Feb 15, 2023
This week’s episode is dedicated
to the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio and its
political causes and ramifications. As you have heard – or possibly
have not heard, since there was an attempt to bury this story early
on – on February 3, a massive derailment of a freight train
containing hazardous chemicals led to the release of toxic
chemicals in the Ohio town of East Palestine, in the surrounding
region in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and perhaps even further afield.
We do not know, because state and federal officials have refused to
give forthright information about this preventable disaster. Our
hearts go out to the people of the region and to the country as a
whole, for we are all held hostage to this plutocracy and the
broken political system it props up.
We discuss the Trump
administration’s destruction of railroad regulations and the Biden
administrations’ refusal to reinstate them – which led to Biden
union-busting in December as railroad workers begged futilely for
sick days and safer conditions. Many workers warned of this precise
disaster. The American people can see what’s happening – left,
right, and center – and unfortunately, with few exceptions,
officials on the left, right, and center are keeping the truth
about the extent of the disaster from the public. We discuss the
ramifications of gutted local media, social media networks that
hide information with algorithms, and cable networks that look the
other way. We also review the decades of corporate greed and
horrific labor policies that led to the Chernobyl of
Ohio.
On a related note, we discuss
the appointment of Jeffrey Zients, an investment banker with a
history of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as Biden’s new chief of
staff. The appointment of Zients, who was responsible to a large
extent for Biden’s disastrous covid policies in 2020 and 2021,
could not have come at a worse time. Zients joins a team of
eugenicist advisors who believe that one’s worth is solely
determined by how much you contribute to the economy – and who
believe that if you are elderly or disabled, your life lacks
utility to the point of worthlessness. (We wish we were
exaggerating, but they say this openly.) This is a terrifying time
to be surrounded by, as the Ukrainians say, “oligarchs who see the
people as the shit they grow their money in”. We are REFUSING to be
ruled by them and believe the first step is to speak truth to power
and document the crimes.
Our bonus episode, available to
Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, is on
UFOs! You know, those objects in the sky that the US government is
giving us the play-by-play on while they dodge the tragedy in Ohio.
We discuss China spy balloons, Project Blue Beam, and much more! We
then do our weekly Q&A, answering questions sent in by our
Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher.
Topics include Erik Prince, threats to poll workers, why the
Democrats choose snark over serious prosecution, and much
more.
Gaslit Nation is a 100%
independent podcast – our Patreon subscribers keep us going! Your
support allows us to continue taking on these topics and we
appreciate your support and our community of
listeners!
Show
Notes:
Zoom screening of Mr. Jones on
February 25 followed by Q&A with Andrea. Sign up for the event
by going to the website: TINY.CC/mrjones. Admission is FREE Suggested
donation to the Kyiv Independent - as we need to support "media AND
democracy" in Ukraine (and here in the US).
Zeke Emanuel on
Twitter: https://t.co/c1yEfz2dMG
Ohio woman finds chickens dead,
questions chemical release from train https://www.wdtn.com/news/ohio/ohio-woman-finds-chickens-dead-questions-chemical-release-from-train/
Animals are sick and dying after
Ohio train derailment https://www.wtrf.com/ohio/animals-are-sick-and-dying-after-ohio-train-derailment/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialflow
Elon Musk: We're Curbing
Starlink's Use in Ukraine to Prevent
WWIII https://www.pcmag.com/news/elon-musk-were-curbing-starlinks-use-in-ukraine-to-prevent-wwiii?taid=63ea57b105dea00001f6d1c9&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook
Tad Devine and Yanukovych work
in Ukraine: https://twitter.com/rachelweinerwp/status/1022594989702959104
‘Sadness in the whole forest’:
family of Cop City activist killed by police seeks
answers https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/12/cop-city-manuel-paez-teran-family-mourns
Eric Feigl-Ding thread on the
Norfolk Southern chemical explosion: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625155991724605440
American life expectancy is now
at its lowest in nearly two decades https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/22/1144864971/american-life-expectancy-is-now-at-its-lowest-in-nearly-two-decades