? >> each week, authors and historians will tell stories. whether there was production. the committee's work is said, watch congress investigates at 7 p.m. eastern on c-span two. keep up with today's biggest events plus a variety of

compelling projects. dr. cornell west is a professor at the seminary and an independent presidential candidate talking about his candidacy. guest: bless you and thank you for having me. hope you're doing well. host: if you had to boil down your candidacy to a few

sentences what would you tell people? guest: it's based on martin luther king and fannie lou hammer and try to talk about truth, justice and love in the contest where it seems to have any moment of substantive morality. politics has become legalized corruption, normalize bribery where they will say anything to stay in office and there is no genuine concern for people let alone poor people, working people, people have been subjugated and degraded. we give up on serious commitment to public life and citizens being human beings.

the american project as we have understood it will be over and i want to raise my voice to mobilize people and get people to see that trump is leading us toward second civil war and biden is leading us to a third world war. host: if you were president what would cornell west's administration to change the plight of poor people? guest: biden authorized 200,000,000,004 fighters. we could abolish poverty without 200 billion. i spent time with my brothers and sisters at the east side cafe there is no housing.

i went to skidrow in los angeles how can we be the richest nation and have so many poor people and homeless people? we have organize greed when it comes to housing and organize greed with health care. this is what happens when you have unleashed on the society with little accountability in the most vulnerable are the ones most affected there has to be a moral compass when you talk about leadership in the country. you know that is true when it comes to the genocide and pride tied conditions in gaza. that is a litmus test. we watch it take place and enable billions of dollars to

allow the military equipment to go to killing and maiming children? 13,000 precious palestinian children and we act like we can do nothing? this is a spiritual sickness and that's true for any people. that's true for any people. in this case is palestinian and i see it in new york, l.a., chicago and we want to congratulate ourselves that the economy is doing well. we are in a spiritual and political crisis of profound proportion and we need to get beyond the lies, revenge and hatred and talk about truth, justice and love. host: if you want to ask our guest questions (202) 748-8000

(202) 748-8001, for democrats (202) 748-8000, for independents (202) 748-8002. host: do you have a political background? guest: we need new people. i have been working for poor people for 55 years in the number of candidates. sometimes they were within the democratic party and more and more they have been outside the democratic party. they have been captured by the pentagon on one end and wall street on the other and the republican party has been captured by big money.

people say you have never been an elected official. i have been an active citizen trying to ensure that truth and justice can procure a place in american politics and that is very much what i would do as president. i would send it completely different tone, a completely different vibe coming from the white house. working people you are at the center of public policy. not wall street, the stock market but mainstreet and access to health care, education, safe communities, access to housing as a human right just like health care is a human right. we have to push back these predators that have been pushing out so many poor and working

people. host: on your website one of the things you advocate for is a wealth tax, $20 minimum wage and basic income commission. as far as the wealth tax president biden has called for increase taxes but what is your definition of a wealth tax? guest: it's difficult to enforce. as much as i would put it on paper we note the wealthy are so clever with their lawyers and create loopholes. i am much more concerned about this investing from the military. around the world and special

operations and 130 countries. we have to cut back on military and goes directly into universal basic income. we agreed there should be a basic universal income's it's easier to reinvest directly into satisfying basic social needs because we can have some of the most marvelous wealth taxes on paper and you can't execute it because these loopholes are still there and tax evasion in the cayman islands. in terms of actually gaining resources for poor and working people rather than supporting

that strong minimum wage and strong wing of the trade union as well as the fight for benefits and contribute to a robust public life. we have to engage in satisfying basic social needs. i go to schools all the time and policeman in elementary schools more than nurses and counselors. can you imagine if that was the case when we went to schools? the students in the barrios, the hoods, poor whites, what kind of future are we talking about with that militarized context? the militarization of the police in any security officers because as society decays we appealed to

the military and and with more and more mass shootings in militaristic ways of dealing with conflict that is the sign of a country going under. we have to fight back and countervailing forces against organized greed and institutionalized hatred and indifference to the most vulnerable. i believe that is the least of these the 25th chapter of matthew what you do to prisoners, poor, the orphans, the widows. that is the criteria. host: we have a call lined up for you. let's start with joan in new york. caller: hello. host: you are on, go ahead. caller: i'm on?

host:? ahead. caller: why the president i think after 80 years old they should get out. they are old and senile and nancy below see and chuck schumer at 80 years old they should get out. guest: i agree with my sisters citizen joan. we have to have a rotation on one of the reasons they don't rotate as soon as they get in there they get so comfortable and well-adjusted to the status quo that they want to reposition themselves is no accident that they get richer and richer as

the country gets into deeper crisis. host: from j on the democrats line in washington dc. caller: hi dr. west i'm calling from the stolen lands in washington dc think you for your comments on dropping the military-industrial complex. i have a two-part question if you would. i worked for the bernie sanders campaign and i also know that humanity needs than a free palestine. where they are free to drink clean water. one lesson we learned from bernie sanders in the presidential arena and how can

we get anywhere closer to liberating palestine? guest: i appreciated brother j. i did two campaigns with my brother bernie sanders. one of the lessons i think we can learn is the democratic party is beyond redemption when it comes towards working people in america in dealing with precious palestinians in gaza. it is windowdressing in terms of acting as if they have a deep commitment to people. overall biden has been in the back pocket of wall street.

and when it comes to gaza you see crime against humanity, work . quit lying we are seeing these crimes against humanity every day. and then respond only when arab and muslim voters vote against the democratic policy. we want someone with the moral backbone. what are you going to do? create appear that it takes two months when you have an escalation?

the motto of mlk you don't use as a slogan to enable genocide. you are a war criminal for enabling those actions. we have to create a context in which the palace to and equality we don't want genocide of the people but we have to be honest

and recognize jewish security predicated on palestinian occupation and domination. how do jews and palestinians learn to live together in a context that is where you have to had. it is a maras, a subterfuge. it power and is really super receipt you reproduce the same domination in a different way. i amateur rumor. i believe a precious palestinian baby has the same value as a jewish baby.

that's what it is to be a palestinian jew named jesus. host: what should the united states or israel do with the mosque ultimately? guest: you have to pull the rug of any effort that would engage in any kind of response. hamas is a counterterrorism organization. and if you pull the rug out you in the occupation that hamas would have no reason to engage in any kind of attack against innocent people.

if there are fights between combatants, israeli soldiers and hamas soldiers there is war. i don't believe in killing any innocent babies i don't care who they are. hamas is a counter terrorist organization we can even get corporate media to talk about israeli terrorism. they are engaged in terrorist acts. you have to tell the truth. that's not anti-semitic at all. jews are like anyone else they have the capacity for love and care and terrorizing kill and we are seeing a timbre killing and the fear against killing you just don't talk about hamas you have to talk about the idf and it goes back 75 years with the

ethnic cleansing to 1948, occupation and apartheid bike conditions. that meant dell's side were in some ways worse than south african apartheid. anti-jewish hatred is wrong, vicious no doubt about that. but it will not silence any of us who have a moral commitment to any group that is being occupied, dominated and having to deal with genocidal attacks. a lot of democrats one event have this dialogue even brother schumer gave his historic talk he didn't say a word about palestinian suffering it was about the internal dynamics of jews.

it lacks any serious moral content. it reminds me of the confessing church that opposed hitler's because hitler's was making the christian accommodating the gospel to him it did not say a word about jews. : offers said christians have no right to use gregorian chance because they applied to jews. they can't say a word about palestinian suffering because it's too tied to the narrow view and the money coming in enabling the policy that by then, harris and rfk junior is worse than the other two.

host: i apologize for interrupting. as related to what you brought up on because of your background as a christian professor. if i vote for you which you serve the 14th amendment to keep churches state separate. guest: there is no doubt about it. when you are in a public space, atheists, agnostics, christians and

>> any of those policies that support other states. i am independent. it is very difficult to win.

but we are in uncharted territory. we don't know how trump will stay out of jail. how long biden will hold on. you may have to pull back. we will have to see what that looks like. and then you have the rest of us out there fighting. i am trying to be consistent. morally consistent. that is to tell the truth. to seek justice. justice is what love looks like.

>> i thought your twin had disappeared. you will not become president. but you could got -- get in our neighborhoods and stuff our young men from killing each other. the biggest mistake we ever made was giving of our schools. that was a dead-end road. i don't agree with that. when we gave up our schools, we gave up our kids. both of you go find a cliff and jump off. >> i appreciate the love. i can see what kind of sensitivity you have two people who disagree with you. you don't think i have spent

time with people trying to deal with gun violence? we have had reconciliation acts. you don't know what you're talking a very -- about. shame on you. i have been doing what you have been doing for 50 years. i want you to be a force for good. let's fight for the schools. i've been fighting for the schools. god bless you. >> i want you to address a couple of things on your platform. he said he would nationalize the health care industry. why do you think that is necessary?

we have to be honest about that. there is no doubt about that. we have to have a sensitivity. women should have control over their reproductive rights. i don't know why we can't have the same kind of health care system that congress has. they call that socialism. they call it single-payer. ♪