Jacobin Radio w/ Suzi Weissman: US-China Green Rivalry and a Myanmar Report

Jacobin Radio

Jacobin

Socialism, History, News, Left, Jacobin, Alternative, Socialist, Politics

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2021

⏱️ 62 minutes

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Summary

Suzi talks to eco-socialist writer-activist Richard Smith about a different sort of rivalry between the US and China: which leading polluter can be greener? President Biden has announced a very ambitious Green infrastructure package, and China is promising to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. At the same time, China has posted an 18.3% growth rate for the first quarter this year. What does this tell us? Richard Smith, author of China's Engine of Environmental Collapse looks at the environmental costs of China’s rapid growth, as well as its green claims. We’ll get his understanding of this seeming paradox. Suzi then talks to Carlos Sardiña Galache -- who reports on Burma -- about the full scale civil conflict underway in Myanmar, which has steadily escalated since the Feb 1 military coup. The military junta is waging a brutal war against the massive protest and strike movement, in a rampage of blind brutality designed to terrorize the entire nation into total submission. It isn’t working: the military has not managed to take full control; the enormous civil disobedience movement has paralyzed the economy through strikes in key sectors, and the growing conflict threatens economic collapse.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman.
0:19.9	On today's program, we cover climate change, China, and the Kuhn resistance in Burma or
0:25.2	Myanmar.
0:26.2	We begin with Ecosocialist writer and activist Richard Smith.
0:30.1	On April 23rd, we had Earth Day, and President Biden announced a very ambitious green infrastructure
0:36.5	package.
0:37.5	At the same time, China is posted an 18.3% growth rate for the first quarter this year while
0:44.0	promising to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 and turning China into an ecological civilization.
0:50.9	What does this tell us?
0:52.3	Richard Smith, founding member of system change, not climate change, and author of China's
0:56.9	engine of environmental collapse, looks at the environmental costs of China's rapid growth
1:02.2	as well as its green claims.
1:04.5	We'll get his understanding of this steaming paradox.
1:08.1	We then turn to Myanmar or Burma.
1:10.8	Spanish journalist Carlos Sardinia Galacche writes about Burma in Southeast Asia, and he joins
1:15.9	us to discuss the full-scale civil conflict underway in Myanmar, steadily escalating since
1:21.9	the military coup of February 1st, despite the ferociously repressive violence from the
1:26.9	military against the protesters and strike movement, which now threatens economic collapse.
1:33.9	We are fortunate to get Carlos' analysis.
1:36.7	All this, when our program returns, in just a moment.
1:51.7	This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman, and really pleased to have Richard Smith back
1:57.4	with us.
	...

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