9. The Battle of Pittsburgh

I'm a veteran of the anti-globalization movement, but sadly these days COVID-19 and some seriously messed up lungs have turned my activism into slacktivism. When I wasn't busy yesterday Venmo-ing my donation to the Pittsburgh Freedom Fund (see "Pittsburgh Jailbreak," below), I spent about 12 hours monitoring Twitter feeds, live streams, and my handy police scanner to try to get an idea of what was going on during the Battle of Pittsburgh.

On this episode of Failed State Update, I will ponder paranoia, provocateurs, the Phoenix Program, and the one weird thing that connects Vietnam to political activism. Special guests include Pittsburgh activist Vincent Scotti Eirene of Duncan and Porter House, and Douglas Valentine, author of The Phoenix Program: America's Use of Terror in Vietnam.

The Black Political Empowerment Project: https://www.b-pep.net/

Pittsburgh Jailbreak: https://www.gofundme.com/f/aftercare-for

Duncan and Porter House: http://www.notowar.com/

Music:

"Back Off Boogaloo" by Ringo Starr

"Children of the Revolution" by T. Rex

"Panic In Detroit" by David Bowie

"Urban Guerrilla" by Hawkwind