The Dig Beasts of Burden w/ Sunaura Taylor
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Aug 16, 2024 Sunaura Taylor, an author focusing on animal and disability liberation, dives into her groundbreaking book, *Beasts of Burden*. She challenges us to rethink socialism and Marxism through these critical lenses, discussing the intersections of human and non-human struggles. With her sister, Astra Taylor, they tackle how industrial agriculture reinforces capitalist exploitation and explore the philosophical roots of ableism alongside speciesism. Sunaura emphasizes the urgent need for solidarity in activism, advocating for a compassionate reevaluation of our societal values.
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Formative Childhood Epiphanies
- Sunaura Taylor recounts two childhood epiphanies: falling at a party and discovering animal rights literature on a family trip to Washington, D.C.
- Those moments shaped her awareness of bodily difference and animal cruelty and seeded lifelong political questions.
Discovering Disability Politics
- At 18 Sunaura found Marta Russell's essay 'Capitalism and Disability' which reframed disability as socially produced by labor relations.
- She then joined ADAPT's march and discovered disability activism and values of interdependence and mutual care.
Disability As Political Category
- Disability is both a lived experience and an ideological category shaping politics, law, and perceptions of worth.
- It structures concepts like productivity, immigration exclusion, and the human/non-human boundary.