Everyday Anarchism

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

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.

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/

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

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.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. Look forward to Bakunin in April 2022!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.

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.

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.

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/assemblyorguahttps://assembly.org.ua/what-is-community-journalism/Stan's comrades Black Flag (including donation information):https://telegra.ph/VSE-DLYA-FRONTU-VSE-DLYA-PEREMOGI-03-07Profile 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-09032022http://libcom.org/news/radical-resistance-russia-invasion-ukraine-part-2-14032022To 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/

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.

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