US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, a habitual peddler of fantastical, orientalist lies, is hailed as a war hero by the most cowardly members of society—from war profiteers to robotic nationalists. American Sniper reinforces this myth with two hours of pro-war agitprop.

This grotesque propaganda works to further US exceptionalism and helps lift the morale of Americans who are desperate for content that will make them feel better about their national identity.

Any critics of the acclaimed sniper’s actions experience a deluge of harassment, threats and attacks from Chris Kyle fans. Abby Martin, who faced the brunt of much of the Kyle-stans’ panicked vitriol, discusses the xenophobic, sexist, and racist campaign aimed against those daring to question the greater military industrial complex with Robbie Martin and Rania Khalek on Media Roots Radio. 

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Journalist Receives Death Threats for Chris Kyle T-Shirt

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Raw Story – ‘Put On Your Raping Shoes and Find This Bitch': Abby Martin is the Latest Target of Crazed Chris Kyle Sycophants

Mint Press News – The Price of Dissent: Abby Martin Gets Graphic Rape Threats from Chris Kyle Fans

Follow @FluorescentGrey | @AbbyMartin | @RaniaKhalek

Photo by Matthew Coffee

Colombia remains one of the most dangerous countries on earth, where more than 220,000 have been killed and countless displaced over the last 57 years. The human rights abuses in the country are regularly dismissed by the corporate media, which ignores the heavy hand of US Empire.

The US began heavily pushing military intervention in Colombia under the Kennedy administration, whose National Security Doctrine aimed to wipe out all populist movements in Latin America through the backing of right wing death squads.

FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), the Marxist-Leninist rebel group, is branded a terrorist group by the US, yet is trying to initiate a peace process. The US prevents this from happening, and continues to use the rebel group as an excuse to increase its military involvement. The so-called Drug War is just another arm of the ongoing violence on the ground.

The role of the US military in Colombia is intense. According to the former US Ambassador to Colombia, the US has more involvement in Colombia than anywhere in the world, including Afghanistan. There is also widespread abuse on behalf of the US military throughout the community. Between 2003-2007, US soldiers and contractors sexually abused at least 54 children and could not be tried or extradited due to immunity clauses between the two countries.

All this aside, Colombia remains the invisible country in the invisible war, shunned by the world. Abby and Robbie Martin are joined by Dan Kovalik, human and labor rights lawyer, on Media Roots Radio to discuss Colombia’s current war and the far-reaching effects of US interventionism over the past half century. 

If you want to directly download the podcast, click the down arrow icon on the right of the soundcloud display.

This Media Roots podcast is the product of many long hours of hard work and love. If you want to encourage our voice, please consider supporting us as we continue to speak from outside party lines. Even the smallest donations help us with operating costs.

Listen to all previous episodes of Media Roots Radio here.

Follow @FluorescentGrey | @AbbyMartin | @DanielMKovalik

LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images

According to latest numbers, 60 million people have been displaced due to violence and inhumane poverty.

In recent months, a major humanitarian catastrophe has made its way into the news—tens of millions, the largest ever recorded by the United Nations, have been forced to take part in a life-threatening journey across land and sea.

While members of the establishment media have used terms such as “swarms” or “tide”, as though they were describing animals or pests, to describe these men, women, and children refugees continue to struggle so that they may gain access to basic human rights, such as stable shelter and food. Islamophobia has also crept its way into reports and into the mouths of politicians, some of whom are refusing to accept Muslim refugees.

Further burdening refugees who are making their way across Europe is the growing right wing. Germany’s National Democratic Party, a neo-Nazi organization, has been responsible for organizing arson at homes of refugees, and leading massive anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim protests. If this wasn’t frightening enough, the NDP is also gaining footholds in the government.

Abby Martin takes us inside the refugee crisis, humanizing the victims, and exposing the parties and people who are using this humanitarian catastrophe in order to push a right wing agenda.

Who Is To Blame For The Refugee Crisis?

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FOLLOW // @EmpireFiles and @AbbyMartin

WATCH // YouTube.com/EmpireFiles

Image by Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images