In the final episode of season two we discuss the origins of the modern phenomenon of toxic fandom amongst supporters of Pop Sci-Fi and Fantasy movies and TV Shows. Is this simply an over exuberance for the narrative arc of Luke Skywalker or a sign of a deeply chaotic world that is funnelling people into a fantasy echo chamber where they can hide from the horrors of an increasingly oligarchic tyranny. Please find below the links we used to research this topic: https://youtu.be/VaLrpU5yilA https://youtu.be/T3FEsFaRPAQ https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/377.full https://youtu.be/onxeBOnjWnU

Anomie in the 21st Century

Zack Snyder's Jockstrap: The hysteria of modern fandom and the death of Art

In the second part of our two-parter on science and technology we focus on the importance of science fiction in presenting an image of the future for society to either look forward to or fear. Science fiction once gave society hope that we were on the verge of a great leap forward in both science and human nature but in 2021 little of this optimism now remains in works like Altered Carbon and Blade Runner 2049. What has changed?

Craven New World Part 2: Why Science Fiction can no longer imagine a better future for us

In this episode we look at the coming advances in technology (automation, AGI, gene editing, etc.) and whether this revolution will improve the lives of working people or simply give birth to a dystopian Bladerunner world. Please find below the articles we used to research this topic.  https://thoughtmaybe.com/all-watched-over-by-machines-of-loving-grace/ https://www.wired.co.uk/article/darpa-arati-prabhakar-humans-machines https://www.forbes.com/sites/neerajain/2020/09/30/3-things-to-know-about-the-future-of-work-and-automation/?sh=d6e1f9f4a157 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/artificial-intelligence-future-scenarios-180968403/ https://amp.economist.com/open-future/2019/04/25/how-genetic-engineering-will-reshape-humanity

Craven New World: Will advances in Technology make a better world possible or entrench existing class inequality?

In this episode we have an open discussion about why Britain (but really England) has- as the kids would say- gone batshit crazy over the last number of years. Each of our hosts will posit and argue a different crossing of the crazy Rubicon from the death of Diana Spencer, to the David Cameron dead pig scandal and the Brexit referendum vote of 2016, but all agree that Britain is living in crazytown. 

UKrazy: Why England has become detached from reality

In this week's episode we discuss the simple but rather alarming idea that humans (or many of them) are too stupid a species to prevent their own extinction by human induced climate change. While on the surface this seems a facetious question it actually involves a deep discussion of what "stupidity" is and whether we as a species can escape the genetic or societal inheritance that blinds us to the existential threat of global warming. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190709-has-humanity-reached-peak-intelligence https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-may-become-of-homo-sapiens/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/13/top-scientists-warn-of-ghastly-future-of-mass-extinction-and-climate-disruption-aoe https://theconversation.com/from-human-extinction-to-super-intelligence-two-futurists-explain-26617 https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/nation-now/2016/06/28/stephen-hawking-humankind-still-greedy-stupid-greatest-threat-earth/86459578/ https://intpolicydigest.org/humans-are-fundamentally-stupid-creatures/ https://youtu.be/y50i1bI2uN4

"Stupid is as stupid derp": Is the Human species too dumb to survive?

After a run of polls showing a clear majority of respondents favoured Scottish Independence the topic that dominated our youthful student activism in Edinburgh a decade ago has re-emerged as a real threat to Tory dominance of the UK. In this episode we discuss the history, merits and challenges of said independence from a left wing perspective. 

Alba Gu Bràth: The case for Scottish Independence

In this week's episode we discuss the recent Game Stop stock/RobinHood Trading App story in the context of the history of the Stock Market in general and the financialisation of the economy since the 1970s. How did one sector of the economy that employs only 4% of workers in the US economy come to dominate the socio-economic culture of the whole "western world"?  If you wish to learn more the following links will provide you with more information about the Game Stop stock story and the history of financialisation: https://youtu.be/vtIk7WlINPQ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6RRH7T3lKUTk6DK9PMcSbh?si=4bTPNvEUTYCL-RT1Vxa76Q https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SLjaK7lXSybxosehWwRdE?si=kMlMJfKsQ4uDJmnh3_dC7A https://youtu.be/QpG4abBmyoc https://timdenning.medium.com/the-stock-market-is-a-ponzi-scheme-2776f075b67b https://youtu.be/wwfM3IKaZgw https://youtu.be/m9qRLDLtV2M https://youtu.be/CY9hW4OHXEc https://youtu.be/zTT4it_f7Jc https://youtu.be/7Zd24sn7Els https://youtu.be/BzacCjtibg0 https://youtu.be/xNt9qXOIGDg

Gaming Stocks: The History of the Stock Market

In this week's episode we explore the client journalism of the British press and how the media manufactures consent for the continuing rule of a corrupt and greedy English ruling elite. For those living outside Britain the behaviour of the British media is often astounding: Why do they defend the Tory government? Why do they ignore the huge wealth inequality throughout the country? Why do they mock any small attempt at reforming the political system? Why does Laura Kuenssberg have a job? We will attempt to answer these questions and more. Please find below a list of our sources for this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FnbbgUIO4w&ab_channel=SambikiSaruFilm https://brokenbottleboy.substack.com/p/why-tony-blairs-forever-war-on-media https://youtu.be/v-8t0EfLzQo https://twitter.com/dr_tad/status/1352036324140728322?s=24 https://youtu.be/tTBWfkE7BXU https://tribunemag.co.uk/2021/01/covid-19-has-exposed-britains-client-journalism-problem

"Robert Preston doesn't understand mirrors": Client Journalism and the Manufacturing of Consent in the UK media

In this episode we go back to the 19th century origins of European Anarchism with the ideas of the first thinker to describe himself as an Anarchist, Proudhon. He is remembered today for such soundbites as "Property is theft" and "Anarchy is order" but few know that he first expressed so many of the views the Libertarian Left hold dear today. His writings on Mutualist Federation, a fair division of land according to need and labour, and the importance of the working class as the engine of revolution started the conversations many of us still have today. He also had a dark side which included racism, anti-Semitism and misogyny which we will not shy away from.  Please find below some links to our sources for this podcast: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-h-marshall-demanding-the-impossible#toc70 (Chapter on Proudhon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws_-J4UuwP0&ab_channel=Then%26Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Y4Nd0AJcE&ab_channel=Then%26Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFySXwVvUM&ab_channel=GreatAnarchists https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/man-paradox-pierre-joseph-proudhon https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/robert-graham-the-general-idea-of-proudhon-s-revolution

The First Anarchist: A discussion of the ideas of Pierre-Josef Proudhon

In this week's episode we discuss the failure to teach critical thinking in schools and the current danger of non-reality based thinking amongst large sections of the population in America and the UK.  Conspiracy theories and white supremacy were within living memory a fringe pursuit of a tiny minority. One week after the storming of the American Capital building by Qanon devotees and Trump sycophants they have taken hold of the political mainstream. How did this happen? And what is the answer? Please find attached some links to more information: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/reign-of-idiots/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.alternet.org/amp/chris-hedges-americas-mania-positive-thinking-and-denial-reality-will-be-our-2647277641 https://youtu.be/DdNAUJWJN08 https://youtu.be/KJQUQh57Lzs https://youtu.be/JVqMAlgAnlo https://observer.com/2018/01/american-education-system-suppresses-critical-thinking/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intuitive-parent/201703/the-emerging-crisis-in-critical-thinking?amp https://youtu.be/B2-x82-zuuc

Critical Thinking: How to stop sociopaths conning rubes

In this episode we discuss the pivotal Paris Commune of 1871 and how it set the stage for 20th century revolutionary movements and in turn the reactionary responses of authoritarian governments to said movements. After a 5 month siege by the new German Empire Paris was radicalised by the collapse of the Second French Empire and the revolutionary voices of the Proudhonist and Blanquist radicals in their midst. After a failed attempt to disarm them by the monarchist government based in Versailles for 62 days the working class of Paris would run their own affairs and seek to build a Socialist society in the streets of the City of Lights. The crushing of the commune and the murder of 25,000 Communards by the supposed legitimate government would cast a long shadow over France and the modern European Left. Please find below the sources for our research for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xlMRjveNWaHkzqziDIkoT?si=hONhoGnzSwSjhYYkhWIkgg https://robertgraham.wordpress.com/bakunin-the-paris-commmune-and-the-idea-of-the-state/ https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1871/civil-war-france/ch05.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYVXYyaYQpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2TmX_ZIqXI&ab_channel=YaleUniversity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epGlo2abAYY&ab_channel=MatteoB.

The First Socialist Revolution! The Paris Commune of 1871

This week we round up some of the top stories we covered this past year, from the fall of Corbyn, the Irish election, (of course) the Covid Pandemic, the US Election and Brexit. 

2020 The Rearview

In this week's holiday spectacular we discuss the continuing power and sway of the English aristocracy in the UK and their links to the Norman conquest of 1066. Before the arrival of Duke William "The Basterd" England was a society of many landlowners and a tradition of elective kingship, the conquest changed that forever as William granted 95% of the land in England to a new foreign Norman aristocracy who imposed draconian taxes collected through the 1000 motte and Bailey castles and eradicated the native Anglo-Saxon elite. Any rebellions were brutally crushed such as the Harrying of the North that resulting in the deaths of over 100,000 people through man made famine. The colonisation of England was so complete that even today almost a millennium later 50% of English land is still owned by the descendants of those Norman invaders and in many ways the habits and behaviours they brought with them are still those of the English aristocracy.  Please find below links to the sources we used for this podcast: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/sep/07/how-the-aristocracy-preserved-their-power https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/17/who-owns-england-thousand-secret-landowners-author https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/apr/03/social-mobility-britain-aristocracy https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-norman-yoke/id463700741?i=1000359570790 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/17/high-house-prices-inequality-normans https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cJs1fYCOy5VQ6ap0r8rtD?si=Gr-_NSD_T-WzcG48WPoJlg https://youtu.be/RvJxw-SFMF0 https://youtu.be/lwL3MTA-y0o

The Norman Yoke: How the Norman Ascendancy still rule England

In this episode we have an open discussion of the US led "War on Terror" from its roots in the 1980s Reagan administration obsession with the Iranian Revolution and Tehran hostage crisis, to the date seared into many people's memories 11/09/2001, the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan (now the longest war in American history) and Iraq, and much more. This discussion was precipitated by Trump's recent declaration that he would reduce US occupation Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq before he leaves office on 20th January.  Please find below several links for more information on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84P4dzow1Bw&ab_channel=PaulGo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTg4qnyUGxg&ab_channel=AdamCurtisDocumentary

The War of Error: A Retrospective on the "War on Terror"

 In this episode we focus on the intellectual father of Irish left and one of the founding figures of the Irish Republic, James Connolly. Born in poverty in an Irish slum in Edinburgh to famine refugee parents he experienced the reality of industrial capitalism  from an early age. During a relatively short life of 48 years; he would help found the Scottish Labour movement; codified Irish Republican Socialism; was an organiser in New York for the International Workers of the World; was one of the leaders of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union during the 1913 Strike and Lockout; wrote the first working class history of the Irish people; and founded and led the Irish Citizen Army in the 1916 Easter Rising.... and those were just some of the highlights of his political life! Given his huge importance and the breadth of his life we very much encourage listeners to peruse the links below for more on his life: https://youtu.be/mKrncZAqfE0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t3Q02pZE_I&t=582s&ab_channel=RepublicanNetworkforUnity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tqGknooC9g&ab_channel=TerryMcMahon

Celtic Communism: The Life and Legacy of James Connolly

In a world dominated by Capitalism three intrepid Anarchists board a leaky tug boat on a global journey to find truth, socialism and the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein.

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Anomie in the 21st Century

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