The core idea of this podcast comes from David Graeber, who wrote that our everyday life is mostly run on anarchism, and at the same time people believe that anarchism doesn’t work. One of these is wrong.
I hope to illuminate how our communities already depend on Mutual Aid, in big and small ways. I'll do that by excavating the historical events and cultural trends you already know about, but have never thought about in terms of anarchism.
Find me at https://www.everydayanarchism.com
📻 Siste episoder av Everyday Anarchism
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175. The Battle of Seattle -- D.W. Gibson (00:49:56)
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 (00:52:04)
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 (01:05:34)
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 (01:16:40)
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 (01:01:04)
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 (01:00:47)
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=1000730399185I 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-e3a0a4jAnd 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 (00:41:01)
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 (00:34:47)
It's not your imagination: everything is getting worse. And there's a reason why.
167. Henry Fonda for President -- Alexander Horwath (01:34:34)
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 (01:18:04)
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 (01:10:12)
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 (00:46:05)
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 (00:51:40)
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 (00:43:24)
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 (01:03:54)
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 (00:49:46)
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 (00:57:24)
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/
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 (00:55:30)
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 (01:06:33)
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 bookRobin Schuldenfrei, Objects in Exile: Modern Art and Design across Borders, 1930–1960https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691232669/objects-in-exileInterview, Robin Schuldenfrei on Objects in Exilehttps://press.princeton.edu/ideas/robin-schuldenfrei-on-objects-in-exile
155. Baseball Utopia in Eephus -- Carson Lund (00:55:59)
"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 (01:14:42)
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 (00:37:59)
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 (01:05:51)
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 (01:17:53)
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/
