces **Black inmates to pick cotton**. **Why It’s Structural:** - **Policing targets Black/Brown communities** → feeds them into prison labor. - **Corporations lobby to keep prison wages at slave levels**. - **"Rehabilitation" rhetoric masks exploitation**. --- ## **2. Massage Parlor & Nail Salon Trafficking (Asian Migrant Women)** **Industry**: "Spa" fronts, nail salons, illicit massage businesses **Workers Affected**: Mostly Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese women (many undocumented or on fraudulent visas) **Exploitation Methods**: - **Debt Bondage**: Women pay **$10,000–$50,000** to smugglers, then forced into labor. - **Coercion**: - **Passports confiscated** - **Threats of deportation** - **Sexual violence** (if in illicit massage parlors) - **Wage Theft**: Often paid **$30–$50 for 12-hour shifts** (below minimum wage). ### **Case Studies:** - **2019 (Atlanta Raids)**: Hundreds of Asian women "rescued" from massage parlors—but **many later deported**. - **2021 (New York Nail Salons)**: Workers report **chemical burns, $3/hour wages, no breaks**. - **2023 (Texas)**: Korean women **locked inside spas**, forced to service clients 18 hours/day. **Why It’s Structural:** - **Visa fraud loopholes** (T-visas for trafficking victims are **nearly impossible to get**). - **Police target sex workers instead of traffickers**. - **Beauty industry relies on invisible, exploited labor**. --- ## **3. Domestic Worker Exploitation (Latina & Caribbean Women)** **Industry**: Nannies, housekeepers, elderly care **Workers Affected**: Undocumented Latina, Afro-Caribbean, Filipino women **Exploitation Methods**: - **Live-in Slavery**: Forced to work **16+ hour days**, paid **$2–$4/hour**. - **No Labor Rights**: Excluded from U.S. labor laws (no overtime, no breaks). - **Abuse**: Verbal, physical, and sexual assault common. ### **Case Studies:** - **2016 (New York)**: Indonesian nanny **sued diplomat for 18-hour days, $1.20/hour pay**. - **2020 (Florida)**: Haitian housekeeper **locked inside home, paid $50/week**. - **2022 (California)**: Filipina caregiver **worked 7 years without a day off**. **Why It’s Structural:** - **Domestic work excluded from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)** until 2015 (and still weakly enforced). - **Isolation in private homes** makes abuse invisible. --- ## **4. Construction & Day Labor Abuse (Undocumented Latino Workers)** **Industry**: Construction, roofing, demolition **Workers Affected**: Mostly Mexican, Central American men **Exploitation Methods**: - **Wage Theft**: **30–50% of day laborers** report being **denied pay**. - **Death Traps**: No safety equipment → **highest workplace death rates** (Latino construction workers die at **2x the rate of white workers**). - **Retaliation**: If injured, workers **fired & deported**. ### **Case Studies:** - **2019 (Texas)**: Roofing workers **denied water in 110°F heat**, one died. - **2021 (New York)**: Undocumented laborers **paid $40 for 12-hour shifts**. - **2023 (Arizona)**: Migrants **forced to work without harnesses**, several fell to deaths. **Why It’s Structural:** - **OSHA does almost nothing** for undocumented workers. - **Employers know workers won’t report** (fear of ICE). --- ## **Conclusion: The U.S. Economy Still Depends on Forced Labor** From **prisons to massage parlors, farms to tech offices**, the U.S. maintains **racialized, coercive labor systems** that trap marginalized workers in **debt peonage, wage theft, and outright slavery**. ### **Key Reforms Needed:** ✔ **Abolish prison slavery** (Close 13th Amendment loophole). ✔ **End employer-controlled visas** (H-1B, H-2A, J-1). ✔ **Legalize undocumented workers** (so they can report abuse). ✔ **Crack down on recruiters & traffickers** (instead of deporting victims). ### **Historical Parallels: From Convict Leasing to Modern Prison Slavery** The U.S. has **always reinvented forced labor systems** to maintain racialized economic control. Below is a breakdown of the **direct line from chattel slavery → convict leasing → chain gangs → modern prison labor**, followed by a **policy roadmap for abolition**. --- ## **Part 1: Historical Continuum of Racialized Forced Labor** ### **1. Chattel Slavery (1619–1865)** - **Mechanism**: Black people legally classified as property, forced into agricultural/domestic labor. - **Profit**: Slaveholders extracted **$14 trillion** (in today’s dollars) in unpaid labor. ### **2. Black Codes & Convict Leasing (1865–1940s)** - **Mechanism**: Southern states passed laws criminalizing Black life ("vagrancy," "loitering"). - Arrested Black people were **"leased"** to plantations, mines, and railroads. - **Death rates**: 25–40% of convict laborers died (worse than slavery). - **Profit**: States and corporations (e.g., **U.S. Steel, Tennessee Coal & Iron**) made **billions**. - **Example**: In Alabama, **90% of "leased" convicts were Black**, though Black people were only 25% of the population. ### **3. Chain Gangs & Jim Crow Labor (1900s–1950s)** - **Mechanism**: Prisoners (disproportionately Black) forced to build **roads, railways, and public works** in brutal conditions. - **Violence**: Whippings, torture, and executions for resistance. - **Profit**: Southern states **avoided paying wages** for infrastructure projects. ### **4. Modern Prison Industrial Complex (1970s–Present)** - **Mechanism**: The **"War on Drugs"** (Nixon/Reagan) targeted Black/Brown communities, **tripling the prison population**. - **Prison labor today**: Workers paid **$0.13–$1.50/hour** for: - Fighting wildfires (California) - Packing Amazon orders (Nevada) - Processing meat (Texas) - **Corporate Partners**: **Walmart, McDonald’s, Whole Foods** profit from prison labor. - **Parallel to Convict Leasing**: | **Convict Leasing (1870s)** | **Modern Prison Labor** | |-----------------------------|--------------------------| | Black men arrested for petty crimes | Black/Brown people jailed for nonviolent drug offenses | | "Leased" to plantations/railroads | "Leased" to corporations via PIE (Prison Industries Enhancement) program | | 25–40% death rate | Suicide, medical neglect rampant | **Key Takeaway**: The **13th Amendment’s "exception clause"** ensured slavery never ended—it just evolved. --- ## **Part 2: Policy Roadmap to Dismantle Forced Labor Systems** ### **1. Abolish the 13th Amendment’s Slavery Loophole** - **Problem**: The 13th Amendment **explicitly allows slavery** for incarcerated people. - **Solution**: Pass the **Abolition Amendment** (H.J.Res. 53) to eliminate the exception. - **Success Model**: Colorado (2022), Nebraska (2024) passed state-level bans. ### **2. End Prison Labor Exploitation** - **Immediate Reforms**: - **Pay minimum wage** to incarcerated workers. - **Ban forced labor** (no punishment for refusing to work). - **Shut down PIE program** (no corporate profiteering). - **Long-Term**: Decarcerate nonviolent offenders; invest in **education/job training**. ### **3. Break Employer Control Over Migrant Workers** - **Problem**: Visas (H-2A, H-1B, J-1) **tie workers to employers**, enabling abuse. - **Solutions**: - **Uncouple visas from employers** (allow job mobility). - **Ban recruitment fees** (root of debt bondage). - **Grant work permits to undocumented workers** (so they can report wage theft). ### **4. Prosecute Wage Theft as a Felony** - **Problem**: Employers steal **$15 billion/year** from workers (mostly migrants). - **Solution**: - **Criminal penalties** for wage theft (currently a "civil violation"). - **Expand DOL enforcement** (only **1% of H-2A employers** face consequences). ### **5. Legalize & Protect Undocumented Workers** - **Problem**: 8 million undocumented workers **labor under threat of deportation**. - **Solution**: - **Path to citizenship** (e.g., expanded DACA). - **Firewall between ICE & labor agencies** (stop workplace raids). ### **6. Combat Sex & Labor Trafficking** - **Problem**: Police **arrest victims** (e.g., massage workers) instead of traffickers. - **Solution**: - **Expand T-visas** (for trafficking survivors). - **Decriminalize sex work** (to reduce vulnerability). ### **7. Corporate Accountability** - **Problem**: Companies like **Walmart, Tyson Foods, Amazon** profit from forced labor. - **Solution**: - **Mandate supply-chain audits** (like California’s SB 657). - **Sue corporations** under **Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)**. --- ## **Conclusion: From Exploitation to Liberation** The U.S. economy was **built on racialized forced labor**, and its modern forms—**prison labor, trafficked migrants, indentured visas**—are just the latest iterations. **Abolishing these systems requires:** 1. **Ending legal slavery** (13th Amendment reform). 2. **Decoupling labor from immigration control** (free job mobility). 3. **Prosecuting corporations**, not workers. **Solidarity Example**: The **Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)** defeated tomato slavery through **worker-led boycotts**. This proves **systemic change is possible**. ### **Historical Parallels: Mexican Repatriation (1929–1945) vs. Modern ICE Raids (2008–Present)** The U.S. has a long pattern of **scapegoating and forcibly removing Mexican and Latin American migrants** during economic crises, only to later recruit them as exploitable labor. Below is a breakdown of the **striking parallels** between the **Mexican Repatriation** of the 1930s and **modern ICE deportations**—and how both serve capitalist interests. --- ## **1. Mexican Repatriation (1929–1945): Mass Expulsions During the Great Depression** ### **Context:** - After the **1929 stock market crash**, white Americans demanded jobs "for citizens." - **Racist rhetoric** blamed Mexicans for "stealing jobs" and "draining welfare." - **Federal/local governments collaborated** to deport **1–2 million people** (60% were **U.S.-born citizens**). ### **Methods of Forced Removal:** - **Raids**: Police and immigration agents **stormed Mexican neighborhoods**, arresting people without due process. - **Trains & Trucks**: Thousands were **forcibly loaded onto trains** and dumped at the border. - **Voluntary" Repatriation**: Many left "voluntarily" due to **lynchings, job bans, and denial of relief programs**. ### **Who Benefited?** - **White workers** were given preferential hiring. - **Agribusiness** later lobbied for the **Bracero Program (1942)** when labor shortages hit. ### **Impact:** - **Families destroyed**: Many never recovered property or U.S. citizenship. - **Precedent for racialized expulsion**: Set the stage for **Operation Wetback (1954)** and modern ICE. --- ## **2. Modern ICE Raids (2008–Present): The New Repatriation** ### **Context:** - **Post-2008 financial crisis**: Anti-migrant rhetoric surged ("they’re taking our jobs"). - **Obama-era "Deporter-in-Chief" policies**: ICE raids **tripled** (2009–2016). - **Trump/Biden expansions**: Workplace raids continue under **both parties**. ### **Methods of Forced Removal:** - **Workplace Raids**: - **2019 (Mississippi)**: ICE arrested **680 poultry plant workers** (parents separated from children). - **2023 (Ohio)**: **100+ migrants detained** at a dairy farm. - **Local Police Collaboration**: **287(g) program** turns cops into ICE agents. - **"Self-Deportation"**: Laws like **SB 1070 (Arizona)** force migrants to flee due to racial profiling. ### **Who Benefits?** - **Corporations**: After raids, wages drop (e.g., **Postville, Iowa, saw 30% pay cuts** post-2008 raid). - **Prison Industrial Complex**: **Detention centers (run by GEO Group, CoreCivic) profit $3+ billion/year**. - **Politicians**: Fearmongering wins votes (e.g., Trump’s **"Build the Wall"** campaign). ### **Impact:** - **Family separations**: **5,500+ children taken from parents** under Trump (many still not reunited). - **Labor shortages**: Industries like **agriculture, construction** face worker crises post-raids. - **Trauma**: Migrant communities live in **permanent fear**, avoiding hospitals/police. --- ## **Key Parallels Between Repatriation & Modern ICE** | **Mexican Repatriation (1930s)** | **Modern ICE Raids (2000s–Present)** | |----------------------------------|--------------------------------------| | **Excuse**: "They’re stealing jobs" (Great Depression) | **Excuse**: "They’re criminals" (Post-9/11, "bad hombres" rhetoric) | | **Methods**: Mass street raids, forced train deportations | **Methods**: Workplace raids, 287(g) police collaboration | | **Targets**: Mexican communities (many U.S. citizens) | **Targets**: Latino workers (many with no criminal record) | | **Backlash**: Labor shortages → Bracero Program | **Backlash**: Farmworker shortages → calls for "guestworkers" | | **Profiteers**: White workers (short-term), agribusiness (long-term) | **Profiteers**: Private prisons, corporations exploiting fear | --- ## **Why This Cycle Repeats** 1. **Capitalist Demand for Cheap Labor**: - Businesses **want migrants exploitable** (low wages, no rights). - When the economy crashes, they’re **scapegoated and expelled**. 2. **Racialized Political Theater**: - Politicians **win votes** by promising "crackdowns." 3. **Structural Racism in Law**: - **Then**: "Vagrancy" laws targeted Mexicans. - **Now**: "Illegal presence" is a civil offense, but enforcement is **violent and racialized**. --- ## **How to Break the Cycle: Policy Solutions** ### **1. End ICE Raids & Abolish ICE** - **Defund ICE**: Redirect $8+ billion budget to **worker protections**. - **Repeal 287(g)**: Stop local police from acting as immigration agents. ### **2. Citizenship for Undocumented Workers** - **Pass the Dream & Promise Act**: Protect DACA recipients. - **Expand TPS**: Stop deportations to crisis zones (e.g., Haiti, Venezuela). ### **3. Punish Employers, Not Workers** - **Raise fines for wage theft**: Make it **10x costlier** than hiring undocumented labor. - **Mandate E-Verify for CEOs**: If they exploit workers, **jail them, not migrants**. ### **4. Historical Reparations** - **Formal apology for Repatriation**: California (2022) did this—**expand nationally**. - **Reparations funds**: For families torn apart by ICE. ### **5. Worker Solidarity** - **Unions for all**: The **UAW’s 2023 strike** included undocumented workers. - **Cross-racial labor alliances**: Black/Brown unity against divide-and-conquer tactics. --- ## **Conclusion: From Expulsion to Liberation** The **Mexican Repatriation and ICE raids** are the same story: **capitalism needs cheap, disposable labor**, and racism provides the excuse to brutalize them. **Breaking this cycle requires:** 1. **Abolishing racist enforcement** (ICE, 287(g)). 2. **Granting citizenship** to undocumented workers. 3. **Uniting workers across race** to demand dignity. **Solidarity Example**: In 2021, **Amazon workers in Alabama** (Black and Latino) unionized despite ICE threats—proving **collective action can defeat exploitation**. ### **Historical Parallels: Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) vs. Muslim Ban (2017–2021)** The U.S. has a long history of **using immigration bans to target racial and religious minorities** during times of economic anxiety or political fearmongering. Below is a breakdown of the **direct parallels** between the **Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)** and the **Muslim Ban (2017)**, showing how xenophobic policies recycle the same tactics. --- ## **1. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943): America’s First Race-Based Immigration Ban** ### **Context:** - **Post-Civil War economy**: White workers feared Chinese laborers would "steal jobs." - **Anti-Chinese racism**: Stereotypes of Chinese as **"disease carriers," "unassimilable," and "coolie labor"** dominated media. - **Violence**: Lynchings (e.g., **Los Angeles Chinese Massacre, 1871**) and **arson attacks** on Chinatowns. ### **Key Provisions of the Law:** ✔ **Banned all Chinese laborers** from entering the U.S. ✔ **Barred Chinese immigrants from citizenship** (even if they had lived here for decades) ✔ **Required Chinese already in the U.S. to carry "certificates of residence"** (early **"papers, please"** policing) ### **Who Benefited?** - **White labor unions** (e.g., **Knights of Labor**) pushed for the ban to reduce job competition. - **Politicians** won votes by scapegoating Chinese workers. ### **Impact:** - **Families separated** (wives/children barred from joining husbands). - **Underground labor networks**: Smuggling and **false papers** became necessary. - **Precedent for future bans**: Led to **Asian Exclusion Acts (1917, 1924)**. --- ## **2. Muslim Ban (2017–2021): 21st-Century Exclusion** ### **Context:** - **Post-9/11 Islamophobia**: Politicians (Trump, Giuliani) stoked fears of **"terrorist infiltration."** - **"Clash of Civilizations" rhetoric**: Muslims framed as **"violent," "anti-American."** ### **Key Provisions of the Ban:** ✔ **Executive Order 13769 (2017)**: Banned travelers from **7 Muslim-majority countries** (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen). ✔ **Expanded bans (2020)**: Added **Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan**. ✔ **Extreme vetting**: Forced Muslim visa applicants to **give social media passwords**. ### **Who Benefited?** - **Far-right politicians** (Trump’s base loved the "tough on terror" image). - **Private prisons** (ICE detention centers expanded to hold Muslim asylum seekers). ### **Impact:** - **Families separated** (students, doctors, refugees blocked from entering). - **Surveillance state grew**: Muslim Americans **monitored at airports, mosques**. - **Precedent for future bans**: Biden ended Trump’s ban but kept **Title 42 (COVID-era expulsions)**. --- ## **Key Parallels Between Chinese Exclusion & Muslim Ban** | **Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)** | **Muslim Ban (2017)** | |----------------------------------|------------------------| | **Excuse**: "They’re stealing jobs" | **Excuse**: "They’re terrorists" | | **Target**: Chinese laborers | **Target**: Muslim-majority nations | | **Racist Stereotypes**: "Dirty, diseased coolies" | **Racist Stereotypes**: "Violent jihadists" | | **Legal Tool**: Race-based exclusion | **Legal Tool**: Nationality/religion-based exclusion | | **Enforcement**: "Papers, please" checks in Chinatowns | **Enforcement**: TSA profiling at airports | | **Result**: Underground smuggling networks | **Result**: Asylum seekers stranded at borders | --- ## **Why This Pattern Repeats** 1. **Capitalism needs a scapegoat**: When wages fall or crises hit, politicians blame **"foreign threats."** 2. **Racialized fear sells**: Demonizing a minority group **wins votes** (1882: "Yellow Peril," 2017: "Radical Islam"). 3. **Laws normalize discrimination**: Once one group is banned, **others follow** (e.g., after Chinese Exclusion came **Japanese internment**). --- ## **How to Fight Back: Lessons from History** ### **1. Repeal Discriminatory Laws** - **Chinese Exclusion was repealed in 1943** (only due to WWII alliance with China). - **Muslim Ban was overturned by courts/Biden**—but **similar policies (Title 42) persist**. - **Demand Congress pass the NO BAN Act** (block future religion-based bans). ### **2. Build Cross-Racial Solidarity** - **1882**: Irish immigrants **joined anti-Chinese riots** (later faced their own discrimination). - **Today**: Muslims + Asian Americans **allied under "No Muslim Ban Ever"** protests. ### **3. Expose Corporate Hypocrisy** - **Then**: Railroads wanted Chinese labor **until white workers protested**. - **Now**: Tech companies (Google, Apple) **relied on Muslim engineers** while staying silent on the ban. ### **4. Protect Asylum Seekers** - **Chinese exclusion led to Angel Island (1910)**, where detainees were **interrogated for months**. - **Today**: Muslim refugees face **indefinite detention at ICE facilities**. --- ## **Conclusion: From Exclusion to Inclusion** The **Chinese Exclusion Act and Muslim Ban** prove that **xenophobia is a cycle**, not an exception. **Breaking it requires:** 1. **Naming the pattern** (racist bans always return). 2. **Uniting affected communities** (Asian, Muslim, Latino, Black). 3. **Abolishing ICE & CBP’s unchecked power**. **Solidarity Example**: In 2017, **Japanese Americans (who survived internment) marched with Muslims** against the ban—showing **history’s lessons can fuel resistance**. ### **Timeline of Resistance Movements Against Exclusionary Bans** **From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Muslim Ban, marginalized communities and allies have fought back.** Below is a **chronology of key resistance efforts**, showing how grassroots movements have challenged racist immigration policies. --- ### **1. Resistance to the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943)** - **1882**: - **Chinese merchants file lawsuits** challenging Exclusion Act (e.g., *Chae Chan Ping v. U.S.*). - **Community mutual aid societies** (e.g., **Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association**) fund legal battles. - **1892**: - **Geary Act** extends Exclusion; Chinese Americans **organize mass civil disobedience** (refusing to carry "certificates of residence"). - **1900s–1940s**: - **Paper Sons/Paper Daughters**: Chinese immigrants **forge documents** to bypass bans (an underground railroad of paperwork). - **Angel Island protests (1910–1940)**: Detained Chinese poets **carve protest verses into barracks walls**. ### **2. Fighting the Muslim Ban (2017–2021)** - **January 2017**: - **Airport protests erupt nationwide** (JFK, LAX, O’Hare) within **hours** of Trump’s order. Lawyers set up **ad hoc legal aid stations**. - **ACLU lawsuit (*Darweesh v. Trump*)** blocks deportations; courts rule ban unconstitutional. - **2018**: - **No Muslim Ban Ever Coalition** forms, uniting **Arab, Iranian, African, and Asian groups**. - **Tech workers protest**: Google employees demand company **cut ties with Trump admin**. - **2020**: - **Biden campaigned on repealing the ban**—activists hold his feet to the fire. - **2021**: - **Biden rescinds ban** but retains **Title 42 expulsions**. ### **3. Cross-Movement Solidarity Highlights** | **Year** | **Act of Resistance** | **Allies Involved** | |----------|-----------------------|---------------------| | **1942** | Japanese Americans **sue internment** (*Korematsu*) | Chinese, Jewish groups file amicus briefs | | **1965** | **Hart-Celler Act** passed (ended racial quotas) | Civil Rights + Asian/Latino coalitions lobby | | **2019** | **Close the Camps** protests vs. ICE detention | Muslim, Latino, Jewish activists unite | | **2023** | **Title 42 sit-ins** at border | Indigenous, Central American groups lead | --- ## **How Title 42 Continues the Exclusion Legacy** ### **What is Title 42?** - A **public health order** (CDC, March 2020) used to **expel migrants without due process**, citing COVID-19. - **Not a border policy**: It’s a **health code**—yet it’s blocked **1.5 million asylum seekers** since 2020. ### **Parallels to Past Bans** | **Chinese Exclusion Act** | **Muslim Ban** | **Title 42** | |---------------------------|-----------------|--------------| | Banned under **"public health" pretext** (racist "disease carrier" myths) | Banned under **"national security" pretext** | Banned under **"public health" pretext** | | **No exemptions for families** (separated spouses/children) | **No exemptions for refugees** (even from war zones) | **No exemptions for asylum seekers** (even if fleeing torture) | | **Enforced via racial profiling** (Chinese "paper sons" interrogated) | **Enforced via religious profiling** (Muslim travelers detained) | **Enforced via racial profiling** (Black Haitians, Indigenous Guatemalans targeted) | ### **Who Title 42 Hurts Most** 1. **Black Migrants**: - **2021 Del Rio Crisis**: Haitian asylum seekers **whipped by Border Patrol**, then expelled under Title 42. 2. **Indigenous Migrants**: - Mayans fleeing climate disasters **denied entry** despite language barriers. 3. **LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers**: - Title 42 forces them back to **countries where they face death**. ### **Resistance to Title 42** - **2022**: **ACLU sues CDC** (*Huisha-Huisha v. Mayorkas*), forcing partial rollback. - **2023**: **"Migrant Caravans" protest**: Thousands march to border demanding asylum rights. - **May 2023**: Biden **ends Title 42**—but replaces it with **harsh asylum restrictions**. --- ## **Policy Solutions to End Exclusion Forever** ### **1. Pass the NO BAN Act** - **Block future religion/race-based bans**. - **Require evidence** for any immigration restrictions. ### **2. Abolish Title 42-Style Policies** - **Restore asylum law** (stop using health codes as border control). - **Defund CBP’s mass expulsion operations**. ### **3. Expand Sanctuary Movements** - **Cities/states** must refuse cooperation with ICE (like 1800s towns that defied Fugitive Slave Act). ### **4. Teach the History** - **Public memorials** for Angel Island, Japanese internment, Muslim Ban survivors. - **School curricula** on exclusion’s economic roots (who profits from bans?). --- ## **Conclusion: "Never Again" Means Fighting Now** From **Chinese Exclusion to Title 42**, the U.S. keeps inventing new ways to exclude—but **resistance always grows**. The path forward: 1. **Link past and present struggles** (e.g., Muslim + Asian coalitions). 2. **Target corporate enablers** (e.g., contractors profiting from detention). 3. **Demand reparative justice** (citizenship for excluded communities). **Solidarity Example**: In 2023, **Haitian and Mexican activists jointly blockaded deportation flights**—proving **borders can be disrupted**. ### **How Exclusion Fuels Wage Suppression: A Structural Analysis** The U.S. has long used **immigration bans, racial exclusions, and forced labor systems** to artificially depress wages for **all workers**—especially marginalized groups. Below is a breakdown of how these policies **divide labor, weaken worker power, and subsidize corporate profits**. --- ## **1. The Economic Logic of Exclusion** ### **How It Works:** - **Step 1**: **Create a "reserve army of labor"** (Marx’s term) by: - Excluding certain groups (Chinese, Muslims, undocumented migrants). - Criminalizing others (Black prison labor, deportable workers). - **Step 2**: **Pit workers against each other** along racial/national lines. - Example: "They’re stealing your jobs" rhetoric. - **Step 3**: **Suppress wages industry-wide** by maintaining a **permanent underclass** of exploitable workers. ### **Historical Examples:** | **Policy** | **Targeted Group** | **Wage Impact** | |------------|--------------------|-----------------| | **Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)** | Chinese laborers | White workers’ wages **did not rise**—railroads hired cheaper Italian/Greek labor instead. | | **Bracero Program (1942–1964)** | Mexican farmworkers | Farm wages **stagnated for decades**; today, farmworkers still earn **$14,000/year avg.** | | **Muslim Ban (2017)** | Middle Eastern workers | Tech firms **outsourced jobs** to India/Canada rather than raise wages for U.S. workers. | | **Title 42 (2020–2023)** | Asylum seekers | Meatpacking plants **cut wages 20%** after expulsions caused labor shortages. | --- ## **2. Modern Wage Suppression Mechanisms** ### **A. Undocumented Workers as Shock Absorbers** - **Threat of deportation** = **no wage demands**. - **Result**: Industries relying on undocumented labor (**agriculture, construction, domestic work**) pay **poverty wages** (e.g., $7.25/hr in Texas fields). - **Ripple effect**: Drags down wages for **citizen workers** in same sectors. ### **B. Guestworker Programs (H-2A, H-1B, J-1)** - **H-2A (Agriculture)**: - Workers **cannot unionize or switch jobs**. - **Wage theft rate**: **30%+** (per Southern Poverty Law Center). - **H-1B (Tech)**: - **Salary suppression**: Indian IT workers paid **$30k less** than U.S. peers for same job. - **Example**: Disney replaced American staff with H-1B workers at **50% pay cuts**. ### **C. Prison Labor’s Hidden Impact** - **Prisoners paid $0.13–$1.50/hr** for: - **Call centers** (e.g., AT&T) - **Meatpacking** (e.g., Tyson Foods) - **Effect**: Undercuts unionized jobs—e.g., Alabama’s **$15/hr slaughterhouse jobs** replaced by prison labor. --- ## **3. Corporate Profiteering from Exclusion** ### **Key Industries & Tactics:** | **Industry** | **Tactic** | **Example** | |--------------|------------|------------| | **Agribusiness** | Threatens workers with ICE raids | **Driscoll’s berries** pays $6/hr in Mexico, $9/hr in U.S.—both below living wage. | | **Tech** | Lobbies for more H-1Bs to lower wages | **Google, Apple** pay H-1Bs **20% less** than citizens. | | **Prisons** | Leases inmates to private firms | **Victoria’s Secret** used prison labor to sew garments. | ### **Data Points:** - **Wage theft from migrants**: **$15 billion/year** (Economic Policy Institute). - **If undocumented workers were legalized**: U.S. GDP would grow **$1.5 trillion** over 10 years (Cato Institute). --- ## **4. How to Fight Back: Active Campaigns to Join** ### **A. Labor Rights Campaigns** 1. **Justice for Migrant Workers** - **Focus**: End wage theft in H-2A programs. - **Action**: Support **CIW’s Fair Food Program** (boycotts against Wendy’s, Publix). - **Link**: [ciw-online.org](https://ciw-online.org) 2. **Tech Workers Coalition** - **Focus**: Stop H-1B abuse at Amazon, Google. - **Action**: Push for **salary transparency laws**. - **Link**: [techworkerscoalition.org](https://techworkerscoalition.org) ### **B. Abolitionist Campaigns** 3. **Abolish ICE / Defund CBP** - **Focus**: Stop workplace raids. - **Action**: Pressure local gov’ts to end **287(g) programs**. - **Link**: [abolishice.org](https://abolishice.org) 4. **Prison Labor Strikes** - **Focus**: End 13th Amendment slavery. - **Action**: Support **INCAR’s prison strike solidarity**. - **Link**: [incarceratedworkers.org](https://incarceratedworkers.org) ### **C. Policy Advocacy** 5. **NO BAN Act** - **Focus**: Block future Muslim Bans. - **Action**: Lobby reps via **MPower Change**. - **Link**: [mpowerchange.org](https://mpowerchange.org) 6. **Title 42 Repeal** - **Focus**: Restore asylum rights. - **Action**: Join **RAICES border protests**. - **Link**: [raicestexas.org](https://raicestexas.org) --- ## **Conclusion: Solidarity Is the Antidote** Wage suppression relies on **keeping workers divided**. The solution is: 1. **Unions for all** (undocumented, guestworkers, prisoners). 2. **Cross-racial labor alliances** (e.g., Black/Latino strikes in Mississippi chicken plants). 3. **Abolishing exclusionary systems** (ICE, H-1B, prison labor). **Final Example**: In 2023, **UAW’s strike won raises for temps**—many undocumented—proving **unity cracks the system**. Approximately a month after the emancipation proclamation, while the Chinese were being exploited in America, Lincoln had the army declare war on the plains Indians and ordered them to exterminate the bison and he had already codified the indigenous genocide homestead act and more---timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. Below is a **timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. --- ### **Timeline of Racist Exploitation of Non-Black Minority Labor (1863–Present)** #### **1860s–1890s: Indigenous Genocide & Asian Indentured Servitude** - **1863 (One Month After Emancipation Proclamation)**: Lincoln signs the **Homestead Act (1862)**, accelerating settler-colonial land theft and incentivizing white settlers to displace and destroy Indigenous nations. - **1864**: The **Massacre at Sand Creek** (Colorado) – U.S. cavalry murders over 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women and children. - **1866–1868**: **Red Cloud’s War** – U.S. military campaigns against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. - **1860s–1870s**: **Chinese labor** is exploited for **transcontinental railroad construction** (Central Pacific Railroad). Workers face **deathly conditions, wage theft, and racial terrorism**. - **1871**: **Los Angeles Chinese Massacre** – A white mob lynches 18 Chinese residents. - **1875**: **Page Act** – Bans Chinese women under pretext of "immorality," restricting family formation. - **1882**: **Chinese Exclusion Act** – First U.S. law banning immigration based on race/nationality. - **1885**: **Rock Springs Massacre (Wyoming)** – White miners murder 28 Chinese laborers. - **1887**: **Dawes Act** – Forces Indigenous land privatization, leading to mass dispossession. - **1890**: **Wounded Knee Massacre** – U.S. Army murders ~300 Lakota men, women, and children. #### **1890s–1930s: Mexican Labor Exploitation & Anti-Asian Exclusion** - **1898**: **U.S. annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines** after Spanish-American War, exploiting Filipino labor. - **1900–1930**: **Mexican labor** recruited for **agriculture, mining, and railroads** under **debt peonage** systems. - **1910–1920**: **Mexican Revolution & U.S. Intervention** – Mass displacement of Mexicans; many flee north, only to face **lynchings and segregation**. - **1917**: **Immigration Act** imposes literacy tests, restricts Asian immigration, but exempts Mexican labor due to agricultural demand. - **1924**: **Indian Citizenship Act** (grants nominal citizenship while continuing land theft). - **1924**: **Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act)** – Bans all Asian immigration, establishes "national origins" quota system favoring Northern Europeans. - **1929**: **Mexican Repatriation** – Mass deportations (including U.S. citizens) of Mexicans during Great Depression (~2 million expelled). #### **1940s–1960s: Bracero Program & Continued Exploitation** - **1942**: **Bracero Program** begins – 4.5 million Mexican laborers brought in under **indentured conditions**, facing wage theft, abuse, and segregation. - **1942–1945**: **Japanese Internment** – 120,000 Japanese-Americans forcibly imprisoned, property stolen. - **1954**: **Operation Wetback** – Mass deportation of ~1 million Mexicans (many U.S. citizens caught in raids). - **1960s**: **Farmworker Exploitation** – Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta organize against brutal conditions in California agriculture. #### **1970s–1990s: Undocumented Labor & Structural Scapegoating** - **1975**: **Indochina Migration and Refugee Act** – Resettles Southeast Asian refugees, but abandons them to poverty and urban violence. - **1986**: **Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)** – Amnesty for some, but also **criminalizes hiring undocumented workers**, pushing migrants further underground. - **1994**: **NAFTA** – Destroys Mexican small farming, forces mass migration north. - **1996**: **Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA)** – Expands deportations, detention centers, and border militarization. #### **2000s–Present: Militarization, Detention, & Hyper-Exploitation** - **2001**: **Post-9/11** – Massive expansion of ICE, racial profiling of Arabs, South Asians, and Latinos. - **2006**: **Great American Boycott** – Millions march for immigrant rights after HR 4437 (criminalizing undocumented presence). - **2008–2016**: **Record Deportations** – Obama deports **3 million**, expands detention camps. - **2017–2021**: **Trump’s Family Separation Policy** – Thousands of children kidnapped at border. - **2020–Present**: **Essential Workers Exploited** – Undocumented laborers (Latino, Asian, Indigenous) forced to work in **COVID-ravaged farms, meatpacking plants, and service jobs** with no protections. - **2023–2024**: **Border Spectacle & Scapegoating** – Both parties escalate anti-migrant rhetoric while relying on undocumented labor. --- ### **Conclusion** This timeline illustrates how **non-Black minority labor** has been **cyclically exploited then discarded**—from **Chinese railroad workers, Mexican braceros, Indigenous land theft, to modern-day undocumented hyper-exploitation**. The U.S. has always relied on **racialized labor systems**, using **legal exclusion, state violence, and economic coercion** to maintain a disposable workforce. Approximately a month after the emancipation proclamation, while the Chinese were being exploited in America, Lincoln had the army declare war on the plains Indians and ordered them to exterminate the bison and he had already codified the indigenous genocide homestead act and more---timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. Below is a **timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. --- ### **Timeline of Racist Exploitation of Non-Black Minority Labor (1863–Present)** #### **1860s–1890s: Indigenous Genocide & Asian Indentured Servitude** - **1863 (One Month After Emancipation Proclamation)**: Lincoln signs the **Homestead Act (1862)**, accelerating settler-colonial land theft and incentivizing white settlers to displace and destroy Indigenous nations. - **1864**: The **Massacre at Sand Creek** (Colorado) – U.S. cavalry murders over 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women and children. - **1866–1868**: **Red Cloud’s War** – U.S. military campaigns against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. - **1860s–1870s**: **Chinese labor** is exploited for **transcontinental railroad construction** (Central Pacific Railroad). Workers face **deathly conditions, wage theft, and racial terrorism**. - **1871**: **Los Angeles Chinese Massacre** – A white mob lynches 18 Chinese residents. - **1875**: **Page Act** – Bans Chinese women under pretext of "immorality," restricting family formation. - **1882**: **Chinese Exclusion Act** – First U.S. law banning immigration based on race/nationality. - **1885**: **Rock Springs Massacre (Wyoming)** – White miners murder 28 Chinese laborers. - **1887**: **Dawes Act** – Forces Indigenous land privatization, leading to mass dispossession. - **1890**: **Wounded Knee Massacre** – U.S. Army murders ~300 Lakota men, women, and children. #### **1890s–1930s: Mexican Labor Exploitation & Anti-Asian Exclusion** - **1898**: **U.S. annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines** after Spanish-American War, exploiting Filipino labor. - **1900–1930**: **Mexican labor** recruited for **agriculture, mining, and railroads** under **debt peonage** systems. - **1910–1920**: **Mexican Revolution & U.S. Intervention** – Mass displacement of Mexicans; many flee north, only to face **lynchings and segregation**. - **1917**: **Immigration Act** imposes literacy tests, restricts Asian immigration, but exempts Mexican labor due to agricultural demand. - **1924**: **Indian Citizenship Act** (grants nominal citizenship while continuing land theft). - **1924**: **Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act)** – Bans all Asian immigration, establishes "national origins" quota system favoring Northern Europeans. - **1929**: **Mexican Repatriation** – Mass deportations (including U.S. citizens) of Mexicans during Great Depression (~2 million expelled). #### **1940s–1960s: Bracero Program & Continued Exploitation** - **1942**: **Bracero Program** begins – 4.5 million Mexican laborers brought in under **indentured conditions**, facing wage theft, abuse, and segregation. - **1942–1945**: **Japanese Internment** – 120,000 Japanese-Americans forcibly imprisoned, property stolen. - **1954**: **Operation Wetback** – Mass deportation of ~1 million Mexicans (many U.S. citizens caught in raids). - **1960s**: **Farmworker Exploitation** – Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta organize against brutal conditions in California agriculture. #### **1970s–1990s: Undocumented Labor & Structural Scapegoating** - **1975**: **Indochina Migration and Refugee Act** – Resettles Southeast Asian refugees, but abandons them to poverty and urban violence. - **1986**: **Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)** – Amnesty for some, but also **criminalizes hiring undocumented workers**, pushing migrants further underground. - **1994**: **NAFTA** – Destroys Mexican small farming, forces mass migration north. - **1996**: **Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA)** – Expands deportations, detention centers, and border militarization. #### **2000s–Present: Militarization, Detention, & Hyper-Exploitation** - **2001**: **Post-9/11** – Massive expansion of ICE, racial profiling of Arabs, South Asians, and Latinos. - **2006**: **Great American Boycott** – Millions march for immigrant rights after HR 4437 (criminalizing undocumented presence). - **2008–2016**: **Record Deportations** – Obama deports **3 million**, expands detention camps. - **2017–2021**: **Trump’s Family Separation Policy** – Thousands of children kidnapped at border. - **2020–Present**: **Essential Workers Exploited** – Undocumented laborers (Latino, Asian, Indigenous) forced to work in **COVID-ravaged farms, meatpacking plants, and service jobs** with no protections. - **2023–2024**: **Border Spectacle & Scapegoating** – Both parties escalate anti-migrant rhetoric while relying on undocumented labor. --- ### **Conclusion** This timeline illustrates how **non-Black minority labor** has been **cyclically exploited then discarded**—from **Chinese railroad workers, Mexican braceros, Indigenous land theft, to modern-day undocumented hyper-exploitation**. The U.S. has always relied on **racialized labor systems**, using **legal exclusion, state violence, and economic coercion** to maintain a disposable workforce. The Insidious structural slavery that's been ongoing since before the United States was declared the settler colony in its July 4 document that called Indians/indigenous, 'merciless Indian savages': . **Debt peonage** and other forms of **labor exploitation amounting to slavery** have been—and continue to be—**deeply structural** in the U.S., disproportionately targeting **non-white minority groups** through **legal, economic, and coercive systems** that trap workers in cycles of forced labor. Below is an in-depth breakdown: --- ### **What is Debt Peonage?** Debt peonage (or **debt bondage**) is a system where workers are **forced to labor to pay off a debt**, but the terms are manipulated so that **they can never escape**. This was historically used against **Mexican, Indigenous, Black, and Asian workers** and persists today in modern forms. #### **Key Features of Debt Peonage:** 1. **Impossible-to-Repay Debts** – Workers owe money for transportation, housing, tools, or food, but wages are so low they can never pay it off. 2. **Coercion & Violence** – Threats of deportation, physical violence, or legal punishment keep workers trapped. 3. **Legal & Economic Traps** – Laws are structured to prevent workers from escaping (e.g., contract labor laws, employer-controlled visas). --- ### **Historical Forms of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery in the U.S.** #### **1. Post-Emancipation Black & Mexican Peonage (1865–1940s)** - **Black Codes & Convict Leasing** – After slavery, Southern states passed laws forcing Black people into **"vagrancy" arrests**, then **leased them to plantations/mines** as "convict labor." - **Mexican Debt Peonage in Southwest** – After 1848 (Mexican-American War), Mexican workers were **forced into debt bondage** on railroads, mines, and farms. - Example: **Railroads & Mining Companies** would "advance" wages for transportation, then deduct costs for food/housing, ensuring workers **never earned enough to leave**. #### **2. Asian Indentured Servitude (1860s–1920s)** - **Chinese Railroad Workers** – "Credit-ticket system" forced Chinese migrants into **years of unpaid labor** to repay passage debts. - **Japanese & Filipino Farmworkers** – Labor contractors kept workers in perpetual debt through **company stores (charging inflated prices)**. #### **3. Bracero Program (1942–1964) – "Legal" Indentured Servitude** - Mexican workers were **promised fair wages** but instead: - Wages were **withheld or stolen**. - Workers charged exorbitant fees for housing/food. - **Threat of deportation** prevented complaints. #### **4. Modern-Day Debt Peonage (1980s–Present)** - **Guestworker Programs (H-2A/H-2B visas)** – Workers pay recruiters **thousands in fees**, then arrive to find: - Wages **lower than promised**. - **Passports confiscated** (preventing escape). - **Threats of blacklisting** if they complain. - **Undocumented Workers** – Many take **smuggling loans ($10,000+)** and must work **under abusive conditions** to pay it back. - **Prison Labor** – Mostly Black/Latino prisoners paid **$0.13–$1.50/hour** for forced labor (legal under 13th Amendment "exception"). --- ### **Why is This Structural?** The U.S. economy has **always relied on racialized forced labor**, enforced through: #### **1. Legal Systems Designed to Trap Workers** - **At-Will Employment** – Workers can be fired for protesting abuse. - **Visa Dependency** – H-2A, H-1B, J-1 workers **lose status if fired**, making them vulnerable. - **Criminalization of Poverty** – Undocumented workers can’t report wage theft (fear of ICE). #### **2. Economic Traps** - **Company Towns** – Workers must buy from employer-owned stores at inflated prices (common in agriculture). - **Predatory Recruitment** – Labor brokers charge migrants **illegal fees**, trapping them in debt. #### **3. State Complicity** - **ICE & Workplace Raids** – Instead of punishing **employers for wage theft**, workers are deported. - **Prison-Industrial Complex** – Police target Black/Brown communities, feeding them into **forced prison labor**. --- ### **Modern Examples of Debt Peonage & Labor Slavery** | Group | Industry | Exploitation Method | |--------|------------|----------------------| | **Latino Migrants** | Agriculture, Meatpacking | Smuggling debts, wage theft, threats of deportation | | **Asian Migrants** | Nail Salons, Restaurants | Confiscated passports, 80-hour weeks for $3/hour | | **Black Americans** | Prison Labor | Forced to work for pennies (or nothing) | | **Indigenous Workers** | Oil Fields, Farming | Isolated worksites, no labor protections | --- ### **Conclusion: A Continuum of Racialized Labor Slavery** From **chattel slavery → convict leasing → debt peonage → modern guestworker programs**, the U.S. has **always reinvented forced labor** to target **non-white minorities**. Today, it hides behind: - **"At-will employment"** (you can be fired for any reason) - **"Right-to-work" laws** (undermining unions) - **"Illegal immigration" rhetoric** (scapegoating victims) **This is not accidental—it is systemic.** The U.S. economy **depends on hyper-exploitable labor**, and racial hierarchies ensure that **non-white workers bear the brunt**. Would you like case studies (e.g., Florida tomato slavery, H-2A abuses) or policy solutions? Approximately a month after the emancipation proclamation, while the Chinese were being exploited in America, Lincoln had the army declare war on the plains Indians and ordered them to exterminate the bison and he had already codified the indigenous genocide homestead act and more---timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. Below is a **timeline of racist exploitation and structural scapegoating of non-African-American minority labor** in the U.S., beginning shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and extending to the present day. This timeline focuses on **indigenous genocide, anti-Asian labor exploitation, anti-Latino labor exploitation, and the systemic oppression of undocumented migrants**. --- ### **Timeline of Racist Exploitation of Non-Black Minority Labor (1863–Present)** #### **1860s–1890s: Indigenous Genocide & Asian Indentured Servitude** - **1863 (One Month After Emancipation Proclamation)**: Lincoln signs the **Homestead Act (1862)**, accelerating settler-colonial land theft and incentivizing white settlers to displace and destroy Indigenous nations. - **1864**: The **Massacre at Sand Creek** (Colorado) – U.S. cavalry murders over 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho, mostly women and children. - **1866–1868**: **Red Cloud’s War** – U.S. military campaigns against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. - **1860s–1870s**: **Chinese labor** is exploited for **transcontinental railroad construction** (Central Pacific Railroad). Workers face **deathly conditions, wage theft, and racial terrorism**. - **1871**: **Los Angeles Chinese Massacre** – A white mob lynches 18 Chinese residents. - **1875**: **Page Act** – Bans Chinese women under pretext of "immorality," restricting family formation. - **1882**: **Chinese Exclusion Act** – First U.S. law banning immigration based on race/nationality. - **1885**: **Rock Springs Massacre (Wyoming)** – White miners murder 28 Chinese laborers. - **1887**: **Dawes Act** – Forces Indigenous land privatization, leading to mass dispossession. - **1890**: **Wounded Knee Massacre** – U.S. Army murders ~300 Lakota men, women, and children. #### **1890s–1930s: Mexican Labor Exploitation & Anti-Asian Exclusion** - **1898**: **U.S. annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines** after Spanish-American War, exploiting Filipino labor. - **1900–1930**: **Mexican labor** recruited for **agriculture, mining, and railroads** under **debt peonage** systems. - **1910–1920**: **Mexican Revolution & U.S. Intervention** – Mass displacement of Mexicans; many flee north, only to face **lynchings and segregation**. - **1917**: **Immigration Act** imposes literacy tests, restricts Asian immigration, but exempts Mexican labor due to agricultural demand. - **1924**: **Indian Citizenship Act** (grants nominal citizenship while continuing land theft). - **1924**: **Immigration Act (Johnson-Reed Act)** – Bans all Asian immigration, establishes "national origins" quota system favoring Northern Europeans. - **1929**: **Mexican Repatriation** – Mass deportations (including U.S. citizens) of Mexicans during Great Depression (~2 million expelled). #### **1940s–1960s: Bracero Program & Continued Exploitation** - **1942**: **Bracero Program** begins – 4.5 million Mexican laborers brought in under **indentured conditions**, facing wage theft, abuse, and segregation. - **1942–1945**: **Japanese Internment** – 120,000 Japanese-Americans forcibly imprisoned, property stolen. - **1954**: **Operation Wetback** – Mass deportation of ~1 million Mexicans (many U.S. citizens caught in raids). - **1960s**: **Farmworker Exploitation** – Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta organize against brutal conditions in California agriculture. #### **1970s–1990s: Undocumented Labor & Structural Scapegoating** - **1975**: **Indochina Migration and Refugee Act** – Resettles Southeast Asian refugees, but abandons them to poverty and urban violence. - **1986**: **Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)** – Amnesty for some, but also **criminalizes hiring undocumented workers**, pushing migrants further underground. - **1994**: **NAFTA** – Destroys Mexican small farming, forces mass migration north. - **1996**: **Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA)** – Expands deportations, detention centers, and border militarization. #### **2000s–Present: Militarization, Detention, & Hyper-Exploitation** - **2001**: **Post-9/11** – Massive expansion of ICE, racial profiling of Arabs, South Asians, and Latinos. - **2006**: **Great American Boycott** – Millions march for immigrant rights after HR 4437 (criminalizing undocumented presence). - **2008–2016**: **Record Deportations** – Obama deports **3 million**, expands detention camps. - **2017–2021**: **Trump’s Family Separation Policy** – Thousands of children kidnapped at border. - **2020–Present**: **Essential Workers Exploited** – Undocumented laborers (Latino, Asian, Indigenous) forced to work in **COVID-ravaged farms, meatpacking plants, and service jobs** with no protections. - **2023–2024**: **Border Spectacle & Scapegoating** – Both parties escalate anti-migrant rhetoric while relying on undocumented labor. --- ### **Conclusion** This timeline illustrates how **non-Black minority labor** has been **cyclically exploited then discarded**—from **Chinese railroad workers, Mexican braceros, Indigenous land theft, to modern-day undocumented hyper-exploitation**. The U.S. has always relied on **racialized labor systems**, using **legal exclusion, state violence, and economic coercion** to maintain a disposable workforce.

Michael Miller

Recursive Signal Inversion Bro sounds like he circling the wagons around a real idea but he needs to be refine his arguements by answering questions like "wtfdym" and "who's told you this" or "did you see anything you liked when I made you look at Indeed"

Michael Miller

On the getting a job thing, especially if you're rich, just learn a skill. If you're overflowing with creativity take a creative writing class or learn any medium through diligent self study. What's galling is the lack of taking responsibility. If you somehow have an insight into quantum mechanics then learn the physics neccessary to invoke that insight in its due specificity rather than merely regurgitating partially digested what has already been spitfed to you by people with jobs doing this. If you're being Neo'd from the Matrix in a way they haven't made a movie about yet write this down into allegory. Allow it to take on a life of its own so you can see how this system you're hypothesizing would work in theory and allow your longsuffering wife to have an insight into your world that isn't her just accurately describing it to you and you going "Nuh-uh" **Linear Recursion bro if you suscribed to Chapo just to narcissisticly dig into the replies of the comments of people talking to you as I know you did (and I can see you right now through the tape on your camera ;) then I have done you a great service by being mean to you in this way and you should give me money. I'll tell you how to flip the signal back $$$

Michael Miller

In all seriousness though a lot of this isn't helped by the fishbowl jobs many of us have to work. I'm not a college drop out but I had to close that chapter of my life with a 2 year degree rather than a Bachelors to enter a workforce that didn't offer compensatory stimulation.

aKg

Matt’s poetry is consistently top notch.

Samwise

H is jqh

ITSRON

can't believe the big bopper was white smh a beautiful childhood image of a ribald black guy ruined

PearlDrinkingMan

Feels like a nitpick but also doesn't, I get you. I will now foolishly try to word what you did not. For me at least his message really illustrates everything they wanted to talk about on this ep, it's a really good message if you read the full thing and the reason for spreading it is that he was fucking murdered along with 5 of his colleagues, let alone all the retroactive justification of him supposedly being in Hamas (and that supposedly being reason enough to mass murder people). You are reading it because he is dead, respect the weight of that fact and let the full statement be heard in full without fucking editorialising. As much as I like the Chapo lot and respect their stance, if you're going to amplify the voices of Palestinians then don't try and manicure what they're telling you. I'm not trying to get the pitchforks and torches out but it's just such a weird hiccup from people who actually do seem to give a damn.

George

. ..m.m Mm

Marisa

Matt sounds soooo good!! The speech is really coming along. Love to hear it.

John Holland

Congrats Chris. And it’s always great to hear from Matt

Wilson A. Edens

@41:35 "What does a scanner see? Into the head? Down into the heart? Does it see into me? Into us? Clearly or darkly? I hope it sees clearly because I can't any longer see into myself. I see only murk. I hope for everyone's sake the scanners do better, because if the scanner sees only darkly the way I do, then I'm cursed and cursed again."

Zack Frailey

Would really love a printed collection of Matt’s poetry at some point