Tue. 1/24 8:30a: This week on CounterSpin: The bloody conflict in Syria is, according to press accounts, bordering on a full-scale civil war. Also on the show: Tucson public school students who’ve been taking Ethnic Studies have to switch to something else mid-year because the school district has ruled those classes illegal, under a new state law that bans classes that 'advocate ethnic solidarity' along with those that 'promote the overthrow of the US government.'
Much of what we're seeing in U.S. media comes from opposition sources seeking to topple the Assad dictatorship—leaving some skeptics to wonder whether we're getting an accurate assessment of what's really happening there. On top of that, powerful forces in U.S. foreign policy circles want the U.S. to do more. Journalist Paul Mutter took a look at the debate over Syria in a recent piece for Salon.com. He'll join us to talk about that.
Also on the show: Tucson public school students who’ve been taking Ethnic Studies have to switch to something else mid-year because the school district has ruled those classes illegal, under a new state law that bans classes that 'advocate ethnic solidarity' along with those that 'promote the overthrow of the US government.' Ah, Arizona. We'll hear this story from attorney Richard Martinez, who represents Tucson teachers and students fighting back.