The Hard Knock Radio conversation between host Davey D and longtime Los Angeles-based organizer Javier Gonzalez connects immigration raids, media monopolies, sports, and the rise of a new kind of techno powered control over everyday life.
Gonzalez starts by updating listeners on the latest wave of ICE operations. He describes how federal agents show up masked and militarized under the banner of targeting cartels, but the real targets are everyday working people, including a pregnant mother chased in West Oakland. He notes that only a tiny fraction of those detained are accused of any crimes, comparing it to New Yorks stop and frisk where millions were harassed for almost no returns.
In Los Angeles, he argues, much of the nonprofit and immigrant rights establishment has effectively waved the white flag. Groups that took federal money for English and citizenship classes have been quietly warned that if they interfere with raids, they could face racketeering or conspiracy charges. That pressure, and letters copied to donors, helped silence institutional voices and pushed resistance back to teachers, cafeteria workers, nurses, and local officials like Huntington Park mayor Arturo Flores, who once had a fake ICE agent arrested.
From there, Gonzalez and Davey pivot to the Los Angeles Dodgers and owner Mark Walter. Gonzalez lays out Walters ties to private prison giant GEO Group and surveillance firm Palantir, then breaks down how the Dodgers cable deal helped create a monopoly with Spectrum. For years many fans could only watch their team by switching providers and paying a special sports fee, feeding what Javier calls a broader subscription hustle that reaches into internet, housing, software, and more. He frames this as techno feudalism built on privatizing what should be public goods like airwaves and basic connectivity.
Throughout the conversation they challenge the illusion of influencer culture, where people chase small payouts while platforms and corporations extract real wealth and data. Gonzalez warns that celebrity endorsements, sports loyalty, and viral content often mask deeper political projects involving surveillance, gentrification, and mega events like the coming Olympics. He closes with a call to rebuild real organization across generations, move beyond hot takes, and recognize how power has been restructured while communities were distracted.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.