April 29, 2020
The gang discusses Trump’s literally toxic home remedy suggestions for COVID, debt and the reality of 10’s of millions of people suddenly unable to pay the bills, and the political and economic outlook for workers in the US post the Sanders presidential campaigns. For our wildflower this week, it seems like a de-facto and increasingly explicit and unapologetic rent strike is on! And enjoy the first part of Chapter 13 of The Conquest of Bread!
April 21, 2020
This week we’re joined by Yasha Levine, author of Surveillance Valley and the investigative series Immigrants as a Weapon. We discuss how government and corporate development of digital technologies work to further American empire, how middle-class notions of privacy and our myopic focus on surveillance stunt other projects and political imaginations, and the history of Soviet Jews and their utility to the American neoliberal project. We close with a discussion of the importance of the USPS and Chapter 12 of The Conquest of Bread, Objections.
Subscribe to Yasha’s Substack: https://yasha.substack.com
Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet: https://surveillancevalley.com
Public outcry over threats to the USPS: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lamvo/save-us-postal-service-coronavirus-twitter
April 6, 2020
Coronavirus reveals the inability of global capitalist systems to prioritize human dignity and well being, even for a short time. While this pandemic is warping horseshoe politics into an indistinguishable shape, the DNC establishment has chosen to nominate a dementia-ridden racist rapist in order to stop a nice Jewish man from doing anything to help the poor and working classes. Liz Warren once again betrays her supposed principles, praising Biden’s “leadership” and “decency.” Even our most progressive leaders are failing to call for radical resistance and a general strike - do better! Emily joins us to describe Regeneron’s efforts to provide New York State with some much needed COVID19 testing kits, and for our wildflower, we bring good news from Wuhan, China, where the crisis is finally abating and life is beginning to return to normal.
After the ep, Britney brings us more Kropotkin this week with Chapter 10: Agreeable Work, from The Conquest of Bread.
Liz Warren sucks up to Biden: (https://www.siriusxm.com/clips/clip/0599fdfc-88f5-6fdc-bb03-580b27af0c14/fafe6b82-23c9-48b8-a59d-d2b2714cd35a)
Jimmy Dore spitting fire on the failures of progressive leadership: (https://twitter.com/Tav_assoli/status/1245496901354639360?s=20)
Wuhan reopens after two-month Lockdown: (https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1888260/wuhan-reopens-after-two-month-lockdown)
March 31, 2020
This week we are #blessed to talk with presidential candidate and current front-runner in the race for the Libertarian Party Primary Vermin Supreme! We discuss his history of satirical runs for the president, his pivot to a more serious run for the LP nomination, and how his beliefs as a left-leaning anarchist jive with the Libertarian Party. Vermin makes the case for anarchy as a practice that we engage in every day and tells us about his experiences with temporary autonomous collective efforts, and how wearing a boot on his head has allowed him to disrupt the political duopoly in creative ways. He also describes alternatives to a state-run healthcare system and other state-based interventions.
Learn more about Vermin’s campaign at (https://verminsupreme2020.com)
Follow him on Twitter at @VerminSupreme
March 9, 2020
Big Structural Self Discreditation may not be good sloganeering, but it seems an accurate depiction of the new turn in Liz’ political career. We set a time to discuss the electoral horse race for a maximum of 15 minutes, and then move on to discuss PILOT programs and how they are a factor in gentrification, with a case study of our beloved city of Troy. Then, we discuss how the Department of Defense has contracted illegally with local incineration facilities including the Norlite facility in Cohoes, NY to burn some seriously heinous chemicals. We talk COVID19 with the new declaration of a State of Emergency in New York, and for our wildflower we stan the Wuhan Gang of quarantined middle school kids who 1-star reviewed their homework app into oblivion.
We leave you with a few early tracks from Chris’ band Zombie Giuliani’s first album, and Brit’s narration of Kropotkin’s Conquest of Bread, Chapter 7, Ways and Means.
Wuhan Gang Aint Nothin To Fuck With: (https://mashable.com/article/wuhan-kids-app-coronavirus.amp)
Zombie Giuliani First Show Poster: (https://66.media.tumblr.com/b0ae21f10bd587bdca13564243f9eadf/tumblr_inline_q5xjduAlGG1qc4i57_500.png)
Details: Mar 19, 9:30 PM, Desperate Annies, 12 Caroline St. Saratoga, NY
Zombie Giuliani Album: (https://zombiegiuliani.bandcamp.com/releases)
March 2, 2020
We are #blessed to talk with Jeremy Antley (@jsantley on twitter) to discuss gossip and rumor among imperial-era Russian peasants, and how rumor functions as power and as play. We also celebrate some monkey business down under.
Books referenced by Jeremy: Society Must Be Defended by Michel Foucault, The Play of the World by James S. Hans, and Gossip by Patricia Meyer Spacks.
(nypost.com/2020/02/25/baboon-on-way-to-vasectomy-escapes-with-two-female-companions-in-sydney/)