With Haiti’s government “all but invisible” and its repressive police forces “devastated,” popular organizations were starting to fill the void. But the Western powers rushing in want to rebuild Haiti on a foundation of sweatshops, agro-exports and tourism.

So wrote Arun Gupta in the latest issue of the Indypendent, on the way neoliberal "reforms" are being pushed Haiti's way. Gupta joins guest host Esther Armah in the studio, along with Reverend Osagyefo Sekou, who just returned from Haiti, to talk about the rebuilding effort underway and how people in the U.S. can help make sure Haiti is rebuilt for the Haitian people.

The shock doctrine hits people here in the U.S. as well as in Haiti: students around the country are protesting cuts in higher education budgets. New York's City University of New York Hunter College had its own protests on March 4th. Thanks to Tami Gold for this video.

Emergildo Criollo is an indigenous leader from Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. He recorded this message for oil giant Chevron's CEO John Watson: clean up your toxic contamination.  Thanks to Rainforest Action Network for the clip.

Simon Kashama learned English listening to music like the Rolling Stones and James Brown--he was born in the Congo but spent his childhood in Belgium. Through his music and his theater work--starring in Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer prize winning play 'Ruined'--he aims to raise awareness of the situation in the Congo, and he joined us in studio recently to play two of his songs.

Continuing our coverage of the California (and nationwide) student protests, this video from Ramblin' Man Films brings us to a protest in downtown Los Angeles on March 4.

It wasn't that long ago that New York had a governor embroiled in scandal. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace in 2008 and was replaced by David Paterson, who became New York's first African-American governor--and the second legally blind governor of any state.

Paterson is now in the midst of his own scandal: accusations that he pressured a woman to change her story of abuse at the hands of one of his close aides. He's already said he won't run for reelection, but should he become the second governor in two years to step down? Joining guest host Esther Armah to discuss are Dan Gerstein of Gotham Ghostwriters and Forbes and Erica Gonzalez of El Diario/La Prensa.