Episode 278 of RevolutionZ takes the character of and support for MAGA fascism, Mideast genocide, and earth-wide ecological suicide as focus, but spends little time on their cause, texture, or impacts. Rather, we consider why and how there is any support for the first two and massive obliviousness to the third. What is going on in various constituencies to produce much less sustain such alignments? I want to know, and I assume you want to know. Indeed, unless we know, how can we effectively address people with such horrifyingly harmful views? That is our topic this time.
Episode 277 of RevolutionZ examines the concept economic growth from a few angles to hopefully provide some insights for further thought--and then spins off into a very tenuously related personal birthday greeting about staying young offered on my 77th birthday.
Episode 276 of RevolutionZ takes up the issue of who is, and who isn't part of the left, including splits and divisions from the 60s to now, addressing motives and demarcation lines, and finally possible alternative approaches to the whole issue that might be more unifying than what now occurs.
Episode 275 has as guest Emma River-Roberts to discuss class structure, habits, hierarchy, and possibilities inside the Degrowth movement and really pretty much all movements on the left. Why are working class people largely absent in ecological organizations and when present what do they encounter? For that matter why is discussion of such class issues largely absent and when present largely defensive and tortured. And, of course, what is to be done?
Episode 274 of RevolutionZ offers and comments on a searing critique of the champions of democracy and human rights from Arundhati Roy, plus a disturbing but compelling view of pro-war sentiments of various prior supporters of Palestine within Israel. Why do some progressives rally behind Israel's war machine?
Episode 273 of RevolutionZ addresses Class (The PMC or as I call it, the Coordinator Class) and left organizing in the Degrowth movement. The episode is built around an essay by Emma River-Roberts, a Degrowth activist, working class organizer, and founder of The Working Class Climate Alliance, which is an affiliate of the Post Growth Institute. The article is on ZNet and I offer it here and also some comments on it because I believe the article has bearing not only on Degrowth organizing, but really on all organizing for a better world.
Episode 272 of RevolutionZ presents and comments on a recent Rebecca Solnit essay about two strands of left thought and activism, a bit through history and a bit today. In the song, Which Side Are You On, is it right and left, or is it right and left and other left, where the latter two are far from a single thing?
Episode 271 of the Podcast RevolutionZ looks at Evangelical Voting, Magical Thinking, and Evidentiary Reasoning - Organizing or Even Just Conversing in Difficult Times. Why do people believe what they do? Supporting Trump, abetting Israel, ignoring climate calamity or even being left in very contradictory ways. How can words change minds?
Episode 270 of RevolutionZ discusses a new attempt to link fund raising, dating, and social activism va- an unusual and ambitious web system and app called Singles Project. Why try this? How try this? What will emerge from trying this? Nikla Widmark, from Sweden and Alexandria and Michael consider these innovative matters and more.
Episode 269 of RevolutionZ considers the concept and practice of privilege as in, for example, white privilege, male privilege, and class privilege. Is to uncover, call out, and renounce privilege, a powerful tool for overcoming racism, sexism, and classism, or does this approach instead have unintended consequences that interfere with its own aims? In offering a controversial exploration of a widespread activist approach am I defending my own white, male, class privilege? Or am I trying to contribute to anti-racist, feminist, and economic justice? You decide. And by all means, then let me know your assessment.
Episode 268 of RevolutionZ addresses the upcoming U.S presidential election. Will there even be one? If there is, who will be candidates? Should a revolutionary, a radical, a progressive, or a typical citizen vote, get out the vote, watch Netflix, block a bridge, hibernate? All the above? None of the above? Is there even a way to sensibly think about such choices? Hate fascist Trump? Hate Genocide Joe? Okay, then what?
Episode 267 of RevolutionZ is, what? Part primal scream. Part an argument for going all in. The title is from The Chambers Brothers. The sentiment is channelled, I hope, from tomorrow to today. The words are equal parts rage, hope, and plain truth.
Mazin Qumsiyeh returns to RevolutionZ to further explore the causes, the toll, the consequences, and the lessons of Israel's barbaric assault on Palestinians, including genocidal acts intended, broadcast live, celebrated, and made possible by U.S., UK, and Gerrman support though particularly by the complicit U.S. including the vile role of AIPAC -- but also to marvel at Palestinian resistance and the unprecedentedly fast and passionate U.S. public and particularly youthful pro-Palestinian activism.
Episode 265 of RevolutionZ discusses the wisdom or lack thereof of taking the Marxist Tradition as our guide to contemporary activism. Can we have an accessible conversation about these very controversial matters?
Episode 264 of RevolutionZ with frequent guest Alexandria Shaner discusses the role of and especially methods for effective communication for social change. What is at stake? What works well and what doesn't when organizing, especially when there are serious divisions?
Ep 263 of RevolutionZ titled Degrowth (and More) 4 Liberation Shared Strategy, continues on from last episode, this time making a case for the relevance of the 20 Theses for Liberation to moving toward a movement of mutually supportive movements by describing the compatibility of its strategic theses with Degrowth activism. This episode also welcomes observations, comments, dissent, support and elaborations from listeners that can be pursued with myself and with each other via ZNetwork's community Discord channel that is accessible via the link: https://discord.gg/JkZhaFJ4HQ
Ep 262 of RevolutionZ argues the the potential of the 20 Theses for Liberation project to inspire and sustain a movement of movements by examining its relevance for Degrowth and vice versa as a generalizable case study.
Episode 261 of RevolutionZ Is another in the Ruminations Sequence co-hosted by Alexandria Shaner. We discuss the Israeli invasion and diverse reactions to it, including demonstrations, civil disobedience, and the new Zionist driven Mcarthyism and good and not so good responses to it.
Episode 260 of RevolutionZ Considers strategy for winning a new economy and society. A bunch of recent episodes have again addressed what do we want. This one talks about how we win it. It mainly addresses issues of reform, reformism, and revolution, issues of building worthy and viable campaigns and projects, and of moving from sporadic dissent that dissipates to sustained commitment that wins, from mobilizing intermittently to organizing persistently by overcoming obstacles to the latter. Lots of real world examples argue for and apply general proposals and insights. The point is, No Bosses and recent RevolutionZ episodes based on it highlight nice desires. Can we win them? How?
Episode 259 of RevolutionZ discusses with Ellen David Friedman from the board of Labor Notes and based on her decades of labor organizing the current surge and prospects of U.S. labor organizing. How can unions best navigate the complexities of race, gender, class, and climate struggles for change.. How can organizers generate long-term commitment and avoid distractions from and obstacles to a relentless struggle for dignity, efficacy, and control within workplaces and throughout society.
Episode 258 of RevolutionZ continues the multi-episode discussions of economic vision this time considering relations between participatory economics and vision for other key areas of life including polity, kinship, culture, ecology, and artistic endeavors and including disagreements about wages for housework, issues of ecological necessity, art as work or work as art, and more.
Episode 257 of RevolutionZ addresses the unfolding conflict in Gaza and beyond to the West Bank, the roles of Israel, Hamas, and the U.S. including not only the civilian and social impact and choices, but also the mindset and motives of different constituencies and actors as well as the role of writers/speakers and protestors about these matters, including ourselves.
Episode 256 of RevolutionZ features Emily Kawano from Solidarity Economy to discuss Solidarity economy's origins, range, and definition including its guiding values and its approach to ownership, equity, markets, and pluralism, all in pursuit of post capitalist practice in the present.
Episode 255 of RevolutionZ has as guest Cayden Mak, the publisher of Convergence Magazine. It addresses media aims, Convergence's concepts of a multiracial democracy and a radically democratic economy, intersectionality, obstacles to left unity, left culture, right wing dangers, and more.
Episode 254 of RevolutionZ is a deep dive conversation about history, fiction and non fiction, the internet, tv, movement culture, winning and losing attitudes, labor strategy, and much more with Bill Fletcher Jr.
Ep 278 The Devil In No Longer In Disguise
28:02
EP 277 What Is Growth and A Birthday Message
25:51
Ep 276 Left or Not Left, Who Decides With What Reasons
35:19
Ep 275 Class Differences and Degrowth with Emma River-Roberts
49:51
Ep 274 - Gaza Facts and Rationalizations with Arundhati Roy and Orly Noy
27:17
Ep 274 Degrowth Has A Class Problem With Emma River-Roberts
22:39
Ep 272 Relaying Rebecca Solnit Assessing The Two Lefts
21:34
Ep 271 Evangelical Voting, Magical Thinking, and Evidentiary Reasoning - Organizing or Even Just Conversing in Difficult Times
42:29
Ep 270 Niclas Widmark joins Michael and Alexandria on For The Love of Activism
1:12:17
Ep 269 - The Concept Privilege: Barrier or Bridge for Social Justice?
33:20
Ep 268 Election 2024 Engage or Not, Vote or Not...
47:46
Ep 267 Time Has Come Today - Become Revolutionary
18:07
Ep 266 - Mazin Qumsiyeh on Gaza, Israel, The U.S. and More
1:00:52
Ep 265 Marxism Revisited, Beacon or Burden
53:04
Ep 264 Ruminations On Communications with Alexandria Shaner
1:12:56
Ep 263: Degrowth (and More) 4 Liberation: Shared Strategy
31:00
Ep 262 DeGrowth and Building A Movement of Movements
36:36
Ep 261 Israel Palestine and Diverse Reactions, Both Pro Palestinian and Zionist….
1:08:40
Ep 260 Strategy for Change and Winning a New Society
47:11
Ep 259 Ellen David Friedman on Labor Organizing
1:13:11
Ep 258 Parecon and the Rest of Society, Agreements and Disagreements
59:51
Ep 257 Mazin Qumsiyeh On the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
1:05:02
Ep. 256 What Is Solidarity Economy with Guest Emily Kawano
42:12
Ep 255 The Media, Culture, and Changing Terrain of Resistance with Cayden Mak
1:10:22
Ep 254 Movement Culture, Union Strategy, novels, and mindsets with Bill Fletcher Jr
1:08:02