This week, Michael Pons joins me for a discussion of the hit indie video game, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. Pons and I explore the game’s politics of insincerity, the philosophical existentialism of the game and its universe, the masculinist power fantasies in RPGs, and why endings are so critical to get right in video games. As you might imagine, this discussion is filled with spoilers for the game, so tread lightly. Follow Pons on Twitter. Disco Elysium was too afraid of sincerity to be revolutionary The mysterious, magical end of Disco Elysium Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.
Episode 126: “Permanent, Intolerable Uncertainty” ft. the Left Page
This week, I hung out with my pal Frank from the Left Page podcast and talked about Ursula K. Le Guin’s novel, The Left Hand of Darkness. In the ensuing dialogue, Frank and I discussed the book’s ambisexuality, queer critiques of the text and Le Guin’s response, the nature of being and the impermanence of knowledge, how different knowledge bases are gendered and how we dismantle and reinterrogate the chauvinistic approach to science and reclaim a more emancipatory framework for the scientific method. We also talk about spirituality? I dunno, it was a lot and we bounced around quite a bit, but I had a blast and I hope you’ll enjoy this episode, too. The Left Hand of Darkness is available online! Follow Frank on Twitter. Check out the Left Page podcast on Twitter, visit their website, and support them on Patreon. Check out our episodes of The Dispossessed with the Left Page podcast, Ep. 47 and Ep. 48! Macabre Media podcast has a new episode! Check it out wherever you get your podcasts. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.
Episode 125: “An Abolitionist for City Council” ft. Steven J. Frich
Today, I’m sharing an interview I did with my homie, Steven, who’s running for city council in Minneapolis. Steven and I chat about the George Floyd uprising, the abolitionist struggle in the city, Steven’s platform and politics, and I also ask him some tough questions from the left about political struggle and the limitations of the ballot box. Follow Steven on Twitter, visit his website, and volunteer to support his campaign! Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “Erase the Rat” by Backtrack Outro: “Call My Name” by Harms Way
Episode 124: “Reflections on the Quarantine”
This week marks the one year anniversary of the so-called U.S. being placed under lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One year ago, I was in New York city visiting childhood friends and the comrades in Dumb & Awful. I was literally in the middle of making plans to chill with Amy and Liz from Rebel Steps when the coronavirus was officially declared a national emergency. In the time that’s passed, our society has become more isolated and alienated than ever before. Worldwide, millions have died. To this day, the U.S. has continued to absolutely bungle this debacle. To mark this historic year, I wanted to do a retrospective, reflective episode on how COVID-19 has impacted human society and how human beings have become atomized, but also how we’ve banded together, rose up against white supremacy in this country, and instituted sweeping projects of tenant-organizing and mutual aid when the state left us out to dry. Joining me today is Jules Taylor, a musician, producer, and podcaster living in upstate, NY. Jules and I spend the episode chatting about the emergence of new conspiracies, the way capitalism exacerbated this crisis (fueling and profiting off our ongoing immiseration,) and—most importantly—the ways we’ve fought back. But it’s also a heavy episode, where we leave some space to mourn and grieve and contemplate mortality. Things mentioned by Jules during our conversation: The Slow Cancelling of the Future – Mark Fisher Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher Cover of the New Yorker Magazine 12.7.20 Women With Cancer Awarded Billions in Baby Powder Suit The fiasco of the 1976 ‘swine flu affair’ The Spanish Flu actually came from Kansas Notes: Check out Jules’ podcast, No Easy Answers, and his website: JulesTaylorMusic.com. You can find all his various projects here: https://bit.ly/julestaylorbio You can follow him on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram And you can stream his music here: https://bit.ly/julestaylormusicsongwhip Also, you can challenge Jules to a game of chess here: LiChess | com Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “Anthem for No State, Pt. 1” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor Outro: “Paralyzed” by LANDMVRKS
Episode 123: “No Human Being is Illegal” ft. Harsha Walia
I recently sat down with Harsha Walia, author of the new book Border & Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism, to discuss the displacement crisis, the struggle for migrant justice, the resurgence of far-right ethnonationalism across the planet, and the internationalist framework necessary to confront the specific sort of violence conjured by borders. Follow Harsha on Twitter and pick up a copy of her book, Border & Rule! Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “An Ordinary Extinction” by Architects Outro: “System/Meltdown” by Enter Shikari
Episode 122: “Under No Pretext” ft. the SNE SRA
I sat down with the comrades in the South New England Socialist Rifle Association to discuss their efforts to create the first explicitly leftist gun range. Stick around ’til the very end for possibly the goofiest blooper reel in Coffee with Comrades history. Support the SNE SRA’s fund-raising efforts! Follow the SNE SRA on Twitter and Instagram. Check out It’s Going Down’s coverage of the SNE SRA, as well. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “If I Had a Hammer” by Pete Seeger Outro: “Faces” by Whitechapel
Episode 121: “Awkward Armor” ft. Pynk Spots
In this episode of Coffee with Comrades, I am joined by Nic, host of our Channel Zero Network sister-show, Pynk Spots, to chat about managing shyness and introversion in media work, teaching, and community-organizing. This wide-ranging conversation covers it all: prepping for public speaking, decentering yourself at rallies and demonstrations, figuring out how to cope with introversion, mitigating awkward situations, commiserating over embarrassing moments, etc. The fist half of our dialogue covers tips and tricks. The second chunk deals with how to apply these lessons to organizing in your own community, whether you’re doing community gardening or engaging in militant direct action. Follow Pynk Spots on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel! They’re almost to 1000 subscribers. Also make sure to support Pynk Spots on Patreon. Speaking of which, you can watch this entire conversation on video! Pearson is now a co-host of Macabre Media podcast! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and Patreon. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “Two Queens in a King-Sized Bed” by girl in red Outro: “HYD” by Hayley Williams
Episode 120: “No Poisons, No Prisons” ft. George Schimitz
This week, my friend George stopped by to talk about the intersections of straight-edge and radical politics. We talked about being sober, punk and hardcore, and the how revolutionaries might benefit from the clarity and focus of being drug-free. But, fear not–neither of us are here trying to provide some prescriptive dogma. Honestly, it was just fun to catch up and shoot the shit. George also talks a bit about the new Stick to Your Guns EP, The Meaning Remains, which comes out this week so stick around ‘til the very end of the episode to hear a bit more about the record. Pick up a copy of The Meaning Remains EP. Follow George on Twitter and follow Stick to Your Guns while you’re at it! Pick up a copy of Sober Living for the Revolution. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World Anymore” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “Amber (Acoustic)” by Stick to Your Guns Outro: “Hasta La Victoria (Demo)” by Stick to Your Guns
Episode 119: “Google Murray Bookchin” ft. Anark
After we put out our three-part series introducing socialism, communism, and anarchism, I had a flood of folks message me on Twitter or shoot me an email and ask, “What happened to the social ecology episode?” As I’ve said before, sadly, it got lost to the eldritch gods of audio-editing. Rest assured that we’ll do a deep-dive into social ecology at some point in the near future as it’s a branch of leftist theory I’m profoundly interested in, but—in the mean time—hopefully this week’s episode of the podcast can tide you over. I recently sat down with Daniel Baryon, better known by his YouTube alias, Anark, to discuss possibly the most important text of Murray Bookchin’s career, The Ecology of Freedom: The Emergence and Dissolution of Hierarchy. Daniel and I spent some time digging into some of the text’s major themes, argued that The Ecology of Freedom is a work as monumental as Marx’s Capital, and offer some critiques of the text, as well. Check out Anark on YouTube and follow Daniel on Twitter. The Ecology of Freedom: The Emergence and Dissolution of Hierarchy .pdf Episode 61 of Coffee with Comrades, “Anarchy or Annihilation” Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud affiliate of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is a proud part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: Interlude: “Solar” by Northlane Outro: “Wake the Dead” by Comeback Kid
Episode 118: “The Coalition for Dan Baker”
On January 15, in Tallahassee, FL, the FBI arrested Daniel Baker, a local leftist, veteran, and a former combat medic with the YPG, on trumped-up charges meant to silence dissent and criminalize community armed defense. FBI agents bullrushed Dan’s apartment, guns drawn, broken open the front door, and threw a flash bang grenade before making the arrest. Dan, who has been described by various news outlets as being involved in some insidious “Florida Cspitol plot” and having connections with a “Marxist guerilla organization” has been charged by the federal government, denied bail on the grounds that he’s a flight risk, and held in solitary confinement in a segretated housing unit because authorities fear he will “radicalize” other prisoners. Allegations surrounding Dan’s arrest stem from flimsy, circumstantial evidence, derived almost entirely from social media posts Dan allegedly made, some fliers Dan allegedly printed off and distributed in the community calling for folks to arm themselves against a possible white supremacist coup, and a few pithy memes he allegedly reposted on the internet. Should Dan be convicted, he could face up to 5 years in prison and over $250,000 in fines. But who is Dan Baker, really? Today, we set the record straight. In this edition of Coffee with Comrades, I am joined by Eric, Dan’s friend and former roommate, and our mutual comrade, Jack, to discuss the allegations, the anti-repression work surrounding Dan’s case, the DeSantis administration’s anti-protest bill, and a whole lot more. I want to preface by saying I think this is an immensely vital case of vindictive, opportunistic repression against the left, the opening salvo of the repression that is sure to come from Biden’s neoliberal administration which has made no pretense of being friendly with the left. But this moment can prove instructive to folks interested in doing the hard work of defending their communities from the horrors of white supremacist and fascist violence by understanding how the state will crackdown on those of us who choose to stand up for our neighbors and take proactive measures to ensure our communities can continue to survive in spite of the crises engendered by capitalism and the state. You can write to Dan at the following address: Daniel Baker Reg. No. 25765-509 FDC Tallahassee, 501 Capital Circle NE Tallahassee, FL 32301 If you wanna help Dan: – Follow @GuerillaGalleryTLH to stay up to date with Dan’s case on Instagram – Venmo or PayPal @echampagneart – Circulate this flier as widely as you can – Read Jacobin’s coverage of Dan’s case Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud affiliate of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is a proud part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.