Month: November 2020

Briefings

Background Briefing: November 22, 2020

On By gram

 

Trump’s Attempted Murder of American Democracy

We begin with the continuing machinations of a sulking sore loser who lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College by wide margins yet persists on blocking a transition with the help of craven Republicans who have placed partisanship over patriotism as this pathetic pantomime plays out, hobbling and weakening America. Paul Waldman, a columnist at The Washington Post where his latest article is “It’s time for everyone to pick a side: America or President Trump“, joins us to discuss how “we are witnessing an attempted murder of democracy, and the fact that it won’t succeed makes it no less horrifying.” And while some may find it amusing to see hair dye drip down Giuliani’s contorted face as he spews out fantastical claims while his flurry of preposterous lawsuits get tossed, there is the looming possibility Trump will continue salting the earth to cripple Biden’s presidency leading rallies for the next four years of “lock up Joe and Hunter Biden.” Although we have surely reached a point where you either believe in American democracy and are loyal to your country or believe in Trump and are loyal to him, the fact that we are at that dismal divide is in itself an American tragedy.

 

The Host of the G-20’s Heavy-Handed Rule and Boundless Greed

Then, with the impulsive practitioner of kidnapping, torture, murder and dismemberment, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, hosting the virtual G-20 summit underway, we speak with Justin Scheck, the co-author of a new book Blood and Oil: Mohammed Bin Salman’s Ruthless Quest for Global Power and a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has been writing for The Wall Street Journal since 2007 covering white collar crime across four continents. He joins us to discuss MBS’s efforts to attract foreign investment at the same time acting with heavy-handed impunity and boundless greed in his pursuit of absolute power.  

 

The Australian Journalist Who Broke the Story of War Heroes as War Criminals

Then finally we go to Australia where last Thursday the head of Australia’s military General Campbell told the world about the findings from a four-year military inquiry into the brutal warrior culture inside its elite SAS special forces revealing the murder of 39 Afghan civilians who were executed to “blood” junior soldiers. Joining us is Chris Masters, the award-winning Australian journalist and author of No Front Line, Australian Special Forces at War in Afghanistan who first broke the story of an Australian war hero now accused of being a war criminal for which he and the Sydney Morning Herald are being sued by a billionaire press baron.