Everyday Anarchism

In a break from the two ongoing series, in this week's episode I'm joined by the anarchist YouTuber Andrewism. Andrew and I discuss homeschooling, our shared experiences as homeschooled kids, the way homeschooling prepared us to be learners, and the liberatory potential of the homeschooling ethos. Andrewism is one of the best ways to introduce yourself to the ideas of anarchism - check out his vid...

John Morrill, whose work I first encountered in Mike Duncan's podcast about the English Revolution, joins me to discuss the career of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was attacked in his time for being both too radical and not radical enough, and the picture has only gotten more complicated from there. John and I discuss his career, his convictions, his relationship to radicals like the Levellers and the...

For the third episode of Debt Discussions, the anthropologist Bill Maurer joins me to talk about Chapter 3 of Debt, Primordial Debts. Bill and I talk about the myth of primordial debt, where it fits in the anarchism vs. social democracy debate, and if the anthropological parables in the book fit Graeber's claims. We also talk about the strengths and flaws of Graeber's approach, especially the way...

Ariel Hessayon returns to discuss The Diggers , the radical group whose farming community most closely resembles the ideas of anarchist communism as expressed by 19th century figures such as Kropotkin, Morris, and Tolstoi. Ariel and I discuss their origins, their theology, their 19th century recovery, and above all the brilliant writings of one of their leaders, Gerrard Winstanley.

Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt , this episode looks at chapter 3, which introduces the other big myth which Graeber says underpins our modern imaginary. Primordial Debt, I argue, is the left-wing counterpart to the myth of barter, and Graeber critiques it less harshly but just as fully. Join me later this month for a conversation with the anthropologist Bill Maurer about this chapter, the...

Emerging from both civilian and military backgrounds, the Levellers were a radical group who advocated for expanded voting rights and freedom of conscience and speech. Rachel Foxley , author of The Levellers: Radical Political Thought in the English Revolution , explains the Levellers' views, their relationship to Oliver Cromwell, their revolutionary methods, and how their ideas resonate with late...

For the second episode of Debt Discussions, Cory Doctorow returns to the show to talk about Chapter 2 of Debt, The Myth of Barter. Cory and I talk about the way that economics resembles science fiction, the original reception of Debt (especially on the blog Crooked Timber), and talk some more about the topic of UBI and a jobs guarantee .

Ariel Hessayon joins me to start a new series, Radicalism in the English Revolution. Before we get to all the delightful radical groups - like Diggers and Levellers - Ariel and I discuss the English revolution, whether it was a revolution, what revolution meant to them, and what it meant to be a radical at the time. Here's an introduction to the concept of radicalism, or anarchism, in the English...

Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt , this episode looks at chapter 2, which is all about the silly stories that economists tell themselves to explain why economics is an objective science. Economics tells us that we can't imagine other worlds - but the field of economics is more imaginary than any fantasy novel

In just over two years, Everyday Anarchism hits 100 episodes! Kim Stanley Robinson returns to discuss The Pacific Edge , the third volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how the beautiful ecosocialist utopia in The Pacific Edge keeps all of the mundanity, tedium, and tragedy of life, just without the horrors of neoliberal capitalism. Stan also explains why he's unsatisfied with the b...

Medieval historian Eleanor Janega joins me as the first guest in Graeber's Debt series. We discuss the big ideas in chapter 1, especially garden parties, moral confusion, American empire, and British debt. Eleanor also helped me understand how debt is the most important thing in Jane Austen's novels - and that's a bad thing. For more from Eleanor, you can check out her podcast debunking misconcept...

For my second anniversary episode, frequent guest Ruth Kinna joins to talk about academic/intellectual anarchism. What's the point of this work? How do we know if we're making a difference? Who are we helping? We particularly highlight the role of Noam Chomsky in intellectual anarchism, as well as the rise of the social justice/ alter globalization movement

At long last, my thoughts on Graeber's Debt, chapter 1. Get ready for a discussion of this chapter, and the garden party, with Eleanor Janega later this month!

Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Gold Coast , the second volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how the Reagan era served as the inspiration for the book, the connection between the character Dennis McPherson and Stan's own father, and why this is Stan's favorite of the trilogy. Join us next month for a discussion of the final volume of the triptych, The Pacific Edge 

Kristen Ghodsee joins me to discuss her new book, Everyday Utopia. Kristen and I discuss the history of utopian communities, the promise and perils of state socialism, and how anarchism serves as a reminder that everyday communities can change the world.

Frequent guest James Fallows returns to the podcast as the first ever guest host! James interviews regular host Graham Culbertson about the legacy of progressivism and what ideas from that era we could use today in the struggle to make a better world, especially those related to William James and his famous talk "The Moral Equivalent of War." You can also read or watch Jimmy Carter's famous "Moral...

Finally, it's happening! My series on David Graeber's book Debt is finally starting for real on September 6. This trailer tells you what to expect, announces a few exciting guests, and reminds me to read the book. Later in September Eleanor Janega will join me to discuss Chapter 1. And if you can't wait, check out the prequel episodes based on Graeber's essay "Against Economics." Graeber's Debt Pr...

Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Wild Shore , the first volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how his career started, the inspiration for both this novel and the entire triptych, and most of all the novel itself - a post-apocalyptic narrative in which most of America has been destroyed, and what's left is a frontier lifestyle just waiting to be described in the manner of Mark...

Avi Khalil joins me to discuss the concept of everyday anarchism with respect to Star Trek. Although Star Trek purports to be a perfect neoliberal bureaucracy, all of the heroes are constantly breaking the rules. You can read Avi's blog post that served as an inspiration for the episode here: https://avikhalil.com/2023/06/15/the-spock-rule/

Peter Wilkin joins me to discuss the concept of tory anarchism , how George Orwell articulated the idea, how it differs from other forms of conservative anarchism (like Tolkien's), and the role that tory anarchism plays in British culture. We also cover a number of other topics related to Orwell, including his attacks on top-down language policing and his awareness of his own intolerances.

Vishwam Heckert joins me to discuss his journey from anarchist queer theorist to practitioner of the ancient anarchy of yoga. We conclude with heart meditation , which anyone who isn't driving can do along with the podcast!

Announcing a mini-series of episodes: three conversations with Kim Stanley Robinson about his first trilogy, Three Californias. We will cover one book per episode, with the first coming out on July 26. There's just a bit of our conversation here; I recommend you read the books along with the series; you can order a copy of the entire trilogy in a single volume. See you on July 26 for The Wild Shor...

John P. Clark comes on the show to discuss his book The Impossible Community : Realizing Communitarian Anarchism . John and I discuss how Hegel was a hippie, how everything is what it isn't (but also what it is), and why the right-wing is so much better at organizing at the grassroots than the progressive movements.

With apologies to Peter Kropotkin. Original here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-an-appeal-to-the-young

Just like when the Debt series gets going in earnest, I'll have a monthly episode with my thoughts on Graeber and then a conversation later that month. This month I'm talking with Dirk Ehnts , an MMT economist who really helped me further understand the money creation process and where Graeber's ideas fit into it. You can find Dirk as a frequent guest on the MMT podcast , as well as checkout these...