RevolutionZ

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.  

Episode 253 is our third and last  in a sequence addressing allocation after markets. With the basics of participatory planning in hand, we consider how to deal with collective goods, externalities, allotting income, and undertaking investments.