Forum/Webinar - 'Russiagate': Talking Back to the New McCarthyism

Intro presentation, webinar viewing and discussion

“Russiagate” continues to dominate the news. The FBI recently indicted thirteen people overseas working for the private Internet Research Agency, which allegedly purchased Facebook ads during the 2016 election. Now, it seems, behind every voice of dissent, is a “Russian troll” or “agent,” abetting the so-called “Russian interference in the U.S. elections.”

This extends from the presidential campaign of Jill Stein (Green Party), to Black Lives Matter, to the organizers of both pro- and anti-Trump protesters. Unsourced lists of left-wing and anti-establishment websites have been posted in the Washington Post as “Russian-influenced,” while Google, Twitter and Youtube have used the opportunity to block or discredit what they unilaterally consider “fake news.”

The temperature of this campaign went up again this week, and spread like wildfire through Britain, after a former Russian double agent there was allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent in a public park. The Labour Party’s left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn has been attacked for not quickly enough accepting the British government’s version of events, and the station RT is on the verge of losing its license to operate in Britain.

This is a very dangerous development and radical and progressive activists need to arm ourselves intellectually with talking points and arguments. That is the main point of this webinar “Russiagate: Talking Back to the New McCarthyism”

The topics of the webinar are:
• Behind the headlines on Russiagate
• What are the facts about alleged Russian interference?
• The US history of interference in other countries’ elections
• The demonization of dissent in the US
• Impact on grassroots organizers and left-wing electoral campaigns
• The targeting of alternative media

Now more than ever, we need to ground our organizing work in collective power and a revolutionary and internationalist vision.

$3-10 donation, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Refreshments provided. Wheelchair accessible.

Join us in our office to participate.