In the first half of today’s show, Eleanor’s topic is India’s occupation of Kashmir and its violent suppression of human rights there. She says, for this topic, the guest’s chair stayed empty, because Kashmiri journalists and activists — even those outside Kashmir — are forced to stay silent for fear of retribution against their families. Eleanor also points out the multiple parallels and connections between the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Indian occupation of Kashmir.
In the second half-hour, Ben Norton returns to the program to discuss the recent BRICS summit in Russia; he also compares the fast-growing BRICS group of economies with the US economy and its rising inequality.
Ben Norton is editor-in-chief at the Geopolitical Economy Report (www.geopoliticaleconomy.com)