Old Mole Variety Hour for May 4, 2020

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Hosted by:

Joe Clement

Produced by:

KBOO

Program::

Old Mole Variety Hour

Air date:

Mon, 05/04/2020 - 9:00am to 10:00am

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Joe Clement hosts this special May the 4th Old Mole Variety Hour and we hear:

Planet of the Humans: Jan Haaken and Bill Resnick critically review the new documentary, "Planet of the Humans" -- directed by Jeff Gibbs and executively produced/promoted by Michael Moore. Released on Earth Day and still available to watch for free on Youtube, Planet of the Humans presents a scorched earth critique of the environmental movement, much of which has been criticized as misleading or highly inaccurate. Jan and Bill talk about the problems of the film, as well as the ethical obligations of progressive filmmakers.

Boundaries: Old Mole Intern Sarah Summerhill reads an excerpt from her piece "Boundaries," recently published in Washington State University Vancouver's literary magazine, the Salmon Creek Journal. The essay was inspired by an experience in a Native American literature class last summer, taught by Desiree Hellegers, which included paddling in a tribal canoe with Chinook chairman Tony Johnson. "Boundaries" explores how Indigenous ways of knowing are vital to mending severed connections between people in a modern, technologically advanced world.

The Left and the Law: In their Left and the Law segment, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker look at the picture that is emerging of the coronavirus spreading in jails and prisons in the US. They discuss the lawsuits and political actions taken by prisoners themselves to address the pandemic and the growing movement for decarceration as the pandemic and public health fears brings these and other vulnerable groups out from the shadows and into more visibility.

May the Fourth: Octavia's Brood and the Politics of Sci-Fi: In a two-part segment, we first hear political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal reflect on the popularity of Star Wars as a political myth of imperial innocence in post-Vietnam America.* This is followed by Joe Cement talking with science fiction scholar and activist Walidah Imarisha. They consider that piece, which appears as a contribution in an anthology she co-edited:"Octavia's Brood: science fiction stories from social justice movements". They talk about the anthology, the place of Mumia's critique in it, and broader questions about the politics of science fiction.

*Mumia records and shares his commentaries with the help of Prison Radio.

To hear the whole show, use the play button below; to listen to separate segments, follow the links above.

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