Cocktails & Capitalism

In this episode, Erika and Christa tackle the infrastructure bill while sipping on a custom cocktail: the Bipartisan Breeze. You’ll hear us discuss key aspects of this huge bill as we play a drinking game that we’ve created especially for this episode topic. Tune in to hear these ladies explain this potentially transformative legislation, including the enormous “human infrastructure” bill that wil...

In this episode, Ahyoka Atali tells her personal story as an MMIWG2S survivor. If you've ever wondered about the stories behind the countless photos of missing and murdered Indigenous women, this episode offers a window into the dark reality of this ongoing crisis.  Because the MMIW epidemic takes many different forms,  Ahyoka's story is quite different from the experiences of other surv...

In this episode, we dive into the ways that extractive capitalist industries have fueled the MMIW crisis.  MMIWG2S survivor Ahyoka Atali joins me in discussing sex trafficking, pipelines, man camps, fisheries, and the ways that these profit-driven projects have magnified the violence perpetuated against Indigenous women, children, and 2 Spirit 🌹 Because this is such a heavy topic, we decided we&a...

In this episode, survivor Ahyoka Atali help us connect the dots between the factors that place Indigenous women at risk of abuse, abduction, trafficking, and murder.  Here are some of the main topics we cover:  Land back Residential schools Generational trauma, Lack of cultural / religious freedom, Stereotypes, Cultural appropriation, Mascots, Costumes, Fetishization and sexualization of Native wo...

In the first part of this episode series,  Ahyoka Atali introduces some of the biggest issues that fuel the MMIW epidemic in so-called Canada and America.  Ahyoka is a MMIWG2S survivor -- which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit. We discuss decolonization, blood quantum, poverty in Native communities, epidemics on reservations, and the history of genocide on Tu...

In addition to hosting the podcast, Erika works to raise funds for a nonprofit. For years, she's wanted to understand why the wealthy give less than the poor . Throughout her research, she had continuously stumbled upon assertions that the rich tend to give a much smaller portion of their wealth than those with much less. This is deeply concerning because it spells the death of so many import...

In this episode, we read our very first story from a boozarino! I purchased two beautifully crafted masks from @made.by.lauren.b (IG), and when they arrived I discovered a lengthy hand-written letter from Lauren.  Her letter quickly opened our eyes to the horrors of the textile and fashion industries , and Hillary and I soon found ourselves deep down the rabbit hole of research about fast fashion...

The pink tax refers to the extra amount of money women pay for specific products or services. In this episode, Hillary and Erika discuss what the pink tax is and disect the retail analytics of why it even exists. Tune in until the very end to hear how you can fight the pink tax! Episode Cocktail: Pretty in Pink  3 oz vodka 1.5 oz of St. Germain elderflower liqueur ½ of a grapefruit (juiced).  ½ of...

Released only 3 days before Trump's impeachment trial for his incitement of the Capitol Riot, this episode shines light on Hitler's failed coup of 1924: The Beer Hall Putsch. While he was a little-known political figure in prior years, this coup attempt would skyrocket Hitler to a position of fame across Germany and around the globe. His subsequent trial served as a platform upon which h...

Environmental consciousness has grounded and fueled the work of Jason Mark in so many different arenas. Jason is the editor of Sierra Magazine (as in the Sierra Club), former editor of Earth Island Journal , and the author of Satellites in the High Country: Searching for the Wild in the Age of Man . He's even helped to revive the largest urban farm in San Francisco. In this episode, Jason cha...

Consumer activism is when a person attempts to reinforce their moral callings through their consumption. They don’t just consider the good by itself, they take into consideration where their money is going, who it supports, and how it is used. It comes in the forms of buying from brands that you agree with or boycotting the ones you don’t. In this episode, Hillary and Erika discuss the differences...

After toiling as a "two-legged work beastie" in too many soul-sucking jobs, Jack London traveled to the Yukon in search of gold. Rather than discovering precious metals, he discovered the camaraderie of his fellow miners, who shared the wealth in drunken celebrations every time one miner struck gold. In addition, he unearthed a wealth of materials for his writings about the wilderness. S...

In this episode, we discuss Jack London's evolution into a socialist. After living the rough life of a sailor, London once again found himself forced into wage slavery to feed his family. Having toiled for long, tedious hours in a jute mill, London left his job and began shoveling coal for a railway company. With two sprained wrists, London continued this agonizing work until he realized that...

One of the ugliest faces of capitalism is big pharma. Pharmaceuticual companies rake in more profits every year and hurt everyday people. In this episode, Hillary and Erika discuss the top companies, notable big pharma scandals, and price gouging of prescription drugs.  Episode Cocktail: The Painkiller 2 oz spiced rum 4 oz pineapple juice 1 oz orange juice 1 oz cream of coconut dash of nutmeg Add...

In this episode, we begin to tell the story of Jack London's crazy life--a story that shows his evolution into a socialist. Along the way, we introduce some of the concepts that are fundamental to the political economic views of both Jack London and Karl Marx. Born to spiritualist parents who had less to do with his upbringing than the ex-slave who became his wet nurse and mother figure, Jack...

Sustainable agriculture should be the ultimate goal in American farming. It is necessary to consider how to meet our current society's food and textile needs without compromising the ability of future generation's ability to meet their needs. In this episode, we discuss methods and goals of sustainable agriculture, introduce the topic of soil health, pollution, and the global phosphorus...

The pandemic is upending people's lives, and leaving several without jobs. For many, financial security is unattainable. Join Hillary and Erika as they discuss how a universal basic income might be a feasible solution for America.  Support the show Cocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support wit...

Homelessness is an ongoing crisis in America, and it's about to get so much worse. In this episode, Erika tells the story of Dorthea Lange's iconic 1936 photograph of Florence Owens Thompson's impoverished family. We discuss extreme American poverty, the Covid-19 pandemic, and it's devastating effects on the 99%. With an eviction crisis on the horizon and a fascist in the white...

In this recent scandal, two Pennsylvania judges received kickbacks for sending juveniles to for-profit detention facilities. Get your cocktails ready, and make a double for this one. Or a triple.  Support the show Cocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support with even a dollar a month, that would real...

From the night watch and slave patrols to corporate police forces tasked with crushing labor unions, the police in America were created to protect property and profit. This episode explores the birth of American policing, focusing on the corporate Coal and Iron Police in Pennsylvania. Connect with us! https://www.twitter.com/cocktcapitalism https://www.instagram.com/cocktailsandcapitalism Support...