Upstream

"Neoliberalism has become embedded in the very DNA of the European Union." It was not just the Right in the UK that voted to leave the EU. Listen to our interview with Joseph Choonara of the Social Worker's Party to hear why some factions of the radical Left in Britain decided that they've had enough of the European Union.

In this interview we hear from activist and writer Richard Seymour. We spoke about the Orlando shootings, Brexit, Corbyn & the Labour Party, Trump, the decline of unions, and where the Bernie Sanders movement can go now that the nomination seems assured for Hillary Clinton. This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Brexit? This Thursday Great Britain is poised to vote on whether or not to leave the European Union. The decisions and politics driving this referendum are complex, important, and might surprise you. London-based writer, activist, and broadcaster Richard Seymour gives us the lay of the terrain. Our full interview with Richard will be available soon at our website: http://www.economicsfortransition.org

In this Upstream Sneak Peak, Yianni Litovchenko of Alternative Tours of Athens tells us the story of the famous Greek riot dog Loukankios (or "Sausage").

In this Upstream Sneak Peak, we spoke with Greek activist and co-initiator of The Art of Hosting Maria Scordialos. She will be featured in our upcoming episode on the Solidarity movement and financial crisis in Greece.

Katharine Round is the director of the documentary film The Divide, which is based off of the book The Spirit Level. The Divide tells the story of 7 individuals striving for a better life in the modern day US and UK - where the top 0.1% owns as much wealth as the bottom 90%. We spoke with her about making the film, how inequality makes everyone less better off, and what we can do about it. This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Martin Whitlock, co-founder of Stop-GDP.org and author of Human Politics : Human Value, discusses how GDP is a scam and why the money economy is a terrible idea. He explores the discrepancy between personal and economic value, proposes alternatives to measuring the economy, and emphasizes the importance of well-being over GDP.

Sarah Corbett is a craft-activist, or "craftivist". She is the founder of Craftivist-Collective, and has worked as a campaigner for NGOs like Oxfam and Christian Aid. Sarah takes a very unique and thoughtful approach to activism. We talked about the intersection between activism and craft-making, how activism can be slow, gentle, and kind, and about the surprising story behind why she made a handkerchief for her Member of Parliament.

Angela Miles is a professor at the University of Toronto, member of International Feminists for a Gift Economy, and author of the books Integrative Feminism and Women in a Globalizing World: Transforming Equality, Development, Diversity, and Peace. We spoke about gender, the importance of gift economies, the commodification of everything, marx and alienation, integrative feminism, and how the best way to get a high is to help somebody. Intermission music by The Wild Reeds.

Doug Henwood is a columnist for The Nation, Harper's, and Jacobin Mag; the radio host of Behind the News; author of Wall Street: How it Works and for Whom; and most recently of My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency. We spoke about his research on the "sharing economy", as well as the history of capitalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and possible solutions to the growing precariousness of labor.  This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.