Everyday Anarchism

185. Radicalism in the American Revolution

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Here's an introduction to a new series on Radicalism in the American Revolution, in honor of/in frustration with 250 years of America.

Soon to come: Jefferson on Race, the American constitutional tradition, Thomas Paine's basic income, and more!

184. The Horizontal Transcendence of the Everyday -- Clare Carlisle

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

How do you know your life is worthwhile? How do connect to the world around you? What sort of life is worth living?

In her new book, Transcendence for Beginners, the philosopher and biographer Clare Carlisle works through answers to these questions, answers inspired by the philosopher Spinoza and the novelist George Eliot. And those answers, rather than pointing to something beyond, point us to transcendence in the here and now. Plus we talk about tradwives.

Here's the link to the book at the publisher's website: https://www.nyrb.com/products/transcendence-for-beginners

183. Mrs. Orwell -- Andrea Chalupa

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Eric Blair, known as George Orwell, had all of his successes after he met and married Eileen O'Shaughnessy. The graphic novel Mrs. Orwell, written by Andrea Chalupa, is the story of how George Orwell became a couple, and helps re-introduce Eileen to history as the dynamic, radical activist and editor who has been left out of the Orwell story.

You can get a copy of the book here: https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9781250877857

182. A Door Into Ocean -- Joan Slonczewski

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Joan Slonczewski joins me to discuss their novel A Door Into Ocean, a science fiction novel about an all-female society of "sharers" on an ocean planet, Shora. Joan's sharers are one of the best speculative depictions of what an anarchist society would look like, so Joan and I discuss the inspirations for the world, including Gene Sharp, Ursula Le Guin, and Gandhi, and what we can draw on from those figures in our current struggles.

You can find Joan at https://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/slonc.htm

Buy the book: https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9780312876524

181. The Language of Incompleteness -- Amit Chaudhuri

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Amit Chaudhuri joins me to discuss his new collection of essays, Incompleteness. In these essays and his novels, Amit is constantly searching for new language that will acknowledge the instability and flux of the world around us. It is intellectual anarchy of the highest order, as well as artistically breathtaking.

You can find all of Amit's books published by NYRB here: https://www.nyrb.com/collections/amit-chaudhuri

180. Aurora -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:52:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson comes back to discuss Aurora, his novel of a generational starship, in which generations of humans are born, live, and die onboard without ever seeing a planet. We discuss the generational starship as a science fiction genre, whether humans will ever be able to travel to the stars, and what it would mean for science fiction if we can't. We also take a detour into the question of "hard," scientific science fiction vs. "soft," humanist science fiction.

Here's a link to Stan's article for Boing Boing, arguing that we won't ever reach the stars:

https://boingboing.net/2015/11/16/our-generation-ships-will-sink.html

Thanks to Nick Gaskill for suggesting an episode on Aurora!

179. Socialism from Bernie to Mamdani -- Dan Chiasson

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Dan Chiasson joins me to discuss his combined Bernie and Burlington biography, Bernie for Burlington, and the connections between Bernie's socialism and Mamdani's socialism.

You can purchase Dan's book here: https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9780593317495

Here's Dan's article about Mamdani: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2025/11/06/have-you-met-z-zohran-mamdani/

And we discuss Corey Robin's piece on socialist excellence: https://coreyrobin.com/2025/11/15/excellence-over-mediocrity-from-mamdani-to-marx-to-food/

178. Fighting for the Future of PM Press -- Ramsey Kanaan

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0400

For almost 20 years, PM Press has been publishing brilliant anarchist books, including many covered on this podcast. Co-Founder Ramsey Kanaan joins me to discuss what PM Press does, how it works on anarchist lines, and why they need to own their own building to secure their future.

If you'd like to contribute to that future, here's the fundraising link for the merch page, which also has the GoFundMe link: https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_list&c=255

177. Year One of the Second Trump Regime -- Leonard Williams

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Leonard Williams, who was my second guest on this podcast back in November of 2021, returns to talk about Trump's presidency over the past year, what it means, and what we can do to fight it.

To hear more from Leonard, here's his 2024 podcast on what to expect from the Trump regime: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-hbbe4-17349e4

And here's Leonard's Substack: https://crosspollination.substack.com/

Note: Leonard and I recorded this episode before the US kidnapped Nicolás Maduro and ICE executed Renee Good

176. Building a World without Parkinson's -- Ray Dorsey

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Ray Dorsey joins me to discuss The Parkinson's Plan, his new book about fighting and hopefully ending the disease. Ray and his co-author Michael S. Okun show that Parkinson's is primarily caused by human-made chemicals, chemicals we can stop using. As with climate change or ultraprocessed foods, we've made an environment that's sickening us. Now it's time to make a new, healthier world.

You can learn more about the book at https://pdplan.org/

175. The Battle of Seattle -- D.W. Gibson

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0400

The modern anarchist movement began in 1999, when the World Trade Organization met in Seattle in order to create a set of rules which would require every country to accept the worst excesses of capitalism.

Waiting for them in Seattle was a loose coalition of anarchists, farmers, organized labor, punks, Zapatistas, and giant puppets.

Team Puppet won.

D.W. Gibson's new book One Week to Change the World is an oral history of the Battle of Seattle. Gibson interviewed everyone from the black bloc to the riot police. The book is a history but also a guide for future protests. I highly recommend it!

174. Rules, Games, and Anarchy -- Jay Dragon

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Ever since C. Thi Nguyen appeared on the podcast, I've been trying to use games to understand more about the relationship between rules and life. Jay Dragon, whose game Wanderhome is almost ruleless, joins me to discuss games, rules, and anarchy, and we especially talk about how we can analyze oppressive real-world systems as if they're games.

Here are some links for more from Jay:

https://possumcreek.medium.com/

https://possumcreekgames.com/

173. From William Morris to Bauhaus to Midcentury Modern -- Robin Schuldenfrei

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Robin Schuldenfrei rejoins me to talk more Bauhaus! In this episode, we discuss her book Luxury and Modernism, covering the complexities of the Bauhaus, which had a leftwing ethos but produced luxury objects, and made them by hand to appear machine made. Robin talks us through how the contradiction between luxury and egalitarianism ran from Morris's arts and crafts movement to the Bauhaus, and modernism only became a truly "everyday" part of life during the colossal expansion of middle-class wealth in the midcentury, as celebrated by Life magazine and recreated in the show Mad Men

172. Liberty as Independence -- John McGowan

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0400

John McGowan joins me to discuss Liberty as Independence, Quentin Skinner's new book about the way that our ideals of liberty were formed in in 17th and 18th century debates. The book covers legendary figures, such as Hobbes, Milton, Locke, Swift, Paine, and Jefferson, as well as many lesser-known figures that they engaged with.

For more from John McGowan, here's the link to his blog: https://jzmcgowan.com/public-intelligence-blog/

Finally, I'd like to apologize to Badger from The Wind in the Willows. In this episode, I repeatedly refer to him as "Mr. Badger." He is simply, as befits his status, Badger or The Badger. I regret the error.

171. Reel Politik -- Nathan Gelgud

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Nathan Gelgud joins me to discuss Reel Politik, a comics collection about a group of Brechtian revolutionaries who take over the movie theatre they work in.

Nathan and I discuss our shared love for movies, the radical nature of paying attention to a movie screen, and The Chelsea Theater, a local movie theatre in Chapel Hill that Nathan and I both love (I even worked there!). Many thanks to Bruce Stone, who ran The Chelsea for decades!

You can find the book here: https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/reel-politik/

170. The Biblical Curse of Wealth -- Pastor Micah

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Pastor Micah joins me to share a radical reading of the Book of Genesis in which wealth isn't a blessing on God's people, but a curse!

I recently appeared on Micah's podcast, The Word in Black and Red, to discuss the 10 Commandments with Micah. That link is here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s-2-20-exodus-19-20-arrival-at-mt-sanai-the-ten-commandments/id1682991552?i=1000730399185

I also recently appeared on The Skeptical Leftist podcast! That link is here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/skepticalleftist/episodes/The-Anti-Influencers-Case-For-Anarchism-with-Graham-Culbertson-e3a0a4j

And the YouTube video of that conversation is here (I didn't watch): https://youtu.be/YXYH1ngF30A?si=4DMONaFxIUGRuCNc

169. The Teacher and Society -- Alfie Kohn

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Alfie Kohn returns to the show to discuss his new podcast, the role of teachers in social progress, and why someone's view on chatbots in the classroom tells you eveything you need to know about their view of education.

You can listen to Kohn's Zone wherever you get your podcasts, or get it straight from his website: https://www.alfiekohn.org/podcasts/

168. Enshittification -- Cory Doctorow

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

It's not your imagination: everything is getting worse. And there's a reason why.

167. Henry Fonda for President -- Alexander Horwath

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

More than any other individual, Henry Fonda was a symbol for better, more leftist, more social democratic America, from The Grapes of Wrath to 12 Angry Men. He even played an English professor who faced cancellation for teaching anarchist literature!

Then in the 1960s, he was the literal father figure that New Left Hollywood figures Jane and Peter Fonda were rebelling against. And Henry let himself be used as a villain in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, playing the embodiment of rapacious American capitalism.

Alexander Horwath weaves together all these threads into his essay film Henry Fonda for President. As we live in a world haunted by 50 years of neoliberal decay, the America Fonda represented seems further away than ever, even as his films still crackle with righteous rage against injustice. Alex and I talk about all these issues and more - I hope you enjoy the conversation, and see the film when you have a chance!

166. Goliath's Curse -- Luke Kemp

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

According to conventional history, the last 12,000 years has seen the steady march of progress from primitive savagery to enlightened civilization.

In the age of Trump, Elon, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Putin, Xi, Orbán, Netanyahu, Erdoğan, and Khamenei, this story can't be true.

Luke Kemp joins me to offer another story, one in which mutual aid is what makes humans special - and what historians call "civilization" is actually the history of domination and coercion.

I cannot recommend the book more highly!

https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9780593321355

165. Politics in Hollywood Westerns-- Ruth Kinna

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Happy 4th Anniversary to Everyday Anarchism!

For this year's anniversary episode, Ruth Kinna comes on to talk about a couple of Hollywood Westerns: Fort Apache (John Ford, 1948) and Rancho Notorious (Fritz Lang, 1952).

Hollywood Westerns are about law and order, violence and vigilantism, community and individualism, savagery and civilization, and imperialism and resistance. They're perfect for illustrating political ideals - and that's just what Ruth and I do!

Look forward to an episode all about the activism and idealism of Henry Fonda with the director of Henry Fonda for President at some future date.

Thanks again to Ruth, but above all thanks to everyone for listening for the past four years!

164. Slow Cinema as Democratic Cinema -- Paul Schrader

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In normal cinema, the goal of the director is to control the audience, to direct their gaze, to dictate their emotions.

What does it mean when directors make movies where the audience is allowed to decide what the film means to them?

Legendary filmmaker Paul Schrader (screenwriter of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull; director of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and First Reformed) , joins me to discuss his book Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer and the democratic nature of slow cinema.

163. Capitalism and Nature -- Alyssa Battistoni

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Alyssa Battistoni joins me to discuss her new book Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. Capitalist theory generally describes nature as a "free gift." If gifts are already free, why does capitalism have to claim that nature is a "free gift"? And why does capitalism keep declaring that nature is "worth" some billions or trillions of dollars? Alyssa and I discuss the tragic, yet comic, misunderstanding of nature by capitalism, and other ways to think about nature besides the economic.

162. Divorcing Anarchism and Liberalism -- Alexandre Lefebvre

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Alex comes back on the podcast and we try to separate liberalism and anarchism, with some success! (I think the problem is that what Alex and I agree on is democratic socialism - so liberal socialism and anarchist socialism end up pretty close).

The business of basketball is our central example, so sorry if that part bores you to tears. Being bored by the business of basketball is more than reasonable.

I also reference this episode with Iain McKay frequently: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/episode-42-kropotkins-theory-of-revolution-with-iain-mckay/

Duke sucks.

161. The German Peasants' War -- Lyndal Roper

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 04:40:00 -0400

Lyndal Roper joins me to discuss her book The Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War. 500 years ago, German peasants learned that Martin Luther had declared that they should be free. They agreed - and Europe was plunged into war.

160. Marrying Anarchism and Liberalism -- Alexandre Lefebvre

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Alexandre Lefebvre, author of Liberalism as a Way of Life, joins me to discuss the many ways that anarchism and liberalism are compatible. Later this month, you'll here Alexander back on the show, as we try to divorce the two traditions.

159. The Folksinging Anarchist Tradition -- Willi Carlisle

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In celebration of his new album Winged Victory, Folksinger Willi Carlisle joins me to discuss the connections between folk music and leftism, especially anarchism.

I love all of Willi's albums. Here's his website:

https://www.willicarlisle.com/

158. Tolkien's Romantic Anarchy -- Meredith Veldman

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Everyday Anarchism goes back to where it all began: the romantic anarchism of J.R.R. Tolkien. Meredith Veldman, author of Fantasy, The Bomb, and the Greening of Britain, joins me to talk about the romantic protest underlying The Lord of the Rings. We discuss the romantic quest for reintegration at the heart of the novels, the appeal that romanticism has for both anarchists and fascists, and why Palantir is such an ironically good name for Peter Thiel's big data company.

157. Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols -- David Hill

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

My colleague David Hill rejoins the show to discuss Twilight of the Idols, one of Nietzsche's last works, and one in which Nietzsche directly discusses anarchism.

In addition to Nietzsche's putdowns of anarchists, David and I also discuss the ancient Greeks in Nietzsche's thoughts, the unsavory aspects of Nietzsche's philosphy, and Nietsche's attacks on liberalism.

For background to this conversation, check out this episode on games and philosophy in ancient Greece: https://do-things-with-words.captivate.fm/episode/1-5-agon-and-ancient-greek-society-david-potter/

156. Bauhaus and the Anarchic City -- Robin Schuldenfrei

Wed, 21 May 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Robin Schuldenfrei joins me to discuss her new book Objects in Exile, which is about the many afterlives of the Bauhaus school and its practitioners. Robin and I particularly focus on the relationship between Bauhaus and city planning, especially focusing on Chicago and the work of Ludwig Hilberseimer. Key questions include:

How can societies ensure that everyone has at least enough space to live? How can cities provide for both growth and planning, and blend different kinds of buildings and spaces into an organic whole? And how can we see the rigid grid of American cities as a tool for anarchy?

Here's the information about Robin's book and an interview with her about the book

Robin Schuldenfrei, Objects in Exile: Modern Art and Design across Borders, 1930–1960

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691232669/objects-in-exile

Interview, Robin Schuldenfrei on Objects in Exile

https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/robin-schuldenfrei-on-objects-in-exile

155. Baseball Utopia in Eephus -- Carson Lund

Wed, 07 May 2025 05:00:00 -0400

"What is joy when everything has been monetized and optimized?" For Carson Lund, the answer is rec league baseball, and his new film Eephus is about how a meaningless, anachronistic activity like a local baseball league can actually be the most meaningful and important thing you can do. The film is an ode to baseball, a comedy, and "an argument for democracy at a more human level, people just figuring things out."

You can find ways to stream Eephus or watch it in the theater here: https://www.eephusfilm.com/

And here's the Hawthorne quote I got totally wrong in the episode:

The novels of Anthony Trollope "just as real as if some giant had hewn a great lump out of the earth and put it under a glass case, with all its inhabitants going about their daily business, and not suspecting that they were being made a show of."

154. Hannah Arendt and Civil Disobedience -- John McGowan

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

John McGowan joins the podcast again to discuss a recent republication of Hannah Arendt's essay "Civil Disobedience, which responds to Plato's Crito, Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government," and the leftwing mass movements of the 1960s. John and I discuss Arendt's importance as a theorist of revolution and totalitarianism, as well as the complex life of the idea of civil disobedience and its reception by Tolstoi, Gandhi, and King.

153. Organizing in the 21st Century -- Jaz Brisack

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Jaz Brisack joins me to discuss their new book, Get on the Job and Organize. Jaz and I discuss why billionaires take union organizing personally, how organizing is different in the 21st century, and how you can organize your workplace.

Jaz might be coming to a town near you soon - here's the link to their book tour sites: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jaz-Brisack/225399070

And a link to buy the book:

https://flyleafbooks.com/book/9781668080795

152. Why Billionaires Love AI -- Brian Merchant

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Brian Merchant, author of the newsletter Blood in the Machine, returns to the show to talk about the newsletter, ai, tech oligarchs, the neoliberal "abundance" agenda, jobs, and pretty much everything else you want to know about the terrible, horrible, no good collusion between Trump, Tech billionaires, and ai. Fight the tech billionaires. Support Blood in the Machine!

https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/

You can also check out Brian's previous appearance on his book about the luddites - also called Blood in the Machine: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a05a3ed4-471c-4224-9ac6-4af204b7ff1d/

Oh, and you can find some of my work on ai here:

https://aideas.captivate.fm/

https://www.aiedu.org/aiedu-blog/guest-author-ethics-culbertson-1

151. Graeber's Debt Chapter 12, The Beginning of Something Yet to Be Determined

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In which I end my series on David Graeber's Debt, apologize for mistakes, and offer some hope for a new world in which we have more money and less monetarism.

Thank you to all of the listeners to this series, and my wonderful lineup of guests: Dirk Ehnts, Eleanor Janega, Cory Doctorow, Bill Maurer, Henry Farrell, James K. Galbraith, Fuad Musallam, Clif Mark, Luke Kemp, John Weisweiler, Chris Isett, and Yanis Varoufakis.

The whole series can be found here: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/david-graebers-debt/

150. Secret Mall Apartment -- Jeremy Workman and Michael Townsend

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

When capitalists developed their neighborhood with a giant mall, eight artists developed an abandoned space in the mall into an apartment. It was art without permission, and now there's a documentary about what it was like to make a secret mall apartment as a form of art. Jeremy Workman, the director of Secret Mall Apartment, and Michael Townsend, the originator of the idea, join me to discuss the film and what it means to make art without permission.

I highly recommend that you check out Michael's public art, which you can learn about here: https://www.tapeart.com/

149. Anarchy in the Big Easy -- Max Cafard and Vulpes

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Max Cafard (which is a pen name) and Vulpes (which is also a pen name) join me to discuss their fantastic new graphic novel Anarchy in the Big Easy, which is just what it sounds like. Max and Vulpes and I discuss the cosmic anarchy, political anarchism, and everyday anarchy that's flowed through what is now called New Orleans for centuries and millennia. Plus we get frequently confused by the pen names. And yes, as happens occasionally, Max has a squeaky chair.

You can order the book from PM press here: https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1766

148. Debt Discussion 12, In the Middle of Something New with Yanis Varoufakis

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Yanis Varoufakis joins me to discuss his new book, Technofeudalism, how the world economy has changed since Graeber wrote Debt, and where things might be going next.

Live long and prosper.

147. Luigi Mangione and Anarchist Terrorism -- Constance Bantman

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Constance Bantman joins me to discuss the history of anarchist political violence through the prism of Luigi Mangione - and vice versa. Some of the questions we cover include:

Can the history of nineteenth-century anarchist terrorism help us understand the recent assassination of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Mangione, and its rapturous reception in some quarters of public opinion? What is the place of political violence in democracies? And what of Mangione’s forthcoming trial?

For more historical context, I highly recommend the recent podcast episode of In Our Time about the Haymarket Affair, which features Ruth Kinna: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0023gm2

146. James C. Scott's Two Cheers for Anarchism -- Luke Kemp

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Luke Kemp returns to the show to discuss Two Cheers for Anarchism, James C. Scott's six essays or "fragments" applying an anarchist squint to the world. Luke and I discuss the joy of Scott's book, it's controversial place in anarchist theory, and why it's a good place for the anarcho-curious to start their journey into anarchism.

Along the way I also highly recommend Agnes Varda's amazing film, Daguerréotypes https://www.criterionchannel.com/daguerreotypes

Luke should appear on the podcast later this year to discuss his new book about societal collapse, Goliath's Curse! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691357/goliaths-curse-by-luke-kemp/

145. Debt Discussion 11, The Great Divergence with Christopher Isett

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Christopher Isett joins me to discuss the rise of capitalism and "The Great Divergence," in which Christendom transformed itself from an obscure corner of the world into the dominant global power. Just how did that happen, what part did capitalism play in it, and why did capitalism develop in Europe? And what does China have to do with all of it?

Chris gives his answers to all of these questions, especially drawing on the work of Robert Brenner. Here's Brenner's page on the Verso website, if you want the full story: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/authors/brenner-robert

144. Victor Serge, Anarchist Bolshevik -- Mitchell Abidor

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Today Mitch Abidor joins me to discuss Victor Serge: acclaimed novelist, anarchist, Bolshevik, anticommunist, and all-around 20th century contradiction. Mitch and I discuss the legend of Serge, what's true about it, and the ways that Serge fails to live up to the legend.

You can find Mitch's writing all over the place, but here's a good place to start: https://jewishcurrents.org/author/mitchell-abidor

And here's the NYRB page for Serge's work: https://www.nyrb.com/collections/victor-serge

143. Graeber's Debt Chapter 11: Age of Great Capitalist Empires

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

What is capitalism?

It's not efficient markets, factories, and free labor.

It's the financialization of empire and slavery, using greed, shame, indignation, and debt.

And that means the first great capitalists weren't British factory owners, but colonizing conquistadors.

142. Green Earth -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson returns to discuss his novel Green Earth, a technothriller about a near future world in which scientists work to solve the global climate crisis. Stan and I discuss how the book went from a trilogy to a single volume, its similarity to The Ministry for the Future, and its place in the genre of naturalism. Plus Emerson and Thoreau!

And yes, I get the title of The Ministry for the Future wrong every time I say it in this episode. Oops.

141. A New Model for Food and Politics -- Mark Bittman

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Mark Bittman returns to Everyday Anarchism to discuss Community Kitchen, his new model for how we can do restaurant food better by running nonprofit restaurants rooted in their communities.

But we also talk about RFK's crusade against seed oils, what's wrong with Pod Save America, why food is so cheap in the US, the recent US presidential election, and whatever else happened to come up.

Find more from Mark at https://bittmanproject.com/

140. Graeber's Hidden Truth of the World -- Shawn from SRSLY Wrong

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Shawn Vulliez from SRSLY Wrong joins me to discuss the new collection of David Graeber essays, The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World. Shawn and I talk about the tyranny of economics and how Graeber gave us permission to reveal that the emperor of economics has no clothes.

Warning: Contains discussion of the recent election. Stay away if you just can't handle it anymore. I understand.

139. Hill's The World Turned Upside Down -- Ann Hughes (English Revolution)

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0400

A spectre is haunting the Everyday Anarchism series on the English revolution: the spectre of Christopher Hill's 1972 book The World Turned Upside Down. It turns out most of the ideas I've shared in this series came from Hill's book!

Ann Hughes joins me to discuss the book, and we talk through the following questions:

Did Hill invent the idea of the English revolution?
How did the radicalism of the 1960s affect Hill's approach?
Was Winstanley an anarchist?
Was the English Revolution the beginning of modernity?

Thanks so much to Ann and all the other guests in this year-long series, now (probably) concluded!

138. Debt Discussion 10, Debt in the Middle Ages with Eleanor Janega

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Eleanor Janega, the very first guest on the Graeber's Debt series, comes back on the show to discuss what the middle ages were, how they were a global phenomenon, and why they weren't as bad as you've heard

137. Mao and Anarchism -- Karl Gerth

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined by Karl Gerth, professor of modern Chinese history at the University of California, San Diego, to discuss the Chinese Communist Revolution and how Maoism attempted to avoid the mistakes of the USSR and yet largely repeated them.

136. Graeber's Debt Chapter 10: The Middle Ages

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In Graeber's middle ages, empires fell apart while temples and monasteries kept everything together with metaphysical debt. Oh, and Europe isn't very important.

Eleanor Janega returns later this month to discuss the chapter in the next Debt discussion!

135. Graeber's Debt Chapter 9: The Axial Age

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Following on my discussion with John Weisweiler, more detail on Graeber's account of the Axial Age

134. Debt Discussion 9, the Axial Age with John Weisweiler

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode in my series on Graeber's Debt, I'm joined by John Weisweiler to discuss Chapter 9, "The Axial Age." John and I discuss Graeber's insights into the relationship between money, debt, and community, and the way that Graeber often got the ideas right even before the archaelogical record had gotten there.

133. 3rd Anniversary Episode! -- Ruth Kinna

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Ruth Kinna comes back on the show to celebrate 3 years of Everyday Anarchism. We talk about the relationship between anarchism and protest, and where everyday anarchism fits with capital-A Anarchism. Plus Occupy!

132. Debt Discussion 8, Cycles of History with Luke Kemp

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Luke Kemp joins me to discuss Chapter 8 of Debt, asking the question: Is Graeber right when he says that history follows clear cycles?

Sort of!

131. The Case Against Competition -- Alfie Kohn

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined by Alfie Kohn to discuss No Contest: The Case Against Competition, his 1986 book about how competition hurts rather than helps people do their best. We cover the problem with grades, the reason why excellence and competition are opposed, and whats wrong with rewards and what makes awards even worse.

For more from Alfie, check out his website:

https://www.alfiekohn.org/

130. Graeber's Debt Chapter 8: Credit vs. Bullion, and the Cycles of History

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

The Debt series returns, hopefully to finish by early 2025.

This my reading of Chapter 8 (and a little of Chapter 7), soon to be followed by a discussion with Luke Kemp.

129. The Everyday Anarchy of Colin Ward -- Roman Krznaric

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

This episode publishes on the hundredth anniversary of Colin Ward! Colin was one of the popularizers of many of the ideas featured in this podcast, and I've stayed away from covering him for fear of copying him. But my guest today, Roman Krznaric, convinced me to do an episode on Colin's thought, and we had a thrilling conversation about anarchy, city planning, protest, and Kim Stanley Robinson.

I highly recommend Colin's book Anarchy in Action from PM Press: https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=814

Here's Roman's website for more from him: https://www.romankrznaric.com/

"Games are Perfect Anarchist Practices" -- Miguel Sicart

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Here's a crossover episode from my other podcast, Plumbing Game Studies.

Things have been crazy lately, and I have emails from back in April I haven't responded to. My apologies if you've emailed me and not heard back. I hope to get caught up soon, or at least in 2024!

128. Hobbes' Leviathan -- Alison McQueen (English Revolution)

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Who create the modern theory of political sovereignty?

Thomas Hobbes.

What was Hobbes afraid of?

Anarchy.

What made Hobbes so afraid of anarchy?

The English Revolution.

Today's guest is Alison McQueen, who can be found at https://www.alisonmcqueen.info/

127. Debt Discussion 7, Honor and Dignity with Clif Mark

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Clif Mark, host of the Good in Theory podcast, joins me to discuss honor and degradation in Graeber's Debt. Also I make Clif talk about representation in Star Wars, for some reason.

126. Milton's Radicalism -- Nick McDowell and Nigel Smith (English Revolution)

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

One of the most famous author's in the English language, John Milton, was a 17th century English radical who not only supported but also worked for the English revolutionary government. I'm joined by Nigel Smith, a returning guest, and Nick McDowell, author of Poet of Revolution: The Making of John Milton, to discuss Milton's radicalism and its relationship to the English Revolution.

125. Graeber's Debt Chapter 7, Honor and Degradation

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

A little belatedly, here's my episode about Graeber's Debt, Chapter 7. A discussion on honor and dignity will be coming later this month with Clif Mark of the Good in Theory podcast!

124. The Early Quakers -- Kate Peters (English Revolution)

Wed, 29 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Kate Peters, author of Print Culture and the Early Quakers, joins me to discuss the Quakers, the last of the radical groups we're covering the English Revolution series. You can hear about how the Quakers can be seen as the end of political radicalism in the revolution, or alternately as a different form of radical organizing, as evidenced by William Penn's political declarations in the 1701 charter for Pennsylvania:

https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1701-pennsylvania-charter-of-liberties

123. Debt Discussion 6: Graeber as Grand Theorist with Fuad Musallam

Wed, 22 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this debt discussion, Fuad and I discuss Chapter 6 of Debt, "Games with Sex and Death," and especially the way that Graeber is writing in the grand theory tradition of anthropology. Fuad also taught with David at the London School of Economics, and is able to explain how Graeber approached these same concepts in anthropology as a teacher and colleague.

You can find Fuad's anthropological work on activism here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/dasa/musallam-fuad

122. The Fifth Monarchists -- Bernard Capp (English Revolution)

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In the next episode of Radicalism in the English Revolution, I'm joined by Bernard Capp to discuss The Fifth Monarchists - a radical protestant sect that was trying to bring about the end of the world, and wanted Cromwell to help them!

121. Graeber's Debt Chapter 6, Games with Sex and Death

Wed, 08 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Graeber explains human economies, economies in which money can only be used to shore up social relations, and can't be used to buy things - to the utter confusion of anthropologists trying to buy things

120. Richard Rorty's Anti-Authoritarianism -- John McGowan and Meili Steele

Wed, 01 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

My former professors John McGowan and Meili Steele join me to discuss Richard Rorty's final book, Pragmatism as Anti-Authoritarianism.

119. Debt Discussion 5: The Sterility of Economics with James K. Galbraith

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

James K. Galbraith joins me to discuss the flaws in the field of economics and its pseudoscientific justifications

118. The Films of Preston Sturges -- Stuart Klawans

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Stuart Klawans joins me to discuss his recent book Crooked but Never Common about the films of Preston Sturges, the first writer-director of the Hollywood sound era. Informed by the work of Stanley Cavell, Stuart's book reads these comedies as asking important questions about democracy, business, the New Deal, marriage, and other pressing questions. Plus they're a joy to watch!

117. Graeber's Debt Chapter 5, The Moral Ground of Economic Relations

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

The chapter of Debt which inspired this podcast - get ready to hear the origin of everyday anarchism!

116. Seeing Like a Game -- C. Thi Nguyen

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Philosopher of games C. Thi Nguyen joins me to discuss his current work on the intersection of anarchism and games studies. The conversation was so much fun that I started a whole new podcast, Plumbing Game Studies, to continue exploring this topic.

For more from Thi, here's his website: https://objectionable.net/

Here's the website for the new podcast, Plumbing Game Studies

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/4axfbEJzRpVg6NXIaycm8d?si=272f3a6401024df6

Apple Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/plumbing-game-studies/id1734827141

115. Debt Discussion 4: Henry Farrell on His Internet Argument with Graeber

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode I'm joined by Henry Farrell, who got into an internet spat with David Graeber over Debt. Henry recently wrote a reflection on the kerfuffle at the blog Crooked Timber, and also co-wrote a book, Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy, that came about in part as a response to Graeber's Debt.

114. Revolution and Anarchism in The Mars Trilogy -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson to talk about his Mars trilogy, the theory of revolution that animates it, and where anarchism and anarchists fit in. This conversation is a direct sequel to our conversations on the Three Californias triptych, which you can listen to here:

https://www.everydayanarchism.com/093-the-wild-shore-three-californias-kim-stanley-robinson/

https://www.everydayanarchism.com/096-the-gold-coast-three-californias-kim-stanley-robinson/

https://www.everydayanarchism.com/100-the-pacific-edge-three-californias-kim-stanley-robinson/

Rerun: Anarchism is...Mardi Gras with Meredith King

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 06:07:00 -0400

Happy Mardi Gras! The show should be back publishing new episodes in March. In the meantime, here's a rerun, and a link to a couple of interview I did late last year:

https://pod.link/1705765872/episode/716e36494d7eff56dc142642d55c7c3b

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jelle-laverge/episodes/The-Core-Curriculum---Episode-1---Interview-with-Graham-Culbertson-e2aeujb

113. The Ranters -- Nigel Smith (English Revolution)

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Radicalism in the English Revolution gets to the Ranters, the radical group of protestants who may or may not have practiced free love - but definitely sparked a moral panic!

In this extra-long discussion, Nigel Smith and I discuss the roots of Ranterism, its connections to the Diggers, its legacy for romanticism, and its connection to later American radical movements. Plus we talk about punk rock, especially in connection to Nigel's book: A Collection of Ranter Writings: Spiritual Liberty and Sexual Freedom in the English Revolution

Rerun: Anarchism is...Santa Claus! -- Ruth Kinna

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 12:02:00 -0400

For my very first repeat episode, I'm reposting a conversation with Ruth Kinna about Santa Claus, Kropotkin, and the prefigurative practice of Christmas.

You can read Ruth's article on the topic here: An Anarchist Guide to Christmas

112. The Puritan Christmas Wars -- Diane Purkiss (English Revolution)

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Diane Purkiss joins me to discuss the Christmas Wars, in which Puritans attempted to prevent the celebration of Christmas in the 17th century. Christmas was a carnival in which the world was turned upside down - and the Puritans weren't having it. We also discuss the Lord of Misrule, Twelfth Night, and that 21st century lord of misrule: Lord Buckethead!

111. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 4, Cruelty and Redemption

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Debt Chapter 4, in which Jesus and Nietzsche show up!

110. Luddism: 19th Century Direct Action against TechnoCapitalism -- Brian Merchant

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined by Brian Merchant to discuss his new book, Blood in the Machine. Brian argues persuasively that the Luddites weren't anti-technology but were actually for a different social order and a different use of technology. More importantly, in Brian's book the factory owners look a lot like today's tech titans and the workers look a lot like, well, today's workers. So come back with us to the early 19th century to find out how it all went wrong!

109. Anarchism is...Homeschooling -- Andrewism

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In a break from the two ongoing series, in this week's episode I'm joined by the anarchist YouTuber Andrewism. Andrew and I discuss homeschooling, our shared experiences as homeschooled kids, the way homeschooling prepared us to be learners, and the liberatory potential of the homeschooling ethos.

Andrewism is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to the ideas of anarchism - check out his videos on solarpunk and, for Graeber fans, the myth of barter

108. Radicalism in the English Revolution 4: Oliver Cromwell - - John Morrill

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

John Morrill, whose work I first encountered in Mike Duncan's podcast about the English Revolution, joins me to discuss the career of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was attacked in his time for being both too radical and not radical enough, and the picture has only gotten more complicated from there. John and I discuss his career, his convictions, his relationship to radicals like the Levellers and the Diggers, and how we should remember him today.

To see John discuss these issues in the glorious blurriness of 80s television, I highly recommend this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/l9BluTq8M54?si=DrO1hqWEtD4SkbGZ

107. Debt Discussion 3: Anthropology and Everyday Anarchism with Bill Maurer

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

For the third episode of Debt Discussions, the anthropologist Bill Maurer joins me to talk about Chapter 3 of Debt, Primordial Debts. Bill and I talk about the myth of primordial debt, where it fits in the anarchism vs. social democracy debate, and if the anthropological parables in the book fit Graeber's claims. We also talk about the strengths and flaws of Graeber's approach, especially the way that his work embraces grand narratives while critiquing the grand narrative tradition.

Bill wrote the conclusion for the new book As If Already Free: Anthropology and Activism After David Graeber

106. Radicalism in the English Revolution 3: The Diggers -- Ariel Hessayon

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Ariel Hessayon returns to discuss The Diggers, the radical group whose farming community most closely resembles the ideas of anarchist communism as expressed by 19th century figures such as Kropotkin, Morris, and Tolstoi. Ariel and I discuss their origins, their theology, their 19th century recovery, and above all the brilliant writings of one of their leaders, Gerrard Winstanley.

105. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 3, Primordial Debts

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt, this episode looks at chapter 3, which introduces the other big myth which Graeber says underpins our modern imaginary. Primordial Debt, I argue, is the left-wing counterpart to the myth of barter, and Graeber critiques it less harshly but just as fully.

Join me later this month for a conversation with the anthropologist Bill Maurer about this chapter, the myth of primordial debt, and the anthropological nature of Graeber's claims.

104. Radicalism in the English Revolution 2: The Levellers -- Rachel Foxley

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Emerging from both civilian and military backgrounds, the Levellers were a radical group who advocated for expanded voting rights and freedom of conscience and speech. Rachel Foxley, author of The Levellers: Radical Political Thought in the English Revolution, explains the Levellers' views, their relationship to Oliver Cromwell, their revolutionary methods, and how their ideas resonate with later radicals.

103. Debt Discussion 2: Economics and Other Science Fictions with Cory Doctorow

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

For the second episode of Debt Discussions, Cory Doctorow returns to the show to talk about Chapter 2 of Debt, The Myth of Barter. Cory and I talk about the way that economics resembles science fiction, the original reception of Debt (especially on the blog Crooked Timber), and talk some more about the topic of UBI and a jobs guarantee.

102. Radicalism in the English Revolution 1: General Introduction -- Ariel Hessayon

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Ariel Hessayon joins me to start a new series, Radicalism in the English Revolution. Before we get to all the delightful radical groups - like Diggers and Levellers - Ariel and I discuss the English revolution, whether it was a revolution, what revolution meant to them, and what it meant to be a radical at the time.

Here's an introduction to the concept of radicalism, or anarchism, in the English Revolution: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/anarchism-in-the-english-revolution/

This series will run concurrently with the Debt series, because I'm disorganized.

For a fuller account of the entire revolution, I recommend Mike Duncan's podcast series on the topic: https://thehistoryofrome.typepad.com/revolutions_podcast/2013/09/001-the-kingdoms-of-charles-stuart.html

101. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 2, The Myth of Barter

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt, this episode looks at chapter 2, which is all about the silly stories that economists tell themselves to explain why economics is an objective science. Economics tells us that we can't imagine other worlds - but the field of economics is more imaginary than any fantasy novel

100. The Pacific Edge (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In just over two years, Everyday Anarchism hits 100 episodes!

Kim Stanley Robinson returns to discuss The Pacific Edge, the third volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how the beautiful ecosocialist utopia in The Pacific Edge keeps all of the mundanity, tedium, and tragedy of life, just without the horrors of neoliberal capitalism. Stan also explains why he's unsatisfied with the book - and how that led him to writing his Mars trilogy, which we'll discuss in depth in 2024!

This series of episodes is dedicated to Dr. Robert Corbin: teacher, mentor, friend, and, above all, rebel with a cause.

099. Debt Discussion 1: Moral Confusion and Garden Parties with Eleanor Janega

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Medieval historian Eleanor Janega joins me as the first guest in Graeber's Debt series. We discuss the big ideas in chapter 1, especially garden parties, moral confusion, American empire, and British debt. Eleanor also helped me understand how debt is the most important thing in Jane Austen's novels - and that's a bad thing.

For more from Eleanor, you can check out her podcast debunking misconceptions about the middle ages, We're Not so Different, or her book The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society.

098. The Responsibility of Anarchist Intellectuals -- Ruth Kinna

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

For my second anniversary episode, frequent guest Ruth Kinna joins to talk about academic/intellectual anarchism. What's the point of this work? How do we know if we're making a difference? Who are we helping?

We particularly highlight the role of Noam Chomsky in intellectual anarchism, as well as the rise of the social justice/alter globalization movement

097. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 1

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

At long last, my thoughts on Graeber's Debt, chapter 1.

Get ready for a discussion of this chapter, and the garden party, with Eleanor Janega later this month!

096. The Gold Coast (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Gold Coast, the second volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how the Reagan era served as the inspiration for the book, the connection between the character Dennis McPherson and Stan's own father, and why this is Stan's favorite of the trilogy.

Join us next month for a discussion of the final volume of the triptych, The Pacific Edge

095. Everyday Utopia -- Kristen Ghodsee

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Kristen Ghodsee joins me to discuss her new book, Everyday Utopia. Kristen and I discuss the history of utopian communities, the promise and perils of state socialism, and how anarchism serves as a reminder that everyday communities can change the world.

094. A Usable Progressive Past -- James Fallows

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Frequent guest James Fallows returns to the podcast as the first ever guest host! James interviews regular host Graham Culbertson about the legacy of progressivism and what ideas from that era we could use today in the struggle to make a better world, especially those related to William James and his famous talk "The Moral Equivalent of War."

You can also read or watch Jimmy Carter's famous "Moral Equivalent of War" speech on its Wikipedia page.

Trailer: David Graeber's Debt

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Finally, it's happening! My series on David Graeber's book Debt is finally starting for real on September 6. This trailer tells you what to expect, announces a few exciting guests, and reminds me to read the book.

Later in September Eleanor Janega will join me to discuss Chapter 1. And if you can't wait, check out the prequel episodes based on Graeber's essay "Against Economics."

Graeber's Debt Prequel

Graeber's Debt Prequel with Dirk Ehnts

093. The Wild Shore (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Wild Shore, the first volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how his career started, the inspiration for both this novel and the entire triptych, and most of all the novel itself - a post-apocalyptic narrative in which most of America has been destroyed, and what's left is a frontier lifestyle just waiting to be described in the manner of Mark Twain.

092. Star Trek Into Anarchy -- Avi Khalil

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Avi Khalil joins me to discuss the concept of everyday anarchism with respect to Star Trek. Although Star Trek purports to be a perfect neoliberal bureaucracy, all of the heroes are constantly breaking the rules. You can read Avi's blog post that served as an inspiration for the episode here: https://avikhalil.com/2023/06/15/the-spock-rule/

091. George Orwell, Tory Anarchist -- Peter Wilkin

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Peter Wilkin joins me to discuss the concept of tory anarchism, how George Orwell articulated the idea, how it differs from other forms of conservative anarchism (like Tolkien's), and the role that tory anarchism plays in British culture. We also cover a number of other topics related to Orwell, including his attacks on top-down language policing and his awareness of his own intolerances.

090. From Queering Anarchism to Sacred Anarchy -- Vishwam Heckert

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Vishwam Heckert joins me to discuss his journey from anarchist queer theorist to practitioner of the ancient anarchy of yoga. We conclude with heart meditation, which anyone who isn't driving can do along with the podcast!

Trailer: Kim Stanley Robinson's Three Californias

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 15:17:00 -0400

Announcing a mini-series of episodes: three conversations with Kim Stanley Robinson about his first trilogy, Three Californias. We will cover one book per episode, with the first coming out on July 26. There's just a bit of our conversation here; I recommend you read the books along with the series; you can order a copy of the entire trilogy in a single volume.

See you on July 26 for The Wild Shore!

089. The Impossible Community of Anarchism -- John P. Clark

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

John P. Clark comes on the show to discuss his book The Impossible Community: Realizing Communitarian Anarchism. John and I discuss how Hegel was a hippie, how everything is what it isn't (but also what it is), and why the right-wing is so much better at organizing at the grassroots than the progressive movements.

088. An Appeal to the Young

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

With apologies to Peter Kropotkin.

Original here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-an-appeal-to-the-young

087. Graeber's Against Economics -- Dirk Ehnts

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Just like when the Debt series gets going in earnest, I'll have a monthly episode with my thoughts on Graeber and then a conversation later that month.

This month I'm talking with Dirk Ehnts, an MMT economist who really helped me further understand the money creation process and where Graeber's ideas fit into it.

You can find Dirk as a frequent guest on the MMT podcast, as well as checkout these opportunities to study with him:

https://maastricht.dreamapply.com/courses/course/183-modern-monetary-theory-and-european-macroeconomics

https://www.torrens.edu.au/courses/business/master-of-economics-of-sustainability

086. Library Socialism -- SRSLY Wrong Crossover

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:00:00 -0400

Shawn from the SRSLY Wrong podcast joins me in a crossover episode to discuss what everyday anarchism and library socialism have in common. (Hint: It's David Graeber).

Along the way we discuss breadtube, Kropotkin, basic income vs. jobs guarantee, Cory Doctorow, political identification, utilitarianism, and more. Plus you get to hear me do comedy sketches, exactly like you never wanted.

085. Graeber's Debt Prequel: Against Economics

Wed, 31 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Later this year (hopefully!), I'll start a year-long series analyzing and explaining David Graeber's first big book Debt. This episode is a prequel that introduces you to some of Graeber's conclusions about economics and money, and how they fit in with Modern Monetary Theory

In 2019, less than a year before he died, Graeber wrote a piece for the New York Review of Books in which he explained, very concisely, what was wrong with the field of economics and how it’s ruined everything. Debt is the long story with all of the receipts. This is the more like the epilogue, or maybe the prologue.

I'll have an episode discussing Graeber's article with the MMT economist Dirk Ehnts later this month

084. What Were the Left Neoliberals Thinking? -- James Fallows

Wed, 24 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

James Fallows returns to the show to discuss what left neoliberalism was and its place in the late New Deal era.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a craft beer has benefitted from left neoliberalism and its dreaded "deregulation." Anyone alive in the 21st century has suffered under the corporatist excesses of right neoliberalism. Did they have anything in common? And where do Jimmy Carter and Ralph Nader fit into the picture(besides the fact that James wrote for both of them)?

Here's my very brief podcast explanation of the different uses of the word neoliberal: Neoliberalism

James also provided a few articles for context:

The original manifesto for neoliberalism from the left by Charlie Peters: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1982/09/05/a-neo-liberals-manifesto/21cf41ca-e60e-404e-9a66-124592c9f70d/

A recent look back at Peters' neoliberalism: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/07/17/we-need-to-stop-arguing-about-neoliberalism/

A 1993 article by James Fallows criticizing right-wing neoliberalism (aka corporatism or laissez-faire capitalism or "Anglo-sphere economic orthodoxy"): https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1993/12/how-the-world-works/305854/

083. Ancient Athenian Democracy and Plato -- Good in Theory Crossover with Clif Mark

Wed, 10 May 2023 09:18:00 -0400

This episode is a crossover with Good in Theory, a political theory podcast by Clif Mark. I highly recommend Clif's podcast; in addition to interviews and one-off episodes, Clif did a series in which he adapts and explains Plato's Republic - the entire thing! Almost every topic in political theory is addressed in The Republic - and Clif guides you through the foundations of all the arguments we are still having today. Although from an anarchist perspective Plato is wrong about everything.

In this episode, Clif and I discuss ancient Athenian democracy and the extent to which does and doesn't resonate with democratic ideas today. From there I try out my idea (borrowed from David Graeber, as usual) that a truly democratic system would be compatible with anarchism, and Clif offers some constructive criticism to that idea.

If you enjoyed this episode, you should check out Clif's 3-part series on ancient Greek government:

The Polis

Sparta: Killer Beehive

Athens: Ahoi Polloi!

082. Unrest, a film about the young Kropotkin -- Cyril Schäublin

Wed, 03 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Last year I recorded this interview with Cyril Schäublin, the director of the new film Unrest. Unrest is a masterpiece. The film tells the story of unrest and labor organizing among the anarchist watchmakers of the Swiss Canton of Jura. Also, the tiny part at the center of a mechanical watch? It's also called an "unrest."

Cyril and I talk about decentering Kropotkin in the film (sometimes literally), his family connection to Swiss watchmaking, the seductive power of paternalism, and the way corporations have taken over our sense of time.

The film is premiering in the United States this week; it may already be available where you live. I truly recommend it.

081. Running Rome: 60 Million Subjects, Zero Middle Managers -- James Corke-Webster and Lisa Eberle

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, following up on my conversation about Byzantium with Anthony Kaldellis and leading to my conversation about democratic Athens with Clif Mark, I talk to James Corke-Webster and Lisa Eberle about their work on Roman governance. In contrast to images of Rome as a centralized and bureaucratic monolith, James and Lisa explain how Rome functioned as a network of cities, linked more by soft power than by military might - although the soldiers showed up if the wealth stopped flowing to the imperial city. You can also hear why so many Roman buildings became ruins before they were even finished, about the Roman tradition of mass protest, and how enlightenment thinkers influenced our view of the empire.

080. Voltairine de Cleyre - - Leonard Williams

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this discussion episode of Anarchism 101, Leonard Williams and I discuss the American anarchist Voltairine de Cleyre and her work "Anarchism and American Traditions." For more from Leonard, checkout our discussion of his book of anarchist crossword puzzles.

079. Voltairine de Cleyre - "Anarchism and American Traditions"

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101, I read Voltairine de Cleyre's 1909 essay "Anarchism and American Traditions." Later this month, I'll publish my conversation with Leonard Williams about this essay as well as de Cleyre's life, activism, and ideas.

078. News from Nowhere -- Ruth Kinna

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode I'm joined by my most frequent guest: Ruth Kinna. Ruth and I continue our conversation about William Morris by discussing his science fictional work News from Nowhere. Ruth and I discuss how this work differs from Edward Bellamy's more famous fantasy of state socialism, Looking Backward, and how Morris could produce this anarchist utopia without declaring himself an anarchism.

Please note that we do discuss sensitive topics in this episode, such as child abuse, as we talk about how the people in Morris' society would handle them

077. The Republic of the Farmers Market -- Richard McCarthy

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode I'm joined by Richard McCarthy, a longtime activist around food issues, most especially the creation of farmers markets. In addition to his work with the New Orleans Crescent City Farmers Market, we spend most of our time talking about Richard's new book Kuni. Co-authored with Tsuyoshi Sekihara, the book explores Sekihara's efforts to revitalize and reorganize a rural area in Japan without relying on either national government subsidies or municipal governments. It's a fascinating idea, one which has uniquely Japanese elements but also many lessons for anyone looking to revisit our relationship to food, farming, and the environment.

076. Anarchism and Oscar Wilde -- Deaglán Ó Donghaile

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Deaglán Ó Donghaile and I discuss Oscar Wilde's connection to revolutionary anarchism, and in particular his idiosyncratic manifesto, "The Soul of Man Under Socialism." For more on Wilde's radicalism, you can check out Deaglán's book, Oscar Wilde and the Radical Politics of the Fin de Siècle.

075. Batman Begins vs. Anarchism -- David Hill

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Continuing my series, Batman vs. Anarchism, I'm joined on this episode by my esteemed colleague David Hill to discuss Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. David and I discuss David Graeber's theory that all of Nolan's Batman villains are anarchists - and what it means that Batman is a heroic terrorist.

You can check out Graeber's original essay, Super Position, or hear my introduction to this series, Batman vs. Anarchism. And David Hill appeared earlier on this podcast to discuss Theodor Adorno's Minima Moralia.

074. Graeber's Pirate Enlightment -- Cory Doctorow

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Although we lost David Graeber several years ago, we are still getting the bittersweet joy of reading new books by him. This week, Cory Doctorow joins me to discuss Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia, a short book in which Graeber convincingly melds the oral histories he learned while doing doctoral research in Madagascar with 17th century European tales of a pirate kingdom on Madagascar into a swashbuckling tale of an anarchist pirate confederation.

For more on pirates, check out my episode with Gabriel Kuhn on the anarchic nature of the golden age of piracy: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/cea23b51-6d3b-4f42-bf42-2f07fca51868

073. Our Suicidal Food System -- Mark Bittman and Ricardo Salvador

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0400

On this episode, Mark Bittman and Ricard Salvador discuss our broken food system and what we can do about it. Jumping off from Mark's fantastic book, Animal, Vegetable, Junk, we discuss the exploitative nature of the food system, why it's poisoning people and the planet, and how the corporate-captured USDA and FDA can't do anything about it.

What comes next? We're not exactly sure - but it's going to have to be a better way of nourishing people if we want to survive.

072. Stanley Cavell and Ralph Waldo Emerson -- Lawrence Rhu

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Lawrence Rhu, my undergraduate mentor and friend of more than two decades, joins me today to discuss Stanley Cavell, one of his mentors and one of American philosophy's most idiosyncratic and humanist thinkers. Spurred by the publication of the recent posthumous publication of Cavell's Here and There: Sites of Philosophy, Larry and I talk about the affinities between Cavell, Emerson, and everyday anarchism.

071. Practical Anarchism -- Scott Branson

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Today I'm joined by the author Scott Branson to discuss their book Practical Anarchism. Scott and I discuss the similarities between our approaches, as well as some key differences related to terminology. For more from Scott, you can check out The Final Straw Radio, a podcast and radio show that they co-host.

070. Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Also known as Fully Automated Luxury Queer Space Anarchism

This week, 3 of my former students - Joy Frost, Mark Muchane, and Rook Schrader - join me to discuss Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism. These three students and I made a class about the concept - a class that was banned by our school! Lucky for you, the students made it happen anyway, and share what they learned in this episode.

Here are some of the things we talked about in the episode:

Four Futures by Peter Frase

The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation) - Wikipedia

Electric Production and Direction William Karp

Charlie Chaplin - Factory Scene - Modern Times (1936)

The making of Amazon Prime

069. Anarchist Constitutions -- Ruth Kinna

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Ruth Kinna joins me to discuss Anarchic Agreements: A Field Guide to Collective Organizing, from PM Press. In this very short book, Ruth and her collaborators (Alex Prichard, Thomas Swann, and Seeds for Change) lay out a series of questions and possibilities which face any attempt at anarchist organizing, dealing directly with the seeming contradiction of anarchist constitutionalizing. The book also includes anarchist statements of principles from more than a century ago to the present day

In this conversation, Ruth and I discuss the meaning of the Occupy movement, the complicated relationship between anarchist and democratic forms of organization, and how to fight for real change.

068. Rojava and the Kurdish Women's Movement -- Dilar Dirik

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This podcast finally turns its attention to the Kurdish Women's Movement in Rojava. My guest is Dilar Dirik, whose new book The Kurdish Women's Movement: History, Theory, Practice takes a sociological approach to examining and explaining the freedom struggle in Kurdistan over the past four decades. Dilar and I discuss the role of Abdullah Öcalan in the movement, connections between the movement and the work of Murray Bookchin, and the institutions and practices currently sustaining the struggle.

067. Embracing Mathematical Anarchism - - Philip Ording

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Mathematician Philip Ording joins me to discuss his book, 99 Variations on a Proof, in which he finds the solution to (or "proves" his solution to) the same cubic equation over and over and over again - each time in a different style. Philip and I discuss how this approach can be described as mathematical anarchism, how math can be understood as everything from inflexibly authoritarian to infinitely free, and whether or not mathematical anarchism could be used to reshape math education. Plus Wittgenstein.

066. Dorothy Day's Catholic Anarchism -- Brian Terrell

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

My guest today is Brian Terrell, a member of the Catholic Worker, a goat farmer, a peace protester, and a personal friend of Dorothy Day. Brian discusses the life and philosophy of Dorothy Day, helping us make sense of a movement which is both Catholic and anarchist.

You can learn more about Brian's work with the Nevada Desert Experience here: http://nevadadesertexperience.org/

My previous episodes on anarchism and the life of Jesus are:

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/37ea6a67-1a3e-49bd-b932-e40446491bda

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/845374c5-6fda-489d-a206-57abf2412269

065. Should You Watch the Qatar World Cup? -- David Goldblatt

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

David Goldblatt joins me to discuss the ethics of the 2022 World Cup. This World Cup is a triumph of corporate capitalism and corruption over workers' rights, human rights, and the environment. On the other hand, it's not clear that what David calls "a World Cup for our times" is really worse than any of the world sporting events held in places like China and Russia over the past decades. In this episode, David systematically lays out the problems with this tournament but also the ways that it is more symptom than disease.

Here's Amnesty's response to the cup, which David discussed on the show: World Cup of Shame

064. Adorno's Minima Moralia -- David Hill

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week I'm joined by friend and colleague David Hill, composer of the Everyday Anarchism theme music! Our topic is Minima Moralia, a disconcerting book of aphorisms written by Theodor Adorno in the wake of the Holocaust. David and I discuss Adorno's legendary hatred of awesome things like jazz and anarchism, his role as an enemy of left-wing student activists in the 1960s, and the everyday nature of his critiques of capitalism.

063. "Resist!" - a board game about fighting Franco - - David Thompson

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined by game designer David Thompson to discuss his game Resist!, a solitaire card game about the Spanish Maquis's battle against Franco in the 1940s. David and I discuss the game design process, the little known history of the Spanish Maquis, and the way that the board game industry runs on mutual aid

Here are links to David's description of designing the game and an account of the Spanish Maquis

062. Remembering the Paris Commune - - Carolyn Eichner

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Although I'm a little late, I finally get around to honoring the 150th anniversary of the 1871 Paris Commune. My guest is Carolyn Eichner, author of The Paris Commune: A Brief History. We do an even briefer history of the Commune on this episode, as well as a discussion of the Commune's legacy and the sites in Paris you can visit to honor the Communards.

061. "The Roman Empire Lasted Because Its Rulers Were in a Constant State of Terror" --Anthony Kaldellis

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined today by Anthony Kaldellis, author of The Byzantine Republic and host of the podcast Byzantium and Friends. Anthony and I discuss how Byzantium, popularly associated with with bureaucracy and authoritarianism, depended on mass protests for political legitimacy.

060. Batman vs. Anarchism

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

What if Batman's biggest enemy isn't crime? What if his deepest fear isn't bats? What if the secret villain Batman faces in every Batman story is anarchism?

I keep trying to go on hiatus, but I keep making new episodes. I guess this is Season/Phase 2. Enjoy!

059. Mike Duncan Meets Everyday Anarchism

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I sit down with Revolutions podcaster Mike Duncan to discuss Kropotkin's influence on the Russian Revolution, protesting in Macron's France, mutual aid during the worst of the pandemic, and whether our current political system can avoid another revolution.

Many thanks to the people of Flyleaf Books, a wonderful Chapel Hill bookstore, who provided the venue for our interview. You can pick up Mike's books The Storm before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic and Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution from them.

058. The Expanse: Not Utopian, Not Dystopian, Just Topian -- Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

The authors behind the award-winning novel and TV series The Expanse join me to discuss the politics and sociology of the science fiction future they've created. The Expanse is not a dystopia or a utopia, just a regular ole topia, in which corporations and governments continue to compete and cooperate both with each other and with resistance movements and labor unions. But in space!

Daniel, Ty, and I discuss the historical analogues for the governments and resistance movements in The Expanse, the humanity of their characters, and how the series differs from its peers The Wire and Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire.

Oscar Wilde's Machine Slavery (AIdeas Crossover)

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:17:00 -0400

This week's episode is an edition of my new podcast, AIdeas. Oscar Wilde imagined an anarchist utopia without drudgery and without slavery. How did he propose to accomplish this? Automation.

Here's the article about American slavery that I mentioned by Nell Irvin Painter: How We Think About the Term "Enlsaved" Matters

Subscribe to AIdeas for more!

057. Slouching Towards Utopia -- Brad DeLong

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week's guest is J. Bradford DeLong, author of the new economic history of the 20th century, Slouching Towards Utopia. Brad and I discuss William Morris, pre-industrial civilization, jobs versus occupations, and how much blame anarchists deserve for ruining the world.

Brad and I had a bit of trouble with our setup, so the audio on his end is a bit rough.

056. William Morris -- Ruth Kinna (1st Anniversary Episode!)

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

One year later, Everyday Anarchism continues!

In this episode, Ruth Kinna and I discuss William Morris, the brilliant craftsman/poet/artist who set out to defeat capitalism when he realized that the forces of commerce wouldn't let craftspeople make a living unless they sold their wares to wealthy. Just don't call him an anarchist.

You can also hear Ruth's previous appearances on Everyday Anarchism, covering Santa Claus and Kropotkin.

Please help Everyday Anarchism continue until September 2023 by telling a friend about the show, giving financially at everydayanarchism.com, or leaving a 5-star review on Apple or Spotify!

055. Upheavals, Climate Justice, and Denial -- Jon Raymond

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

My guest this week is Jon Raymond, novelist and screenwriter, whose most recent book, Denial, imagines a world in 2052 in which climate justice has been delivered via Nuremberg-style trials, climate catastrophe has been avoided, and climate change denial has nevertheless continued. Jon and I discuss Denial, as well as Night Moves, the film he wrote about a group of activists planning a bombing attack on a hydroelectic dam. We also talk about science fiction, organic farming, the successes and excesses of antifa, and the aftermath of the 2020 protests in the Pacific Northwest.

054. Nihilism in Russian Literature -- Maya Slater and Nicolas Pasternak Slater

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week we will survey nihilism in Russian literature with Maya Slater and Nicolas Pasternak Slater, translators of a new edition of Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Children. Turgenev's novel introduced nihilism as an idea to an entire generation of Russian dissidents - including Kropotkin. Join me as the Slaters show how nihilism is portrayed in this epoch-making novel, as well as famous depictions of nihilism in Russian writers from Gogol to Dostoevsky.

Kropotkin's Drowning Child (AIdeas Crossover)

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode is an edition of my new podcast, AIdeas. How should we teach AI about human ethics? Simple: anarchism!

Subscribe to AIdeas for more!

053. Lucy Parsons, Goddess of Anarchy -- Jacqueline Jones

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I'm joined by Jacqueline Jones, author of Goddess of Anarchy, to discuss Lucy Parsons and her legacy.

052. The Liberation of Contract Grading -- Asao B. Inoue

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode I'm joined by Asao B. Inoue to discuss contract grading, a radical (even anarchistic?) form of grading which strengthens the student-teacher relationship, lessens the power of hierarchy in the classroom, and fights the oppressive structures which are distorting education. If you'd like to learn more about contract grading - including how to integrate it into your syllabus - check out Asao's website: https://asaobinoue.blogspot.com/p/labor-based-grading-contract-resources.html

051. Anarchist Archaeologists on The Dawn of Everything, pt 2

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to my continuing coverage of the Graeber and Wengrow book The Dawn of Everything. This week, is the conclusion of my conversation with four members of the Black Trowel Collective, a network of anarchist archeologists: James Birmingham, Lewis Borck, James Flexner, and Aris Politopoulos. This conversation covers next steps: in the wake of The Dawn of Everything and work done by the Black Trowel Collective, what comes next in this ongoing re-evaluation of humanity's origins? To hear the first part of the conversation, click here: www.everydayanarchism.com/anarchistarchaeologists

To support underrepresented archaeologists financially, check out Black Trowel's revolutionary grant program: Black Trowel Microgrants.

050. Lucy Parsons - "Principles of Anarchism" and IWW Convention Speech

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I read Lucy Parsons' "The Principles of Anarchism" and "Speech on June 29 of the Founding Convention of the IWW" .

This project is year-long; on the first of each month of 2022, I'll be posting my reading of an important anarchist text. Later that month, I'll post an episode in which I discuss each text and its author with a scholar of anarchism. Look forward to my discussion of this text with Jacqueline Jones on July 27

049. Gandhi's Anarchism -- KP Shankaran

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this June 2022 discussion episode of Anarchism 101, I discuss Gandhi's "Passive Resistance" with KP Shankaran. Join us as we discuss Gandhi's place in the anarchist movement, why his ethics based anarchism is the purest form of anarchism, and how his critique of colonialism is more important now than ever before.

048. Anarchist Archaeologists on The Dawn of Everything

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to my continuing coverage of the Graeber and Wengrow book The Dawn of Everything. This week, I'm joined by four members of the Black Trowel Collective, a network of anarchist archeologists: James Birmingham, Lewis Borck, James Flexner, and Aris Politopoulos. This is part one of our roundtable discussion, covering first impressions of the book and its place in recent work on archaeology.

To support underrepresented archaeologists financially, check out Black Trowel's revolutionary grant program: Black Trowel Microgrants.

And for more from Aris Politopoulos, check out our episode on videogames.

047. The High Sierra -- Kim Stanley Robinson

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Kim Stanley Robinson joins me to discuss his new book, The High Sierra: A Love Story. Stan and I discuss literary form, the need for Keynesianism in a crisis, utopian camping, his solution to leftist infighting, and how humanity can survive our current climate nightmare. You might also like Stan's most recent novel, a future history of how a worldwide crisis response to the climate emergency would work: The Ministry for the Future.

046. Kropotkin's Theory of Revolution -- Iain McKay

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Iain McKay joins me to discuss the new edition of Kropotkin's Words of a Rebel from PM Press. In this book, Kropotkin's very first, he lays out the need for a revolution and how to prepare for that revolution. It's strikingly relevant, beautifully written, and packed with all sorts of context from Iain. I highly recommend the book!

045. Mohandas Gandhi - "Passive Resistance" from Hind Swaraj

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, Abby Russ and I read Gandhi's "Passive Resistance" from his anarchist manifesto, Hind Swaraj.

044. Fight Like Hell -- Kim Kelly

Wed, 25 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Labor journalist Kim Kelly joins me to discuss her new book, Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor. We talk unions, what they did historically, what they're doing right now, and most of all how they can make an impossible future possible.

043. Anarchism is...Capitalism

Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

The heart of modern capitalism is the exploitation of workers. But according to all of the great theorists of capitalism, capitalism will actually prevent the exploitation of labor. So maybe all those thinkers are just wrong. But maybe what we call "capitalism" is just an updated form of feudal serfdom in which CEOs and middle managers have replaced monarchs and aristocrats. But if we are living not in capitalism but what David Graeber called "managerial feudalism," just what would capitalism look like? I do my best to answer that question.

042. The Tragedy of Climate Change Science

Wed, 11 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week I'm joined by Bruce Glavovic, Iain White, and Tim Smith to discuss their recent article "The Tragedy of Climate Science." In the article, these three climate scientists point out the obvious: climate scientists keep making increasingly dire predictions, and politicians keep doing nothing. In a recent survey, a majority of climate scientists expect catastrophic global warming to occur despite all their work. So why keep doing it? Maybe it's time for the climate scientists to stop doing science as usual, and start doing scientific activism.

041. American Democracy -- Corey Robin

Wed, 04 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week I'm joined by Corey Robin, author of The Reactionary Mind, to discuss American democracy in the wake of the January 6th attack and the supposed crisis of democracy it caused. Corey and I discuss democracy as a process, the work that needs to be done to support that process, and how Karl Rove was right about one thing: it's our job to imagine and realize a different world.

040. Bakunin's "God and the State" -- Mark Leier

Sun, 01 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this May 2022 discussion episode of Anarchism 101, I discuss an excerpt of Bakunin's God and the State with Mark Leier. Join me and Mark as we discuss Bakunin's place in revolutionary thinking, his status as a founding anarchist, his dispute with Marx, and his relevance to contemporary debates about science and democracy.

If you have any questions, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

039. Playing the Past -- Aris Politopoulos

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 13:07:00 -0400

On this episode I'm joined by Aris Politopoulos, an archeologist who works on video games, to discuss the way that video games can help us understand the past, help us educate people about the past, and possibly make the entire project of understanding history more anarchist.

Aris does much of his work on video games as part of the VALUE Foundation; you can find them on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, or at their website. And to see the Roman Minecraft project, checkout https://romeincraft.n

038. Anarchism is...Pirates -- Gabriel Kuhn

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

For this episode I'm joined by Gabriel Kuhn, author of Life Under the Jolly Roger: Reflections on Golden Age Piracy, to discuss the anarchist nature of 18th century pirates. Join us to learn about all the ways that pirates lived more freely, more justly, and with less violence than their counterparts in European navies and merchant ships. Gabriel also discusses the connections between pirate radicalism and radical movements in the 21st century.

To read the pirate codes from this period, here's a link from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_code

037. Anarchism is...Deweyan Democracy with John McGowan

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

I'm joined by one of my dissertation directors, John McGowan, to discuss the philosophy of John Dewey in the context of anarchism. Dewey is today remembered as one of the premier advocates for democracy, and especially democratic education, in the entire history of the United States. And like his teacher William James and his collaborator Jane Addams, he seems more than a little anarchist to me. We'll see if John agrees.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

036. Ukrainian Identity and Russian Imperialism with Graeme Robertson

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

On this episode I'm Graeme Robertson, co-author of Putin vs. the People, joins me to discuss Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the formation of the new Ukrainian national identity, and the way that nationalism, imperialism, and neoliberalism have shaped the current situation. Graeme debunks right-wing talking points about the war, provides necessary context from recent Ukrainian and Russian history, and reminds us all what's at stake in this war. For more from Graeme, check out his article in the Washington Post.

To support the struggle against this war, you can donate to an anarchist group supporting refugees and deserters here: https://nowar.solidarite.online/. To learn more about the conflict and the anarchist perspective, see my interview with Stan of the Ukrainian anarchist organization Assembly here: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/reportfromukrainiananarchists/

035. Mikhail Bakunin - from "God and the State"

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I read Bakunin's famous discussion of science and authority from God and the State

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Bakunin, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

034. Proudhon's "What is Property" with Edward Castleton

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this March 2022 discussion episode of Anarchism 101, I discuss an excerpt of Proudhon's "What is Property" with Edward Castleton. Join me and Edward as we discuss Proudhon's theory of property, the revolutionary context of his works, and the sense in which he deserves to be considered one of the founders of anarchism.

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Proudhon, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

033. The Shame Machine With Cathy O'Neil

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Cathy O'Neil - a veteran of both Wall Street and Occupy Wall Street - joins me to discuss her new book, The Shame Machine. We discuss her previous book, Weapons of Math Destruction, how it led her to The Shame Machine, and how shame has become an invisible currency sustaining capitalism's most exploitative practices. Cathy outlines how social media "cancellations" are just free advertisements for social media companies, while the oligarchs and meritocrats who truly deserve to be shamed not only don't get shamed but also manage to profit off the shame everyone else is feeling. I don't think you'll ever view the relationship between corporations and shame the same way after you hear Cathy's analysis.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

032. Anarchism is...The Dawn of Everything

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Just before his death, David Graeber completed a manuscript of a book called The Dawn of Everything - both a serious attempt to provide an entirely new story of the origin of "civilization" and playful takedown of other recent books that purport to explain civilization. Written with David Wengrow, The Dawn of Everything raises many fabulous and provocative questions: what if it was indigenous Americans, not Europeans, who started the Enlightement? What if the modern state isn't "progress" but actually a form of society that's been tried and discarded hundreds of times? And, most of all, what if most humans lived much more free lives than almost anyone alive today?

Join me as a I try to explain the answers Graeber and Wengrow give to these questions. And don't worry: I'll have some archeologists and anthropologists on the show soon to provide expert opinions on the book.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

Bonus Episode: A Report from Ukrainian Anarchists

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 20:31:00 -0400

In this emergency Ukrainian war episode, I'm joined by Stan, the coeditor of the website for Assembly, an anarchist group in Ukraine. Assembly's main role, as he explains in our talk, is organization and mutual aid in neighborhoods of Kharkov. In our conversation, Stan and I talk about the situation in Kharkov, the role of anarchism at this time of crisis, and what you can do to help. Below you can find a variety of links shared by Stan about the situation and how you can help. Below that is a transcript of my conversation with Stan.For more information about the current situation in Ukraine and to get more detail on how you can help, check out these links:

More from Assembly, Stan's organization:

http://libcom.org/tags/assemblyorgua

https://assembly.org.ua/what-is-community-journalism/

Stan's comrades Black Flag (including donation information):

https://telegra.ph/VSE-DLYA-FRONTU-VSE-DLYA-PEREMOGI-03-07

Profile of Yulia Koval, who was killed while transporting Kharkov residents to safety: https://assembly.org.ua/molodaya-harkovskaya-volonterka-pogibla-pri-obstrele-saltovki-pytayas-spasti-lyudey/

To give to Solidarity Initiative, an effort helping refugees, deserters, and pacifists: https://nowar.solidarite.online/

Updates on radical resistance to the invasion in Russia:

http://libcom.org/news/two-weeks-russian-invasion-short-overview-radical-civil-resistance-09032022

http://libcom.org/news/radical-resistance-russia-invasion-ukraine-part-2-14032022

To read about the 1920 founding of the Anarchist Black Cross (which originated in Kharkov!): https://assembly.org.ua/dni-v-istorii-harkova-25-26-noyabrya-1920-g/

For a transcript of this episode, and many more links, view this episode at my website here: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/reportfromukrainiananarchists/

031. Anarchism is...Bread with Mark Bittman and Kerri Conan

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Finally, on Everyday Anarchism, we turn to bread! I'm joined by Mark Bittman and Kerri Conan to discuss their new book, Bittman Bread, and how baking bread using their method can be considered anarchism. We also talk about whether governments can be used to fight corporations, how to create a bread-based utopia, and why I was naive to think that the federal government would ever create a healthy, inclusive food system.

For more from Mark and Kerri, check out their newsletter, The Bittman Project.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

030. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon - from "What is Property?"

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I read Proudhon's famous declaration that property is theft in What is Property?

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Proudhon, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com

Look forward to Bakunin in April 2022!

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

029. Anarchism is...Mardi Gras with Meredith King

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Meredith King of the University of New Orleans joins me to discuss Mardi Gras. We begin with the liberatory possibility of historical carnivals, as drawn from the works of David Graeber and Mikhail Bakhtin, then examine all of the many ways that Mardi Gras does and doesn't provide a space for freedom and grassroots organization.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

028. Peter Kropotkin's "Anarchism" with Ruth Kinna

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this February 2022 discussion episode of Anarchism 101, I discuss Kropotkin's "Anarchism" with Ruth Kinna. Join me and Ruth as we discuss Kropotkin's life, his place in the history of anarchism, and his analysis of anarchism as both a modern movement and an ancient practice.

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Kropotkin, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

027. Anarchism is...James Fallows's Our Towns

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This episode features my conversation with James Fallows, a legendary journalist whose work Our Towns is one of the inspirations for Everyday Anarchism. James and his wife Deb flew all over the country in their small airplane, documenting the ways that American democracy works at the grassroots level. In this conversation, James and I discuss the dysfunction of the federal government, the historically reactionary nature of the federal government, and the way that our towns offer a grassroots alternative to that reactionary system. Plus I try to convince James that his efforts against leaf blowers will save the world.

For more context on the federal dysfunction of right now, see James's interview on Plain English. For more from James and Deb, check out their foundation: https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ or watch the HBO Documentary about their work https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/our-towns

026. An Anarchist Pilgrimage to Barcelona with Dave Zirin and Mike Stark

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week we go to Barcelona - today's Barcelona, where the memory of the heroic anarchist revolution of the 1930s mostly goes unmemorialized. My guests, Dave Zirin and Mike Stark, traveled to Barcelona and visited sites of revolutionary struggle. Join me, Dave, and Mike as we discuss their trip, the radical history of Barcelona, the local leftists they met in the city, and how we can work together to memorialize the sacred spaces of anarchist struggles. If you'd like to read Dave's original article about the trip, check it out here: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/barcelona-olympics/

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

025. Education as Gift with Andreas Wittel

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode is another in my ongoing series about the takeover of higher education by bureaucracy and managerialism. I'm joined by Andreas Wittel of Nottingham Trent University to discuss his idea of education as a gift, not a commodity. We also discuss the ways that we can work together to hold things in common, alternatives to the current educational model, the coming environmental collapse of capitalism, and the need to provide basic necessities for all people. You can learn more about Andreas's work here: https://nottinghamtrent.academia.edu/AndreasWittel

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

024. Peter Kropotkin - "Anarchism" for Encyclopedia Britannica

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:01:00 -0400

In this episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I read Kropotkin's historical overview of anarchism, published in the 1911 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica. If you would prefer to read the essay, you can find it here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Anarchism

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Kropotkin, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com If you email soon enough, we can include your question in the discussion episode.

Look forward to Proudhon in March 2022!

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

023. Emma Goldman's "Anarchism" with Kathy Ferguson and Penny Weiss

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this first discussion episode of Anarchism 101, I'm joined by eminent Goldman scholars to discuss Emma Goldman's "Anarchism: What it Really Stands For." Join me, Kathy Ferguson, and Penny Weiss as we discuss the text and where it fits in Goldman's thinking and the history of anarchism

If you have any questions you would like answered about the text or Goldman, email me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com If you email soon enough, we can include your question in the discussion episode.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

022. Anarchism is...Martin Luther King's Universal Basic Income

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode comes out a little early in honor of MLK!

This episode places Martin Luther King Jr. right where I think he belongs: in the midst of the anarchist tradition. The focus is on Universal Basic Income, the idea which King adopted in the year before his assassination as a solution to poverty. King argues in Where Do We Go From Here? that the direct abolition of poverty is not only desperately needed for everyone, but also the key to continuing the fight against systemic racism. This episode also covers UBI as discussed by David Graeber, Cory Booker, and Andrew Yang, as well as questions on basic income vs. reparations raised by Ta-Nehisi Coates and K.A. Dilday.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

021. Anarchism is...FC St. Pauli with Fabian Fritz

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0400

On Tuesday, January 18, German soccer giants Borussia Dortmund take the field against FC St. Pauli, a second division soccer team from Hamburg (in the US you can watch it on ESPN+). So who is FC St. Pauli? Why do they use the jolly roger as a logo, blast heavy metal and punk rock, and fly communist and anarchist flags?

In anticipation of this big game, join me and Fabian Fritz, the director of education at the FC St. Pauli museum, to learn the history of the club, its takeover by the Nazis during Hitler's regime, its left-wing turn in the 1980s, and its connection to punk, anarchist, communist, anti-fascist, and squatter communities. To learn more about the history of the club, check out the the online exhibits of the museum: https://www.fcstpauli-museum.de/

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

020. Critical University Studies with Liz Morrish

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this week's episode I'm joined by Dr. Liz Morrish, a leading critic of the current state of universities. Liz and I discuss the craze for evaluating people based on numbers and the damage it does to the very real people trying to teach, research, and learn in academia. We also discuss academic free speech, the University of Austin Texas's half-baked solutions, the overselling of "STEM" majors as a career path, and Liz's personal journey from critic inside academia to critic outside of it.

You can find more from Liz at her blog, Academic Irregularities, and as an editor at The Post-Pandemic University.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com.

019. Emma Goldman - Anarchism: What it Really Stands for

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:01:00 -0400

In this inaugural episode of Anarchism 101: An Anarchist Syllabus, I read Goldman's famous essay. If you would prefer to read the essay, you can find it here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2162/2162-h/2162-h.htm#anarchism

Look forward to Kropotkin in February 2022!

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

018. Anarchism is...the Bundesliga (with Julian Einfeldt)

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Association football, also known as soccer, is one of the most beloved of all human pursuits. It's also one of the most democratic, most grassroots, most anarchist. Lately, though, billionaires, especially petro-billionaires and American sports billionaires, have been trying to take soccer away from the people. Now the petro-billionaires are squabbling with the American billionaires to see if soccer should become more like American football.

In this episode I'll explain the corporate communism for billionaires of the NFL, the corporate anarchy for billionaires of English football, and the democracy of the German Bundesliga. For the second half of the episode, I'm joined by Julian Einfeldt of the FC St. Pauli Fanladen, a fan organization dedicated to keeping the 2. Bundesliga team FC St. Pauli grassroots, democratic, and inclusive.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com. I need your support for the show to continue through 2022!

017. The Twilight Zone's Christmas Romance

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

For the second Christmas special from Everyday Anarchism in 2021, I'm doing a reading of "The Night of the Meek," season 2, episode 11 of The Twilight Zone. I begin with an explanation of a genre I'm calling "Christmas Romance," then show how that episode of The Twilight Zone puts the classic twilight zone twist on the Christmas romance. Along the way I touch on Shakespearean romances, the power of Christmas to transform society, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

016. Anarchism is...Santa Claus! -- Ruth Kinna

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

For the first of two Christmas specials from Everyday Anarchism, I'm joined by Ruth Kinna to discuss the anarchism of Christmas and Santa Claus. You can read Ruth's article on the topic here: An Anarchist Guide to Christmas

Next week, another Christmas episode, this time on "The Night of the Meek," season 2, episode 11 of The Twilight Zone.

As always, you can find me at www.everydayanarchism.com

015. The Meritocracy -- William Deresiewicz

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode is the first of several episodes about how colleges and universities have abandoned their core mission - the collaborative search for truth - in favor of, well, something else. My guest for this episode is William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep, The Death of the Artist, and the landmark essay ""Don't Send Your Kid to the Ivy League." Bill and I discuss the meritocracy and the damage it is doing to our students, our colleges, and our political institutions. We also discuss the way that the meritocratic language around "diversity" obscures the actual problems and solutions for social and political justice in higher education.

Next week's episode is about anarchism and Christmas. I highly recommend that you read "An Anarchist Guide to Christmas" by Ruth Kinna, covering the similarities between Kropotkin and Santa Claus, in advance of my conversation with Ruth about Santa and anarchism.

As always, you can find me at https://www.everydayanarchism.com/

014. Anarchism is...Breaking (Supply) Chains

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We've got a supply chain crisis! But the supply chain is the crisis. The supply chain isn't some new, efficient, capitalist remnant of colonialism and slavery. In fact, colonialism and slavery were developed to feed the supply chain. The supply chain came first. So if we want to be free, we can't fix the supply chain. We've got to abolish the supply chain.

In this episode, we explore the colonialist history of the supply chain, discuss its devastating impact on workers and the environment, and talk about anarchist ways to resist the supply chain.

For more Everyday Anarchism, and to support the show financially, go to: https://www.everydayanarchism.com/

013. Anarchism is...Crossword Puzzles -- Leonard Williams

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

This week's episode is an interview with Professor Leonard Williams, a professor of political science, crossword puzzle constructor, and author of the new book, Black Blocks, White Squares: Crosswords with an Anarchist Edge. Join me and Professor Williams for a discussion of that book, plus the anarchist nature of 60s protests, the forces driving the rebirth of anarchism in the 21st century, and even the anarchist nature of constructing and solving crossword puzzles. You can get the book at your local bookstore, or directly from the publisher, AK Press: https://www.akpress.org/blackblockswhitesquares.html

If any of you are interested in constructing some of your own puzzles, here are some resources from Professor Williams:

Free construction software: - Crosshare https://crosshare.org/

Construction tips and help - Cruciverb.com https://www.cruciverb.com/index.php

And if you're interested in more resources, visit this episode on the Everyday Anarchism Website

012. Anarchism Is...Science

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Science is real! At least that's what my neighbor's sign says. But what does it mean to claim that science is real? Aren't lots of things real?

In this episode, I argue that "science is real" is a claim that science isn't just real, it has access to a higher reality, one that nonscientists aren't allowed to argue with. This means science isn't just real, it's the boss. Which isn't very anarchist.

Luckily for us, though, scientists and the scientific process don't actually work this way. How does science work? Anarchism.

011. Q&A: Anarchism and the Political Process

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Q&A episode, I respond to questions about voting, juries, and other elements of the political process. Tune in to hear how I think we can use parts of the political process, like voting and the justice system, to try to make the world a more anarchist place. I also answer two questions about David Graeber, in anticipation of his new book, The Dawn of Everything, coming out this week!

View this post on the Everyday Anarchism Website here.

010. Anarchism is...Jesus of Nazareth - Part 2: Jesus of Nazareth

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Now that Jesus Christ is out of the way, we can study Jesus of Nazareth, the anarcho-communist who hated property, encouraged his followers to share everything together, and sent the rich to hell without even thinking about it. Our guide to this Jesus is Walter Rauschenbusch, whose bold claim for Jesus as a socialist in the early 20th century reverberated around the world. This Jesus actually thought the last could be first. And he didn't have much time for lawyers, philosophers, priests, judges, emperors, and anyone else who held power.

www.everydayanarchism.com

009. Q&A: Who Counts as an Anarchist?

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I dive into the definition of anarchism. Are the street fighters of the black bloc "really" "anarchists"? Is cooperation really all it takes to be an "anarchist"? Why even bother with this dangerous term "anarchism" anyway? Was Tolstoy even an "anarchist"?

If you want to skip to a specific question:

01:50 - Do everyday anarchists and black bloc anarchists even believe the same thing?

23:35 - Where does the word anarchism come from? Couldn't we just use "mutual aid" or even "cooperation"?

28:20 - Why use the word anarchism when it's so associated with violence and chaos? Doesn't that just require lots of explanation?

33:20 - Why call Tolstoy an anarchist? Wasn't he a spiritual revolutionary, not a political one?

I make multiple references to Ruth Kinna's magisterial history and theory of anarchism, The Government of No One. Professor Kinna is scheduled to appear on the show in December; in the meantime, here's a link to the book: The Government of No One

008. Anarchism is...Jesus of Nazareth - Part 1: Jesus Christ

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Jesus of Nazareth was an anarchist. But he doesn't get talked about too much by Christians. Instead, Christians tend to focus on Jesus Christ, who was made up by the Romans more than 300 years after Jesus died. I'll talk about the anarchist Jesus of Nazareth next time; this week is all about how a visionary, anti-clerical, anti-imperial, anarcho-communist mystic became a vessel for clerical and imperial power.

According to Nietzsche, our story starts with the Greek philosopher Plato and ends up in the Roman Catholic church. Plus I'll tell you how George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower fit into the picture!

https://www.everydayanarchism.com/

007. Q&A: Should Anarchists Support Vaccine Mandates?

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Q&A episode, I devote most of the time to the question of vaccine mandates. Also included are:

0:20 - New website, and updates about the podcast's growth and how to support it. Go to www.everydayanarchism.com!

4:40 - Should anarchists support vaccine mandates?

31:15 - What's the connection between anarchism and utopia (featuring quotes from Oscar Wilde)

38:55 - Do states hate anarchism because they are afraid it will work (featuring quotes from Ian Forrest)

006. Anarchism Is...Divorce

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Marriage is a patriarchal, capitalistic tool of oppression. But John Milton, the man who made Satan a revolutionary hero, suggested that marriage could be rendered empowering, not oppressive. By divorce! Join me for the everyday anarchism of divorce - as well as a brief history of patriarcho-capitalistic marriage and Emma Goldman's scathing condemnation of it. Also briefly discussed are the castle doctrine and its relationship to marriage, Frederick Douglass's condemnation of chattel slavery, and Michael Warner's critique of gay marriage.

005. Interview: Anarchism is...Tolkien with Sam Brock

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 06:42:00 -0400

Tolkien expert and fellow podcaster Sam Brock joins me for a discussion of Tolkien's anarchism! In my attempts to convince Sam that anarchism is the true hero of The Lord of the Rings, we discuss Ents as eco-terrorists, the Shire as a conservative anarchist utopia, Aragorn as a monarch who never governs, and power as the true villain.

Check out Sam's podcast, Quenya Questions in Quarantine, if you want to go deep into the backstory of The Lord of the Rings with Sam and his cohost Raleigh: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AOvC2rYiJjK9yUGpNYxA7

004. Q&A: Was Tolkien's Anarchism Selfish?

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 06:00:00 -0400

I answer a question about Tolkien's anarchism, then a series of questions about anarchism, everyday anarchism, and why they matter! Featuring Tolkien's environmentalism, a conventional definition of libertarianism and an anarchist definition of libertarianism, discussion of Robert Nozick and Abdullah Öcalan, Kurdistan, the Paris Commune, the Spanish Civil War, and more!

003. Anarchism is...J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 11:45:00 -0400

Tolkien was an anarchist. So was Gandalf. In fact, anarchism is the hero of The Lord of the Rings - or at least, I think so.

002. Q&A: If Everything is Anarchism, is Anarchism Anything?

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 06:15:00 -0400

In this episode, I answer listener questions, like: Would anarchism actually work? Do we have rights under anarchism? If everything is anarchism, doesn't that mean nothing is anarchism? My examples come from the Iliad, Shakespeare, and Hannah Arendt. Keep the questions coming to everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com!

001. Introducing Everyday Anarchism

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 10:48:00 -0400

In this episode, I introduce the idea that anarchism is all around you and you're using it every day. In fact, there's nothing more everyday - more normal, decent, and regular - than anarchism. Cooperation, or mutual aid, is how we structure our lives. And when we find alternatives to cooperation (like competition, commercialism, or coercion), we see that those alternatives are actually versions of cooperation, not alternatives to it.

Not convinced? Give it a listen. And share your thoughts with me at everydayanarchismpodcast@gmail.com !