Friendly Anarchism

I'm back! I never released this episode during the first season because I wasn't ready to talk about all of this. However, my personal backstory with "mental illness" and finding god is an important precursor to the second season, where we're going to delve more into neurodivergence, disability, and ableism.

Transcript: https://medium.com/@friendlyanarchism/s1e31-5-the-spiritual-radical-left-burnout-and-disability-with-the-young-quaker-pod-transcript-18fa785d2b5e

Show notes:

I spoke with Jessica Hubbard-Bailey about being religious in a lefty household, the radical spiritual revival, pain caused by Christianity, the creation of white slaveholder evangelism, finding spirituality and Quakerism, carving out space for spiritual leftists, the benefits of having a person of faith in your affinity group, inner peace as a service to community, burn-out culture, the danger of spreading anxiety and fear, gender-coding of work, our personal stories of disability, productivity as worth, lithium, Jesus' love of the sick, John the Baptist, letting people exist instead of trying to fix you, being held in the light, wheelchairs are freedom, and the social model of disability.

7:05: It gets mentioned a few times throughout the show, so I want to clarify that the idea that the right has "co-opted" Jesus is often used as a cop-out and an excuse folks use to evade holding christianity accountable for all the damage it has done.

9:26: Article removed from Forbes on the destruction of amerikan liberation christianity: https://www.politicalorphans.com/the-article-removed-from-forbes-why-white-evangelicalism-is-so-cruel/

16:05: I speak lovingly about the Quaker meeting houses in Philadelphia (which are beautiful) but I have since found out were in part built using money from the slavery trade. I had not learned yet at the time this was recorded about the messy and disturbing relationship between Quakerism, slavery, and whiteness. More on that subject: https://www.friendsjournal.org/slavery-in-the-quaker-world/

26:00: Ironic erasure of the existing spiritual radical left communities by assuming whiteness of the "radical left", my apologies!

30:16: Affinity groups can be formed for any reason, not just by type of work. These days I prefer groups of 4-6. More info on affinity group organizing: https://www.sproutdistro.com/catalog/zines/organizing/affinity-groups-essential

35:58: Did I use they/them pronouns for god? Why yes I did *foreshadowing*

38:15: I use the word "healthy" a few times throughout the show, which can have ableist undertones. More on ableist language: https://www.disabilityandrepresentation.com/2013/09/14/ableist-language/

39:12: Mutual Aid Disaster Relief has an incredible list of resources about mental/emotional/trauma/wellness care: https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/health-wellness/

39:28: I heavily blamed myself for my burn-out but more was going on..

51:48 : The term "differently abled" is widely understood as ableist, please forgive me as I was struggling to understand and express my own experience

55:23: Some feel that the phrase "hold you in the light" upholds the racist linguistic dichotomy of light/dark and prefer other variations such as "hold you in god's chocolate"

57:20: I learned about Juniper the Holy Fool from Mark Van Steenwyk's Deep Roots Podcast: https://www.markvans.info/deep-roots-podcast-at-play-with-the-holy-fools/

57:15: *foreshadowing* - Also I meant to say "uncarved" block

59:30: I was 30 years old before hearing about the social model of disability vs. the medical model. Quick intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdzbyJq58Ws

anarchy ...(4)...... jesus

Originally aired 7/15/17.

Greg Williams is a Christian anarchist organizer and author I was very pleased to be able to speak with! We spoke about above ground community antifascist mass mobilization, how hate speech shuts down free speech, cops, solidarity, loving your neighbor, and more :)

Referenced:

"Free Speech and Love of Enemies: Anti-Fascism Theologically Understood" by Greg Williams http://www.jesusradicals.com/blog/free-speech-and-love-of-enemies-anti-fascism-theologically-understood

So, I actually confused two articles.

This one from Crimethinc: https://crimethinc.com/2017/07/10/dear-citizens-this-is-your-police-in-praise-of-the-police-free-zone-in-hamburg

and this one from It's Going Down: https://itsgoingdown.org/made-large-scale-resistance-possible-g20-hamburg/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Referenced:

"Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology" by David Graeber

For more information about the rally in Portland on August 4th you can go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/239298920131113/

anarchy .....(6).... jesus

Last week I spoke at the North American Anarchist Studies Network conference in so-called Montreal on the topic "We're Brokenhearted: Understanding Fierce Love in Anarchist Organizing" using lessons from historical anarchic christian mystic movements. There was a great discussion afterwards included in the audio.

Notes here, still working on a full transcript: https://friendlyanarchism.medium.com/notes-were-brokenhearted-understanding-fierce-love-in-anarchist-organizing-at-naasn-montreal-65fdd9fed692

Thank you to NAASN for having me! You can support them and the work they do here: https://www.youcaring.com/naasn2018-1179259?utm_campaign=buttonshare&utm_medium=url&utm_source=copy&utm_content=cf_cp_01%20ucaring

anarchy .(2)........ jesus

Spoke with chemical engineer Sophia Weber about seizing the means of production, anarchist scientists, worker’s cooperatives, the importance of process work, anarcho-syndicalism, stoicism, economies of scale, not-sexy anarchism, creating mutual aid networks, environmental racism and classism, failures of electoral politics, how anarchists deal with large public problems, collective bargaining, larger perspective interests, wildcat strikes, cats, witchery, the Kardashians, being in the struggle, bringing heaven to earth, connecting yourself with the Godhead, solitary witchcraft, covens, the balance between individualism and collectivism, and the Waterbury Mutual Aid and Defense Network.

Referenced:

International Journal of Engineering, Social Justice, and Peace

http://esjp.org/journal

"Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology" by David Graeber

Support the project on Patreon at www.patreon.com/friendlyanarchism

anarchy ......(7)... jesus

Spoke with Matti, a co-conspirator in the Friendly Fire Collective about sacred geometry, what it means to be a “seeking” faith, fascist mysticism, touching the divine, witches, women saints, May Day, charismatic practices, Theater of the Oppressed & dada, atheist hostility, internal labor and liberation, self-discipline, process work, patriarchy, bad communication, using a green lens, Micah 6:8, and community as the antithesis to capitalism.

Notes:

*The example of a street medic trainer was hypothetical and not in reference to any real person

*Joan of Arc was in fact burned at the stake, she was 19 years old

Referenced:

The Friendly Fire Collective go fund me: https://www.gofundme.com/friendly-fire-retreat

More on Jordan Peterson: Jordan Peterson and Fascist Mysticism

http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/03/19/jordan-peterson-and-fascist-mysticism/

More on Julius Evola: Rose City Antifa - The Wolves of Vinland: a Fascist Countercultural “Tribe” in the Pacific Northwest

https://rosecityantifa.org/articles/the-wolves-of-vinland-a-fascist-countercultural-tribe-in-the-pacific-northwest/

Pew Research Center: Nearly half of the public (49%) says they have had a religious or mystical experience, defined as a “moment of sudden religious insight or awakening.”

http://www.pewforum.org/2009/12/09/many-americans-mix-multiple-faiths/

More on Augusto Boal and Theater of the Oppressed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Boal

On Karl Marx and atheism: What would Marx think about reactionary new atheists? By Ben Norton

https://bennorton.com/what-would-marx-think-about-reactionary-new-atheists/

The Young Quaker Podcast

http://youngquakerpodcast.libsyn.com/website

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

-Micah 6:8

Me and Hye Sung Francis from the Friendly Fire Collective were interviewed by Dean and Matt from another radical Christian podcast called The Magnificast about our organizing praxis, our upcoming May Day retreat in Philadelphia, and more! The deadline to apply for the retreat has been extended to March 29th, so if you are interested there is still time to apply :)

https://friendlyfirecollective.wordpress.com/retreat/

An update on our f/Friends who were arrested in Lansing:

https://friendlyfirecollective.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/an-update-on-the-arrested-f-friends/

anarchy ....(5)..... jesus

Spoke with my friend of circumstance Issac about the Lansing protest, small(big) acts of solidarity, gratitude, athletic musicianship, simplicity, implicit power, affinity groups, instilled hierarchies, being a touring musician, the tyranny of structurelessness, DIY music, balancing idealism and experience, dislodging power, leadership, rules vs. no rules, voluntary association, taking credit for work, intellectual property and creative commons, church+capital+culture, the Western Wall, churches as a socialist enterprise, Friendly Fire, acting from faith and fact, anarchism as a way of life, thanking flowers, ableism, sneetches, light/dark, concurrent contradictory realities, cognitive dissonance, cognitive euphony, and fun with new equipment.

Referenced:

The bail fund for comrades arrested in Lansing protesting Richard Spencer's appearance:

https://www.fundedjustice.com/stopspencermsu?ref=ab_f7ARsc_ab_9LOJM7tjsmX9LOJM7tjsmX

The Tyranny of Structurelessness

http://www.struggle.ws/pdfs/tyranny.pdf

My patreon, thank you so so much to my patrons!!:

www.patreon.com/friendlyanarchism

My radical Quaker collective Friendly Fire:

https://friendlyfirecollective.wordpress.com/

Richard Rohr, Franciscan Catholic mystic:

https://cac.org/turning-toward-the-good-2016-02-18/

Notes:

F. Scott Fitzgerald quote: "...the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. This philosophy fitted on to my early adult life, when I saw the improbable, the implausible, often the "impossible," come true."

anarchy (1)......... jesus

CW: Graphic violence, police brutality, mention of sexual harassment

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Note from Nov. 2020: It's hard to listen to how traumatized I am, but amazing to hear in real time the effects of experiencing police brutality first hand for the first time. I had had a number of bad experiences with cops in the past and had seen brutality at protests prior to this, but as (weirdly casually) mentioned, that day cops had tried to run over my friends, had assaulted clergy, and had clearly wanted to kill me in a way I had not personally experienced up to that point. Even for someone who was dedicated to nonviolence with ample mental and martial arts training, it was a lot to deal with. After much thought I left in moments of rage because people should hear what happens when cops act the way they do.

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I spoke to Molly from Charlottesville DSA about the protest last weekend in Knoxville against Matthew Heimbach and the Tradworkers appearance on campus. We got into how much cops suck and why you should yell at them, what exactly it is that antifa do, keeping tabs on fascists (with shout outs to Chris Cantwell "The Crying Nazi", Jason Kessler, and others) diversity of tactics, and a lot more!

Notes:

-It's Traditionalist Worker Party, I obviously knew that, don't look at me.

-There are a lot of different approaches to antifascism and I am not speaking for all antifascists, just from my own experience and how I understand the work.

-A big shout out to my new patrons! Thank you so much for your support. You can donate to keep this show running at www.patreon.com/friendlyanarchism :)

-I'm now part of the Critical Mediations podcast network! They have a great line up of leftist podcasts including RevLeftRadio, my friends at the Magnificast, Season Of The Bitch, and more! You can check them out at www.critmediations.com

References:

A full report back: https://enoughisenough14.org/2018/02/23/knoxville-report-back-counter-protests-against-fascist-traditionalist-workers-party/

Anti-Kettling

http://anarchish.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-win-at-kettling-guide-for-non.html

The House by the Side of the Road

by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

There are hermit

souls that live withdrawn

In the peace of their self-content;

There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart,

In a fellowless firmament;

There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths

Where highways never ran;-

But let me live by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house

by the side of the road,

Where the race of men go by-

The men who are good and the men who are bad,

As good and as bad as I.

I would not sit in the scorner’s seat,

Or hurl the cynic’s ban;-

Let me live in a house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

I see from my house

by the side of the road,

By the side of the highway of life,

The men who press with the ardor of hope,

The men who are faint with the strife.

But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears-

Both parts of an infinite plan;-

Let me live in my house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened

meadows ahead

And mountains of wearisome height;

That the road passes on through the long afternoon

And stretches away to the night.

But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice,

And weep with the strangers that moan,

Nor live in my house by the side of the road

Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my

house by the side of the road

Where the race of men go by-

They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,

Wise, foolish- so am I.

Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat

Or hurl the cynic’s ban?-

Let me live in my house by the side of the road

And be a friend to man.

anarchy (1)......... jesus

Spoke with a Bavarian comrade about why we shouldn’t have to fight for normal things, denying abortion to rape victims, changes in the movement, ways to engage with the public, it’s not just about punching nazis, neighborhood organizing and liberated districts, how antifascism can’t get isolated, supporting local community, openness about being an antifascist, what you should and should not talk about in public, bringing our ideas to people, fascism isn’t just in the past, paranoia & anti-repression work, sharing praxis, you don’t fight for yourself alone, struggle in the street can’t exist without the struggle in the background, protest tactics, black bloc strategy, having fun working under such stressful conditions, humor, enjoying the small successes, fighting fear, being creative, GNWP adaptations, Americans fucked up punk, in a perfect world we wouldn’t need antifascism, antifa are the REAL fascists, all fascism is violent while antifascism is very diverse, liberals, fascism is capitalism in crisis, mutual aid as antifascism, and unlearning hate.

*Notes:

-Anarchists are doing a great job distributing literature to the public, happens a lot. Don't really know where that came from.

-I say "antifa" really weird at one point. Yeah... I don't know. Didn't say it as weird as Mark Bray tho, so

-Patriarchy is a problem in every type of household, singling out Muslim households is islamophobic