Darts and Letters

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Darts and Letters episodes

July 16, 2021EP29: Vote for Pedro (ft. Natalia Sobrevilla & Aldo Madariaga)
This week, Darts and Letters looks to Peru and the election victory of peasant school teacher and socialist Pedro Castillo. He won a close race against Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori. His campaign slogan was simple and powerful: “No more poor people in a rich country.” Of course, the right is now crying foul and seeking to invalidate the election — like Trump’s sad attempt in the United States, it won’t work. We dig into the neoliberal, right-wing populist agenda in Peru and across Latin America and explore the rising socialist alternative.
First (@11:50) , Natalia Sobrevilla Perea is Professor of Latin American History at the University of Kent. She’s also Peruvian. She takes us through Peru’s contemporary political history and puts Castillo’s election win in context. She starts with Alberto Fujimori, former president of Peru and father of Keiko Fujimori, a presidential contender defeated by Castillo.
Then (@39:28), Aldo Madariaga is a professor at the School of Political Science, Diego Portales University, and Associate Researcher at the centre for Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies (COES) in Santiago, Chile. He expands on the concept of neoliberalism and its history as an intellectual movement, and analyzes its relationship with the current surge of right-wing populism.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Check out Aldo Madariaga’s site and his book Neoliberal Resilience: Lessons in Democracy and Development from Latin America and Eastern Europe. And have a look at his co-edited series for Palgrave on Latin American political economy.
Plus, read Madariaga’s Jacobin piece on neoliberalism as a threat to democracy.
Visit Natalia Sobrevilla Perea’s site and review her publications.
Read more about Castillo, including his push to make mining companies pay their fair share, Jacobin’s run-down of the man in his own words, and Counter Punch’s story of his win and the challenges that followed.
Watch Katie Halper interview Ollie Varga on Peru’s election: “Dictator’s Daughter vs. Teacher.”
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. David Moscrop provided research assistance and wrote the show notes. Our marketing assistant is Ian Snowden. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This is a production of Cited Media backed by academic grants that support mobilizing research and democratizing the concept of public intellectualism This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The lead academic advisor is Allen Sens.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr 5 min
July 09, 2021EP28: Mission Critical (ft. Robert Greene II & Nick from Fred Hampton Leftists)
It’s time to go war! Culture war, that is. This time, over critical race theory. Conservatives have mobilized an attack on CRT, and Democrats have defended a defanged version of these radical ideas. Even the military, by way of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley, has weighed in. He’s all for reading and understanding “white rage” — for strategic reasons, of course. This week, Darts and Letters tries to understand a powerful set of ideas dragged into the popular imagination through cynical politicking. But we also lodge left-wing critiques, and ask: is CRT good for the left, or should we embrace a universalist politics?
First (@13:49), Robert Greene II is an intellectual historian at Claflin. He points out that until recently, few people outside of academia had even heard of critical race theory. He explores the origins and motivations of attacks on CRT, explains the historical and contemporary context, and argues that CRT should be embraced (at least partly) in the leftist theoretical toolkit.
Then (@54:06), Nick Cruse is a Fred Hampton Leftist, co-founder of Ten Demands, and board member of National RCV. He calls out the faux radicalism of the center-left in general, and Democrats in particular, arguing they weaponize black identity in the service of dividing and conquering the working class — that is, in service of neoliberalism.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Read Robert Greene II’s piece on critical race theory in Jacobin and visit his page at Claflin University. Have a look at more of his work for The Nation. He’s on Twitter, too.
Check out Nick Cruse’s work, and that of his colleagues, through the Fred Hampton Leftist page; be sure to check out his Twitter account, too.
There are plenty of other important pieces to read and listen to as well. Those include a New Yorker take on how a conservative activist “invented the conflict over critical race theory,” historian Matt Karp’s piece in Harper’s on “History as End,” Freddie deBoer’s and Iram Osei-Frimpong’s take on CRT and the American dream on Bad Faith podcast, the Boston Review’s deep dive into “The war on critical race theory,” and Nathalie Baptiste’s assessment of the CRT “panic” in Mother Jones.
Plus, for a critique of Robin DiAngelo’s work, check out this piece in the Conversation.
For more from Matt Karp, listen to him talk CRT on Chapo.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. David Moscrop provided research assistance and wrote the show notes. Our marketing assistant is Ian Snowden. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This is a production of Cited Media backed by academic grants that support mobilizing research and democratizing the concept of public intellectualism This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The lead academic advisor is Allen Sens.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr 14 min
July 02, 2021EP27: Proud to be Canadian (ft. Leigh Phillips, Samantha Kutner, & Barbara Perry)
Happy Canada Day to our Canadian listeners! But actually, we are not celebrating here. Instead, we lament our country’s decay. In particular, our intellectual decay. We were a nation known for such pre-eminent intellectuals like Erving Goffman, Marshall McLuhan, and Charles Taylor. Now, we’re known for a decidedly more right-wing bunch of scholars and online influencers, including: Jordan Peterson, Stefan Molyneux, Lauren Southern, Gavin McInnes, and others. Their ideas and their organizing has inspired a new Canadian export: far-right politics, and sometimes far right extremist groups. One such group, the Proud Boys, were designated as a terrorist entity earlier this year. This week, we look at the far-right in Canada and ask: what should we do about them? And also: what shouldn’t we do about them?
First (@11:13), Leigh Phillips is a journalist, writer, and author. He’s also a contributor to Jacobin. After the Proud Boys were designated a terrorist entity, he took to the magazine to make the case against that approach to managing them. He argues that protecting civil liberties is essential to opposing the far-right and defending the left from state overreach and repression.
Next (@30:19), Samantha Kutner is an independent research and subject matter expert on the Proud Boys – as she puts it, a “Proud Boys whisperer” whose work is focused on “helping people leave violent extremism and white supremacy.” She takes us through that process and inside the heads of members of the far-right.
Finally (@57:04), Barbara Perry is a professor, an expert on the far-right in Canada, and the director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. She explores the far-right ecosystem in Canada with us and explains why the country punches above its weight when it comes to producing these organizations and individuals.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Check out Leigh Phillips’ website, his political journalism – including his piece on the Proud Boys – and his books, Austerity Ecology & the Collapse-porn Addicts and The People’s Republic of Walmart.
Listen to Samatha Kutner’s podcast Glitterpod and visit her website to learn more about her work, including her Proud Boys incident map.
Have a look at Barbara Perry’s scholarly website, her books In the Name of Hate and Hate and Bias Crime, and visit the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism.
Read about what it means to be designated a terrorist entity.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our lead research assistant on this episode was Isabelle Lemelin. David Moscrop provided research assistance and wrote the show notes. Our marketing assistant is Ian Snowden. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research. This episode was part of a project looking at the right of right wing political philosophies. The advisors on that project are: Andre Gagne, Ronald Beiner, and A. James McAdams. The lead research assistants are Tim Berk & Isabelle Lemelin.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr 14 min
June 25, 2021EP26: The French Connection (ft. Jean-Yves Camus, Matt McManus, & Joe Mullhall)
The national security state is alive, well, and growing. By weaponizing the threat of right-wing extremism, governments are building out their post-9/11 securitization projects. The far-right, however, is dangerous and does need to be stopped. But not with old strategies and tactics that have failed in the past and will fail again. Doing better means thinking differently. And that’s what we plan to do this week as we begin our first of two back-to-back episodes assessing the state of the far right and how to counter them effectively. In this episode, we focus on the philosophies and influence of the French New Right, and debate the ethics of undercover infiltrations.
First, (@15:05) Joe Mulhall is Head of Research at Hope Not Hate and author of an upcoming book on the global far right. He talks about the French New Right, its strategies, and the thinkers — and “thinkers” — that underwrite them including the prolific Alain de Benoist. We also debate the strategies of undercover infiltrations, which Joe employs and discusses in his upcoming book.
Next (@44:12), Jean-Yves Camus is co-director of the Observatoire des Radicalités Politiques (ORAP) and Associate Fellow at Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques (IRIS) in Paris. He knows Alain de Benoist. He digs into the far-right theorist’s past and present, discussing his motivations, capacities, and effect on right wing thinking.
Finally, (@59:20) Matt McManus is Professor of Politics at Whitman College and podcaster at PillPod. He’s an expert on post-modern conservatism, and he breaks down for us what it entails and how it shapes contemporary thinking, discourse, and politics.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Follow Hope Not Hate on Twitter and check out Joe Mulhall’s upcoming book Drums in the Distance: Journeys Into the Global Far Right. Also, read his piece on the identatrian movement and the alt-right.
Have a look at Jean-Yves Camus’ most recent book, co-written with Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe. For a shorter read, have a look at his piece on the French New Right a half-century on, which he says is “Alive and kicking a ever.”
Listen to Matt McManus’s podcasts at PillPod and grab a copy of his book What is Post-Modern Conservatism. Also, review his piece in Jacobin on Benjamin Teitelbaum’s War for Eternity. For more, check out his piece on post-modern conservatism in the McGill International Review.
Also be sure to read Buzzfeed’s piece on Alain de Benoist and the French New Right.
Read up the national security state, including new money for domestic terrorism, a U.S. military training document that “says socialsits represent ‘terrorist’ ideology,” and Ken Klippenstein’s 2019 piece on leaked FBI documents that identify the bureau’s priorities during the Trump administration.
Read our own Tim Berk’s Darts and Letters blog post “Don’t be fooled by the European new right’s quasi-left rebrand.”
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our lead research assistant on this episode was Tim Berk from the University of Toronto. David Moscrop provided research assistance and wrote the show notes. Our marketing assistant is Ian Snowden. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research. This episode was part of a project looking at the right of right wing political philosophies. The advisors on that project are: Andre Gagne, Ronald Beiner, and A. James McAdams. The lead research assistants are Tim Berk & Isabelle Lemelin.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr 19 min
June 18, 2021EP25: The Cornish Consensus (ft. Joe Roberts of the Democratic Socialists of Canada)
As the G7 Summit wraps up in the United Kingdom, the blueprint for a kinder, gentler, more generous capitalism is being floated. It’s being called the Cornwall Consensus. Meanwhile, in Canada, a democratic socialist organisation has popped up during the pandemic and is attracting a lot of attention. This week, we plumb the depths of the Cornish new world order, go back to the future with a look at the end of the end of history, and sort out the state of Canada’s political left.
Our guest (@9:34), Joe Roberts is a founding member of the Democratic Socialists of Canada and co-host of New Left Radio. He takes us through the informal agreements coming out of the G7 and how they may shape capitalism for years to come; he also breaks down leftism in Canada and the rise of the DSC as he questions whether the liberal consensus is as strong as many think it is.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Visit the homepage of the Democratic Socialists of Canada and have a look at what they stand for as well as their primer on what democratic socialism is.
Listen to the New Left Radio podcast — including the latest episode, a deep dive into inflation and reconciliation.
Check out the Centre for Canadian Progress, a socialist policy centre.
Read Roberts’ take on the G7 tax deal — a deal “that pretends to be good for Canadians” — in the Toronto Star.
Take a look at a short history of the Washington Consensus and then read the Cornwall Consensus document from the latest G7 meeting.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants this week are Addye Susnick and David Moscrop. Our marketing assistant is Ian Snowden. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, which provided us a research grant to look at the concept of “public intellectualism.” Professor Allen Sens at the University of British Columbia is the lead academic advisor.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
49 min
June 11, 2021EP24: Darts and Lasers (ft. Cory Doctorow, Nalo Hopkinson, & Batya Weinbaum)
It’s stardate 99040.01 and lead producer Jay Cockburn is temporarily taking over command of Darts and Letters for an episode. This week we enter the world of science fiction, revealing how it’s long been a vehicle for radical thought We dig into post-scarcity, Afrofuturism, and feminist speculative fiction as we set our phasers to fun and go where no podcast has gone before.
First (@11:37), Cory Doctorow is a journalist, activist, blogger, and author of many books including the post-scarcity speculative fiction novel Walkaway. He takes us through the idea of a post-scarcity world as he breaks down the idea of abundance and what we might do with it, or not.
Then, (@34:44), Nalo Hopkinson is a science fiction writer, editor, professor, and author of Brown Girl in the Ring. She talks to us about Afrofuturism as a critical lens and different ways of seeing the future for different communities — and re-imagining the present. Plus, be sure to read her own recommendation: Sister Mine.
Finally, (@50:27), Batya Weinbaum is a poet, artist, professor, and the editor of FemSpec, an academic journal of feminist speculative fiction. She charts the history of feminism in science fiction and how art, including novels, helps drive social, political, and economic change.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Check out Cory Doctorow’s blog site Craphound, including the shop where you can buy his books, including Walkaway, which is featured in this episode. Also have a look at this latest book, Attack Surface.
Visit Nalo Hopkinson’s homepage, including the list of her books and her Patreon. You can pick up Brown Girl in the Ring through her publisher’s site or wherever books are sold.
Dig into the interdisciplinary feminist journal FemSpec, edited by Batya Weinbaum and visit her Google Scholar page to peruse her many academic articles.
We mentioned a number of books in this episode you may want to check out, including Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Iain M. Banks’ the Culture series.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic; this week our guest host and lead producer is Jay Cockburn. Gordon Katic is our editor. Our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants this week are Addye Susnick and David Moscrop. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, which provided us a research grant to look at the concept of “public intellectualism.” Professor Allen Sens at the University of British Columbia is the lead academic advisor.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr
June 04, 2021EP23: Back to the Land: Indigenous Schooling in a Colonial State (ft. Kyla LeSage & Leanne Betasamosake Simpson)
Canada is a colonial and genocidal state, past and present. The horrifying news of the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School is evidence of that, as is ongoing inaction and state resistance to reconciliation. And the university shares some blame. In this episode, we offer a brief history of residential schools and explore how Indigenous education can offer a way towards healing.
First (@9:21), Kyla LeSage works at Dechinta Bush University in the Northwest Territories, where she once studied after attending the University of British Columbia. Dechinta’s pedagogy is land-based and Indigenous-led. Kyla takes us through the differences between settler pedagogy at UBC and Indigenous pedagogy at Dechinta — and the struggle to break out of the rubric.
Then (@39:25), Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist. She holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and teaches at Dechinta. She explains how Dechinta operates and details the values, traditions, cultural practices, and pedagogy of the school, pointing out that the university’s success is measured “by the number of days our staff, faculty, and students spend on the land.”
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Visit the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning website and learn about the university’s mission, mandate, and vision. Look back at a 2013 profile of Dechinta in The Tyee by Angela Sterritt.
Check out Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s site and dig into her books, talks, and music.
Have a look at UBC’s profile of Kyla LeSage and read her interview with Cabin Radio on amplifying northern Indigenous voices.
In February, PhD candidate Hunter Knight of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education wrote about Egerton Ryerson and how his “racist philosophy of residential schools also shaped publication education.” You can read it here. You can also read an excerpt from Lila Pine drawn from Indigenous Toronto: Stories That Carry This Place.
Read Ryerson University’s “Message to the community about the Kamloops residential school burial site.”
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer this week is Jay Cockburn and our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants this areAddye Susnick and David Moscrop, and our lead research assistant this week was Franklynn Bartol. We also had academic advising from Dr. Marc Spooner. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, as part of a project looking at higher education policy in Canada. The lead academic advisor is Dr. Marc Spooner at the University of Regina and Franklynn Bartol is the research assistant.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
54 min
May 28, 2021EP22: The Colonial Lens (ft. Uahikea Maile, Max Liboiron, & Pam Palmater)
Scholars want to decolonize everything, and universities say they are doing the hard work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. But is anything really being done, or is it all for show? In this episode, we approach these questions through three words that are common inside and outside of academia: decolonize, reconciliation, and colonialism.
First (@7:05), Uahikea Maile is Assistant Professor of Indigenous politics at the University of Toronto. Last summer, he was part of a land defense against the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope that would be built in Hawaii on Mauna Kea, which is sacred to Native Hawaiins. He takes us inside the struggle and explains that the telescope will not be built despite the powerful forces, including governments that wish it to be.
Then (@18:39), Max Liboiron is an Associate Professor in Geography at Memorial University and head of the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research. They explain what colonialism is and how it relates to land and research, including “well intentioned” environmental work that is itself colonial and dispossesses Indigenous peoples. They also make the distinction between “decolonialism” and “anti-colonialism.”
Finally (@38:58), Pam Palmater is Chair of Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. She points out that the point of reconciliation is to uncover and expose the truth in the service of making amends but politicians have appropriated the term and rendered it superficial in the service of their own ends. So too have universities. She asks how universities and others hold themselves to account and take action when it comes to reconciliation — or not.
——————-FURTHER READING AND LISTENING——————-
Review the Canadian Astronomical Society’s update on the Thirty Meter Telescope
Check out Uahikea Maile’s research, including his chapter “Threats of Violence: Refusing the Thirty Meter Telescope and Dakota Access Pipeline.”
Visit Max Liboiron’s Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research and take a look at their newly released book Pollution is Colonialism.
Read Pam Palmater’s blog post “Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Universities and Colleges” and then listen to her podcast, Warrior Life, especially the episode where she talks about higher education and reconciliation. For more, visit her publications page and YouTube channel.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer this week is Jay Cockburn and our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants this week are Addye Susnick and David Moscrop. We also had research assistance from Franklynn Bartol and academic advising from Dr. Marc Spooner. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, as part of a project looking at higher education policy in Canada. The lead academic advisor is Dr. Marc Spooner at the University of Regina, and Franklynn Bartol is the research assistant
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
59 min
May 21, 2021EP21: Letters From Herzl (ft. Rashid Khalidi & Faisal Bhabha)
Gazans live in an open-air prison within an apartheid state. Backed by the United States and USD $3.8b a year in military aid, Israel dominates Palestinians. Recent Israeili airstrikes on Gaza have left over 200 Palestinians and a dozen Irsaelis dead. The moment continues a history that is settler colonial, one-sided, and disproportionate. And yet media and academic censorship has consistently silenced or punished those who speak out in support of Palestinians. In the face of that, many radical academics simply remain silent. In an age where ‘decolonization’ has become an academic buzzword, we must ask: will we stand by our purported ideals? On this episode, host Gordon Katic says “colonialism is not a metaphor” as he dives into settler colonialism and the costs of resistance, criticizing Israel, and speaking up for Palestine.
First (@11:05), Rashid Khalidi is a Palestinian American historian and Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He’s also the author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017. He analyzes letters between Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, and Rashid’s great-great-great uncle, Yusuf Diya al-Din Pasha al-Khalidi. The letters, among other documents, reveal that colonialism was always an explicit element of political Zionism.
Then (@46:29), Faisal Bhabha is an Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and former Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. In June 2020, he participated in a debate about the International Holocaust Remeberance Alliance’s definition of anti-semitism. He criticized the definition as vague and confusing, and subject to conflation of criticism of the state of Israel as anti-semitism. He takes us through the controversial debate and the fallout, including attacks against his career and attempts to remove him from the classroom.
——————-STATEMENT FROM YORK UNIVERSITY——————-
York University unequivocally supports academic freedom. We refer you to a public statement on academic freedom issued on September 29, and can be found here.

President Lenton has steadfastly affirmed the University’s commitment to academic freedom for all York University Faculty members which includes Professor Bhabha’s participation in the panel held by Ryerson University’s Centre for Free Expression and co-sponsored by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Within legal limits, academic freedom is rightly afforded a great deal of protection. As the President has stated, York believes that academic freedom is vital to the furtherance of robust and respectful dialogue, particularly where there may be disagreement and different perspectives. Universities play an essential role in creating a place where difficult world issues can be discussed, where arguments can be held up to scrutiny and be challenged, and where people can hopefully learn from each other and work towards solutions.

– Yanni Dagonas, Deputy Spokesperson, York University
——————-FURTHER READING——————-
Be sure to pick up Rashid Khalidi’s book The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017 and have a look at the rest of his work on his academic page, including Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America’s Perilous Path in the Middle East.
Also, have a look a look at Khalidi’s recent op-ed on the conflict in Gaza, published in the Washington Post as he argues “What we’re seeing now is just the latest chapter in Israel’s dispossession of the Palesitnians.” Plus, catch him on Democracy Now! Interviewed Amy Goodman.
Watch the debate, Fighting Anti-Semitism or Silencing Critics of Israel: What’s Behind the Push for Governments to Adopt the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism in which Faisal Bhabha participated. Read the IHRA’s definition of anti-semitism for yourself.
Check out Shree Paradkar’s 2020 column in the Toronto Star on the “escalating suppression of moderate voices criticizing Israel” in which she discusses Bhabha’s case.
Read through a quick and selected run-down of recent news about censorship and reprisal against academics who speak out against Israel or in support of Palestine in our Recent Censorship Timeline doc.
——————-EPISODE CITATIONS——————-
We cited a lot of sources in this episode. You can find a selection of them through the links below.
On social media
On Twitter, writer Mohammed El-Kurd describes the violence in the streets and links to videos, May 12, 2021
Mohammed El-Kurd speaks out on television against Israel’s actions in Gaza
Israel’s Minister of Defense Benny Gantz tweets his thanks to the U.S. for blocking the U.N. Security Council resolution criticizing Israel’s attack on Gaza
The Gravel Institute makes it plain on Twitter: “This is what colonization looks like.”
Writer Andray Domise tweets “Academics wanna decolonize everything except actual colonies, get these soft mother fuckers outta here, lmao.”
A video of the late Michael Brooks is circulating on Twitter in which he explains that despites to make it sound complicated, the Israel-Palestine issue is actually “super simple”
In the news
Israel Weighs Gaza Truce Which Hamas Says Possible by Friday, Reuters, May 20, 2021
Poet Mohammed El-Kurd Detained in Sheikh Jarrah After Condemning Israeli Apartheid on U.S. TV, Democracy Now!, May 13, 2021
Israel Thanks US for Blocking UN Statement Calling for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, The Independent, May 18, 2021
Did a University of Toronto Donor Block the Hiring of a Scholar for her Writing on Palestine? The New Yorker, May 8, 2021
Petition to Bar Faisal Bhabha from Teaching “Human Rights” at Osgoode Hall Law School, B’Nai Brith Canada
IHRA Definition at Work, Independent Jewish Voices Canada , September 3, 2020
Open Letter — IJV York Denounces Smear Campaign Against Faisal Bhabha, June 25, 2020
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer this week is Ren Bangert and our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants this week are Franklynn Bartol and David Moscrop. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, as part of a project looking at higher education policy in Canada. The lead academic advisor is Dr. Marc Spooner at the University of Regina, and Franklynn Bartol is the research assistant
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
1 hr 19 min
May 19, 2021 EP20.1: Solid Strunk (ft. Trevor Strunk of No Cartridge)
In this bonus episode, we talk more with Trevor Strunk of No Cartridge. Trevor has a forthcoming book called Story Mode: Video Games and the Interplay Between Consoles and Culture. It’s coming out this November.
The book looks at the shifting politics of major franchises, including Metal Gear. Metal Gear offered a trenchant critique of war, militarism, big data, surveillance, and the deep state. But for Trevor, Metal Gear eventually lost its way– the series ended up lionizing warriors. By the end of the series, its politics aren’t much better than a Marvel movie.
Trevor and Gordon talk about Metal Gear and what went wrong, but it’s part of a much wider-ranging conversation about the politics of video games. We also return to that perennial debate: are video games art?
——————-SUPPORT THE SHOW——————-
We need your support. If you like what you hear, chip in. You can find us on patreon.com/dartsandletters.
—————————-CONTACT US————————-
To stay up to date, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. If you’d like to write to us, email [email protected] or tweet Gordon directly.
—————————-CREDITS—————————-
Darts and Letters is hosted and edited by Gordon Katic. Our lead producer on this episdoe was Ren Bangert, and our managing producer is Marc Apollonio. Our research assistants are Addye Susnick and David Moscrop. Our theme song was created by Mike Barber. Our graphic design was created by Dakota Koop.
This episode received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research, which provided us a research grant to look at the concept of “public intellectualism.” Professor Allen Sens at the University of British Columbia is the lead academic advisor. It was also part of a wider project looking at the politics of video games, housed at UBC and also advised by Lennart E. Nacke at the University of Waterloo.
Darts and Letters is produced in Toronto, which is on the traditional land of Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. It is also produced in Vancouver, BC, which is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
51 min

About Darts and Letters

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This is about ‘arts and letters,’ but for the kind of people who might hack a dart. We cover public intellectualism and the politics of academia from a left perspective. Each week, we interview…